Arts Units - Arknights: Endfield Database

One of the Arts units developed by Witching Hour. With the exception of its basic Originium circuitries, the rest of the unit was constructed using an unknown material. Can this really be built in Talos-II?

I lived at a small village before I became an Endfielder. It was more like a makeshift camp. Both the UWST and TGCC had plans to develop the surrounding region. The area was jointly managed by the two organizations and we had all sorts of people. Despite the shoddiness of the place, it was lively and boisterous.
I remember a particular evening when I saw a few Sarkaz squatting in front of the door of my cabin and munching on their rations. They were members of the UWST crew, but none of them had their shirts on and bared their stocky bodies to the wind. All of them were typical Sarkaz, Oripathy-positive and capable of wielding the Arts. They were my people. When they saw me, they gave a rather embarrassed smile and moved a bit so I could leave my cabin.
Another UWST crew with the same outfits partied around a bonfire not too far away from them. They laughed, cheered, and munched on the same rations. They danced around the fire and sang songs from their homes.
“Munched on the same rations…”
I hope you understand what that meant, Supervisor Perlica.
Life for my people had changed a lot. My Grandpapa had lived for over 200 years and he would tell me stories about Kazdel. The other Talosians might tolerate us more than their ancestors did back in the days when Grandpapa lived on Terra. People no longer feared our Arts and Oripathy was no longer the killer it once was thanks to the efforts of numerous scientists and surgeons. I have many friends of other races and we all received the same education. However, thanks to our innate skills in the Arts and our powerful build, my people and I either became indispensable forces of labor or soldiers fighting against the Aggeloi and the Blight.
Things might look fair. Every crew mate and worker munched on the same rations.
But my people were left alone to themselves. Every race had fun at that bonfire party. Every race except for us.
Sometimes I’d think that the way people tolerated the Sarkaz was by forgetting that we are the Sarkaz. Is this a forced construct of “equality” built upon a deliberate exclusion and neglect of the differences that separate our histories, cultures, and languages?
The Talosian condition was a vast improvement over the Terran injustice we endured. During Grandpapa’s times, my people would treat my words as paranoid ramblings and unrealistic demands of a pampered and insatiable child.
But I must ask this question. Who can protect the integrity and values of being a Sarkaz? My people would not earn respect if things go on like this. Instead, we could become a domesticated species serving the interests of others… Of course, I do know about Seš’qa, but I cannot bring myself to fully approve the path they have taken.
I chose to become an Endfielder because I believe that Endfield was not such a place. I was overjoyed to win the approval of my fellow Endfielders. I will also remember the time I spent with the Songseekers of the Circuit as well as the kind words that Martin Marvin Malen lavished me with. But I have my dreams, Endministrator and Supervisor Perlica. I have my own vision for the Sarkaz.
And so, I refuse to become an elite operator.
This is not yet the time.

One of the Arts units developed by Mieszko Industries. The weapon features special D64 steel chassis and a suite of customizable modules. Its appearance reminds people of firework displays of knight majors from the past.

