Players were the first to notice something strange about the arena. Some of them discovered that there was constant foot traffic near the Kazdel arena. Looking closely, they realized the people walking in and out were captains of several East Asia region professional teams, along with leaders from their affiliated guilds.
What were they planning? Normally, these pro players were as elusive as dragons—rarely seen, even more rarely approached. Meeting one by chance was already a blessing worthy of screenshots. But now they were strolling openly through Kazdel Mobile City, the most densely populated area for players. Naturally, curiosity exploded.
Soon, a major rumor surfaced. Some "insiders" leaked that many CN and JP guilds were gathering in-game funds, seemingly preparing for something big.
Coupled with their suspicious activity around the arena, a bold idea formed in players' minds:
Could the pros be… renting the arena?
Almost as if someone from event management was watching the forums, ACL, the organizers and regional publishers suddenly dropped a huge announcement on X:
"This year's All-Star Tournament will be held in the Kazdel Arena. Duration: six Terra days. Players, prepare yourselves!"
The moment this message hit the internet, the discussions exploded. Players were stunned that the All-Star event would be held inside the game, but even more excited. Many had never been able to cheer for their favorite pros in person—they could only watch livestreams. Now, even if it was inside a game, they could see the characters of those players fighting right before their eyes.
A game tournament hosted within the game itself. Fresh, bold, and instantly viral. Social media buzzed nonstop. Even people who didn't play games—or had never heard of Arknights—started asking what this insanely popular thing was.
The news also blew up overseas. Kazdel had many foreign players, and once they heard that East Asia's pro teams were going to compete inside the arena, they immediately followed the links and bought electronic tickets. Many others had their tickets snatched up by players from the said region.
The promotional message had a particularly powerful line:
"Cheer for your favorite pro players live and in person."
This touched a long-standing frustration in Arknights esports: pro players couldn't hear the audience while fighting in VR spaces. They had to watch recordings afterward to see where the crowd cheered. It was awkward for the players, and awkward for the fans—shouting for someone who couldn't hear you was never satisfying.
But now, everything was different. At last, they could cheer in real time.
Seventy thousand tickets were sold overseas. One hundred twenty thousand were sold in the East Asia. All tickets sold out in a single day. Demand instantly skyrocketed.
Then someone asked the obvious question:
What about the remaining ten thousand seats?
The organizers and pro teams decided to sell those to the NPC residents of Kazdel. Who knew—maybe they'd enjoy watching a match.
Felix fully supported this idea. Strengthening the bond between adventurers and Terra natives was something he had been working toward from the beginning, as shown when he had them fight in the same war.
And for players who couldn't get tickets, no worries. A spectator zone was set up outside the arena where drones would broadcast the match in real time.
For the pro players, this tournament was a real test. Competing under the eyes of two hundred thousand spectators felt like a World Cup match. Every move could ignite a stadium full of cheers. For some of the more introverted, shut-in gamer types, the pressure was enormous.
But pressure was also motivation. Imagining the roar of a packed arena… was intoxicating.
Felix welcomed the entire development. All he needed to provide was the venue. Commentary crews, event staff, and security were all handled by the organizers.
———
"What's this?"
After school, W returned to the home she shared with Ines. She opened the door and saw one of the people she least wanted to see.
She accepted a stylishly printed ticket from Felix's hand, narrowed her eyes, and read it. "ACL All-Star Tournament? What is this? Some Victorian competition?"
"You actually recognize every word. Looks like your teacher's been doing a good job."
W instantly gripped the grenade in her hand. She bit down on her silver tooth, glaring at Felix. For once, she found herself unable to come up with a mocking retort.
Because months ago, she truly couldn't read a single word on that paper.
But things had changed. Now she could write her own name. She could write Ines's and Hoederer's names. And she could also write the name of the man standing in front of her—the one she always wanted to bite.
"This event is hosted by the Adventurers, and it'll be held right in the arena."
Felix spoke to Ines calmly. "You don't need to worry too much about security. Just handle the outer perimeter. The rest can be outsourced to adventurers as a commission."
"So… we don't actually have to do anything?"
Ines frowned slightly. She had never experienced a job where she could practically lie down and still get paid.
"No. We'll be watching the matches."
Felix stood, smiling, and casually ruffled W's hair. "I heard from the teacher that you've been improving quickly. Keep it up, W."
"I don't need you to tell me that!"
W swatted his hand away, baring her teeth in irritation, but Felix only laughed and walked off.
She let out a small huff and sat down, still feeling the warmth of his hand lingering on her head.
The setup for the All-Star event didn't take long. A few days later, the first day of matches arrived. Since three Terra days was equivalent to one day in the real world, stretching the schedule into six days of Terra time felt perfectly reasonable.
Several hosts were already standing in the commentators' booth, appearing as their in-game characters. Two of them didn't even live in Kazdel; the organizers had paid Tomorrow's Development pilots to fly them in.
"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the ACL All-Star tournament! I'm your commentator, Zen!"
His voice echoed through the speakers, spreading across the arena. Applause and shouts rippled through the crowd, swelling into a lively storm of noise.
"We're here today in the Kazdel Arena, with a capacity of two hundred thousand people! I'm your commentator, Akane!"
The other commentator grinned. "This year's All-Star event is a huge leap from the last. We've moved from offline gatherings to an online format, and here in Kazdel we keep welcoming wave after wave of fans! Everyone at the venue, give all your energy to today's matches!"
Ohhhhh!
