NoveLight ™
[Infinity Arena Main Tournament – Round of 16 – Match 11]
[Battlefield: Where the Storm Sleeps]
[vs. Qingyun Club Ape (Brawler)]
A fist tore through the air, slicing the storm’s rain with it. In the sudden lull, as the rain paused, I seized the moment and left a mark on his muscular forearm.
A minor wound like that wouldn’t be enough to disrupt his attack. Brawlers like him, with their conditioned bodies, didn’t stop easily.
The returning rain washed away the blood. I could see the glint of his fierce energy as his rock-solid muscles tensed up, moving with rough, armoured precision. He launched a swift, straight punch and followed it up with a kick, the force of the wind from it almost palpable.
The quick, short attacks came in rapid succession, each one creating shockwaves that hinted at immense power. If I took a direct hit from one of those spinning kicks, the game would be over in an instant.
But that’s only if he lands a hit. It’s one thing to attack, but those attacks are meaningless if they don’t connect.
[Successfully triggered the ‘Arterial Slice: Bonus Damage’ effect.]
[Enhanced Bleed Poison effect applied to the enemy.]
Each of the Brawler’s moves was relentless. His body was not only tough but also had significant endurance, allowing him to stay in the fight. His agility was also remarkable, making Brawlers one of the top classes in terms of overall stats.
The problem, however, was the sheer simplicity of his attacks.
Even swordsmen wielding weapons have a few skills that can twist their positioning. They can break the ground when resetting their stance or forge a sword with magic for advanced sword techniques. As an assassin, I had even more tricks up my sleeve.
But Brawlers didn’t have that versatility. Whether their fists were shrouded in fire or ice, a punch was still just a punch. Their techniques didn’t extend beyond “hit fast,” “hit hard,” or “take hits without pain.”
As a result, their fighting style lacked complexity. In this case, there was no reason for me to close the distance.
He was like an ape swinging his body as his weapon. When swords clash, they reach a stalemate, but when a fist meets a blade, the result is a wound. All I needed to do was avoid triggering his parry timing.
By following this rule, I could safely target the exposed areas he unwittingly offered. I could pick him apart bit by bit, starting from the extremities. After all, there’s a reason why people invented weapons.
[Successfully triggered the ‘Tendon Slash: Paralysis Poison’ effect.]
[Medium Paralysis effect applied to the enemy.]
He was doing his best to overcome this disadvantage. His go-to strategy was feinting incessantly. But having faced Reaper before, I found his attempts less intimidating.
Honestly, what was with this guy going shirtless? It seemed like Brawlers had a penchant for exposing themselves.
Did he think it looked cool? If so, that was a shame. A martial artist’s grace and poise should start with a clean uniform. This bare-chested look might appeal to some as a display of masculinity, but as a martial artist, it was the worst.
You could see every movement of his muscles—his back, chest, arms—all on display. How did he expect to win like that? Covering up wouldn’t have made it any easier to avoid my gaze, though.
“Heh.”
I kept my distance precisely. I stayed just out of reach of his fists, positioned so that I could dodge a kick or throw myself out of a ground attack’s range.
With the bleeding and poison effects applied, time was on my side. All I had to do was dodge his attacks, then land a few dagger strikes on his limbs. Just like that.
“You’re really stretching out those hands. I feel like one of those old-school teachers now. Back in the day, they’d smack palms with a ruler. Saw it in a movie once.”
“Ugh...!”
Ah, looks like he’s angry. My light chuckle seemed to have made him a bit reckless.
He went for a spinning kick aimed at my midsection. My target was the inner calf muscle. Next, I adapted a Taekwondo move to sweep his Achilles tendon. Getting greedy, he tried for a stomp on my head—since he overreached, I took out his thigh and side.
[Successfully triggered the ‘Critical Strike: Vital Organs’ effect.]
[The ‘Enhanced Bleed Poison’ effect has stacked.]