The legendary Spokesman Malkiewicz did not leave us a legacy of boredom, dullness, or ascetic suffering. No! We Talosians have more than our fair share of suffering and pain! We have to deal with the Blight, the blasted Aggeloi, and an unforgiving and hostile world! This is why we need something indispensable to every community and civilization — WE NEED EXCITEMENT!
And Little Jakubin is right! We successfully preserved a few forms of entertainment from Old Terra. We got books, movies, cards, and video games. But why am I so passionate about this particular form of entertainment? Why do I keep harping all day about the Renaissance of the Majors?
Alright! Settle down! SETTLE DOWN! And enough with the rumors! I’m no Terranist! I’m definitely NOT a Returnist! Talos is my sole focus! Do you think I’m doing all this because I miss Kazimierz? NIE! My old man didn’t even leave me a photo of that distant place when I was born!
NIE! My friends! I am a man of the moment! I care about the “NOW”! And this is why I spent my life’s fortune to build this underground arena at my hometown!
People! We’re no longer on the spotless and elegant boulevards of Old Terra! We’re on an alien world! A new land! A WILD LAND! Literature? PFFT. Movies?! BLEGH! These nonsense make our youths soft and shackle them to their cozy little bunks all day! Can you expect bookish nerds to haul carts of Originium Ore at a UWST factory? Will you feel safe if the Order of Steel Oath garrison their fortresses and fight the Aggeloi with skinny lads wearing thick spectacles?
Think about the time when our youths fought in the Majors! Remember how they encouraged us to forge ever more powerful weapons and warriors! How it forced us to perfect our way of wielding the Arts! A sport that venerates our martial traditions is exactly what we need to fight and beat this unforgiving world to the ground! In other words, and this is for your ears alone — the TGCC and the military are definitely going to back us up for this great endeavor!
NIE! NIE! We’re not breeding barbarians or brainless muscleheads! The Major is indeed a martial sport, but its aim is to hone our physical and mental strengths! Isn’t that the epitome of knightly virtues?
Ethics…? Yes, it might be … necessary… But we also need to make money first. Rake in the creds and we’ll talk about ethics later.
Enough with your silly ideas, Redchin. I heard that your surgeon of a son was assigned to the North. You probably won’t worry as much if the boy had more meat on him!
Oh! You’re definitely right! In fact, I think the Order of Steel Oath will be interested in making an investment… Hmm. Think about this. If a few of our arena superstars get famous enough, we’ll be attracting more than just one moneybag. That’s what they told me about old Kazimierz! They created superstars out of their Knights! Super Knights!
Investment? Of course … investments. Good people, I didn’t call everyone here just to make you hear me waggle my tongue… Fine. I’ll get straight to the point. I’ve already recruited the first batch of arena contenders. We got a few engineers, surgeons, and raiders… But these are just the appetizers. I found two actual veterans. They will give us the show we want!
Ah. You make a great point! That’s the slow and steady way to go, but once I blanket every street and wall with posters of my exhilarating Major, the starting price would be way, way higher… Forget it. By the time the Oathkeepers approach me for an investment, I wouldn’t need your money from your cereal trade no more, Wujek!
Alright! Has anyone not signed? Good.
Now since this pot of creds came from our family, it is only fitting that we name the arena after our family… And that’s not all! When the Major becomes THE MOST IMPORTANT event in this world, the entire league will bear our name!
— The Hannicke League!

A contracted product from Portable Æthertech Labs. Features metal components hand-engraved by cræft-adepts to create etch figures that match those of the tillite parts. The result is an Arts unit with unique Arts casting circuitry.

Etch figure Noun; geology; specific to Talos-II.
(i) A marking (etching) on natural materials produced by the Blight.
(ii) (archaic) A regular pit typically produced by a solvent acting upon a crystal face.
“I intend to refer to all Blight markings on rocks as ‘etch figures’.”
“Stealing technical terms again? Thought we’re already using that to describe something else.”
“So? Students in five years’ time would have tossed out their textbooks from Terra and adopt my Geology of Talos-II. All the decisions I’m making today will become canon law by the morrow.”
“Imaginative as always. I wonder if I should call you confidently insane or insanely confident.”
“Insanely confident? I like how that sounds. And how do you know that I’ve started out majoring in aerospace sciences? I’ve always wanted to rocket myself to the stars.”
“I’m afraid you’re heading the wrong way, mate. We’re now in the tunneling business and the only way they want us to go is down.”
“And that’s only because of that cursed thingamajig that ‘defies all physical laws’ and ‘scoffs at every attempt to understand it’. Blegh!”
“You’re talking about the Ætherside?”
“What else would I be talking about? Bloody glop central is a million times more confounding than the Aggeloi. I analyzed all the data we’ve scrounged together and my conclusion is that all the unobservable blind spots in the Universe may very well be obfuscated by the Ætherside. The closest one is just … a hair’s length away from this planet.”
“By Talos, does that mean we’re…”
“That’s right. The cosmos is a dangerous place, my friend. I don’t think anyone from our generation could escape the grips of Talos.”
“Oh… I was actually afraid of the Ætherside swallowing us whole. I guess you’re really looking on the bright side of life.”
“Who knows? Anyway, I wanted to figure out how this Ætherside appeared and get an exact date for the oldest etch figure we could find. This is why I decided to do some digging with you.”
“Hmm. Qadja, if you figured that out, you would become the greatest figure in the fields of geology, physics, and astronomy… Heck. Kids in school would be forced to write essays on how your story inspired them to become nerds.”
“Thanks for the encouragement, Morris. I’ll definitely acknowledge you in my title page. Wait. I think the counter is responding. The signal is getting stronger … That’s it! There!”
“Let me see. Wow!”
— An old audio recording

“Operator Yvonne, is this the story of your mentor’s mentor’s mentor?”
“To be precise, this incident happened before their stories began to trend. This is the last audio recording they made.”
“What happened after that?”
“Neither of them returned. People went through their belongings and found a piece of Blighted tillite, the first mineral sample with observable etch figures. My mentor’s mentor’s mentor managed to get his hand on this sample and it started his scientist career. People now call him the Father of Ætherside Sciences.”
“So why are you telling me this story…?” “I thought you were the one who asked how I got started on Ætherside sciences, so I told you about the giants whose shoulders I’ve been standing on.”

