Chapter 186: Chapter 186

[Author: Pero Pero]

[Title: Reaper's Quarterfinals Solo Interview Translation]

Q. After the Arena, you’ll face Ga-wol again. How do you feel about this?

A. I’m very happy. I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this moment. It’s going to be a great match, for sure.

Q. Sigma eSports' momentum has been quite impressive lately.

A. That question is a bit off. I don’t think Sigma’s momentum has just recently become scary. They’ve always been a team with plenty of strength since the start of the championship.

Q. It’s clear that you’ve rated Ga-wol highly from the beginning. Is there a specific reason for that?

A. It’s complex. His combat sense is unquestionable… I know this might sound strange, but he’s experienced. He has the feel of a veteran player.

Q. Several players have made similar assessments. Do you have anything special prepared for him?

A. I do, but I won’t answer that. Ga-wol is the kind of player who can find a way with just a small hint.

Q. In that case, let me change the question. What is Acid Gaming’s strength?

A. It feels a little awkward to speak about it myself, so I’ll bring up Traveler. When he joined, he wasn’t fully developed, but that’s no longer the case.

Q. I’ve heard that Traveler was a rival to Luche in Korea. Luche has had quite the impact at Sigma.

A. Yes, that’s true. But Traveler’s growth can’t be ignored either. If you get cocky, you’ll experience a bitter defeat.

…

Q. Is there a battlefield or rule you particularly want to avoid?

A. There doesn’t seem to be a particularly disadvantageous battlefield, whether it’s for our side or the enemy’s. But I really want to avoid consecutive victories. (laughs) I’m serious about this.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to say?

A. I’ll get my revenge from the Arena.

[Author: Sigma Gallery Management]

[Title: Ga-wol’s Quarterfinals Interview Summary]

Q. Could you share your thoughts on advancing to the quarterfinals?

A. I’m really happy. Beating a strong opponent makes it even more meaningful.

Q. After the Arena, you face Reaper again. You’ve been preparing for a revenge match, right?

A. (laughs) It’s something I’m used to. There’s no shortage of people trying to get revenge on me. But has anyone ever succeeded?

…

Q. I’ve heard you have a personal connection with Traveler, but you’ve never crossed paths in the Arena or IKL.

A. Traveler… what? Trash? Sorry, I don’t remember. He’s such a bad player that I must’ve forgotten. (big laugh)

Q. (laughs) You seem confident that you’ll win.

A. If that guy manages to kill me even once, I’ll take the punishment.

Q. Are you referring to the roulette you used in your personal broadcast?

A. Yes, but how do you know about that?

Q. Thank you for the great interview. Ga-wol, your confidence always shines through, and it’s great to see. Is there anything else you’d like to say at the end?

A. Answer my question too.

Q. With that, we’ll end the interview.

A. ?

The questions and answers were written almost exactly as they were said.

It’s true.

[Comments]

Hahahahahahaha

???: I don’t remember the names of those weaker than me.

Wow, what a trashy knight!

Who’s the journalist who did that interview? Hahahaha

The journalist needs to relax.

So, if Traveler kills Ga-wol, the roulette will start?

→ (Comment blocked by the admin: How did Sigma become such a strong team? How did Sigma become strong?)

→ Oh, don’t do that.

World Championship Round of 16.

On the night after their victory over Veiled Nightmare.

Hekate burst into tears as soon as she entered the players' waiting room.

There was no need to console her.

I could tell the difference between tears of joy and sadness.

It was hard to confuse, considering how brightly she had been smiling before.

She must have been through a lot emotionally.

Her survival in international matches had been a long-standing trauma for Hekate.

The feeling when she overcame her weaknesses and realized she had grown was a unique emotion.

I didn’t want to spoil Hekate’s feelings, so I patted her back gently.

‘Overcome, huh… I’m not in a position to talk about others.’

Defeats are always painful, but they always offer new lessons.

The second set against Veiled Nightmare taught us a lot.

Flaws that weren’t visible when winning became apparent.

