The sentence was left unfinished, yet the meaning had already been conveyed.
Although Loughshinny was a Draco, she had no desire for the throne. In her eyes, if Felix were to become the king of Victoria, he might be able to lead the nation back to its former golden age. But achieving such a goal seemed difficult, and Felix himself appeared to have no intention of pursuing it.
Felix understood her feelings. Whatever would happen in the end still depended on Siege, Eblana, and General Theresis.
The long-awaited World Championship was about to begin. Tickets had gone on sale weeks earlier and were sold out instantly. Scalpers listed them online at outrageous prices. Players who managed to get tickets were ecstatic, while those who missed out could only sigh, either preparing to buy from scalpers or settling for watching the livestream outdoors.
The day before the group stage, players were surprised to find a new module in the faction shop titled "Secret Store." Inside were various support items and souvenirs for this year's World Championship.
Players were thrilled. The Pioneer had truly listened. Not only had he lent them the venue, but Tomorrow's Development itself openly embraced the sport and its community.
A quick browse showed stylish jackets printed with the Championship emblem, but even more surprising was the sale of World Championship–exclusive weapons. Their stats were impressive, a blessing for new players and a collector's treasure for veterans. Most importantly, the designs were stunning.
The second World Championship's theme was Thorns, matching Kazdel's flames and bloodshed. The weapons carried a bleeding debuff, shaped like blooming thorned flowers.
Players always loved collecting full sets, whether weapons or armor. The new armor set was a thorn-covered coat, sleek and fashionable, also carrying a bleeding debuff. With these items equipped, many players strutted through the streets like armored warriors, weapons slung at their sides, looking imposing and proud.
Felix silently earned a fortune from players. He knew that after version 2.0, he would need a massive amount of experience to reach the levels required for the coming 3.0 "Warring States" era.
At last, the first day of the group stage arrived. Early in the morning, Tomorrow's Development's upper ranks either arrived on site or watched through the landship's broadcast screens. Felix himself appeared at the Kazdel Arena.
As the ancient battle horn sounded, the sky dome above the arena dimmed. Players held their breath, guessing, hoping, waiting to see who would appear next.
"Welcome to the World Championship."
Felix's steady, resonant voice echoed across the arena. A blue flame blossomed at the center of the field, drawing every gaze. As it rose, flame-forged thorn flowers bloomed in its wake.
In that instant, the once-quiet arena erupted into deafening cheers. The crowd leapt to their feet, shouting and pounding their bodies and chairs like roaring beasts.
"Dong! Dong! Dong! Pioneer! Dong! Dong! Dong!"
Three claps and one roar formed the loudest battle chant. Players poured their emotions into it, their eyes fixed on the big screen showing the smiling young man.
They hadn't expected Felix to attend in person. After all, this was a player-hosted event, and Felix, as an NPC, had his own duties. As the King of Liberation and the King of Dawn, he was endlessly busy. Yet here he was, taking time to show up and bless the professional teams.
In the team lounge, Yanfei sprang to her feet. Her cheeks were flushed with healthy color, and she felt as if she could punch through the heavens themselves.
"Say… if we win the championship, do you think the Pioneer will hand out the trophy himself?"
Yanfei let out a mischievous laugh.
The female members of the Yanyu Pavilion team exchanged glances, their smiles turning dreamy. The coach rubbed his forehead helplessly. The Pioneer attending the opening ceremony was already more than enough respect. He doubted the man had time for an award ceremony, and besides—what kind of status did he hold?
Having studied the lore and internal structure of Tomorrow's Development extensively due to his duties as team coach, he admired the Pioneer more than ever. How he had built everything from nothing, how he had recognized the potential of adventurer-players so early and drawn them to his side. The coach was certain that with version 3.0, a massive wave of new players would join. The future was almost unimaginable.
However, this was exactly what a protagonist-type NPC should be. Bai Mi looked at the Pioneer standing at the center of the arena with admiration. As expected of an NPC who had led players forward since version 1.0—following him meant receiving a steady stream of main quests.
"I'm very glad to see so many adventurers gathered here. It's because of all of you that Kazdel was liberated."
Felix's tone was calm, carrying a quiet charisma that won people over. The general's uniform he wore only added to the effect—many female players stared, their hearts racing, some even receiving system warnings.
"Now, adventurer teams from all over the world have gathered for honor and glory. I hereby declare this year's World Championship open!"
As soon as his words fell, the horns sounded again. At some point, Felix had already vanished from the center of the arena—his task was complete. Even the lines he had just delivered were taken from cue cards handed to him by the hosts, who felt an NPC wouldn't understand terms like World Championship or team brackets, so having him say them felt a bit strange.
He returned to the VIP booth. He had reserved this space for the senior members of Tomorrow's Development to have a good view of the tournament. But it seemed they preferred to mingle with the crowd instead. Hoederer and his brothers were all seated in the front row, eager to see if the first match of the group stage would bring them a fresh experience.
Felix looked around and immediately spotted two very obvious red tendrils.
"W, why are you here?"
He loosened his tie, set his sword aside, and sat down on the sofa with a relaxed tone.
W shot him a glance. To be honest, she had long gotten used to seeing him dressed like this. But every time she saw him in that uniform, her eyes were drawn to him before she realized it, lingering far too long. She didn't even understand it herself—the outfit wasn't that good-looking, and the person… wasn't that good-looking either.
