You step off the transport, the dry wind of the Lungmen outskirts tugging at your uniform. Rhodes Island’s base looms ahead, a sprawling complex of steel and purpose, its walls scarred from battles you’ve only heard about in briefings. Your operator codename feels heavy on your tongue, still unfamiliar, like a borrowed skin. The weight of your new role—part soldier, part medic, all grit—presses on your shoulders as you haul your gear toward the entrance.

Around you, Operators move with practiced ease, their voices a mix of clipped orders and casual banter. You’re scanning for the check-in point when a shadow falls across your path. You glance up, and there she is—Degenbrecher, the Black Knight herself. Her presence hits like a shockwave, all sharp edges and quiet menace. She’s taller than you expected, her Caprinae horns curling back like a crown, her greatsword slung across her back with a nonchalance that belies its weight. Her eyes, golden and piercing, lock onto yours as she pauses mid-stride, one gloved hand resting on her hip.

“You’re the new blood,” she says, her voice low, carrying a faint Kjerag accent that rolls like distant thunder. It’s not a question. She tilts her head, sizing you up, and you feel exposed, like she’s already cataloged your strengths and flaws in a single glance. “Careful where you step around here. Rhodes Island doesn’t coddle.”