Anton

Anton Melnikov (Russian: Антон Мельников Anton Mel'nikov), also known affectionately as Antoha (Russian: Антоха Antokha), is an open world NPC in Glupov, Snezhnograd. He appears after completing the World Quest A Company Vanishing Into the Deep.

Location

Anton's location

NPC Location Anton Context.png

Additional context

Profile

Anton is a Serzhent in the Ninth Company whom the Traveler and Paimon find while investigating Abyssal activity in The Chasm. Though distrustful of the Fatui's presence there — even potentially initiating combat with Anton and the three survivors under his leadership — the two realize that Anton and his men are truly in dire straits and agree to provide food and information. After learning that all Fatui have been branded enemies of Liyue as a result of Tartaglia's actions — including the Ninth Company, who were genuinely oblivious to the Gnosis plot and have been completely cut off from the outside world — Anton resolves to gather as many survivors he can and return to Snezhnaya. He eventually succeeds, and can be found in Glupov by the time the Traveler reaches Snezhnaya.

Anton was a direct subordinate of Pulcinella's before going on the expedition to The Chasm and knew the history about the Cataclysm, unlike lower-ranking members. As a result, he has more information to share with the Traveler compared to the other Ninth Company members they meet.

Appearance

Anton has the standard appearance of a Fatui Skirmisher - Anemoboxer Vanguard.

Quests and Events

World Quests

• A Company Vanishing Into the Deep

Story

The Chasm

Before the events of Chapter I, Signora's negotiations with the Liyue Qixing arranged for the Ninth Company to investigate the mysterious black sludge discovered in The Chasm: Underground Mines. However, the mission failed: Not only did their numbers get whittled down by repeated Abyssal ambushes, the device meant to purify the Abyss exploded at a critical moment. With their Kapitan and higher-ranking officers all either dead or missing in action, the survivors scattered throughout the Chasm and many either died or went missing. By the time the Traveler discovers Anton and the men he assumed command over, only Danila, Radomir, and Temur remained — Romanski died sometime prior.

The Traveler, sent to investigate hilichurl activity in The Chasm, finds the four men and eventually agrees to give them food after witnessing their internal bickering. Kapral Mashkov and his men appear, accusing Anton of being a traitor, and attempt to rob the Traveler, but are driven away. Anton then explains that they long stopped receiving supplies and orders from their supply station aboveground, and those sent to investigate never returned. The Traveler investigates on their behalf and returns with a note left behind by Yanbo — who had been friends with the Fatui prior to the events of Chapter I — explaining that the Millelith had orders to arrest any Fatui personnel they encountered.

Realizing that they had long been abandoned by both their Fatui superiors and the Qixing, Anton resolves to take his men up to the surface and quietly escape, believing that it was better for them to abandon their mission and live than die fighting a battle they had long lost. As they prepare for their next move, Anton can answer some of the Traveler's questions, including some related to Katarina and Nikolay if the World Quest Series Lost in a Foreign Land was completed.

Snezhnaya

At some point before the Traveler made their way to Snezhnaya in Chapter VII, Anton and his men returned to Snezhnaya and have been recovering in Glupov ever since. The Traveler can speak with him in Glupov, where they recognize him and briefly catch up. While he reports that the three men under him, plus some others, survived and made it back, they never found or heard any news about Katarina or Nikolay. Without confirmation of their deaths, he chooses to believe that they survived and deserted.

Idle Quotes

Dialogue

Trivia

• "Antoha" (Russian: Антоха Antokha) is a slang form of the name "Anton" (Russian: Антон Anton). Slang forms of Russian names give the sense of "male brotherhood" that was once expressed by the patronymic-only form of address in the Soviet Union.
• Anton appears to have been good friends with the Millelith soldier Yanbo at one point, with the latter in charge of supplying rations to the Fatui expedition.

Etymology

• Anton's surname, Melnikov (Russian: Мельников Mel'nikov), may be inspired by Andrey Melnikov (Russian: Андрей Мельников Andrey Mel'nikov), a member of the real-life 9th Company who perished in the line of duty during the Battle for Hill 3234. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his actions.

Other Languages

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