Dürrenmatt led Felix down into the basement, where the scent of machine oil and metal instantly filled the air—a smell Felix was all too familiar with.
"Young one, you said you're a gunsmith, right?" Dürrenmatt asked with a faint smile as he pulled a blueprint from a nearby drawer. "Let's see if you've really got the skill to craft this."
Felix leaned over to examine the blueprint. Upon realizing it was a pistol, he let out a small breath of relief—but the moment he recognized the model, his eyes widened slightly.
[You discovered blueprint – Revolver: Ace of Spades]
Oh my god. A golden legendary!
Among revolvers, only two models were considered legendary: Dawn and Ace of Spades. Neither dared claim supremacy over the other.
Though Dürrenmatt didn't hand over the blueprint, as long as Felix memorized the assembly process, he could reconstruct it later using LMD and experience.
[You have triggered D-rank mission [Prove Yourself]. Accept/Reject?]
[Mission Details: Fellow Sankta, Dürrenmatt, seeks to evaluate your gunsmithing ability. Prove your skill by successfully creating a hand cannon in his presence. His opinion of you may shift.]
[Task Objective: Craft "Ace of Spades" Revolver]
[Reward: 5000 Experience]
"I'll begin," Felix said calmly.
He slipped on his gloves, stepped up to the workbench, and began the familiar rhythm of his craft.
His fluid, practiced movements made Dürrenmatt nod in quiet approval. Whether one worked as a gunsmith or a mechanic, sensitivity to materials was crucial.
Every material Felix selected and polished was handled with precise, deliberate care. Watching him work without a single misstep, Dürrenmatt couldn't help but wonder—had this boy memorized the entire material composition down to instinct?
Months of accumulated experience and refined skill had earned Felix a rare trait:
[Hand Cannon Manufacturing Understanding Lv10] —his margin for error when building hand cannons was now practically nonexistent.
Currently, his five equipped traits were:
Beginner's Assistance Lv1
Squad Assistance Lv1
Gunfighting Lv10
Basic Firearms Understanding Lv10
Pistol Manufacturing Understanding Lv10
At this stage, the squad support skill was unnecessary.
An hour passed. Resting silently on the table was a flawlessly crafted Ace of Spades revolver—sleek, balanced, and gleaming with precision.
"It's finished, senior," Felix reported.
Dürrenmatt gave a slow, approving nod. "Exquisite work. I've never seen a gunsmith so young with this level of talent. Young man, you should return to Laterano. With your skills, you'd no doubt secure a place in the Papal Palace someday."
Felix simply smiled and replied, "Maybe."
Dürrenmatt smiled. "Ah, that's right—I nearly forgot that you came here to ease the suffering on this land. All the Sankta who leave the Holy City carry that same warmth and devotion in their hearts... I take back what I said earlier. You're destined to become someone truly remarkable."
He gave Felix a firm pat on the shoulder, then picked up the revolver. His gaze softened as he held it, eyes filled with nostalgia—as if remembering an old comrade from long ago. After a moment of quiet reflection, he handed the pistol back to Felix.
"This piece was made by your hands. Naturally, it belongs to you."
"Thank you, Senior," Felix said with a bow of gratitude.
"Are you interested in mechanics?" Dürrenmatt asked casually, settling into a seat on the basement sofa.
Felix knew immediately—this was the turning point.
He nodded seriously. "Yes, Senior. Very much so."
"My name is Dürrenmatt. I'm a mechanic from Rutland. I can see you're quite passionate about the craft, young one. So tell me, would you be willing to become my apprentice?" It was the first time Dürrenmatt formally introduced himself. With a slight smile, he added, "Of course, I know you're also a messenger. You can leave anytime your path calls for it."
"It would be an honor, Senior Dürrenmatt!"
Felix's voice trembled with excitement.
He had only expected, at best, to receive a few manuals or blueprints to help him begin his journey into a secondary class. Never did he imagine he would trigger one of "Ark's" hidden systems—and be offered an apprenticeship.
In his previous life, the first recorded instance of the apprenticeship system being unlocked happened by chance: a casual player with a secondary profession as a chef was working at a Chinese restaurant in Yan Country. The restaurant's head chef, impressed by the player's sincere attitude and genuine love of cooking, took him on as an apprentice.
Apprentices gained faster experience growth during training and had a higher probability of inheriting their master's traits and talents. For players limited to only two innate talents at birth, it was nothing short of a golden opportunity.
