Luce’s Round of 16 ended with a nail-biting victory at 2:1.
The match itself was fantastic. While there was a nail-biting loss at one point, she displayed a significant lead in the final match, securing the win.
I had initially expected a close contest, so this outcome was much better than anticipated.
Especially during the last engagement, I was genuinely impressed.
With a clean counterattack, she grabbed victory with style.
As experience grows, it’s quite common for one’s sense in battles to improve.
However, improving physicality is a rare feat.
That’s an incredibly tough road to walk.
There’s a reason physical talent is often regarded as a separate domain.
It’s not something you can achieve with just a day or two of training; rather, it requires steady effort over time to make even the slightest progress.
And by the time you’ve reached that level, it’s not the destination that’s waiting, but rather the starting line.
‘That’s why so many drop off along the way. I teetered on the edge myself.’
Looking back, it’s a rather bittersweet memory.
In any case, that small achievement clearly carried immense effort behind it.
Moreover, her ability to manipulate vision has significantly improved.
By concealing the attack trajectory behind the shield, she reduced the enemy’s reaction time.
Luce started adopting a strategy that seemed unique to Kelberos.
“I think this is why the fans can’t help but love Luce as a player. She never stops growing.”
“Many have tried to defeat Luce. For those who’ve followed the domestic league for a long time, do you remember how she was at first? A player worried about participating next year.”
“And now that player has become the undeniable best Paladin player in the country. I wonder if we’ve been deceived all this time. We thought she’d settle into her spot, but she clearly proved today that that’s not the case.”
Listening to the commentators put me in a surprisingly good mood.
But it’s not like we can only ring in victory after victory.
As if signaling that sweet times were over, tough matches with formidable opponents were being scheduled one after another.
In the next match, Ripper took down Silphie’s witch and advanced to the Round of 8.
Kelberos continued his unbeaten streak, adding his name to the bracket.
I wouldn’t find out who my opponent would be until I saw the final match, but the other side’s matchups were already set.
Traveler vs. Kelberos.
Luce vs. Ripper.
Traveler’s match against the top contender in this arena has been confirmed.
Even domestic fans are grim about his chances, and the commentators’ assessments are harsh.
He probably knows well the objective power disparity too.
And as for the one who has to fight… he just looked bored next to me.
I asked, bewildered, “What are you doing here?”
“What kind of question is that? Obviously, I came to watch the match.”
“Isn’t it more comfortable watching from outside?”
“My teammates have no interest in the arena. But I’ll be leaving soon anyway. No need to stick around for the next matches.”
Luce’s match ended, and so did Kelberos’s.
The ones preparing for the next match were the players who would meet me in the Round of 8.
In order for Traveler to encounter them, he’d have to advance to the finals.
Waving goodbye felt a bit sentimental, and Traveler stared at me intently.
His mouth moved as if to make a difficult request.
But what came out wasn’t something I’d worry too much about.
“Hey. If there’s time left after all that, let’s have a few practice matches together.”
“…Do we really have to?”
“It wouldn’t be bad. Let’s just focus on building fundamentals without any skills.”
“Well, okay. I’ll help. We can watch the matches again later.”
“Thanks, that’d be great.”
He readily agreed.
It was because the money Traveler promised me had been deposited.
It was a little more than what we initially agreed upon.
If the client shows sincerity, I should at least provide a level of service to make it fair.
We found a suitable open area and started the practice match.
Traveler came out with a spear instead of his usual gun lance.
For sure, if Kelberos enters as a Mage Knight, that would be an easier match for him.
We lightly exchanged attacks while shooting the breeze.
“Think you can win the next match?”
“Of course. Didn’t you see my interview?”
“I didn’t catch all of it, just skimmed the headlines. What are your true feelings?”
“It’s gonna be tough.”
In the official spotlight, Traveler displayed confidence even against Kelberos.
I thought, this guy is doing well to not get intimidated.
But that took a lot of courage.
If he loses, it’s going to give people plenty of fodder to criticize him.
As a pro gamer, the bigger your popularity, the more hate you’ll receive.
