Luce's Round of 16 match concluded with a score of 2:1. The match itself was impressive. Although she narrowly lost one round, she showcased a significant gap in skill to secure victory in the final match.

Many had anticipated a tight game, so this outcome was even better than expected.

Especially in the final exchange, it was so remarkable that even I was impressed. She won with a clean counterattack.

It’s common to see an increase in tactical sense with experience. However, improving physical abilities is quite rare.

That's because it's an extremely difficult path. Physicality falls under the realm of innate talent for a reason. It’s not something that can be achieved with just a day or two of training; it requires steady effort to make even the smallest progress. Once you finally reach that level, you’ll find that it’s only the starting line rather than the destination.

“So that’s why many people give up. I almost did, too.”

Looking back, it’s a rather painful memory. In any case, it’s clear that her small achievement today was backed by a tremendous amount of effort.

On top of that, her use of field vision has also improved considerably. She hid her attack trajectory behind her shield, reducing her opponent's reaction time. Luce had started employing a tactic that was practically Cerberus’ trademark.

《That’s why fans can’t help but love Luce. She never stops improving.》 《Many players have defeated Luce before. For those who've followed the national league, you might recall what she was like initially. She was barely expected to make it to next year’s tournament.》 《But now, she's undoubtedly one of the top paladins in the league. I think we’ve been mistaken lately, assuming she’d settle down now that she’s established herself. Today, she proved that’s not the case.》

Listening to the commentators, I couldn't help but feel good, too. But one can’t always bask in the sweetness of victory. As if to signal the end of this pleasant time, match-ups with tough opponents were steadily being decided.

In the following matches, Reaper defeated the witch Silphy to secure his spot in the quarterfinals. Cerberus continued his undefeated streak and made it to the bracket. I would have to wait until the final match was over to know my opponent, but the opposite bracket had been set.

It was Traveler versus Cerberus. Luce versus Reaper.

Traveler, eventually, had the match of the tournament lined up. Even domestic fans were pessimistic about his chances, and the commentators shared a similarly harsh evaluation. Traveler himself probably understood the power difference.

And the one about to fight... sat next to me with an indifferent expression. I asked him, a little perplexed.

“What are you even doing here?” “What kind of question is that? I came to watch the match, of course.” “Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to watch outside?” “No one on my team cares about the Arena. But I’m heading out now anyway, no need to stay for the last matches.”

Luce’s match was over, Cerberus’ match was over. The only players preparing for the next game were those I’d be facing in the quarterfinals. Traveler would have to reach the finals to face them.

I waved him off, and Traveler stared back at me.

He looked like he was about to say something difficult, but when he finally spoke, it was a simple request.

“Hey. If you’ve got time after watching those matches, how about sparring with me for a few rounds?” “...Is that necessary?” “Why not? Let’s keep it basic, no skills, just working on fundamentals.” “Alright. I’ll help you out. Let’s go now. We can always watch the games later.” “Thanks, that’d be great.”

I agreed without much resistance.

Traveler had recently transferred some money to me—more than we originally agreed upon. Since the customer showed goodwill, I figured a bit of extra service was fair.

We found a decent open area and started sparring. Instead of his usual gunlance, Traveler opted for a simple spear. If Cerberus enters as a spellblade, that would definitely be easier to handle.

We exchanged light attacks as we chatted.

“Think you can win the next match?” “Of course. Didn’t you see my interview?” “Didn’t watch it all, just skimmed the headline. What’s your honest take?” “It’s going to be tough.”

Publicly, Traveler displayed confidence against Cerberus. I thought... he handled it well without showing any signs of fear. But it took a lot of courage.

After all, if he loses, it’d be the perfect fodder for ridicule. The more popular a pro gamer becomes, the more hate they attract.

“I spent the whole night analyzing Cerberus’ matches. I knew he was amazing, but the more I learned, the more unbeatable he seemed.” “Yeah, he’s good.” “It’s like we operate on entirely different levels. Cerberus lives in a world I hadn’t even begun to see until now. It’s going to take a while to catch up.”

He was almost hinting at defeat. Then why act so confident in that interview? If I asked, Traveler would probably say:

“I’m a pro. If I tremble before even fighting, what would that say to my supporters?” “Admirable mindset.” “And... tch. I was going to keep this to myself because it’s embarrassing to admit to an amateur, but watching your recent matches gave me a similar feeling.” “Huh.”

I never expected him to say that.

This guy, who’d been nothing but pride from the start, has come a long way. He used to be criticized for his selfish playstyle early on. His pride’s still there, but I didn’t expect him to give me this much credit.

This guy, too, has had to break down and rebuild himself to get here. So I wondered—has he covered the weakness he showed last time?

To test him, I attempted a low attack, but his shield almost caught me right in the gut. Seems like he won’t fall for that again. I lost a chunk of my guard gauge doing something unnecessary.

“I’m saying this because you saw Luce’s match, right? That’s definitely your influence.” “Really? How can you be so sure?” “Our analysis team did a full report on your play. It was detailed. If our team could do it, Sigma would’ve done it ages ago, and Cerberus too. The days of treating you like an amateur are over.”

No wonder he was so good at blocking today. He’s already dismantled all my habits and favorite attack patterns.

Good to know. No more chain sickles from now on. I felt their limits against Reaper. If I can’t refine my skill, they’ll only lead to a complete and utter loss.

“Since I gave you something useful, tell me something too.” “I’ll hear you out. I’ve got my own sense of business ethics.” “Why are you so obsessed with winning?” “Hmm.”

That’s a sore spot. Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to talk.

“I’ve had a mental illness since I was young. Back then, I thought it was just a strong competitive spirit, but looking back, I see it for what it was.”

Traveler said that a card game used to be popular at his school. Skill mattered, but so did luck. Naturally, he’d lose sometimes and win other times.

Traveler couldn’t stand that. He was a demon of competitiveness, desperate to win every single time.

He hated losing so much that he didn’t care if he had to cheat. He learned sleight-of-hand tricks and marked his cards with his fingernails, just to secure victories. He felt joy in winning like that.

I gave him my honest reaction.

“Wow, that’s pretty messed up. Did you bet money on those games too?” “I did. But when I won, I’d give it back. If I lost, I’d pay without a word.” “Crazy. Why?” “If there was money on the line, the stakes were higher. If I gave it back, they’d want to play again. I always had a lot of allowance, so winning mattered more than money.”

Unbelievable. I clicked my tongue, and Traveler burst out laughing.

“You really were born to be a pro gamer. Minus the cheating.” “Right? I gave up cheating back in school. It’s way more fun to win fair and square.” “Good to hear. I was about to start doubting you.” “Why do you sound so smug? Anyway, I have a mental illness. So what about you?”

He laid himself bare, so maybe I should offer a little in return.

But digging up those memories isn’t easy. If I told him I wanted to be a pro gamer, he’d naturally ask why I couldn’t. So I had to put it simply.

“Rejected. I’m not telling you that. Ask something else.” “Fine. Just consider it a debt you owe.” “Alright. I’ll even add some interest.”

Someday, I’ll pay it back. I’m good at keeping accounts.

Traveler and I sparred four more times after that. He fought with everything he had. A few days later, the quarterfinals began.