NoveLight ™
[Author: ㅇㅇ(325.137)]
[Title: Breaking News) Sigma Takes First Set Lead]
(Attached Photo: Ga-wol vs Phantom Close Combat)
It was a hard-fought victory, but
Anyway, we won, right?
[Comments]
[Author: SigmaIsGreat]
[Title: Ga-wol 16th Round Gunslinger Assassination.gif]
(Attached Video)
Approached from above and strangled with the legs.
Disarmed the hand holding the gun, then sliced across the opposite shoulder.
Mangled the remaining arm while receiving cover fire from teammates.
Before ditching the gunslinger, I made sure to destroy his vocal cords.
He couldn’t even scream.
[Comments]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(546.324)]
[Title: So Why Was Phantom Just Standing There?]
(Attached Video: Sigma 16th Round 1st Set Final Clash)
At that moment, if Phantom had teamed up with Luche or Hekate, I think they could have won, but why was he just standing there?
Has he finally gone crazy after all these years?
[Comments]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(451.521)]
[Title: Did You Guys Watch Phantom’s Personal POV?]
(Attached Video: Something flashing in the dark)
Can you see anything?
I can’t see a thing.
That knight? It’s just a flashbang.
Every time he uses a skill, it flashes.
It’s hilarious. Seriously.
[Comments]
The knockout stage is a traditional tournament format.
The matches in the Round of 16 determine the scenario for the rest of the finals.
In other words, you can roughly estimate your entire bracket from here.
Acid Gaming’s Traveler.
Even his real name, Nam Hyun, is no exception.
The matchup between Sigma eSports and Veiled Nightmare is the 6th one.
And Traveler secured his spot in the quarterfinals with a win in the 5th round.
The winner of this match would face the next 8th-round opponent.
It was a situation where it was impossible to look away!
Moreover, Ga-wol was one of his targets.
Back then, she was just an amateur, but Traveler didn’t care at all about that.
During the arena preparations, Traveler had the chance to practice with Ga-wol, and that experience was an eye-opener for him.
Kelberos and Ga-wol’s perspective on combat was different from his from the start.
In terms of concepts, that is. The things they did naturally were things Traveler had never even considered.
It was only later, through relentless practice, that he started catching up.
He succeeded.
Though his effort had always been there, with a proper path laid out, efficiency improved.
Thanks to that, his standing and evaluation as a pro gamer skyrocketed.
Even Reaper, who’s usually strict, was satisfied, calling him the best choice.
And now.
The day to face his goal was right in front of him.
"Incredible, Sigma eSports!"
"North America’s giants! Phantom and Veiled Nightmare fall to Sigma in the first set!"
"The winning streak is still unbroken! From the IKL Summer to the World Championship group stage."
"Sigma eSports is on a rampage!"
"Still... let’s calm down for a bit. The game’s not over yet."
Amid the excited atmosphere, the commentators briefly composed themselves.
Even with their toned-down voices, their joy was impossible to hide.
Just recently, Galaxy Gaming failed to make it to the quarterfinals.
Now, Sigma eSports was the only IKL team remaining.
Despite unfavorable matchups, they had achieved great results, so their momentum was building.
And who was their opponent?
None other than Phantom.
"Do you know how long it’s been since an IKL team won a set against Phantom?"
"A whole 23 sets. The situation has changed every time, but Phantom has always been a nightmare for IKL players."
"Finally, today, all IKL fans have conquered the ghost and awakened from the nightmare."
Traveler liked the atmosphere of the international matches in IKL broadcasts.
Usually, the commentators maintain neutrality, but during international matches, they feel like they’re cheering together.
Well... maybe it was because he himself was being cheered on.
A pro gamer must be obsessed with victory.
At the same time, a pro gamer is a profession that craves attention and support.
Luche and Ga-wol were on camera.
They were talking and celebrating their first win.
Even Hekate, who usually had a gloomy face during international matches, was now sparkling with excitement.
If it were in the past, I might have felt envious.
It would’ve been more like jealousy than admiration.
But now, he had good teammates too.
Would it be too cocky to call them rivals?
Maybe we’ll know once we face off.
Anyway, seeing his opponents succeed didn’t irk me.
Victory is a strange thing.
The stronger and more formidable the opponent you defeat, the more valuable the victory becomes.
For the joy of the future, I could congratulate others with a pure heart.
"Alright, here we go. The long-awaited second set of Sigma eSports vs Veiled Nightmare."
"The stage is set. The incredible players are about to clash again..."
But the opponent was not easy.
One of North America’s top teams.
A team with the world’s greatest assassin, and one of the strongest candidates for the title.
The notorious reputation Phantom had built in the IKL wasn’t a mere illusion.
In the previous match, Phantom had set a trap for Ga-wol.
Although he failed to take her down, it was clear that she had been pushed to the brink of death.
No matter how skilled Ga-wol was, she couldn’t just dive into the enemy lines carelessly.
Phantom’s position was different.
After several skirmishes, he came to a clear conclusion.
He could not afford to face Ga-wol purely on skill alone.
If he couldn’t win with technique, he would have to take a bolder approach.
Fortunately, luck was on his side.
The two teams came face to face in an unexpected location, and combat began immediately.
Despite the surprise, Hekate handled the situation cleanly.
But even pro gamers are human.
It’s impossible to maintain perfect vigilance in the midst of a sudden skirmish.
"V Nightmare Phantom has eliminated Sigma Hekate."
In the end, Phantom managed to score the first point.
Though Phantom had sustained damage, Hekate’s death remained unchanged.
Ga-wol fought back as best as he could, but the situation didn’t allow for much.
Once the kill log flashed, Nightmare’s rear defense went into full alert.
He pushed the gunslinger to the brink of death, but couldn’t finish him off.
Despite being in a near-perfect state, Sigma had lost their support.
The scars on Sigma were deep, but the gunslinger’s firepower was intact.
Of course, that was to be expected. Just because someone’s neck was bleeding doesn’t mean their gunfire weakens.
North American ranged dealers were used to situations like this.
"Sigma eSports players fought valiantly, but the game has shifted."
"Luche, who fought until the end, has fallen. Now, only Ga-wol remains."
"With so much health already drained, it looks impossible for Ga-wol to turn this around."
"Eventually, Ga-wol also falls... GG. The second set ends in a victory for Veiled Nightmare."
Traveler adjusted his jaw.
Ga-wol is a powerful assassin.
Unless it’s something like Kelberos, even knights are reluctant to face him.
But he is not invincible.
An assassin is a class with a high ceiling and immense value.
However, the high ceiling mostly refers to creating "variables."
A crack play that turns the tide when the team is in danger.
And the countermeasure to prevent the enemy from creating their own crack play.
No one disputes an assassin’s high ceiling.
But to say that they are powerful enough to single-handedly decide a game... that’s another matter.
And is such a crack play determined by just skill alone?
Variables include the situation, timing, and luck... a result of many complex factors.
If Phantom faced Kelberos alone, he would be defeated.
But the world recognizes Phantom and Kelberos as top-tier players.
So this means—
“Even against a player like Phantom... an assassin class wouldn’t be able to fully utilize their skills.”
The Dune Sentinels were weak in their main force and couldn’t exploit that weakness.
Veiled Nightmare was different.
From now on, teams that can challenge the limits of an assassin’s potential will begin to emerge.
Traveler smiled faintly.
The third match of the broadcast was about to begin.