One of the Arts units manufactured by Endfield Industries. It sports bold structural designs, superb Arts conductance, but is incredibly difficult to control. Mastering this weapon was considered a proof of competency amongst operators.

We found this piece of rock on an unnamed peak and your Dad exhausted himself 3 times trying to dig it out. Don’t worry, he’s fine. Old man just needed more exercise. We saw your Arts unit design drawings and felt really impressed. The white metal will make wonderful eyes for the unit. Hope you’re doing well, sweetheart. We’ll see you back at Dijiang soon.
……
We met an ingenious designer at the TGCC and paid quite a steep price for his flagship design from RAYTHEAN Industries. This was meant to be your birthday present but we spent all our money during the auction and got in quite a bit of trouble for that. Our return to Dijiang will be slightly delayed but we’ll be there to celebrate your birthday. Hope everything’s well, sweetheart. And don’t forget to give our kindest regards to Supervisor Perlica.
……
We met Uncle Semyon and saw the handcannons you designed at Valley IV. It was so incredibly touching, but your old man spoiled the moment by ignoring me and “stealing” one of them without observing the proper protocol. I had to submit an application for him afterwards and wonder if you could apologize to Supervisor Perlica on his behalf. The bold design of the handcannon as well as your little innovation in the etched ammo took me by surprise… Something happened at Valley IV before we arrived and your Dad didn’t contact me for hours after he ran off into the wildlands on his own. Don’t worry. We’ll be back onboard the ship to celebrate your birthday, sweetheart.
……
By Talos, your handcannon is a work of wonder!
……
I contacted my old friends working at Hongshan Swordmancers. They agreed to support your latest ideas. Listen to your Ma and stop those insane overtimes! And DON’T forget to exercise! Listen to Supervisor Perlica and help her achieve her grand vision. Hopefully you’ll be a little taller when we see you next time aboard Dijiang.

One of the advanced weaponry manufactured by Endfield for their operators. The Endfield arsenal adopted Andre’s blueprints to create a drone capable of storing Arts so that they can be quickly cast in emergencies.

“Talos will become an incredible city,” pa and ma said, “Andre Zlotareed, be a good apprentice, learn the chores, and attend a proper trades school. Once you’re a big owl, you gotta leave this tiny village, find a good job at the largest Band city of Talos-II, start a family, and enjoy your happy, cozy life.”
“Talos,” Andre read his textbook, “is the gas giant that Talos-II orbits around. During the few years when the Cosmic Gate was still open, the famous scientist Ferdinand Clooney calculated the mass of the planet as well as the orbital radius of Talos-II. The Starpod is seemingly absent on Talos-II, allowing astronomers to create star maps far more extensive than those they made by studying the skies of Terra.”
“The stars are pretty close, but the Cosmic Gate has already closed,” Andre’s mentor told him. “If you want to learn something more besides applied Originium sciences, you can attend the astrologer’s salon in the Academy. Divination is not the salon’s only focus. They’re also interested in astronomy. Scientific astronomy, that is. But I think your interest in the stars goes beyond observations and records, Andre. You want to build a star, right?”
“The stars are beyond your reach,” the dealers and proxies of violence were always an arrogant lot.
“No. The stars are in my hand,” Andre answered, “Gentlemen, allow me to introduce … the very first Arts Unit prototype that I’ve designed for Endfield Industries.” The Arts Unit perched on his shoulder leaped into the air and gave off a burst of light so bright that it resembled a hypernova in the deepest recesses of space.

One of the standard-issue operator weapons manufactured by Endfield Industries. This weapon is designed by Endfield Arsenal Engineer Jiminy. The Arts Unit is extremely popular with newly minted Endfield operators.

