Posted by: PoroPoro
Title: Arena Group D Traveler Victory Interview
Recommendations: 776

Q. What are your thoughts on your victory?
A. I think it was a straightforward win.

Q. Who do you think will advance to face you in the winners’ match?
A. It’s pointless to speculate. No matter who advances, I’m confident in my victory.

Q. You used your sub-class, the Dark Knight. Any special reason for that?
A. While it’s not as versatile as the Dark Knight, I wanted to show that the Magic Swordsman can also be a viable strategy. I hope my next opponent is prepared for both classes.

Posted by: PoroPoro
Title: Arena Group D Traveler Victory Interview
Recommendations: 345

Q. How do you feel about your victory?
A. I’m pleased to see my preparation paid off.

Q. Your performance was overwhelming. How did you prepare?
A. I approach every tournament in the same way—with practice and analysis. This time, the practice data played a crucial role.

Q. Did you prepare with Sparrow from your team?
A. No, Sparrow is on vacation. I trained with Gawol instead. That guy never games while on break.

Q. Did training with Gawol help you?
A. Unfortunately, yes.

Q. Tomorrow, Gawol faces Rime in Group E’s first match. Who do you think will win?
A. Many expect Rime to win. I might be the first to publicly back Gawol. I think she stands a good chance.

Q. That’s a surprising choice. Any particular reason?
A. It’s based on firsthand experience. Gawol might be the most underrated player in this arena. That’s aside from any controversies surrounding her.

Q. Any final thoughts?
A. The arena is an event-based competition. Nonetheless, I want to show that I’m giving it my all, just like in an official tournament. I hope to meet the fans' expectations.

“Thank you for waiting! This is Ho-eun, welcoming you to the second day of Infinity Arena finals on the special stage.”

Even if you hang a clock upside down, time keeps moving forward.

“Once again, we have Haehwa and Hwangyul as our commentators for today’s broadcast.”
“Hello, everyone.”

The finals had started yesterday, and today’s matches were set from Group E to H.

Among them, my match was scheduled first. While waiting in the player’s lounge, I heard the booming voices of broadcasters from various countries. The Korean commentator was particularly loud, but after adjusting the options, I managed to mute the foreign broadcasts.

“Our first match today is Group E: Gawol versus Rime.”
“Let’s take a look at the bracket.”

After my match, the other two competitors would face off. The outcome would determine my next opponent and provide me with fresh footage for analysis. I especially wanted to watch Reaper, as my analysis of him was still lacking.

“It’s a classic counter matchup, isn’t it? With high defense and broad reach, the Spear Knight class has everything an assassin would hate to face.”
“But Gawol said she’s confident. After all, she chose to face Rime herself, so it’ll be interesting to see how she handles it.”
“They definitely have a lot to say to each other. All eyes are on Gawol’s approach.”

While the commentators continued to chat, a staff member guided me to the stage. I followed along, perfectly in sync with the timing, and stepped onto the stage.

“Entering now, we have Gawol, an Assassin main.”
“And next, we have Rime, a Spear Knight main.”

My opponent was a massive man, familiar from countless replays. He probably wasn’t that large in real life, but Spear Knights often build up their bodies to handle the gun lance’s recoil.

Standing in front of him was... unsettling. The size difference was so drastic that I had to look up at him. Traveler wasn’t this big.

Even while shaking hands, I felt it. His palm dwarfed mine, making me feel like a child. Now I had yet another reason to win.

Infinity Arena Finals Group E - Match 1
Battlefield: Hall of Duels
Opponent: LB Rime (Spear Knight)

As soon as the battlefield appeared, a fierce heat filled my lungs. The source was the bubbling lava—this stage’s most dangerous feature, capable of inflicting severe burn damage.

The battlefield was dotted with reddish rocks, providing plenty of cover... though it wouldn’t matter much.

A Spear Knight’s bombardment is comparable to a mage’s burst damage. If I wasn’t careful, I could end up dead alongside the rocks. Instead of attempting a clumsy ambush, it was better to avoid long-range attacks entirely.

‘There it is.’

