[World Championship - Quarterfinals]
[Battlefield: Ruins of the Castle]
[Rules: 5v5 Deathmatch (30 Kills)]
[Acid Gaming vs Sigma eSports]
The field was surrounded by castle walls on all sides. A wind mixed with sand blew through the weathered ruins.
The opponent's composition hadn't changed much since the last set. The main team, consisting of a mage, a priest, and two knights, remained the same. The only difference was that Reaper had swapped his fog mage for an assassin.
It couldn’t have been any other way. It was a composition that relied on brute strength. In chaotic situations, it would only get better, not worse. If not, maybe they were testing our reactions this time.
Luche briefly turned around to look at me. Her face seemed even more burdened than mine.
“Da-eun, are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. It’ll get better once the battle starts.”
It’s true. Once the fight begins, things will be fine. If I can't keep my mind clear, I might as well fill it with other thoughts. In that sense, it was a relief that it was a deathmatch.
The Ruins of the Castle weren’t much different from the Colosseum at a glance. A cramped, flat, circular field that induced chaotic battles. I prefer a battlefield where I can swing my sword endlessly rather than one that requires constant strategizing.
For me right now, a battlefield that requires complex thinking is overwhelming. A place where I can rely solely on my sword and my senses is ideal.
Following Luche, I reached the battlefield and spotted the enemy.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
Two knights were leading the charge. Since my assassin was gone, it looked like the paladin had taken the front line.
Was this the first time Traveler aimed his sword at me? I’m sorry it had to be like this. It’s not going to be anything like he expected.
There was no dramatic reunion. Without a moment’s hesitation, both sides rushed toward each other and combat erupted. My sword was the first to strike with a cold glint.
[Passive: Master of the Blade]
[All active skills in the game now have slicing and parrying judgments.]
[Bonus effects from other skills will not apply to these judgments...]
The lancer’s gunlance charged toward me.
His posture was simple but clean, demonstrating the effort he had put into this attack. The target was, boldly, my heart.
A cocky greeting, isn’t it?
I know what he’s trying to do. He likely wasn’t aiming for a direct hit.
A slow-moving lancer's attack? Even without the mobility of an assassin, I could easily avoid it.
He was probably just trying to create an explosive burst to create a whirlwind. I’d show him just how naive that thinking was.
There was no need to put in a lot of effort to dodge.
A simple sidestep at the right moment would be enough.
The lancer’s thrust barely missed, leaving only a small gap before it passed me by.
The movement of the body is ultimately a flow.
Once the flow starts, it’s hard to stop or change.
The heavier and more cumbersome the movements, like a lancer’s, the more it’s true.
‘Let’s deal with the weapon first. I have to strike from the inside.’
I dropped my blade downward, letting it fall.
With just my sword, I couldn’t pierce through the thick shield on the opposite side.
Traveler’s gunlance had a guard that protected the outside of his arm.
I needed to target the inside, to dig deep.
The sword I raised from below left a mark on his forearm.
The goal was to cut through, but life doesn’t always go as planned.
At least I instilled some sense of danger in him.
If he were a beginner, he might not notice, but with Traveler’s level, he would have reached the conclusion immediately.
With a gunlance, he can’t properly handle my sword.
He has to raise a shield in front of me as soon as possible.
As expected, the lancer’s body swiftly turned to react.
That’s your mistake.
To make such a big turn, his legs had to move first.
I forcefully kicked out at his calves.
Traveler’s axis twisted much more dramatically than he had intended.
The human body, with even slight twists, easily reveals weaknesses.
The tilted axis broke his posture, and the body instinctively tries to regain balance.
Even if that means in front of a sharp blade.
Traveler barely regained his balance, but his torso’s defense was wide open.
The blade pierced his heart. The sword spun halfway inside, then slid out.
A red line appeared across his neck where the rigidity hadn’t loosened.
[‘Sigma Ga-wol’ has defeated ‘Acid Gaming Traveler’.]
Traveler had been a pillar of strength in the previous match.
