[Author: PeroPero]
[Title: Arena Group A Cerberus Victory Interview]
[Recommendations: 776]
Q. Please share your thoughts on the victory.
A. It seems we secured a smooth victory.
Q. Who do you predict will be your opponent in the next round?
A. Any prediction would be meaningless. Regardless of the opponent, I am confident in our victory.
Q. You brought out the sub-class Mage Knight. Was there any special reason for this choice?
A. Although not to the extent of a Dark Knight, I wanted to demonstrate that using a Mage Knight is a viable strategy. I hope my next opponent prepares for both classes.
—
Q. During the group nomination, player Gawol provoked you. What do you have to say about that?
A. Rookie players often resort to antics to gain recognition. This is common for me. I see it as something I need to endure.
However, popularity gained without skill does not last long. She should be mindful of this as well.
—
[Author: PeroPero]
[Title: Arena Group D Traveler Victory Interview]
[Recommendations: 345]
Q. Please share your thoughts on the victory.
A. It is gratifying to see the fruits of our preparation.
Q. Your gameplay was overwhelming. How did you prepare?
A. I always approach tournaments with the same method: practice and analysis. This time, the practice match data proved quite effective.
Q. Did you prepare with Sparrow, your teammate?
A: No. Since Sparrow is on vacation, I prepared with Gawol. That guy never touches the game during his vacation.
Q. Was training with Gawol helpful?
A. Unfortunately, yes.
Q. Gawol will participate in the first match of Group E tomorrow. How do you predict the outcome?
A. Many people expect Rime to win. It might be the first time I support Gawol in an official setting. I think her chances are not insignificant.
Q. It’s an unexpected choice. Is there a reason?
A. I reached this conclusion after sparring with her. Isn’t Gawol the most underrated player in this arena? Of course, this is separate from the controversies surrounding her.
—
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to say?
A. The arena is an event-based tournament, yet I treat it with the same seriousness as an official tournament. I’ll do my best to meet the expectations of the fans.
—
—
《Thank you all for waiting! This is commentator Ho-eun welcoming you to the second day of the main tournament of Infinity Arena in the special stage.》
Time flows, no matter how you hang the clock.
《We also have our two esteemed commentators, Hae-hwa and Hwang-yul, joining us for commentary today.》
《Hello.》
The main arena tournament began yesterday.
Today, matches from groups E to H are scheduled.
Among these, my match is the first.
In the waiting room, the commentators’ voices echoed loud and clear.
The Korean commentator was especially loud, but after tweaking the options, the other country’s commentary was muted.
—
《The first confirmed match is Group E. Player Gawol versus player Rime.》
《Let’s confirm the bracket.》
Once my match is over, the remaining two players will play.
Based on the results, it will be decided who I’ll face next, and I’ll have the chance to gather the latest data.
I need to observe the Reaper class as the analysis is still incomplete.
—
《It’s an age-old counter matchup. High defense and a wide range. Isn’t the Lance Knight class everything an assassin should dislike?》
《But the player is confident! Since Gawol arranged for this match with Rime, we’re curious to see how she handles it.》
《The focus is on how Gawol will navigate this complex situation.》
While the commentary panel was engaged in conversation,
a staff member guided me to my position.
Following their lead, I walked on stage, timing perfectly for the entrance.
—
《The players are entering. Main class Assassin, player Gawol.》
《Next is player Rime entering. Main class is Lance Knight.》
My opponent is a hulking figure from all the matches I’ve seen.
He probably doesn’t naturally tower so large, but Lance Knights are known to increase their physical size.
This is because their longspears have enormous recoil, making it necessary to have a heavy frame.
Facing him up close was rather unpleasant.
The height difference made me look up at him.
Traveler wasn’t nearly this big.
—
Even during the required handshake, it felt odd.
His palm was so much larger than mine, making me feel like a child, which irked me.
That gave me one more reason to win this match.
—
—
[Infinity Arena Main Tournament Group E – Match 1]
[Battlefield: Duel Corridor]
[vs LB Rime (Lance Knight)]
As soon as my vision cleared, an intense heat washed over me.
The source of the heat was the bubbling lava.
This battlefield’s strongest gimmick granted powerful burn damage if touched.
Though the battlefield is filled with dark red rocks providing cover, it doesn’t matter much.
The lance attacks of a lance knight rival the burst damage of a typical mage.
If I make a mistake, I could end up a permanent guest, buried alongside the rocks.
Attempting a clumsy surprise attack is inferior to not allowing them any distance attack opportunities at all.