Felix waited for her reply for a long time. Seeing her dazed expression, he waved a hand in front of her eyes.
W snapped back to reality, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. She slapped his hand away and spat a few flustered sounds. "What are you doing? I wasn't looking at you. Do you think I'd stare at you until I zoned out?"
Felix had no idea how to respond to that. After a brief pause, he decided to ignore her awkwardness. "You rarely come back to Kazdel. Why aren't you sitting with Hoederer and the others?"
"Ines isn't sitting with them either. Why are you bothering me…"
W muttered under her breath, "I'm sitting here because… I like quiet places."
"You… like quiet?"
Felix gave her a surprised look. W bared her little fangs in irritation. "W-what! Can't I sit somewhere peaceful on my own?"
"Rather than liking quiet, I'd say avoiding trouble is more accurate. But the result is the same."
Felix paused. "When Scout and Logos came to tour our landship earlier, where did you hide?"
"…"
W didn't answer.
Felix sighed softly. "Rhodes Island may be newly established, but the people and relationships are no different from the old Babel. It's normal you don't want to see them."
W snorted. "Mind your own business. I go wherever I want."
"No, the fact that you didn't jump out to mock Kal'tsit really surprised me."
Felix commented with a neutral expression.
W thought about it. She really had wanted to throw a few sharp insults at that old woman—she'd disliked her for a very long time. But when she saw Felix chatting with her in that general's uniform, she somehow couldn't bring herself to speak.
Not that she would ever admit she held back because she didn't want to embarrass Tomorrow's Development… No, clearly her mouth had just been too dry to talk at that moment.
Felix didn't continue. W alternated between watching the battle in the arena and stealing secret glances at him.
"Kal'tsit is planning to dig the Doctor out soon."
W's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Sounds exactly like something that old woman would do. As for the Doctor… hmph. She deserves to die."
"Will you kill her?"
"She's the reason Her Highness Theresis died. Why wouldn't I?!"
W's teeth clenched in hatred. Her fists tightened and loosened repeatedly. "Because of her, Her Highness… because of her, Babel was destroyed."
Felix nodded. To him, the existence of the Doctor was more a matter of investigation and curiosity. Players in his previous life adored countless NPCs, digging up their secrets and showering them with gifts. Yet few, if any, ever cared about the Doctor. Perhaps it was because she never took off her hood, or because she poured boiling water straight into her mouth when eating instant noodles, or ate Originium slug sashimi, or because Kal'tsit once hung her on the bridge as punishment.
He still remembered what Her Highness once said to the Doctor.
The creator of Originium.
Perhaps the Doctor's identity was far more complicated than he had imagined. If Kal'tsit managed to dig her out, then he needed a face-to-face conversation with her. No matter what Kal'tsit or Amiya told him, it would be necessary. He needed to understand this world more deeply: this land, and the nature of Originium itself.
Felix had already decided that once the Doctor woke up, he would question her directly.
"Tsk… what do you think of the Doctor?"
"Her betrayal is known to all. She killed my closest friend. No matter the reason, it cannot be forgiven."
Felix spoke calmly. Only someone who had stayed by Theresis' side would understand how her heart broke in that moment.
W let out a small breath. She pressed her lips together. "Well… I won't do anything to the Doctor for now."
Noticing Felix's gaze, W stomped her foot. "You just signed a partnership between Tomorrow's Development and Rhodes Island. If I killed the Doctor now, what would Tomorrow's Development do?"
"If you want to make a move, then make a move. I'll handle it."
Felix responded lightly. "If I can't resolve the burdens of those closest to me, what kind of king would I be?"
"You… you…"
W's heart trembled. A strange and annoying feeling surged through her, making her clench her teeth. "When you say things like that, it sounds like you're trying to take responsibility for me."
Felix gave her a sidelong glance. "I take responsibility for everyone. That is a king's duty."
"Mm-hmm. And your responsibility toward Ulšulah is the same as your responsibility toward me?"
Felix frowned. "Whether in work or daily life, I treat everyone equally. The responsibility you're talking about… which kind is it?"
W snorted, turned away, and refused to speak again. She stayed silent for the rest of the match. When the group stage round finally ended, she let out another cold huff and stomped out of the room with heavy steps.
Such a childish temper. Felix shook his head helplessly. He continued watching the matches and checked the forums at the same time.
On the forums, he saw players reposting updates from blogs and social media. Not only had the organizers shared his brief appearance, but large gaming media outlets were also reposting the clip and announcing the upcoming 3.0 update. They were using every method possible to promote the game to those who had never played Arknights.
The same was happening on the other side of earth. On X, Reddit and other platforms, players were posting wildly with hashtags, recommending the game everywhere.
Some big creators and Arknights veterans sensed something different. The upcoming 3.0 might become the most exciting update to date, so they began preparing Arknights chronicles and beginner guide videos.
For example:
[Part 1: Here's the reason why you shouldn't join Tomorrow's Development]
[Part 2: Congratulations, you have successfully escaped the novice phase]
[Activate your guard skill at this exact moment]
[How to clear the enemy at XXXX zone with low rarity equipment + low lvl squad build (party only)]
[What Arknights doesn't tell you! Here's why every new player should know]
Seeing guides like this made Felix laugh, but it was true that joining Tomorrow's Development was the fastest shortcut for new players to grow.
He shifted his gaze back to the arena.