《This… What is happening here, exactly?!》
《Can this match really unfold this way? Assassins generally struggle against Lance Knights—even at the professional level. While it’s not impossible to overcome, matches usually come down to the wire! This was common knowledge.》
《Yet this… it’s barbaric! It was just a single misjudgment. No, it wasn’t even a mistake. And yet, they’re paying such a cruel price!》
Voices of shock kept bursting out without pause.
No matter which culture the commentators represented, it was the same.
Though tones varied, they all essentially shouted the same message.
But the professional gamers watching the competition had a different reaction.
Instead of speaking, a heavy and uncomfortable silence settled, lingering endlessly.
Particularly, professional gamers from teams like LB, such as Rime, furrowed their brows deeply.
《Rime’s shield bash narrowly misses.》
《It’s the same scenario replaying again and again. The damage is accumulating overwhelmingly in one direction!》
The match on the screen didn’t end easily.
The lance, unable to strike effectively, moved brutally, only for the assassin to dodge casually.
The daggers’ counterattacks carved shallow wounds into well-muscled legs before retreating.
At a glance, it seemed like the assassin couldn’t pierce the lance knight’s defenses.
However, there was a reason the commentators had described the situation as “barbaric.”
Gawol was intentionally holding back.
Assassin-class skills activate quickly, but in this range, unpredictable things can happen.
She was slowly hunting the lance knight, much like how clothes get soaked under a drizzle.
Her method looked like mockery to some.
Ultimately, complaints started appearing in the chat.
– Isn’t this going a bit too far?
– Is she deliberately prolonging this?
– A couple of assassin skills, and this would’ve been over already. Why isn’t she using them?
– It’s painful to watch.
– Amateurish—she lacks professionalism.
This mood quickly spread among other professional players.
In a designated viewing area for contestants on standby, frustration hung in the air like a ghost.
Few were untouched by the unease.
A boy with deep shadows under his eyes, the Reaper, was one of them.
While watching the match, his face carried a pure, genuine smile.
‘She lacks pro-level awareness? How uninformed!’
Reaper wasn’t swayed by the collective emotion.
On the contrary, he believed no one in the room embodied the true essence of professionalism as much as the two currently competing.
Gawol wasn’t avoiding ending the match. She simply couldn’t—not with the small chance that the lance knight could turn things around.
If Reaper were in that knight’s position, he would do the same.
Choosing the guaranteed winning path, even if it meant taking a longer route around.
Pursuing victory, even if the world berated him.
Never giving up until the last moment, even when defeat seemed certain.
This was Reaper’s definition of a ‘pro’.
An almost pathological obsession with winning. A monster birthed from ambition and competitiveness.
In his mind, the ideal professional gamer would act like a mental patient, treating failure as a matter of life and death.
Was he supposed to take unnecessary risks because it might upset his opponent?
To Reaper, such a consideration was absurd. A professional gamer’s primary audience isn’t the rivals—it’s their own fans.
If Gawol had fans, they must be thrilled watching this right now.
He felt certain.
Reaper was very pleased with her performance.
《It’s very difficult. Lance knights blocked from ranged attacks simply cannot keep up with an assassin’s speed! The trade-off doesn’t balance out.》
《I must tread carefully here… Close-range combat also doesn’t appear to have much hope for this knight. Rime isn’t a fighter who relies on sheer physique after all.》
《That’s correct. Conversely, Gawol’s preliminary round records demonstrated an extraordinary physical strength. Her match against Camellia in the preliminaries was especially telling. She’s not someone you can underestimate, even as an amateur.》
Reaper came across Gawol’s matches purely by chance.
During the first preliminary rounds, he was casually eating while watching Silph’s broadcast.
An enigmatic assassin who had defeated a famous witch left only a fleeting impression on him at the time.
Only when he noticed her advancing to the main tournament did his interest spark.
He became truly captivated upon seeing her match against Haruka.
That first game was—unbelievably beautiful.
Her trembling right hand, writhing in pain.
Her joyous laughter as she collapsed, victorious.
It moved him profoundly.
– Won’t this affect the next match?
– Better she forfeit…
– I feel like I’m going to lose my mind.
Exactly.
That’s precisely why this match carries even more significance.
Weapon Break only applies up to this round.
Even if she loses this one, Rime still has a chance in the next.
The next match will likely be another precarious cliff-edge battle.
Therefore, at this moment, while still retaining the upper hand, she should deplete her opponent’s stamina and concentration.
Unlike characters, player concentration doesn’t recover.
This amateur assassin was daringly engaging in an endurance battle against a pro gamer.
By conventional thinking, it’s a reckless move.
But isn’t it true that all successful pros are a little bit broken in some way?
《Tendon severing just landed cleanly.》
《Check Rime’s debuff window—there’s so many it’s hard to track. She’s pushing through an incredibly tough environment.》
《The fact that she can keep wielding her shield to this extent says a lot about Rime’s spirit.》
Tendons are severed, muscles torn.