Spending time to find the perfect angle of entry was a rookie move. With my agility, if I wasn’t fully prepared, neither would my opponent be. I clutched my daggers tightly and leaped high into the air. My strike, infused with strength and magic, crashed down toward him.

Crack!

The protective barrier shattered instantly, and I scored a clean hit on his right shoulder blade. A solid start.

“Grr!”

Successful ambush. Bonus damage applied.
Enhanced paralysis poison applied to the enemy.

System messages popped up in the corner of my screen. But before I could react, the Spear Knight swung his shield at me, and I braced myself to absorb the impact.

Even just from a shield strike, my guard gauge was almost depleted. Assassin defenses were flimsy, but the sheer mass of his attack was also to blame.

I dodged his incoming spear, crouching low to slide along the ground and aiming a shallow cut at his ankle. Just then, he stomped the ground, sending a powerful tremor my way.

“Heh…”

I failed the attack, the shockwave pushing me back and widening the distance between us. But a slight sense of satisfaction tingled in my mind. He took the bait. I’d counted on him using this move as his first response.

In the dust clouds, amidst flying rocks, I noticed one of my daggers mixed in. I extended my hand, and as the scenery shifted, the dagger was back in my grasp.

An opponent is most vulnerable when attacking or right after. The nearest target was his neck, shielded by chainmail instead of solid plating. Stabbing the neck was ideal, but as soon as he ducked his head, the helmet would cover it.

So, my best target was the shoulder, close to the neck.

My dagger pierced through the chainmail. His skin felt overly tough and heavy, more like armor than flesh. I hadn’t inflicted a critical wound, but I’d forced him to expend one of his core defensive skills.

It was a satisfying exchange. And my turn wasn’t over yet.

“Nice block. Definitely different from a casual gamer, huh?”
“Ugh!”
“But are you sure you can afford to look here?”

A black chain plunged from above. Rime raised his shield to block, and the reduced guard gauge converted into fire within his gun lance. The next maneuver flashed in my mind.

He fired a weakened shot without shoulder support. It sacrificed accuracy to create distance and buy time. The gun lance attached to his armor was aimed at me, spewing out fury.

At this range, I couldn’t dodge it—not physically, at least.

You receive the ‘Blessing of the Ashen Moon’ effect.
For up to 10 seconds, you can meld into shadows within 7.5 meters…

A Spear Knight’s shot emitted deafening noise and blinding smoke. For a brief moment, it numbed both sight and sound. Meanwhile, Rime instinctively protected himself.

Instead of clearing the smoke, he prioritized regaining his stance. He raised his shield for protection, took a steadying step, and only then swung his spear to dispel the smoke.

He scanned the area, starting with his immediate surroundings. Then he checked the unshielded right side, followed by the left, which was shielded, and finally looked up.

“Predictable!”

Rime ignored the shadow clone on his right. At this point, it was obvious that an assassin would lay down decoys. If it were real, he’d endure some damage, but it wouldn’t be fatal. The chances were low, anyway.

With no hesitation, he thrust his spear skyward, flames erupting from it. His stance was stable, and he held nothing back. That assassin couldn’t dodge in midair.

Forcing the cancellation of ‘Blessing of the Ashen Moon’.

“Hi there.”
“…!”
“Was this predictable too?”

An assassin has two skills for creating clones. Most players only invest in one for deception, but I’d opted for both for this mind game. Emerging from the shadows, I grabbed his shield and pushed.

I intended to end it right then—but he activated Fortress Mode as soon as he realized his mistake. A hallmark of knight classes, this buff massively increased his defense. Meanwhile, my build was focused on clones at the cost of some offensive power. Finishing it immediately wasn’t an option.

But I had a trick prepared for this situation.

Despite its toughness, the gun lance’s mechanism was fragile. Usually, the lance guard covered this weakness. But now, it was exposed.

I jammed my dagger into the gun lance’s cylinder, and a satisfying crunch echoed as parts of the mechanism broke. Once wasn’t enough, so I struck again. The system message confirmed the weapon break, and I took a few steps back.