Ease of use and expandability are overrated… I tried talking to the operators who gave positive reviews for Jiminy 12. Turned out what they really liked was its ability to focus and amplify the brightness of its Illumination Arts. They said this made field operations a lot easier as the unit could also function as a powerful flashlight. At first, I found these Jiminy 12 reviews laughable and even tried to find a way to convince them that illumination was never part of my design goals and Jiminy 12’s resemblance to a flashlight was a mere coincidence. However, when I joined a … survey mission in a Blighted zone, I realized the usefulness of having a powerful source of light, especially when treading alone in the smothering darkness.
— Excerpt from Jiminy’s quarterly performance review interview

An Arts unit developed by RAYTHEAN Industries. This particular weapon is known for its minimalist and lightweight designs. Making it requires only half of the materials needed to produce a standard-issue Arts unit.

I met them in the wilderness.
They were not friendly at first. One of their Aldertones inspected my wounds and permitted me to stay until I became well enough to move on my own. The others, however, refused to converse with me. Perhaps this was the price that I had to pay for wearing a uniform of TGCC origin.
Their way of life left quite … an impression on me. These people developed a unique culture centered around the idea of “simplicity”. No. “Restraint” would be a better word. They might not have the best technology, but they made the most out of every material. These people crafted tools with a unique minimalist aesthetic — a style of beauty molded by the harsh and unforgiving wildlands of this untamed world.
I told them I was a crafter and it gave me a chance to take part in their work. Observing their craftsmanship up close gave me a rather shocking revelation — their weapons were fashioned using far less materials and simpler processes, but overall performance was only marginally less than our TGCC counterparts. This discovery made me realize that our designs actually have plenty of room for improvement.
I left the Circuit after spending three whole years with them, and they gave me honors befitting their own Aldertones. Deep down, I learned far more from the people of the Circuit than what I taught them in return.

One of the strange-looking Arts units released by Witching Hour. Its counter-intuitive designs include a deliberately reduced Originium Arts compatibility just to highlight the dark logic of Ancient Teekaz witchcraft.

She would arrive at the cemetery to pray in the morning and leave at noon. Then she would do some community work in the afternoon, return to the cemetery during the evening, and leave the place only in the deep of night. I followed her before. Her home was no more than a klick southwest of the cemetery. Like most Songseekers of the Hannabit Circuit, she could survive the wildlands on her own.
She did not avoid external contact. Some of the UWST crew mates talked to her before to barter a thing or two.
She appeared young, gentle, and even a little shy. There was nothing dangerous about her.
But you must know the closest Circuit settlement was over a hundred klicks away. We have but only 1 cemetery at this place and only one undertaker!
I did my own investigations. The people we buried here had nothing to do with her. Most were travelers killed by the Aggeloi or Blight accidents. With the exception of the unmarked headstones, I checked all the names and every one of them went missing in recent years.
It got me spooked. In fact, even the truckers and crew mates driving past this place were getting spooked.
I’m quitting. I’ll do this just for another week and I’ll give you all the photos and video recordings I’ve made. I don’t care about the money. I’m getting my sorry arse out of this blighted place.
She’s definitely an eater of the dead! A Nachzehrer!

An Arts unit developed by Hongshan Swordmancers and made using Xiranite. Given the fickle nature of this rare material, only wielders capable of the highest levels of focus and precision could wield this Arts unit effectively.

Your graduation exams take place tomorrow, my dear. The importance of this review can’t be overemphasized as the results will determine the job you’ll be assigned with. I hoped to drive you to your exam but my Blight Tide monitoring job got in the way.
I believe you’ve already made all the essential preparations, but I must highlight the difficult challenge posed by the Originium Arts precision assessment. This is where most candidates fail, but you must succeed if you wish to join the Yinglung Special Task Force.
For this assessment, you’ll be using an Arts Unit that the Hongshan Swordmancers specifically developed for Wuling. This unit includes Xiranite components whose circuitries change with the material. Wielding it would put your focus and all your senses to the test.
You probably know all of this by now. Youths of your age are calling this Arts Unit as Monaihe and I can’t help but agree. You won’t find another Arts Unit capable of eliciting more helpless frustration and anger from its wielder. The nickname even caught on with grown-ups like us.
I’m afraid I can’t tell you more about this puzzle-box of an Arts Unit just to keep the assessment fair. Nevertheless, I have complete faith in you. Remember the wooden lock puzzles I bought you when you were a child? They kept you busy for a while but you always found a way to take them apart. Monaihe is the same thing. Overcome it like how you overcame those lock puzzles. Focus on the challenge and enjoy the process.
Good luck out there.

