NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36
The winner interview won’t start until all matches of Group E are over.
It was happening during the preparation time for the next set of matches.
Since my match is done, I can do whatever I want with the remaining time.
I could take a break, but someone from either Ripper or Fury is going to face me in the next match anyway.
If I’m going to watch the match, it’s better to see it ahead of time.
With that thought, I entered the observation room, but it seemed I misjudged the situation.
As soon as I walked in, I felt a lot of hostile glares directed at me.
I’m not completely oblivious, so it felt like I was pretty disliked.
Should I have waited in the lobby instead?
I didn’t hear anyone specifically badmouthing me, but this was still a gaming environment.
If they adjusted their voice options, they could easily talk without being heard by those next to them.
Just as I was feeling uncomfortable and about to leave, someone tapped me on the shoulder.
“What are you doing here instead of going in?”
“What? Why are you here?”
“Why? I came to watch the matches too.”
He was a tall character, not quite as tall as Rime, but still significant. It was Traveler.
D Group’s matches had ended yesterday, so he shouldn’t have needed to come today.
He could watch the matches just fine from outside.
“Why go out of your way to come here?”
“I find it more fun to have people around when I watch matches. It’s better than alone.”
The tall Spear Master naturally sat in a corner, tapping the empty seat next to him as if inviting me to sit there.
Once I sat down, I realized that the other players were blocked from my view by Traveler’s body.
Wait… could this be some sort of consideration for me?
Since I was slightly concerned about it, I felt the need to probe.
“What’s this? I’m not flustered or anything by your presence.”
“Are you crazy? Don’t think about weird things. I have a girlfriend.”
“Uh… right. That’s good to hear.”
Good. I felt relieved.
His hands waving around made me more at ease.
I still found it hard to purely accept someone’s kindness.
“Our team doesn’t care much about the Arena. Luce is preparing for her match, so by process of elimination, you’re the only one left.”
“You seem to have a lot of complaints about your team.”
“It’s not really complaints… Tch. When you become a pro gamer, make sure to sign good contracts. Don’t get too attached to people.”
“……”
Seems like there’s some backstory there.
I didn’t want to pry, so I simply nodded.
Traveler seemed satisfied and shifted his focus to the screen.
I noticed Ripper leaving the observation room from the side.
We exchanged glances as he walked out, and surprisingly, he offered a small nod first.
I felt a bit flustered but responded with a nod back.
“That’s different from what I heard. Ripper is such a polite player? I only saw him in broadcasts, so I didn’t know.”
“No. He acted pretty snobbily towards our team. But he seemed quite polite to Luce.”
“Then why is he acting like that to me…?”
“I don’t know. How would I know? He probably has his own criteria.”
Traveler shrugged indifferently.
On the screen, some of Ripper’s highlight clips started playing.
Among them was a scene against Q Prime, which was Traveler’s team.
From my angle, I couldn’t see his expression clearly.
However, there was an undertone of gloom in his casual tone.
“Hey. Can you beat Ripper?”
“Of course. If you think you’re going to lose while fighting, no one can win.”
“Right. That’s the right answer… but why does it seem so hard to hear lately?”
“Ugh. Must be chaotic.”
“Indeed. It’s chaotic everywhere.”
—
《The second match of Group E is about to start! Acid Gaming’s Ripper faces J Vitals’ Fury!》
《An Assassin and a Sword Master. Of course, Ripper is also famous as a Fog Mage, but doesn’t a battle like this sound suffocating just hearing about it?》
《Exactly. Moreover, Fury is known for a speed-centric build, and Ripper’s flexibility and unpredictability need no mention. It looks like a clash of strengths will happen between these two players.》
《Let’s find out what both players have prepared right now!》
[Infinity Arena Main Event Group E – Match 3]
[Battlefield: Ancient Weapon Depot]
[Acid Gaming Ripper (Fog Mage) vs J Vitals Fury (Sword Master)]
The battlefield itself turned out to be a decent location.
Not long ago, I had a good experience here while gulping down the Dragon’s Tear.
The terrain didn’t have any remarkable gimmicks, but the monsters scattered around it were capable of dealing powerful area attacks.
