Luche fiercely pressed Sparrow.
Blocking the view with a large shield and thrusting the sword downward to aim for the foot.
It seemed conscious but the reaction was a little slow.
A trickle of bl**d appeared.
It was a point scored.
The assassin circled around the side of the shield and threw a dagger.
Throwing an uncharged kn*fe towards the eye was clearly intentional.
The other side also intended to interfere with the vision. Naturally, the assassin’s figure blurred and merged with the shadow.
The intended target was right behind Luche.
The dagger aiming for the neck was pathetically blocked.
And in this game, a perfect defense is invariably followed by a fierce counterattack.
bl**d splashed on the assassin’s face after being struck.
The next attack followed without stopping.
Only after a barrage of precious skills did the assassin manage to regain composure.
《A sharp counterattack. Impressive. It was an attack from a position that couldn’t be seen by player Luche.》
《It appears to have been confirmed through shadows or silhouettes reflected on the shield.》
《Hmm… If I had to guess, it was likely seen through the shadows. Most shadow skills require the user to maintain their stance just before use, though there is a slight allowance.》
If the assassin had used shadow movement while wielding the dagger.
Upon returning, the ‘stance’ would remain almost the same, but the ‘strength’ behind the slash would not.
Essentially, using skills in an awkward position leads to insufficient power in subsequent attacks.
Many assassins have worked hard to overcome this problem.
One of the methods developed was to change grips within the shadows.
Basic operation relies on a precise saber grip.
When emerging from the shadows, it transitions to a reverse grip which allows more force or a quick stab using a hammer grip.
Daggers are weapons whose trajectory can easily change according to grip.
If you can change your grip in the unseen, the number of possible attacks from one stance increases exponentially.
A psychological warfare element. This was the technique Sparrow attempted.
That said, Luche’s last opponent was none other than me.
《Sparrow didn’t know this. The assassin’s shadow lags behind by a single timing. The hands and weapon must always be hidden by the body. Otherwise, one must take more precaution.》
Using the grip changes, one can read the opponent’s intentions.
Additionally, when the assassin disappears, the possible attacking stances can be figured out.
With both understood, it also becomes clear where the attack will target.
The rising thorn was pathetically blocked.
The dagger aimed at the vital points never managed to penetrate the defense, and the assassin’s firepower couldn’t break through the paladin’s guard gauge.
The inherent mass of the knight class continued to pressure Sparrow.
The shield was swung like a bludgeon, occasionally a blade aimed at the vitals.
Despite responding well to some degree… the moment the assassin became focused solely on defense, the match was essentially over.
《Oh. That was a mistake. You just need to dodge visually detectable skills so there was no need to disable survival skills.》
《If you can just dodge by seeing skills, then what skills can’t be dodged?》
《Do such skills exist? Invulnerability is designed so that all skills can be avoided with a reaction.》
《Viewers. That’s correct.》
《?》
[Title: ‘Traveler’ Syncs Up with UK’s ‘Reaper’.]
[Author: Cemetery Journalist ([email protected])]
A player trade contract has been finalized between domestic powerhouse Q Prime and UK’s Acid Gaming.
According to the statement, Q Prime’s ace ‘Traveler’ Nam Hyeon will transfer to Acid Gaming.
Thus, Acid Gaming now boasts a powerful lineup with ‘Reaper,’ the team’s ace assassin, supported by Traveler’s lance knight.
With Acid Gaming’s probable participation in the next international tournament, they are sure to be a team to watch out for domestically.
Traveler’s place will be filled by the veteran ‘Holy’ playing the Inquisitor.
A landmark case under the recently relaxed overseas mercenaries regulation.
The influx of an anti-carry type tanker who is the complete opposite of the previous ace has drawn attention to how Q Prime’s gameplay may change.
Fans of Q Prime are showing negative opinions about the trade contract.
Comments such as ‘Why sell a healthy ace and bring in a player who’s about to retire?’ and ‘The company seems to be running out of money, so it’s reached its end’ are among the harsh criticisms.
On the other hand, while a representative of Q Prime denied Q Financial’s alleged financial difficulties, no further explanation was given.
No detailed contract contents between the teams have been revealed.
[Comments]
– It’s time to let this team go. It was the first team I cheered for.
└ Me too, Q Prime was my first.
└ Ah…
– Maybe we’ll move on to Galaxy.
└ I heard rumors that they and ACL have been spending some money.
A preview of the finals.
The quarterfinals between Sigma eSports and Q Prime ended with Sigma’s 3-1 victory.
Personally, I’d rate it as a lackluster match.
