After being reunited like an old married couple, it was only natural that sparks flew. When Felix opened his eyes the next morning, the first thing he saw was a splash of snow-white. Getting out of bed, he noticed the two girls' pale, delicate feet peeking out from the covers, faint veins visible. He quietly pulled the blanket back over them.
There were only a dozen days left before version 3.0 launched. As Felix went through his final preparations, he opened the forum while eating breakfast and found it in an uproar.
What happened?
He clicked on the threads and immediately understood: today was the release day for the 3.0 promotional video. Thinking about it, the timing did make sense.
Although the PV had already been out for several hours, the livestream numbers were still exploding, the counter climbing so fast it was hard to track.
"I once asked myself… if one day I gained power, what would I do with it?"
The young man's calm yet magnetic voice struck first, enough to send chills racing over anyone who heard it.
Felix frowned.
Hold on—wasn't that his voice?
He hadn't expected to be treated with such importance. The first voice heard in the 3.0 PV was his. But then… a thought struck him.
If everything the Preserver had said was true and the previous civilization had truly perished, then who was running this so-called "game" that was actually pulling spiritual consciousness from a higher universe? Had the mysterious prior civilization really vanished… or was an artificial intelligence orchestrating all of this?
He found the latter more plausible, though there was no way to judge for now. He pushed the thought aside and continued watching.
"I… would want to change every regret."
Boom.
The drums hit. Felix, clad in a general's armor, stepped forward. His armored boots thudded against the ground with steady weight. As the camera pulled back, his armored chest and face came into view. The horizon widened. He stood on the deck of a warship, the wind brushing through his gray hair and the dark creature behind him.
"Aaaaaah husband aaaaah my husband—!"
"Let me lick lick lick lick—!"
"Husband is mine! No one is allowed to steal him!"
"He can fix me!"
"I can't control my love for you ahhh!!"
"Praying for you 🕯️ O Great Felix 💝"
The live chat exploded. Felix sweated nervously. He accidentally clicked on one bullet comment saying "I want Brother Felix to stare coldly at me while strangle me, and humiliating me."
"…"
The camera withdrew further, revealing a renewed Kazdel. Sarkaz civilians lived peacefully with warm smiles, as though the entire world had been coated in a beautiful filter.
The next instant, the scene shifted. Flames roared, civilians screamed, and infected soldiers in military uniforms kicked down ordinary household doors with deranged grins, fire sweeping behind them. Standing behind the ranks of uniformed infected was a refined woman in a black formal dress. Her expression was chilled, a faint mockery flickering in her eyes along with a trace of black-red flame.
Behind her were dozens of men and women in uniform, all gazing down at the burning city with mixed expressions.
The camera changed again. Across once-peaceful wheat fields, hundreds of masked soldiers with cold weapons swept through, killing indiscriminately. The sudden assault crushed the defenders and the stronghold fell quickly.
A middle-aged nobleman, elegant and composed, strode into the meeting room like a victorious lord. The obese man in the chief's seat trembled uncontrollably, as though his body had become loose sand. He tried to speak, but collapsed weakly into his chair.
Trailing behind the noble was a pair of long, beautiful legs. The owner, wearing heels and a formal dress, was alluring even from the back. She tilted her head slightly. Two long, black horns—artistic in shape—rose from her head. Beneath her smooth golden hair were emerald eyes, filled with a teasing glint that made it obvious she was far from harmless.
The camera shifted once more. In an industrial city crowded with smokestacks, Sarkaz mercenaries whispered among themselves. Their faces were calm, like men resigned to death. Their gaze fell upon a towering building. Deep inside, up the central staircase, stood a throne.
General Theresis sat upon it. At his side stood several Sarkaz of varying shapes and sizes, yet even a brief glimpse told anyone they were far from ordinary.
The view moved to a high-tech metropolis—Columbia. Soldiers in new combat exosuits tested their firepower, whispering among themselves and occasionally glancing toward the distant command center. The camera swept across the sheer number of troops and equipment before finally stopping in front of Rhine Lab's entrance. A beautiful elven researcher spoke quietly with a bunny-eared woman in a lab coat. As the scene moved deeper, inside the head office, a calm and intelligent golden-haired beauty lifted her gaze, staring directly into the lens.
Kazimierz.
In the shadows, the Armorless Union loosed volleys of bolts toward the knights. Amid curses and shouts, they cut down lives with cold laughter—until a golden light split the night in two and turned it into day. He did not even draw his sword; only a quiet sigh escaped him.
Iberia.
The black shoreline crashed endlessly against the pale sands and dark reefs. Out at sea, faint blue lights flickered as two women in combat suits clashed with their weapons. One wielded a sharp long spear, the other a uniquely shaped chainsaw. The once-turbulent waves began to boil.
Laterano.
Within the towering holy city, cardinals hurried along the paths, though some paused to enjoy the fleeting birdsong and floral scent. An elderly man with a long white beard smiled as he played with the small creatures around him. A letter rested in his hand. When he heard footsteps approaching, he lifted his head, and the cardinals saw the wisdom in his eyes.
On a landship's bridge, a lone rabbit-girl stood gazing forward. The sight of her stirred an instinctive urge to protect her. Suddenly she turned, her face breaking into a radiant smile as she ran toward the camera.
The next scene returned to a feline woman who had appeared earlier in the PV. Players had briefly interacted with her before—Dr. Kal'tsit. She and the bunny girl held hands and slowly walked away together.