‘There it is.’
Wasting time to find the best entering angle would be a poor strategy.
If I weren’t prepared, Rime wouldn’t be either.
Holding the twin daggers tightly, I leapt high into the air.
A powerful strike, bolstered by both strength and magic, plunged toward the opponent.
Kwajijik!
I shattered his barrier mid-air and cleanly hit his right clavicle.
A good start.
“Ugh!”
[Successful Ambush. Additional damage has been applied.]
[Enhanced paralysis poison effect applied to the enemy.]
The system message barely appeared before the knight’s shield struck me, and I held my guard, absorbing the impact.
Even though I just got hit by a shield,
my guard gauge nearly depleted, showing the considerable weight behind the attack.
The assassin class’s weak defense was one factor, but more fundamentally, it was the overwhelming mass that caused the trouble.
Dodging the impaling spear, I bent my body low.
As I slid across the ground to nick his ankle,
the knight spun his foot, creating a loud thud that resonated.
“Hm…”
The attack was unsuccessful. I was pushed back by the shockwave and unable to close the distance.
But a faint sense of accomplishment flickered in my mind.
It worked! I expected this skill would come right after he failed to dislodge me.
In the swirling dust,
a dagger was hidden among the flying stones.
Reaching out with one hand, my vision shifted, and I grabbed the dagger.
The best time to attack humans is when they’re attacking or right after they’re done.
The closest exposed area is the neck, protected by chainmail but not a full steel plate.
I would prefer to pierce the throat, but the moment he bends his head down, the helmet hides it.
In the end, the shoulder to the neck area was the best I could manage.
The dagger piercing through the chain felt satisfying.
It was too hard and dense to be human skin.
A skill message popped up.
Though I failed to deal a fatal blow, I eliminated one of his essential survival skills.
It was a satisfying trade.
And my turn wasn’t over yet.
“Of course, you block it well. Are pros really something else?”
“Ugh!”
“But is it fine to stand there watching?”
A jet-black chain impaled from the sky.
Rime raised his shield to block it, and the depleted guard gauge was replaced by flame from inside the longspear.
Naturally, a counter skill came to mind in this situation.
Rime fires a reduced power attack without proper stance,
prioritizing time and distance over accuracy to dislodge the opponent.
The spear on his armor targets me and spews out rage.
This shot cannot be avoided at this distance and angle.
More accurately, it cannot be dodged ‘physically’.
[Effect of ‘Shadow of the Moon’ activated.]
[For up to 10 seconds, the player can merge with shadows within a 7.5m radius…]
The lance knight’s attacks are accompanied by powerful noise and explosive smoke.
The level of risk temporarily incapacitates both hearing and vision.
During this time, Rime has developed a habit of protecting himself.
Focus on recovering from the chaos first, before clearing the smoke.
Raise the shield to protect the body, take a firm stance, and steady yourself.
Afterward, clear the smoke by swinging the spear.
The first check is usually in front.
Next is the vulnerable right side due to the held spear.
After confirming the left side, which is shield-covered, the sky is checked. The falling debris takes time.
“Obvious!”
Rime ignored the decoy on the right.
Of course, an assassin creating a decoy at this timing would be obvious.
If the decoy were real, it might inflict some damage, but not lethal.
The likelihood of that scenario is also low.
Without hesitation, the spear swung upward and fired flames.
The posture was now stable, and the firepower was not spared.
The assassin in the sky would have no way of dodging the projectile.
[Effect of ‘Shadow of the Moon’ forcibly canceled.]
“Hello?”
“!”
“This one too obvious?”
An assassin has two main skills for creating illusions.
Usually, due to point distribution issues, only one is employed for deception, but I brought them both for this psychological battle.
I emerged from the shadows and grabbed the edge of the knight’s shield.
My intent was to instantly finish the fight— but it was blocked.
As soon as the knight realized his failure, he activated his stronghold ability.
A signature feature of knight classes — maximizing defense.
Compared to this, my build, slightly favoring the illusion, sacrificed attack power.
Finishing this fight immediately is impossible.
Still, I have one strategy prepared for moments like this.
The longspear used by lance knights, despite its toughness, has a fragile engine.
An often hidden weakness, usually covered by the lance guard.
But not in this situation.
The moment I plunged my dagger into the longspear’s cylinder, a sound like a broken mechanism resounded.
Not satisfied with just one hit, I struck again.
The system message confirming the ‘Weapon Break’ was verified as I stepped back a few paces.
