[Infinity Arena Finals Round Of 16 – Match 11]
[Battlefield: The Place Where the Storm Sleeps]
[vs Qingyun Club Ape (Fighter)]
Wham!
The thrown fist tore through the wind.
Suddenly, the torrential rain stopped, bringing an eerie silence.
Taking advantage of the tranquility, I left a wound on his robust wrist.
He’s certainly not a weak opponent that would let up his attacks over just a little injury.
The body of a trained fighter doesn’t easily come to a halt.
Splash!
As the rain returned, blood was washed away.
A thick aura flickered, but soon hardened muscles moved roughly.
A swift and precise jab. A kick accompanied by a massive gust of wind.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Short and rapid attacks continued.
The shockwave spreading like a shockwave predicted a power that was dizzying.
If I had been hit by that spinning kick, the game would have flipped in an instant.
Well, that’s only if I got hit, of course.
Whatever happens, causing damage to your opponent has no meaning unless you land a hit.
Ding!
[‘Laceration: Bonus Damage’ effect activated.]
[Enhanced bleeding poison effect applied to the enemy.]
The fighter’s every attack was fierce.
Their body was foolishly strong, and their ability to maintain combat was considerable.
Even agility was outstanding, making them arguably the best class in the game in terms of overall stats.
The problem was that their attacks were overly straightforward.
Sword-wielding fighters could twist the flow with several skills.
They could break the ground while adjusting their stance, use magic to create swords, and utilize sword techniques.
And of course, that’s a given for an assassin like me.
But fighters particularly lacked such versatility.
Whether you wrap your fists in fire or ice, a fist is simply a fist.
Most fighter techniques ranged from “hit quickly,” to “hit hard,” to “don’t get hit too hard.”
So the combat flow was monotonous.
In this case, there was absolutely no reason to dive in.
The opponent was an ape wielding their body as a weapon.
When swords clash, they reach a stalemate, but meeting a fist with a blade means wounds.
All I had to watch out for was avoiding the timing for a parry.
As long as I followed this rule, they would eagerly present areas to attack.
I could slowly target beginning from the lower parts.
People don’t make weapons for nothing, you know!
Ding!
[‘Tendon Cutter: Paralysis Poison’ effect activated.]
[Paralysis (Medium) effect applied to the enemy.]
They seemed to be trying to overcome this issue in their own way.
A prime example was their constant feint attempts.
However, coming from my experience fighting Ripper, it wasn’t all that threatening.
Why on earth were they even shirtless?
Fighters seem to often have a lot of exposed skin, it seems.
Could they think that’s cool?
If so, that’s tragic. The dignity of martial artists begins with a tidy uniform.
That exposed outfit may not look bad for a guy, but for a martial artist, it was the worst.
The way those muscles moved were all too obvious.
How were they planning to win, showing off their back, chest, and arm muscles?
Even if covered by clothing, it’s hard to escape my eyes.
Snicker!
I maintained my distance thoroughly.
Just at the edge, where my opponent’s fist wouldn’t reach.
If I dodged, I could avoid a kick immediately, and even if I lunged, I wouldn’t hit the ground.
Having already inflicted bleeding and poison, time was now on my side.
I watched the opponent’s attacks with my eyes, dodging, and then struck with daggers at their limbs.
Just like that.
Yikes!
“Reaching out like that. You know, standing here reminds me of an old teacher. They used to say they’d whip your palm for making a mess. I saw it in a movie.”
“Grrr…!”
Giggle!
Ah, looks like he’s mad.
As I let out a light laugh, his movements became a bit wilder.
A spinning kick aimed at the midsection. I’m targeting the inner gastrocnemius muscle of his calf.
Utilizing taekwondo’s technique, now for the Achilles tendon.
And striking for the head with the back of the foot. You overreached, so now it’s the thigh and side.
Ding!
[‘Vital Point Attack: Internal Damage’ effect activated.]
[‘Enhanced Bleeding Poison’ effect has been applied multiple times.]
[Damage from ‘Unstoppable Bleeding’ increases.]
[‘Paralysis Poison’ effect applied multiple times…]
Honestly, I felt pretty underwhelmed too.