An Arts unit developed by Northmarch Support Hub. It is, without question, the unit with the best Originium Arts conductance. Only the most capable casters could master this weapon.

I received Walther’s specifications. Absolutely ludicrous! I had to double-check with the man because I suspect he wrote an extra zero for the desired yield. Mister blightbrain wasn’t asking for an Arts Unit. He was asking for a portable giga-cannon. The nutcase claimed that he desperately needed the weapon to push our frontiers further into the wildlands. Even if I were to successfully make this mother-of-all-guns, I balk at the idea of handing over this dangerous weapon of mass devastation to the frontiersfolk.
……
Theoretically speaking, the yield was … feasible. My calculations placed it within achievable limits but the numbers look risky. I had to redesign the structure of the Arts Unit but this would … double the weight of the entire setup.
……
A powered eviscerator with a moving chain of cutting bits? Their demands are getting nuttier with every single day. Are they really going to smash an enemy’s head with this Arts Unit? Come to think about it, the current build does have enough room for a motor. Maybe I’ll give it a shot.
……
They pushed further into the front and Walther invited me for a field tour. To quote the man, he wanted to see what my works had “achieved”. It would be nice if mister blightbrain could explain how my prototype vanished and how they failed to salvage anything. Not even a piece of scrap.
……
It was a monumental sight that I’d remember for life. The Aggelos was as big as a mountain and its carcass blocked the entire valley. Walther told me how he remotely controlled the prototype to ram against the Aggelos and how the mounted power eviscerator created an opening on its crust. The explosive payload was then detonated with … ground shattering effects.

A classical top-tier product of RAYTHEAN. Its prototype was deployed in the First Aggeloi War. The weapon has received numerous upgrades and optimizations since then, with the modern version offering incredible firepower that translates into greater protection and safety of the delivery.

Just two days ago when I was out skavenjin, I met a weird Perro lady.
She wore a weird outfit and din’t look like nobody from the Hanna-Beet that looked after us. She was also dragging some kind of wreck. Called it her “motor” she did. Told us that the rocky-crawlies broke it.
She askd if I could lend my burdenbeast to her.
I din’t want to.
I asked who she was, and she tolds me she’s a “Messenger”.
Messenger? Never head that name before.
Then she expleyned how a long time ago when the big cosmo gate was still around, Messengers used the gate to bring stoff from Talos-II to Terra, and then bring other stoff from Terra to Talos-II. She sed it was an exchange of longing and attachment.
But Da told me the cosmo gate is gone. And so was Terra.
She replyed that after the buggerloids were gone, peepo lost fays in each other, started wars, and biult walls around themselves. Just like the lil’ sandbeast nearby burrowin into the sand and not coming out.
Wars?
She sed people started wars on the buggers and on each other. She sed me and my Da live a wild-land villejj ‘cos our peepo wanted to avoid wars.
Anyways, I din’t want to lend her my burdenbeast.
She then look into me eyes and got really mean and seerius. She tolds me she needs my burdenbeast so she could go tell the others that the wars ended.
She sed we lost our link with Terra but Messengers like her wud try to bring everyone on Talos-II together and biuld trust instead of walls.
She then said that she’s the first Messenger after the war and how she gots this letter of peece for a person called Endd-Fyodd.
But I still din’t want to lend her my burdenbeast.
She gave me this jentoe smile plus a floating metal ball flowting close to her. She sed its mighty expensiff, worth almost as much as her letter. Tolds me I can keep the flowting ball as a dee-paw-zit until she comes back with my burdenbeast.
Yeah, flowting stoff is usually expensiff.
So I agreed and lent her my burdenbeast. I tolds her my name and showed her the way to the villejj.
……
When I woke up in the morn, someone tolds me that my burdenbeast is hitched outside the villejj. There was a package in the bag, and a letter with my name on it.
It turned out to be the Lady Messenger.
She wrotes in the letter that I gets to keep that “deposit” as a token of her gratitude. She also thanked me and my burdenbeast for helping her get close to her destination.
She said the Age of Messengers is coming! I think she was happy when she wrotes that.
The package contains this “comms radio” with some instructions. Now everyone in the villejj can use this “radio” and call other Messengers nearby.
But who shud I wryt to? And where should I send my letter? I never left my villejj.
Maybe I should wryt to that Lady Messenger.