No matter how many times he was pierced or slashed, he never gave up his heart or head.
Yet, this knight fell so easily, almost absurdly so.
The bloodstained sword didn’t stop after taking one life.
The blade rose upward, followed by my gaze.
A glance. The chilling eyes locked on the dagger’s tip.
The sharp clash of metal.
A crimson effect rose from the ground, but Ga-wol’s health bar barely moved.
The longsword I casually brought down made a clean parry.
Reaper slowly surveyed Ga-wol.
There were no special mistakes before the ambush.
All the usual sounds of footsteps and shadows couldn’t have been avoided.
Even when Traveler was killed, her sight hadn’t narrowed even a bit.
‘Now I get it. I understand why Cerberus was so fixated on this.’
Ga-wol hadn’t completely excluded her sword from the match.
Reaper had torn apart the weakness Phantom had discovered.
Just as Cerberus had faced Ga-wol’s sword at match point, it was a task he had to prepare for.
The problem was that Ga-wol’s skill had exceeded expectations.
With a cold, expressionless face, she showed no openings.
Reaper adjusted his grip on his weapons.
The ambush had failed. He wanted to withdraw immediately, but the enemy wouldn’t allow it.
The tilted blade came for him, closing in fast.
“...We... don’t do that...”
A quiet muttering.
It was so faint that its meaning was nearly impossible to discern.
But with every slow step he took, Reaper felt the pressure tightening around his throat.
Ga-wol had always been a highly capable assassin.
Among her strengths, her mobility stood out the most.
Her speed, almost impossible to track with the eyes, was her signature.
The most dynamic and fastest assassin.
She never feared risks, never stopped moving.
Ga-wol was the one with the fastest tempo.
However, Ga-wol’s swordsmanship was different.
She didn’t run unless it was necessary.
Her sword was so static that time itself seemed to slow down around her.
Yet, even Reaper couldn’t understand Ga-wol’s blade.
From the deadliest position.
An unfathomable sword swung.
[The ‘Cleave’ effect is applied by cutting through mana.]
[Physical penetration increases by 8%.]
The sword, lightly swung, precisely cut through the magic.
The shadow that had risen from the ground was struck down as if crushed like a bug.
The feeble thrust was blocked and lost all its power.
On the other hand, Reaper felt his hands growing numb.
He was using two weapons.
It should have been the other way around, but it was hard for him to keep up with Ga-wol’s blade.
Every time their blades met, blood spilled.
There was no overwhelming speed.
It wasn’t like a hero’s reckless force pushing through.
But whenever he snapped back to reality, the blade was already at his throat.
The flow of the attack was so incomprehensible.
Even when blocked, the attack continued, and with each step, the situation changed.
Reaper wanted to analyze the battle footage and carefully review the previous exchanges.
Even so, Ga-wol seemed to be at ease.
While slowly killing Reaper, she could still look elsewhere.
Ah, now I understand. Reaper realized.
‘I’m already dead. I can’t escape.’
The situation had twisted too much.
All escape attempts were blocked.
The moment he looked back, he’d be dead.
No magic, no shadows, no curses.
Even the ice mage’s desperate intervention couldn’t reach him.
For the first time, the magic in this game felt utterly powerless.
Death slowly approached.
Like climbing stairs, step by step. Toward the inevitable conclusion.
Reaper believed he was no different than a corpse now.
Then at least, let me leave a scar.
Ignoring his defense, Reaper leaned forward.
The sword that had tried to block his body had cut through his wrist.
“...I never thought I’d meet such a high wall.”
What a joyous moment.
I’ve finally found where I’m headed next.
A wide smile crossed Reaper’s face as a red line appeared on his neck.
[‘Sigma Ga-wol’ has defeated ‘Acid Gaming Ripper’.]
[‘Sigma Camellia’ has defeated ‘Acid Gaming Sanctuary’.]
Camellia rampaged through the enemy lines freely.
Luche crushed the opposing paladin with brutal force.
The second set of the quarterfinals at the Championship ended in a complete victory for Sigma.