[Increased damage from ‘Unrelenting Bleed’ effect.]
[Paralysis Poison effect stacking...]
Honestly, I felt a little insulted. I had clearly demonstrated in the qualifier how to handle Gunlance. Did he really think he could beat me with his fists?
Wasn’t this just him underestimating me? Then I had every right to toy with him a bit, didn’t I?
He would’ve done better to go with an engineering build like last time. At least then, there could’ve been some back-and-forth. His attempt to compensate for his lack of general combat ability with a strength build was his undoing.
“Aha! Almost slipped there, didn’t you?”
When his kick came, I swept his ankle out, making him fall. I toyed with my dagger while he tried to get back up. As he charged, I threw it toward his eyes. Then, leaping up, I landed a kick right to the back of his head.
I was going to continue playing with him. But a few minutes later, he forfeited the match. How boring.
And just like that, my Round of 16 match ended with a lackluster conclusion.
《It seems this match doesn’t require much analysis. Gawol simply dodged every attack, using her agility to create an overwhelming result.》
《These kinds of matchups have often been seen at the top levels. Eventually, characters as straightforward as Brawlers hit their limit. Gawol capitalized on that well.》
《Right. Ape had been surviving with his natural physical prowess, but Gawol’s no slouch in that department either. Perhaps this was a foregone conclusion.》
《There are some doubts about Ape’s preparation for this match...》
Watching the commentators trying to sugarcoat things was almost pitiful. In reality, my opponent had gotten this far because of lucky matchups, and now it was his time to go. The official broadcast couldn’t exactly put it that way, though.
With my personality, I probably wouldn’t handle broadcasting well if I had to hold back like that. I mentally crossed “commentator” off my list of things I wanted to try one day.
After that dull match, I wrapped up the interview. The Chinese reporters seemed a bit edgy, but I kept my answers within acceptable bounds.
By now, the articles must’ve been published. I skimmed through the strategy sites and found my interview featured at the top.
[Title: Ape Complains About Unprofessional Match]
[Author: Myojiki (myojiki@novelpia.com)]
In the Round of 16, Qingyun Club’s Ape voiced his displeasure with the match, acknowledging his defeat but implying that his opponent lacked professionalism. During the match, Ape had his vision obstructed and was kicked in the head over five times.
In her interview, Gawol commented, “The opponent was arrogant, which sealed the result,” and added, “Since he wasn’t prepared, there was no way he could win.”
Netizens reacted with comments like, “Gawol’s not even a pro, what’s he talking about?”, “He talks a lot for someone who put on a lousy match,” and “I’d be mad too if that happened to me.”
It seemed my opponent was quite upset. Since I probably wouldn’t face him again, I didn’t bother reading the full interview. Better to spend that time watching Luce or Traveler’s matches.
I’d need to start analyzing Cerberus soon, too. He’s an annoying guy, but undeniably one of Europe’s strongest. In terms of reputation and career, he’s no less formidable than Reaper. With the semifinals being best-of-five, I’d need to prepare thoroughly.
During the Round of 16 draw, I’d ended up with the worst possible result imaginable. This match had me facing one of the weakest players, and my next opponent wasn’t exactly a threat either. Though I’d prepare carefully, I couldn’t say I felt any real danger.
Yeah, the problem wasn’t my bracket. I’d gotten one of the easiest runs possible. At this rate, I’d likely make it to the semifinals, or even the finals, without any major obstacles.
The downside was that the opposite bracket was hell. Assuming both advanced, Traveler was set to face Cerberus in the Quarterfinals. Luce would likely have to contend with Cerberus before I did.
Even Reaper was slated to clash with Luce in the Quarterfinals. As for me, I could only sit back and watch their matches.
I should’ve brought Luce over during the group stage. I wanted to kick my past self for not thinking ahead.
《Next up, we have Sigma Esports’ Luce versus Blink.》
《What a coincidence! It looks like we’re about to witness a showdown of offense versus defense.》