An Arts Unit designed by Mieszko Industries for Cabal of Tranquility. Every step from product design, verification, manufacturing, to tuning has been carried out under the guidance of a Cabal cleric.

The cleric named “Sessionite” thus entered the wildlands.
And he arrived at an abandoned village. The creek had long dried up and the soil was cracked.
And the Fortes, suffering hunger and thirst, asked him for salvation.
“You need knowledge that will lead you to where the water flows and the thick grasses grow.”
“I shall teach you how to read these lands.”
And so his hand gleamed with the light of the Originium Network,
And he imparted upon them knowledge that came from those from afar.
After seven days and seven nights,
The enlightened Fortes learned how to dig a water well in the barrens,
And thus the water flowed and the grasses grew forever more.

The cleric named “Resurgonite” thus entered the wildlands.
And he arrived at an abandoned village. The creek had long dried up and the soil was cracked.
And the Fortes, suffering hunger and thirst, asked him for salvation.
“You need strength to retake the watering hole that you once called yours.”
“I shall grant you weapons to protect your kin.”
And then he removed the guns he carried on his back,
And together with the relics of the old, he gave them to the Fortes he met.
After seven days and seven nights,
The armed Fortes drove the Landbreakers that occupied the upper flows of the river and chased them out of these lands,
And thus the water flowed and the grasses grew forever more.

The cleric named “Veritarite” thus entered the wildlands.
And he arrived at an abandoned village. The creek had long dried up and the soil was cracked.
And the Fortes, suffering hunger and thirst, asked him for salvation.
“You must converge your faith as one, and pray for a rain of abundance.”
“I shall be with you, and lead you to wait for the destined season of rain.”
And then he codified the Law and the commandments, and taught them unity and forbearance,
And he patiently encouraged every Forte whose despair was great in their hearts, and gave them peace and hope.
After seven days and seven nights,
A torrent of life-giving rain fell for the persevering Fortes,
And thus the water flowed and the grasses grew forever more.

If you are the thirsty Forte,
Which of these clerics’ teachings will you accept?

— The Parable of the Three Clerics, engraved at one corner of the Sanctilamina Cathedralis Tranquillae

A product from the elite series of Mieszko Industries. This weapon offers excellent Originium Arts conductance, making it more practical than other fashionable pieces that focused on style over substance.

There was a time when I was confused about life. The underground arenas of the Asphalt Roundabout is usually the first consideration of people of my size and stature. But the desolation of the place shocked me. That was not the place where I’d want to spend the rest of my life in. So I went to La Fantoma, a city of opportunities and a gathering place for the rich and famous! There are cartel joint sessions, forums, and expos! EVERYTHING!
……
One year passed and I splurged all my savings on a vehicle. Some charitable merchant helped me convert it into a nomadic resto, which happens to be the one right here. And I call it a “boat” since it’s next to the sea. My “pier” is where I moor my “boat”. I even found a few assistants back then. Made a ton of serious creds during the Obsidian Festival when the entire place was packed with tourists.
……
But two years later, I found more and more people doing my thing. They drive up to the place with their truck and started serving the tourists. The Obsidian Festival made and unmade my fortunes… They built more and more fancy hotels but I am I getting less and less diners? During that year, I saw a Feline who was just like me. Splurged his entire fortune and ended up with nothing…
……
Three years had passed. I didn’t know how long I’d stay afloat. Revenue was dwindling and that Perro made it worse! The stinkin’ mutt always parked his food truck opposite mine, and he had the galls to come over to my place and tell my diners that I was almost finished… I felt like killing that bloody runt.
……
I was the last one on the “boat”. I started packing my stuff and planned to drive my “boat” back home. But that was the same year when La Fantoma got hit by a tidal wave. When the disaster ended, an Endfield medical SAR team arrived… How has this got anything to do with my store? It’s got nothing with my store, but I strode out one night and heard the Endfielders admiring the star-like beauty of this place. I looked around and saw the dark beach cluttered with seashells brought ashore by the great waves. Some of them gave off soft, gentle glows. I suddenly remembered how we used to see all this when they just got the fest going and the crowd was still small. I suddenly had an idea, mortgaged my “boat” on the following day, got myself some glowing shells, and decorated them with various accessories. That’s right. You’re holding the very same thing. What happened next? Well, we got even more “piers” and my “boat” is coasting along real easy.
I’ll let you in on something. I’m planning to take a contract over this beach. Yes, that’s right. The one beneath your feet. I’m going to grind these shells down to create the Evenglow Coast! I even figured out the name — Dreams of the Stardust Sea. Maybe the organizers of Obsidian Festival will choose my beach for their next evening event. Make sure you visit, ‘cos I’ll get you a fat discount.
What happened to that stinkin’ mutt of a Perro? Oh, he’s right over there. We’re partners now. Why did I choose him? ‘Cos business people of La Fantoma are all about helping each other out. That’s how we made this place.