That lucky chef-player inherited a talent from his master known as Divine Tongue—which doubled the effects of food buffs. In other words, a simple steamed bun that originally granted +2 Strength now offered +4 in his hands. It was a godsend for both PVE and PVP players constantly struggling with stat limitations.
After that, waves of players scrambled to be accepted by high-level NPCs as apprentices. But NPCs weren't fools—they could easily distinguish between genuine learners and opportunists.
The sincere ones were welcomed; the insincere were swiftly turned away.
The apprenticeship trend exploded in Yan Country. Martial arts halls across the vast land were soon filled with eager players "devoted to seeking the path of truth."
They proudly shared their inherited traits and talents on the forums, sparking envy among others who hadn't unlocked the system yet. Desperate to be chosen, players bent over backward to flatter their NPC masters, hoping to one day receive powerful traits of their own.
But the inheritance system remained mysterious. It appeared to depend on a variety of factors—attributes, character class ratings, as well as proficiency and levels in both main and secondary professions. With the right combination of bonuses, players found that only those who met certain thresholds could actually inherit a master's traits. Apprentices who didn't meet the necessary level requirements couldn't "steal" skills from their mentors—but even without inheritance, the massive experience boost alone was enough to make the system worthwhile. Players flocked to it in droves.
Now, by chance, Felix had also unlocked this hidden apprenticeship mechanic.
Dürrenmatt rummaged through a cabinet before pulling out a worn book. He handed it to Felix. "Read this first. You don't have any missions at the moment, do you?"
Felix nodded and accepted the book titled On Mechanics and Mechanics: Enlightenment, trying to suppress the excitement rising in his chest.
Seeing Felix immediately settle down to read, Dürrenmatt smiled with satisfaction. He left the basement light on for him, then made his way back upstairs to the living room. There, he sat in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa, warming his aching knees. The constant rain had brought back the pain of his old illness.
[You are currently studying. Intelligence assessment in progress. Talent assessment in progress. Current progress: 5%]
...
[You have acquired a new secondary occupation: Entry-Level Mechanic. Dexterity +1, Intelligence +1, and 1 free attribute point gained.]
[New trait acquired: Basic Mechanical Understanding]
It took Felix several hours to finish the book. When he did, a new secondary profession—Mechanic—appeared on his character panel. Along with it came new stat increases and free attribute points. He immediately poured all of the experience he had accumulated over the past few days into leveling it up.
After some thought, he decided to delete his old Student secondary class. While the student role offered slight boosts to HP and MP at higher levels, it was no longer necessary.
His Courier secondary class remained, providing a small bonus: +1 Endurance and +1 Spirit at level 1.
So, in exchange for dropping the Level 2 Student, Felix kept his Level 1 Courier, and gained a new Level 1 Mechanic. His overall level, previously capped at 22, jumped dramatically. After converting experience from recent hunts and weapon crafting efforts, he raised his Mechanic class to level 10—pushing his overall level to 32.
Felix let out a deep breath. As an NPC, he wasn't bound by the same level caps that restricted players. Like other non-player characters, his growth potential was theoretically limitless.
With Entry-Level Mechanic now at level 10, he unlocked the trait [Basic Mechanical Understanding], and gained +2 Strength and +3 Intelligence. Using his remaining skill points, he learned the ability [Basic Mechanical Manufacturing] and immediately upgraded it to level 10. The entire process consumed over 700,000 experience points—completely draining him.
Now, he was penniless.
Like a drifter freshly arrived in this land, all he had left were a few LMD in his pocket.
What moved him most was that, at long last, his rank had finally broken through the one-star threshold. A rating of exactly 1.00 points made Felix let out a long sigh—it truly hadn't come easy.
[You are now eligible to challenge any bottom-tier subordinates within any faction. When facing multiple enemies head-on, it is recommended that you increase your combat efficiency.]
Was this system message looking down on him?
He mulled over his current class and secondary professions. Given that he didn't have any combat-ready mechanical units, and that his only benefit in firearm usage came from his Technician role—far inferior to the bonuses granted by the Sniper profession—it wasn't surprising that his combat power was still viewed as subpar.
However, only those with the Gunsmith or Mechanic professions could wield more advanced firearms and machinery. Felix wasn't too concerned about his evaluation for now, nor was he in a rush to open a battlefield. For the time being, he focused on forging equipment—adding unique modules to standard weapons—so even ordinary players could use enhanced mechanical gear.