“I stayed up late last night dissecting Kelberos’s match. I knew he was amazing, but the more I learn, the more I feel like the wall is insurmountable.”
“Yeah, he is something else.”
“I realized, our concepts of battle are on entirely different levels. Kelberos lived in a world I didn’t know about. I just started to see it now, so it’s going to take a while for me to catch up.”
His words hinted at defeat.
Yet, why did he give such an interview?
If you were to ask Traveler, he would reply:
“Well, I’m still a pro, right? If I tremble before fighting even once, what does that make the people watching?”
“That mindset is pretty cool.”
“And… tch. It’s shameful to say this to an amateur, but I had similar thoughts while watching your matches too.”
“Huh.”
I never expected to hear such words from this guy.
Since his rookie days, he’d been full of pride.
Though now he’s a changed man, back then he received a lot of criticism for his self-centered playstyle.
That pride hasn’t vanished completely, yet I never thought he’d raise me up to this extent.
This guy must have kept belittling himself to get this far.
If that’s the case, has he compensated for the weaknesses he showed previously?
To test it, I dug into the lower area with the same method, only to feel a shield come close to my face.
It seems he’s not going to be easy to deal with anymore.
I shouldn’t have provoked him, or I’d have lost my precious guard gauge completely.
“The reason I mention this is, you also saw Luce’s match, right? That was definitely your influence.”
“Really? How can you be so sure?”
“Our analysis team put together a report on your gameplay. It was incredibly detailed. If we had done it, Sigma would have been dealt with long ago, and the same goes for Kelberos. You’ve practically left the amateur status behind.”
No wonder Traveler’s guard seemed solid today.
Looks like my habits and preferred attack routes have been completely dissected.
I recognized it was a good insight. From now on, the Chain Scythe is banished.
I had already been feeling its limits since fighting Ripper.
If I can’t improve my skills, it’d just become a complete loss with no surprises.
“Since you shared some useful info, let me ask you something in return.”
“Depends if it’s reasonable. I have my principles too.”
“Why are you so obsessed with winning?”
“Well.”
That struck a bit of a sensitive nerve.
Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to ask.
“I’ve had a mental disorder since I was young. Back then, I just thought I had a strong competitive spirit, but looking back, it was really a mental issue.”
Apparently, there was a trendy card game at Traveler’s school when he was a kid.
While skill was important, luck also played a significant role in the game.
Naturally, there were times he lost and times he won.
Traveler hated it.
He was a fiend of competition who was always dying to win.
He hated losing so much that he didn’t care if he had to use dishonest methods.
He learned sleight of hand to cheat in card games and would mark his cards discreetly with nail marks just to win.
Just winning that way brought him joy.
Having heard that, I expressed my honest thoughts.
“Wow, that’s a bit of a breakthrough. You didn’t gamble, did you?”
“I did. But if I won, I’d return the money. If I lost, I’d just give it up without complaints.”
“You crazy bastard. Why would you do that?”
“Having a stake makes the fight much more significant. If I give the money back, I can get to challenge them again later. After all, I received a lot of pocket money as a kid. Winning was more important than the money.”
What a ridiculous fellow.
As I clicked my tongue, Traveler burst into laughter.
“A pro gamer was definitely your calling. Except for the cheating part.”
“Isn’t that right? But I’ve graduated from cheating. Fighting fairly is way more fun.”
“Thank goodness. I was almost suspicious of you.”
“Why do you sound so irritating? Anyway, I have my mental issues to deal with. What about you?”
He somewhat revealed his own vulnerabilities.
Maybe it’s right for me to share a bit too.
But recalling painful memories would only bring distress.
If I expressed that I wanted to become a pro gamer, questions about why I couldn’t make it would naturally arise.
So I had no choice but to respond like this.
“Declined. I don’t intend to share that. Ask something else.”
“You sneaky b*tch. Then just stake it as debt.”
“Fine, I’ll give it that much. I’ll even add a bit of interest.”
Someday, there will come a day to repay it.
I’m someone who keeps track of debts quite accurately.
After that, Traveler fought me in four practice matches.
He fought desperately and fiercely.
A few days later, the Round of 8 began.
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