When thinking only about the result, it wasn’t a fatal defeat.

Winning the third and fourth sets straight, the final score was 3:1.

Our team successfully advanced to the quarterfinals, and it became an opportunity for Hekate to grow further.

So, does that mean all problems are solved now?

Of course not. I still had tasks to resolve.

I saw a video on my tablet, with me and Phantom’s figures crossing paths.

It was a review video from the streamer ‘Hazel.’

He had mentioned my senses before… He was an overseas analysis expert.

"It’s clear that Sigma is a strong team, but there are many weaknesses."

"First, let’s address Ga-wol’s class choice."

"It’s too fixed. Even if you add variety to your build, there are limitations."

"In fact, this issue is consistent across Sigma, but the assassin’s fixed composition causes the problem."

"The overwhelming performance has hidden this."

It was a valid point.

This was something our coach and staff should have addressed.

It wasn’t that they didn’t know… It would be more accurate to say they couldn’t speak up.

Objectively, the performance I showed in the match was not lacking at all.

I had far exceeded the expectations for a single player.

It’s not that I was underperforming; it’s that it was getting harder to do better now.

It’s not easy to criticize a player who is already performing well.

In my case, training was focused on combat judgment and teamwork.

At least when it came to combat, there was nothing to criticize.

That’s why the coaching staff found it hard to handle me.

"I know."

"Ga-wol has the swordmaster card."

"It’s a very strong card. The skill shown in the Arena was certainly amazing."

"But you haven’t used it until now, have you? Maybe you haven’t used it yet."

Besides, I wasn’t completely neglecting it.

I had been making efforts to overcome it.

When I first joined, I naturally tried various approaches.

But at that time, I was really struggling.

In the end, Luche had stopped me first, and the staff didn’t demand any more from me.

What if they had forced me and I had mentally collapsed?

What if it affected even the assassin I was so good at?

That would be the worst. It’s embarrassing to say, but it would be like losing a key pillar of the team.

Given the situation, the swordmaster class became a complete taboo.

Sometimes, if I mentioned it first, they’d happily assist with the training.

But the team never again demanded I use it.

"Now it’s the quarterfinals."

"The biggest tournament in the world. And only the best teams are here."

"At this point, there’s no such thing as unused cards."

"If it’s hard to use the swordmaster, maybe it’s better to bring in another class."

I’ve been given a lot of consideration.

But now, the time has come to overcome it.

If I had used the swordmaster in the match against Phantom, the situation would have been much different.

I would have won much more steadily.

It wasn’t just about combat power… it was also about strategy.

Some classes are hard to bring out alongside assassins due to stability concerns.

One example is Camellia’s sub-class, Battle Mage.

It teleports into enemy territory and uses area-of-effect spells in close combat.

This overlaps with my position, and more importantly, it posed a risk to our ally’s position.

The synergy wasn’t good, and it ate too much into the main forces.

That’s why Camellia had sealed her Battle Mage class since the summer.

The fixed class setup I had caused quite a bit of a negative impact.

Most of the problems could have been solved if I had just used the swordmaster.

"In fact, I’m not sure if this should be called a ‘weakness’."

"It’s a standard approach not to hire players who insist on a single class."

"We have to decide when to add or remove depending on the situation… but it’s nonsensical to remove a player with that level of performance."

"The decision to keep you in was clearly for the better, from a team perspective."

In truth… I was already prepared.

After resolving my inner conflicts through the master.

Now, when I pick up the sword, I no longer feel the urge to harm myself.

I’ve already moved past the pain from those long-lasting wounds.

Since the finals, I’ve practiced combinations several times.

If I fill the main role, there’s a way to counter enemy assassins with Camellia.

At least the minimum requirements for using it in a match have been met.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m completely fine when I draw the sword.

When I hold the sword, memories of the accident come flooding back.

The trauma is too deep, and the aftereffects are hard to get rid of.

In the end, the answer is simple.

I have to get used to it.

[Executing Infinity Black.]

[Sigma Ga-wol, thank you for coming back.]@@novelbin@@