In the days that followed, Felix settled into a steady rhythm, living in Dürrenmatt's cabin. Life became regular and disciplined. He took over Dürrenmatt's hunting duties, heading out each morning with the Ace of Spades revolver tucked in his pocket, gradually honing his marksmanship through real combat.
He would return with fresh game before noon, process it, and then enjoy a simple lunch. After that, his day of study officially began.
Dürrenmatt provided him with a stack of mechanical blueprints—mostly beginner-level schematics. These included basic devices like small engines and mobility hooks. In the realm of daily-use items, mechanics had far more room to innovate—portable heaters, secure and encrypted briefcases, and the like.
Dürrenmatt was increasingly surprised by Felix's rapid grasp of mechanical theory and practice. His learning attitude was focused and earnest, with not a single trace of laziness or arrogance. After dinner, he would disappear into the basement, burying himself in study and experimentation, completely devoid of the flamboyant idealism typical of young Sanktas. Dürrenmatt grew more confident by the day that he had made the right choice—treating Felix not just as an apprentice, but as a true successor, teaching him everything he had to offer.
Before long, the basement cabinets were filled with Felix's mechanical creations. Most were compact, handheld tools like precision gear assemblies. Due to a limited battery supply in Dürrenmatt's inventory, Felix learned to design around energy constraints, avoiding wasteful usage.
His mechanical mastery rapidly advanced. Compared to the past six months he had spent wandering in Laterano, he had never experienced such focused, immersive growth. This was the kind of full-throttle "grind" experience every hardcore player loved—nonstop progression, no need to log off, no physical limits.
Through rigorous day-and-night practice, Felix had fully mastered the Entry-Level Mechanic profession. He approached Dürrenmatt to borrow the next-tier professional textbook for advancement.
Dürrenmatt hesitated, his expression complicated. He himself had spent years stuck at the Entry-Level stage, relying only on self-study and repeated trial and error to progress. He had failed and hit roadblocks more times than he could count.
But then he thought—Felix was his student, his last apprentice. Wasn't Felix's talent the result of his own careful teaching? The more he considered it, the more satisfied he felt. A good teacher naturally produces a good student, after all.
...
[There are 10 days remaining until the "Terra Spark 1.0" version update]
Upon seeing the reminder, Felix lifted his head, set down the metal block he'd been cutting, and stretched lazily, a satisfied smile on his face.
After three to four months of tireless effort, he had successfully advanced his secondary profession from Mechanic to Apprentice Mechanic. This promotion granted him a +2 bonus to Dexterity and +4 to Intelligence. With the advancement, the profession level was reset to Lv1, and his character's overall level was reduced accordingly. However, the level cap increased from 10 to 15, and he received 10 free attribute points—quite a generous reward overall.
Although the experience he'd accumulated over the past few months wasn't enough to max out his new secondary class, he had already brought Apprentice Mechanic up to level 10. His overall character level remained unchanged.
His related skills and traits had also shifted—now labeled "elementary" instead of "preliminary." He possessed Elementary Mechanical Manufacturing Lv1 and Elementary Mechanical Comprehension Lv1. Unfortunately, he lacked the experience points needed to upgrade them further for now.
But his most significant gain wasn't in the numbers—it was the inheritance of Dürrenmatt's talent.
Super Mechanical Mastery: When designing blueprints, manufacturing, or using mechanical equipment, gain triple bonuses from Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence.
For instance, if he equipped a mechanical armor that normally granted +10 Strength and +5 Dexterity, he would receive +30 Strength and +15 Dexterity instead—an absurdly powerful stat boost!
Ark was a game that heavily emphasized attributes. Like most MMORPGs, character growth was the real core of gameplay. In PvP, slight variations in stats could mean the difference between victory and defeat. In the mid-to-late game, it was common for players to push all attributes into the triple digits. While PvP still boiled down to veterans clashing with other veterans and rookies stumbling over each other, PvE content remained notoriously brutal—NPCs dominated major story arcs, and players often struggled against them.
Thinking of that, Felix suddenly remembered—the game forums should be open by now.
Players could browse the forums while logged into the game. He opened the menu and clicked into the forum.
Just like when he'd been a regular player, he successfully entered. The first post featured on the homepage was an official promotional thread, displaying an image of a scorched land shrouded in smoke and littered with jagged Originium pillars.
At the center of the scene, a lone figure walked across this ravaged land—a silent traveler in a world of suffering and destruction.
That image symbolized every player in the world of Ark.