It wasn’t particularly hard to dodge, but when a melee broke out, it surprisingly became difficult to keep track.
Both sides didn’t look too bad at utilizing the battlefield.
The Sword Master class actively inherits the warrior’s stamina system.
They must handle all attacks and defenses with a single sword, making them a melee dealer.
They could also reverse the powerful attacks of ancient weapons for strong parrying bonuses.
Conversely, Ripper’s Fog Mage seems to be a mix of Assassin and Mage.
He sacrificed many of the Assassin’s skills, but his primary focus is on visibility play using fog and stealth.
When one’s view is obstructed by fog, dodging the attacks from ancient weapons becomes tricky.
“By the way, why don’t you play as a Sword Master? You’re good at it.”
“It’s just that it’s more comfortable to fight as an Assassin in the field. I don’t plan to whip it out here either.”
“Oh, is that so.”
As someone who practiced kendo, I was fairly confident in being a Sword Master.
No, I should say I’m confident I’ll perform better than anyone else.
If I could, I would’ve made it my main class.
The reason I can’t easily bring out a Sword Master is psychological.
When I’m not really in the mood but pull out a long sword, all sorts of negative feelings flood in.
The last time I used it was when I was heavily pressured in a field… which was not a pleasant memory.
A sense of guilt, as if I had cheapened something I held sacred.
A shame, as if I was tarnishing the brightest days of my life.
For me, the sword… to be more precise, using the weapon I dealt with during my athlete days holds a meaning that words cannot express.
《Fury blocks the first ambush with a perfect parry!》
《A very good start. Although the Fog Mage isn’t the true Assassin class, it’s still not a class that simply gives up the initiative.》
《However, we need to keep an eye on what happens next. Ripper has never ended with just one failure. Fury isn’t showing any signs of letting his guard down either.》
《Just as I mention it, Ripper launches a second attack!》
Fog had thickened over the field before anyone noticed.
It was an extreme level of visibility limitation. As I couldn’t see even a step ahead, five blades were raised right in front of me.
The Sword Master didn’t just roll over like a lamb.
Quickly reacting, he defended with a parry. Ripper’s claws were deflected as he immediately counterattacked.
The precise downward strikes followed, but no results came.
The blade, fiery with intent, only cut through the droplets of white fog.
As Ripper withdrew the fog, his claws landed on the Sword Master’s ankle.
With a hasty drop of his sword, he quickly changed his target with a short-distance dash.
《Back to the top Ripper! The Viper’s Fang… cancels in the middle.》
《The re-entering Ripper successfully lands the attack!》
That’s it.
The reason why Ripper is so hard to deal with.
《Ripper’s psychological strategy was excellent just now, right?》
《He boldly gave up an attack which had a great angle. It was a lethal strike, so Fury had to defend urgently.》
《But that lightning-fast reaction speed itself became poison. The replay is coming up. As Ripper cancels his attack, you can see Fury’s parry floating away, right?》
《While the defense judgment was still up, the skill was charging, and Fury’s recovery was perfectly timed. The moment he used the parry, he lost the ability to defend. It was a perfectly prepared hunting scene.》
Luring the opponent’s defense and slipping into what they thought was the safest spot.
As a result, Ripper’s attack feels like it arrives one beat slower.
His repeated attacks outside the line of sight create a sense of urgency.
If you don’t react quickly, it feels like you could give away a critical spot.
That’s probably not far from the truth.
But when you’re anxious, you often lose your own rhythm.
Slow attacks see defensive measures wasted, and Ripper leisurely accumulates damage and slips away.
To an outside observer… it might look like a horrific struggle.
《The bleeding is significant. Indeed, Ripper is conjuring a blood fog.》
《You need to remain calm. The blood fog skill serves more to block senses than to cause damage.》
《Ah… Fury seems to have lost his composure! His attacks are way too frantic!》
He couldn’t defend against any of Ripper’s slow attacks.
He seemed to be flailing alone, inviting his own downfall.
Completely played with by the enemy named Ripper—his sharp claws shredded him apart.
Both his body and mind.
Fury’s two matches were evaluated as disastrous.