Didn’t I show how to deal with a gunlance in the Rime match?
Did you think you could grab me with just your fists after failing to catch me with bombardments?
That means you’ve underestimated me.
So can I have a little fun with you now?
Heh, why not bring a few mechanics this time around?
If you had, at least we could’ve exchanged blows.
Perhaps thinking this time would be different given the comprehensive lack of combat power last time, you decided to rely on physical enhancement, which turned out to be a miscalculation.
“Haha! Wasn’t that a slip just now?”
Whoosh!
When the kick came flying, I swept their ankle, tripping them.
As they stood back up, I played with my daggers, then threw one at their face as they charged.
Jumping up, I struck their back of the head with a fierce kick.
I was thinking of playing with them, but after a few minutes, my opponent declared defeat.
How boring.
Thus, my Round of 16 match ended with a lackluster conclusion.
《 It seems to have turned into a match that really doesn’t need complex commentary. Just watched and dodged. A clear result came from effectively utilizing physical skills without mistakes. 》
《 In fact, such match structures have been showcased by top players for quite a while. Characters as upright as fighters eventually meet their limitations. I believe that was skillfully targeted. 》
《 True. Ape held on well with his unique physicality, but Gawol is no slouch in that area either. This could have been an expected outcome. 》
《 Regarding Ape’s preparations, there are some doubts… 》
I felt a bit sorry for the commentators busy sugarcoating things.
The opponent simply made it through because they had the luck of the draw. And now, it’s time for them to go down.
I’m sure the official commentaries can’t say that.
But with my personality, I might struggle to hold back my criticisms.
Crossing “I want to try commentary someday” off my bucket list inside my head.
*
After finishing the uninspiring match and interview, I noticed the Chinese reporters showing sharp reactions, but who cares?
I answered them just enough to not cause a stir.
By now, my article must be up.
Checking a strategy site, my interview was quickly on top.
– Gawol overcomes Ape 2:0, advances to Round of 8 unbeaten.
– What’s different about Blink’s Mage Knight?
– Gawol: “The opponent’s arrogance determined the outcome.”
[Title: Ape “Unpleasant Match due to lack of professional awareness.”]
[Writer: Gravedigger Reporter ([email protected])]
In the Infinity Arena Finals Round of 16, Qingyun Club’s Ape expressed dissatisfaction regarding the unpleasant match.
He acknowledged his defeat while implying that his opponent fought without exhibiting professional awareness.
That day, Ape was kicked in the back of the head over five times while losing sight of the fight.
In Gawol’s interview, it was reported she said, “The opponent was arrogant beyond their capabilities” and that “They had nothing prepared, making it impossible for them to win.”
Netizens reacted with comments like, “Gawol isn’t even a pro, what’s she talking about?” and “Complaining after pulling off a dull match.” and “If it happened to me, I’d have been furious too.”
Seems like my opponent, the fighter, was really upset.
Since it doesn’t look like I’ll meet him again, I didn’t bother trying to find and read the full interview.
If I had that time, I’d rather watch Luce’s match against the Traveler.
I also needed to start analyzing Kelberos.
Annoying guy, but he’s one of Europe’s strongest. Looking at his reputation and career, he’s no less than Ripper.
From the semifinals, the rules change to a best of five matches, so I’d better prepare spare time for that.
In the last Round 16 draw, I faced the worst possible outcome.
In this match, I had to fight a player seen as the weakest, and the next opponent was also relatively weak.
Still, I have to be thorough in my preparations… but honestly, I don’t think of them as a threat.
Right. The real problem wasn’t my match-up.
This side ended up facing what could be called the most routine opponent.
If things go smoothly, I won’t be surprised if I head to the semifinals, or even the finals?
But my good fortune meant the opposite for my opponent.
If both of us win, the Traveler will face Kelberos in the Round of 8.
Likewise, Luce will be up against Kelberos before me.
Even Ripper seems likely to face Luce in the Round of 8.
All I could do was watch their matches.
I should have brought Luce during the group stages.
I felt an overwhelming urge to beat up my past self.
《 The next match will be between Sigma e-Sports’ Luce and Blink. 》
《 What a coincidence? It’s a clash between spear and shield. 》
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