Desperate attacks are effortlessly parried and countered.
Diminishing health bars and physical pain—these weren’t the worst part.
The most harrowing experience was the feeling of failure, so near yet unreachable.
An action faster than her own judgment by just a beat, as if her every move was anticipated.
It was like facing an insurmountable wall.
When the lancer finally knelt, drained of all strength, many sighed in disbelief.
《Ah… In the end, Rime collapses.》
《The steel lance knight, a stalwart of the LB team in North America, falls—marking the conclusion of the first match in Group E!》
—
After the match ended, the two faced each other again.
The knight’s movements were clearly weaker than the previous round.
Evidence of fatigue and the previous round’s lingering effects—an unavoidable consequence of being human, no matter the resolve to overcome.
Even as you settle into your role, the feeling of helplessness can hit you much deeper.
Failures in the previous round, the disparity in basic reflexes, and innate differences in character mobility.
Even with all these considered, missing an attack leaves an indelible mark of frustration on the mind.
I’ve been there.
When I first started studying swordsmanship, I had a natural talent.
I outclassed my peers from the start and quickly caught up to my seniors.
Until I met him, I thought I was a one-in-a-generation genius.
So, yes, I understand the pain of failure.
Sometimes I even know how to exploit it.
“Hmm…”
A short sigh.
As a competitor, and more so as a former athlete, I empathized with his feelings fully.
But no consideration was given.
Snap-crack! A dagger pierced through the broken armor and dug into the neck.
The flaming lance fell to the ground, ending the game.
Once the match ended, the commentators, whose voices had vanished mid-game, returned.
《Rime’s attack was perfectly countered, leading to the end of the match!》
《A match that will go down in the annals of surprise upsets. Who could’ve imagined it? A player unnamed in the professional scene defeating Rime of North America!》
《And defeating a knight class, with whom assassins usually struggle, this match holds particular significance. It must be a satisfying victory for our assassin-playing viewers.》
《On the other hand, the expressions of anguish on those affected are evident. I can relate too, as my main class has always been a warrior-type.》
Immediately after the conclusion, the stage was revisited.
On the opposite side, a weaker-looking knight reappeared.
After exchanging handshakes and formalities, I headed to the viewing room while Rime quickly left the stage.
That day, Rime, unable to sleep, spent over ten hours immersed in the match mode.
—
[Posted By: ThesisPlagiarizer]
[Title: Yo, how’d the Group E matches go?]
I just got out of the lab and missed it.
Is Gawol’s match over?
Did she lose?
[Replies]
– Just finished the first set.
└ ??? At this hour? Why?
└ Sit down and chill, genius.
└ From here on out, it’s a super sad story I’m about to tell you.
—
[Posted By: Soobin]
[Title: Why does watching a game give me PTSD?]
Huh,
That’s weird,
Why are my eyes… tearing up…?
[Replies]
– The OG prey….
– Did you fight like that?
└ I didn’t last that long.
—
[Posted By: LanceKnightTool]
[Title: Rime, screw you, I’m suffering]
Even if this had happened in a ranked match instead of the tournament, I’d have trouble sleeping at night.
To have this happen live in front of the whole world?
And for a pro gaming player, not some scrub like me?
It really pisses me off. How is this even a game?
Would it have been different if I wasn’t a lance knight?
Ugh…
—
Clearly, the opponent’s movements were worse than the last round.
Residual effects from the previous round. Being human, there are just things you can’t prevent, no matter how hard you try.
Once you take your position, the feeling of powerlessness hits home much harder.
Failures from the last round. The basic speed gaps, and the inherent mobility difference between characters.
All these factors compounded, but missing an attack still feels powerless, like a poison that seeps into your mind.
Since I’ve experienced it personally.
—
When I first started practicing kendo, I had talent.
My peers were never a match for me, and I quickly caught up with seniors who started before me.
Before I met him, I thought I was unrivaled genius.
So yes, I know the anguish of failure.
Sometimes I can even exploit it.
“Hmm.”
A short sigh.
As a player and as someone who once was a player, I fully understood this emotion.
But there was no consideration or lenience.
Crack – snap! A dagger broke through the shattered armor and pierced the neck.
The flame-engulfed lance dropped to the ground, marking the end of the match.
Once the game ended, the commentators, silent during the fight, resumed their voices.
《The match ends with Rime’s attacks fully countered!》
《This is a shocking upset. Who could have guessed that an amateur with no professional experience could beat North America’s Rime?》
《And especially given the disadvantage of class relationship, it’s a great moment. It must be gratifying for our assassin-players.》
《On the other hand, those expressing pain are understandable. It hits home for me as well since I’m a warrior class main.》
As the match ended, both players returned to the stage.
The knight, appearing even weaker than before, stepped forward from the opposite side.
They shook hands as a gesture of respect.
I headed to the observers’ room while Rime quickly exited the stage.
That day, Rime stayed up, playing match modes for over ten hours.