The response was instant. The two-hundred-thousand-seat arena erupted like a bomb going off beneath the ground. Countless spectators rose to their feet, pounding on their chest plates and roaring like lions, releasing their pent-up excitement.
"And now, a special thanks to this event's sponsors—"
The host began reading from a list, and each sponsor's logo appeared on the large screen controlled by Originium Arts. At first, players nodded along—Automobile brands, apparel brands, electronics and technology brands, all things they recognized from real life. But as the list continued, confusion spread, then amusement.
Wait a second…
Those last few weren't real brands at all. They were chain stores from other countries in Kazdel—NPC-run businesses from Terra.
That was new.
A player-organized event attracting real-world sponsors was one thing, but NPC businesses from Terra sponsoring it too?
This world felt almost too real.
"Before welcoming today's players, I'd like to thank the one who provided this venue and has supported us adventurers along the way—our Pioneer."
Zen's tone softened. "It was him who led us when we were still weak and unknown. He gave us the foundation for everything we have now. We've all witnessed Kazdel's reconstruction with our own eyes. Being part of this change fills every adventurer with pride."
The audience stared, wide-eyed.
Seriously?
A commentator giving a heartfelt thank-you to an NPC before a player tournament?
What kind of unprecedented experience was this?
"With all of you, Tomorrow continues on."
The Pioneer's voice suddenly resonated through the arena. Players looked up to see Felix's holographic figure projected high above, bathed in a faint blue glow. He wore a gentle smile. "Thank you, adventurers. Let's continue our journey together."
"Ohhhhhhh!"
The crowd went wild.
Players clapped and shouted. They had never seen an event open like this—both unfamiliar and strangely moving.
"Thank you, Pioneer! Now, let's turn our attention to the first matches of the All-Star tournament!"
Akane's voice rose with excitement.
In the distance, inside one of the VIP boxes, the representative from the K.G.C.C nodded with satisfaction. Seeing the arena completed and already in full use made him feel genuinely proud. Other VIP booths were occupied by figures from various powers—envoys from Lungmen, and even an Inquisitor from Iberia's Inquisition. She had stark white hair, a faint scar at the corner of her eye, and a small lamp resting beside her on the sofa.
When Carmen, Irene's mentor, learned that she had once met the Pioneer, he immediately assigned her to handle diplomatic duties. Tensions between the Inquisition and the Deep Sea Church had been growing by the day, the threat of the Seaborn loomed ever larger, and the pressure was immense. Sooner or later, they might need the power of Tomorrow's Development.
Although Tomorrow's Development was stationed in several Iberian towns, they did not participate in Inquisition missions. The Inquisition had initially insisted on maintaining its own purity, but sometimes reality left them no choice but to yield.
In another room, Felix dismissed his drone and let it drift to the side on its own.
"Your little gadget can do even that?"
W couldn't help interrupting. Her crimson eyes followed the drone as it hovered up and down with nimble precision. "I thought only Lightbearers had something like this. When are you planning to share the tech so us mercenaries can use it too?"
"It's still a bit early for that."
Felix wasn't alone with W. Ines, Hoederer, Loughshinny, Luna, Giles, and several other senior members of Tomorrow's Development were present. He had invited them to watch the opening ceremony and the first day of matches. For them, it was essentially a paid day off. And since the boss was treating, they came gladly.
"Besides the Lightbearers, the Second Legion, Saviadel, is also being formed. Once it's ready, they'll be equipped with the most advanced gear we have, fighting for Kazdel and for Tomorrow's Development."
Luna's expression tightened. The refurbishment of Kazdel's mobile city was almost complete, yet one area remained untouched: the Vampires' "Blood Nest". In truth, it was a sprawling manor where her bloodline and a few elders still resided.
Ever since Kazdel gained a new ruler, none of them showed the slightest curiosity about the world outside their windows. They stayed home every day, neither cooperating nor resisting, simply choosing to ignore Tomorrow's Development's presence.
Luna had nothing to say about their behavior. What troubled her was that the Pioneer didn't seem bothered either. He never demanded those Vampires take a side, nor did he try to confiscate their assets. He treated their existence with simple indifference.
That left Luna uneasy. She knew her kin weren't loyalists of the Military Commission, nor were they followers of the Sanguinarch.. They were just ordinary Vampires.
As someone personally involved in rebuilding Kazdel, Luna had watched the city transform from a rotting Sarkaz settlement into a liveable metropolis. Whatever else might be said, life had undeniably begun to look hopeful. The Sarkaz earned wages each month and actually spent them, sending the economy into a thriving upswing.
And indeed, just as the Pioneer had said—none of this relied on the royal court's strength.
He had simply taken one steady step after another.
"Luna."
Felix's sudden call pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked at him, questions in her eyes.
"Tomorrow night, I'd like to visit your home."
"Um… alright. No problem."
Luna was surprised and hesitant, but she eventually agreed.
Their casual exchange drew glances from the others. Hoederer immediately decided he would accompany the boss the next day. After all, the Vampires they were visiting had lived for who knew how many years. Pioneer would probably need a bodyguard. Ines was thinking much the same.
W stared at Felix for a moment.
"You. Need someone to collect your corpse tomorrow? If so, take me with you."
Hoederer and Ines widened their eyes at W but quickly looked away. They knew exactly how that would end—W flaring up in indignation.
But honestly… was this really W?
Even if she put it awkwardly, wasn't she basically volunteering to act as the Pioneer's bodyguard?
W, you're becoming surprisingly honest, we're proud of you, sob.