War. Turmoil. Schemes. Mobilization.
The drums beat faster and heavier, pressing on every viewer's heart.
Then, dawn broke.
From the landship's bridge, the entire dusk-lit world spread out before him. In the distance lay the bustling mobile city of Kazdel; closer stretched endless desert dunes glowing gold beneath the sunset.
On the deck stood the same man—the man players had longed to see.
"...Terra is approaching its final hour. No one can remain untouched."
His tone was heavy, but then eased slightly.
"Before that moment arrives, we still have time... for Terra's stability, and for the future we seek to open."
The wind stirred. The halo above his head grew brighter, finally bursting into golden light. Azure flames, golden flames, violet flames, and black-red flames rose together. A king's sword descended from above, striking the ground and splitting the letters apart. Fire licked across the characters, shaping four bold words:
War Ignites the Land
The instant these final words appeared and the PV ended, the comments exploded.
"Bro, this is way too damn cool! Am I playing a game or watching a blockbuster?!"
"Arknights never misses. The immersion is insane—like we actually lived through this. Players have their own lives, NPCs have theirs too. These fragments let us infer their nations and factions. It's huge for understanding 3.0."
"From Pioneer to the King of Dawn, this man has been with us for two whole versions—and in the 3.0 PV he's still at the center. He's definitely going to be crucial in 3.0."
This time the PV was so cinematic that Arknights once again went viral. All major forums in East Asia were buzzing with discussion. The media praised it nonstop. After all, CN's young heroine had just won the second world championship; hype was at its peak.
Beyond game communities, pro players and content creators flooded the internet with reposts. Hashtags like #Arknights #Pioneer #KingofDawn dominated the trending lists. Players rejoiced in comment sections everywhere. Even newcomers who had previously only heard of the game were instantly persuaded by veterans and decided to buy hardware and join as soon as they got home.
East Asia wasn't the only place aflame. Overseas streamers praised the PV and rallied their viewers to join. "3.0 looks like a full-scale war. More allies means better odds, right? Get in here already!"
Many players turned to lore analysts, hoping someone would decode the hidden meanings. The PV felt like a movie—long, gorgeous, and packed with details—too much for the average viewer to dissect alone.
Their hopes were soon met. Members of the strategy teams and pro squads joined forces to create a full 3.0 PV analysis. Even though the PV had been out for only a few hours, the breakdown was already complete.
The narration opened with the deep, steady voice of Yang Yan XF.
"From the 3.0 PV, it isn't hard to see that the Pioneer, the King of Dawn Felix, remains the narrative's central figure. In fact, many of us already sensed this during the latter half of 2.0. The rise of the Tomorrow's Development and the complete unification of Kazdel gave us an abundance of storylines. Now, in 3.0, titled Warring States, the King of Dawn once again stands firmly at center stage. It's enough to set our imaginations running wild."
"The first scene features Ursus's Reunion Movement, an infected-supremacist faction notorious for attacking towns and cities, pillaging and slaughtering without restraint. Judging from their appearance here, we will likely confront them directly in the 3.0 storyline."
"Next, the scene shifts to what appears to be Victoria's farmland. Neither the nobleman nor the Draco woman beside him have appeared before, so they are most likely new NPCs introduced in 3.0. Whether they are friend or foe remains unclear, but the location indicates they are tied to Victoria."
"However, within the Victoria segment, we do find a familiar figure: General Theresis, leader of the Military Commission. Though they fled Kazdel after defeat, what remains of his Commission has now regrouped in Londinium. The PV suggests they, too, are preparing for war, but it's uncertain whether their target is Kazdel. With Kazdel's current strength, it would be an incredibly difficult opponent for them to swallow."
"The scenes in Columbia seem linked to Rhine Lab. It's worth noting that the King of Dawn Felix once worked there as a researcher, and to this day remains a shareholder. It's possible that whatever unfolds at Rhine Lab in 3.0 will also tie back to him."
"As for Kazimierz, it passed the Infected Knight Act a year ago in Terra's calendar, yet the Armorless Union continues eliminating infected knights from the shadows. We may get to see another Knight Major storyline soon."
"Iberia is no stranger to us either, though we cannot yet identify the two women battling in the sea. The only clear clue is that their uniforms resemble Skadi's. They may belong to the same organization. Since Miss Skadi has always avoided speaking of her past, perhaps she carries unspeakable secrets. This could hint at her personal storyline in 3.0."
"In Laterano, birthplace of the King of Dawn, the elderly man standing there is likely the supreme leader spoken of among the Sankta: the Pope. Our understanding of Laterano has always been limited, and its borders rarely open to outsiders. Only a small number of players have visited it so far. With 3.0, we may finally have the chance to set foot within Laterano and uncover its truths."
"As for the landship and the rabbit-eared girl, long-time followers may recall a girl named Amiya from the old Babel operators. She may be the symbol of another faction introduced in 3.0. And walking beside her is Doctor Kal'tsit, who has appeared in previous PVs yet has had little direct interaction with players. Hopefully, 3.0 will give us more opportunities to meet them."
"In the final moments of the PV, the King of Dawn Felix's words bring everything to a close. What does this 'end time' refer to? Is it the climax of 3.0, or a larger, overarching storyline awaiting all of us? Only by asking the King of Dawn himself will we find answers. By following closely behind him, we may one day witness the beauty that lies beyond the end."