There were decent moments in between.
Pro teams don’t earn their status easily, though they weren’t immune to the fans’ criticisms.
If Sigma hadn’t employed some experimental strategies, the result would probably have been a clean 3-0.
Part of my commentary during the first game might have stoked the flames a little.
As a result, I also earned some of the fans’ ire.
Not that I haven’t had my share of detractors before.
Though, to be honest, it did bother me a bit recently.
In any case, discussion about the quarterfinals heated up the internet for a few hours but surprisingly died down quickly.
All the drama was absorbed by the announcement of Traveler’s transfer.
I assume Ho-eun’s remark about ‘timing it well’ had this in mind.
Just a day later.
Traveler reached out personally, saying he wanted to meet.
“Aha, kept you waiting? Sorry. The traffic was bad because of the rain.”
“No, it’s okay.”
Traveler, dressed smartly, came in folding his umbrella.
He paused briefly at the door.
His previously blank expression brightened as he regained his composure.
“Does Elderlyn use a less than ideal camera? It’s strange.”
“What?”
“Ah, never mind. Anything else? Food hasn’t arrived yet? This was the only place I could book quickly. I’ll take you somewhere nicer next time.”
“Here is more than enough.”
“Is that so? If you say so.”
Did he take my demand for a pricey meal seriously?
We met at a rather elegant Japanese restaurant.
Though I didn’t really expect this much.
Just having a hearty meal together for a bit over 100,000 won would have been sufficient.
I was aiming for a family restaurant level quality.
Observing the staff explain how the ingredients were prepared, it seems like a decent place indeed.
“So, why did you want to see me?”
“I just wanted to meet before leaving the country. Originally, I intended to meet in the game, but you said no.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Is everything going well at Sigma?”
What? Did Luche tell you that?
I haven’t heard such talk.
Traveler’s a veteran in this scene.
He might have heard through the grapevine.
Sigma’s confidentiality might not be watertight, so someone might have leaked.
“You knew, didn’t you? Who told you?”
“No, I’ve never heard it. Just guessed and now confirmed through your answer.”
“You…!”
Seriously, could it have been me who’s loose-lipped?
Traveler chuckled softly.
The chopsticks between his fingers lightly clinked.
“Cold enough? Be careful. When I got caught, I got severely reprimanded.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“The journalist didn’t even disclose that they were leading the questions. Reading the initial leaks made me realize. Oh, so that’s how it went…”
The food arrived, and we began eating.
Traveler launched into a little monologue.
It wasn’t always like this with the team.
The players all have their own circumstances, as I know.
Not everyone can sprint endlessly like me.
It’d be great if we could all just ride on pure passion like in a youth drama.
But eventually, the boy grows up, and someone has to shoulder reality.
“Well, never mind. I didn’t call you to discuss this.”
“That’s okay. Listening was enjoyable.”
“When’s your pro debut?”
“I don’t know. If I can even do it that is.”
“…Sounds like you just made a heavy statement.”
Traveler glanced at my leg.
This guy is quicker on the uptake than I thought.
Honestly, my skills aren’t lacking.
There’s something else weighing me down within the game world…but at least Luche seems prepared to take the burden.
If Sigma entry is still uncertain, that suggests another issue.
“Still, I hope you make it into pro. That’s partly why I invited you today.”
“Out of the blue?”
“Feels a little hurt. I’ve recognized you since the arena days.”
Looking back, I did say those things in the arena.
– Our concepts of battle were different. It felt like Cerberus lived in an unknown world to me.
– I’m just beginning to see some things, so it will take a while to catch up.
– I didn’t want to bring this up in pride as an amateur, but watching your game reaffirmed similar thoughts.
“This transfer was what I wanted. Caused a bit of a fuss in the team, asked for reinforcements or a trade, and here we are. Cleaning things up since I know too much, right?”
“Is that so? Reaper’s an S-class teammate. Rather opportune. It’s better than where you are. You’ll climb higher.”
“I think so too. Though I feel sorry for the team members and local fans… but I want to win.”
“Is alcohol fine?”
“Yes, though I won’t drink too much.”
Traveler poured drinks, and we clinked our cups.
To avoid getting drunk, it was the last round I took.
“There are people I want to defeat, including you. So, let’s meet at the international tournament.”
“I’ll be sure to wash my neck and wait.”
“Sure. I’ll crush you, so wait for it.”
“You can talk big while playing so poorly.”
Geez. Traveler gritted his teeth.
Though he didn’t seem too upset.
“Beating you is one of my goals, so see you on the international stage.”
