Chapter 52: Chapter 52

With unwavering precision, the movement held not a hint of hesitation. Few could maintain composure in the face of a swift, ruthless strike. Using the wires and the pine trees as stepping stones to leap forward—it was a nightmare for any mage.

However, Crow was a necromancer who had reached the semifinals. He was far from ordinary. Even now, his mind hadn't lost track of the assassin's decoy.

Just in case. A moment’s misjudgment would see a blade piercing his throat or heart.

Was the real body hiding in the smoke? Or was the truth as it appeared? Thinking it over wouldn’t bring an answer. The wisest approach was to prepare for all possibilities.

Sending Death Knights into the smoke was a poor choice. Pinpointing the assassin's exact position inside would be impossible, wasting valuable undead. That left only one solution.

“Use up every remaining ghoul. No need to hold back now.”

He dropped all the ghouls the griffons were carrying. With that, the griffons also became large explosive payloads. The corpses detonated, creating a hellish chaos in the area, and the ground shook under a storm of blood and fire.

At the same time, the Death Knights closed in on the assassin.

There was no denying the assassin’s agility. But he’d layered multiple strong debuffs that nullified that advantage. A rampaging Death Knight finally caught up to the assassin.

A rusty spear pierced through a slender figure. The spear, which should have penetrated the abdomen and heart, drew no blood. It slid through the air without any resistance.

An illusion that lacked any physical presence. With the decoy revealed, there was only one possible location left for the real body.

“Did the assassin really survive that bombardment? Unbelievable.”

How, though? Crow set aside the question. His curiosity could wait until he watched the match footage later. At the tap of his ornate staff, the Death Knights turned back.

The smoke wouldn’t last much longer. With the griffons detonated, the assassin’s health must be nearly depleted, which made finishing him a simple task.

Just as Crow’s calculations reached this point, a primal unease struck him. He had seen something he shouldn’t have.

“Why... why hasn’t the decoy disappeared?” “Because it’s not a decoy. It’s the real deal.”

The smoke cleared to reveal nothing. His undead had lost their prey, while the blood-soaked girl had found her target. Two daggers ended the necromancer's life.

The day after the semifinals, streamer Yurang started his broadcast.

[Title: Arena Semifinals Breakdown + Finals Preview] [‘Yurang’ is live streaming.]

The stream began with small talk. He greeted his viewers, shared some updates, and, as usual, brought up a neatly prepared presentation. The screen centered on the video of the match between Gawol and Crow from the semifinals' first day.

"Incredible! This... this was a play that could only happen because she trusted her opponent!" "Who could imagine such a move? And then, to pull it off and actually win—unbelievable!" "Crow must have been floored. I mean, after all that, to still lose?"

“So, shall we go right to Gawol’s second match?”

- Why not cover the first match? - Why start with the second?

“Because... there’s really nothing to discuss. She fought well, but there’s not much to analyze. Let’s skip to the second match.”

He spoke confidently but seemed a bit self-conscious of the viewers' reactions. The video timeline moved slowly.

Fortunately, few viewers cared enough to complain about skipping the first match. There were a few familiar names that always enjoyed stirring the pot, but Yurang quickly fast-forwarded the timeline.

After a bit of commotion, the footage jumped back to Gawol’s battered figure. Scenes of indiscriminate bombardment passed quickly, and soon, they were back to the beginning of the match, where griffons were transporting ghouls.@@novelbin@@

“Alright, the second match is the real story here. The griffon bomber meta—this was patched immediately afterward. While it seemed too tough for the pro scene, it was way too strong for the ranked environment.”

The sight of ghouls dropping from the sky was fresh and shocking for the audience, sparking curiosity. Many wondered, “Should I try this with a necromancer?”

Of course, it didn’t last long. Players from classes with fewer countermeasures were quick to complain.

Unconventional strategies like this add spice to the game, but too extreme a meta disrupts the environment. The patch had significantly reduced griffon flight time, creating several ways to counter it.

Crow attempted a bone magic-focused build in the third match, only to suffer a swift defeat. Despite his loss to Gawol, he left the arena with far more attention. To Yurang, it was inevitable.

“Gawol’s counter was incredibly difficult.”

“Others have tried it, and I even tested it out myself yesterday and filmed it. It’s really hard to pull off, but it does work.”

The match screen paused. Another video of Yurang’s character overlapped with a decoy appeared.

The assassin’s decoys come in two forms: tangible and intangible. The tangible decoys count as summons, while the intangible ones—pure illusions—lack any physical judgment. If you strike a decoy, it slips through without resistance, even passing through objects if the path is set incorrectly.

Naturally, moving in sync with the decoy is possible, though rarely necessary.

“Want to watch me try? It’s kind of embarrassing, but it should be fun.”

Yurang played his video alongside the match footage for comparison.

On the left screen, Gawol dashed out from the smoke. By that time, her real body was already moving in sync with her decoy. She leapt over the wires she had set up, gripping a pine trunk to navigate through the air.

Yurang paused the screen.

“Notice the precision here? She hasn’t touched the ground until now. It’s to avoid leaving footprints.”

- Holy crap.

- That’s insane. - I thought she didn’t use the wires properly. - Can you really make decisions like that under pressure?

“Of course. Every pro knows to check for footprints when an assassin uses decoys.”

[‘ManyTreeBranches’ has donated 10,000 won] [But you couldn’t do it]

- That’s why you’re not a pro anymore lol - lololol - He always sticks to his word...

“Ugh, I did! I was tracking footprints! I just wasn’t fast enough! Anyone who says otherwise is banned for a week.”

Yurang grumbled as he issued a ban, resuming the footage only after the storm had passed.

The decoy and real body separated as she dashed under the pine trees. The Death Knight stabbed at Gawol’s decoy, its black aura thick and ominous. The lack of any visible effect on the assassin’s skills led to Crow’s misjudgment.

He had been so thorough that he doubted nothing. Crow’s strategy proved necromancers had options, but Gawol’s moves showcased the assassin’s ability to deceive.

The third match didn’t bring much new to the table. Simply evading or parrying Gawol’s attacks wouldn’t work. This semifinal match confirmed yet again what countless competitors had shown before.

“Well, that’s everything from the first day of the semifinals. Not much to go over, so let’s move on to the second day’s matches.”

He turned the page, and the screen filled with the summarized results.

[Infinity Arena Semi-Final Results] [Day 1] Gawol 3:0 [Day 2] AT Kelberos 3:1

The light faded from view.