A standard weapon produced by Endfield Industries. Design is provided by the Creative Prototyping Team founded by Senior Arsenal Engineer Opero. Power is determined by the user’s mastery in the Originium Arts.

I once had extreme confidence.
Confidence for my gifts in wielding the (applicable) Originium Arts. And my gifts were rare indeed, even when taking every caster of Talos-II into account.
I believe all of my Arts instructors I had since my childhood could attest to this fact, and there were 23 of them.
While my peers struggled to light a candle with an Arts Unit, I was debating the possibility of having an unaided Infected cast the Arts for extended periods time and at higher throughputs… It was a time when I first heard about the legendary Endministrator. Back then, at least, I once believed that I might be capable of achieving the same.
My performances in the Originium Arts Proficiency Assessment for the last 20 years, my GPA from the courses on Originium Arts theories during the academy, and the accolades I received for my graduation thesis titled The Gap Between Practical Applications and Theory — A Discourse on the Future of the Originium Arts, only served to strengthen my belief as I spent every year perfecting my Arts. There is a significant possibility that I am a “genius”.
— And I held on to that belief until I joined the company that I have dreamed about since my childhood. Endfield Industries.

I could hardly describe my feelings when I underwent the routine integrated physical examinations for new employees and received the report.
— My Originium Arts Assimilation was rated as “Standard”. How was it possible? They must have made a mistake.
At that moment, I felt as though I was struck by the devious Arts of a Djall, and it struck so hard I could fight off the mental fog.
When I came to my senses, I went straight to the Human Resources Division and delivered a severe protest. I demanded a re-examination and declared my absolute refusal to accept such a brusque conclusion made without sufficient evidence.
The HR Division seemed to be expecting my applications. I was entreated by Martin Marvin Malen in a most sincere manner.
“…We understand your requests and have arranged two additional Originium Arts Assimilation testing sessions after three working days. A total of two operators will also be assigned to take the tests with you and serve as control references.”

Three days later —
As per the instructions, I cut out a perfect square out of a ferric slab before me with my Arts Unit. I turned around saw the Savra who should be at the opposing testing station. He looked at me curiously.
“Is this the way to do it? I thought I had to cut 16 squares with a single move!”
This is my confession. I thought I heard him wrongly and subconsciously gazed at the results of his test… And I saw sixteen perfect squares neatly laid out on the floor of the training cabin. The clock stopped at exactly 1 minute and 1 second.
— What was I doing at that time? Oh, I just finished calibrating my Arts Unit and thought about the perfect approach to start cutting the slab.

There was no question that I lost the first trial. It was a complete disaster.
But negativity had yet to catch up to me. I simply prepped for the second session. I comforted myself with this thought “Endfield’s a big place, and they have a legend like the Endministrator. A fellow Endfielder of such competence … should be something to expect.”
Soon, an accident, or the stroke of Fate … dawned upon me.
While I was checking the Arts Unit, an Ægir youth wearing an elite operator’s uniform poked his head out of the training cabin. He simply wagged his tail and undid the safeties of over fifty standard Arts Units. They orbited him like an obedient school of fins as he left the place and mumbled these words “What a hassle… Shouldn’t have come here at the first place…”
This was when I first experienced despair from seeing an “unattainable gap” that could never be closed.
I learned that even if I mastered every form of Originium Arts to my knowledge, the tracelessness and effortless elegance of his Arts wielding were qualities that I could never achieve…
Never, not in my entire lifetime.
I suddenly felt that all my achievements in the Arts for the last twenty years only gave me better knowledge of what I witnessed at a particular moment in life — I am not the prodigy. That title belongs to someone else.
I chose to forfeit the second testing session.

After the test, I also gave up joining the Specialist Tech Division. Thankfully, the Arsenal took a good look at my CV and asked if I was interested in doing some weapon engineering.
I agreed.

They said that the classic “Arts Identifier” would be returning for the Arts Unit Obstacle Challenge this year — I received five of those, but I would not mind getting a sixth.