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Chapter 15: The Game of Gods

Haldir had a fairly simple reason for entering this tournament: the hype for his personal stream.

After all, with his age, going pro was a lost cause, and dreaming of winning based on his skills was just foolishness.

To put it kindly, he was someone who understood his place.

Even just making it to the main event, say around the quarter-finals, would generate a decent influx of viewers for his stream.

So when he first laid eyes on the matchup bracket, he could only click his tongue at the misfortune.

Friede, a recently emerged ranking player and streamer, had become quite the supernova.

Rumor had it she was the quickest to enter demigod status, all while wielding a Broken Greatsword.

Haldir soon changed his line of thought. If he assumed he would lose from the get-go, he wouldn’t be able to beat anyone.

On the contrary, if he could defeat her, he’d definitely grab the spotlight on his stream.

After all, she was just another challenger like him.

No matter how many flashy montages she had, there was still a chance he could win.

‘I’ll go all out from the start.’

Of course, just because he felt he had a chance didn’t mean he would let his guard down.

His favorite pick, the Demon Hunter’s spear, was his best choice for winning.

It had a simple cross-shaped design but showed excellent performance for counterattacks, pursuits, and thrusts.

‘And on top of that…’

He wore a giant shield that could easily cover a person, along with spiked plate armor.

At that moment, looking like a phalanx, was his ultimate signature setup that had led Haldir to the challenger stage.

With the massive shield providing tremendous defense,

A one-sided offense powered by a long reach,

And the combined might of the spear’s combat skills like Flame Charge and the shield’s Shield Bash for power struggles and chases…

It could be rightfully called the essence of both offense and defense, a top-tier weapon combination for duels.

Of course, he was well aware of how many spear users Friede had slaughtered with her Broken Greatsword.

But those were mostly beginners among Master or Grand Master players.

She probably hadn’t experienced the spear techniques common in the challenger tier.

Let alone with such a peculiar spear form.

It was a bad joke to even consider pairing a Broken Greatsword with his setup.

He knew his combination wasn’t flawless, but such a strong counter matchup was rare.

‘So, how will she face me?’

With the shield in front to block any threats and the spear ready to shred her vital spots from behind, Haldir readied himself.

While he watched with anticipation, the weapon Friede chose was enough to bewilder Haldir.

A very long polearm.

Its end twisted and coiled like a cursed, swirling mass…

“The Spear of Thorns?!”

It was literally a long stake.

With rotten flesh distorted and an eerie aura, the spearhead showcased a strange imbalance against the shining armor her wielder wore.

No, he told himself, don’t get swept up in that.

If he plays it safe with a solid fence, he can win!

―Boom!

With a thunderous roar that assaulted the ears,

The duel began.

* * *

“Greetings to all the gaming fans nationwide!

Today, the STK brawl preliminary round is about to kick off. The heat is rising, as intense as the sunrise! Just looking at the participant list is enough to make anyone’s heart race. Last year’s brawl tournament and the well-known ranking players participating is enough to call this an all-star match in the Korean Soul Warfare amateur scene.”

“The player set to duel the ultimate champion is the Lotus of STK. Having shown some spectacular carries along with Warden, I think all participants are hoping to showcase an amazing battle on such a glorious stage. Expect fireworks from the very start of the preliminaries!”

“Especially since the rule change limiting weapon use to two times is applied right from the preliminaries. Participants will certainly be racking their brains over this. They must customize their weapon builds while considering their opponent’s skills and the matchup strategy, which means it’s not just a physical battle. We’ll have to pay attention to the bigger picture they’ll draw out.”

[Of course it’s STK. Seeing the Yanggradong commentary team at a tournament is quite something. @@]

[STK, instead of wasting money hiring commentators, just get better players!]

[Freakin’ Ten1 is ruining everything, when will Warden stop suffering!!!]

[Just lying down forever]

[Crazy fans keep praising the light while losing their minds.]

[Don’t derail the conversation and just lick your team’s boots already.]

[Yeah, your Lotus is doomed, your team’s going down!]

The STK brawl tournament streams from the official streaming channel of the STK team.

As the broadcast opened, in less than ten minutes, nearly 100,000 viewers flocked in.

Of course, the extensive promotions and the scheduling on a Saturday afternoon contributed, but the overwhelming interest peaked because of the participant list.

Additionally, since STK’s streaming service has a long history, there’s a wealth of storytelling material as well.

With highlights from the match, the interactions between players, and friendships, there’s more than enough content to elevate the broadcasting quality even for an amateur tournament.

For a Soul Warfare community slowly dwindling after the season ended, this was the blessing they desperately needed.

There’s no way the viewers were going to miss such an exciting broadcast while searching for scraps of entertainment.

“This tournament features so many ranking players that it’s quite unfortunate we can’t take time to cover every single battle. The preliminary round’s 128-player matches will be broadcasted mainly as highlights.”

We couldn’t showcase each match one by one since although time allowed it, the viewers might not last through it,

Thus, the preliminaries were broadcasted in a highlight format, focusing on key players or matches with standout moments.

Every time a famous streamer or notable ranker clashed weapons, it sent waves of fervor through the chat.

At that moment, the caster, who received exciting news through the tournament team, conveyed the hot update with an energetic voice.

“Alright, the next match has been confirmed. The star of this 128-player round, engaging in battle, is none other than players Friede and Haldir.”

[NO WAY!!!!!]

[Let’s go wwwwwwwww]

[Friede? Who’s that unknown?]

[For real]

[Friede, Friede, Friede, Friede, Friede, Friede, Friede, Friede, Friede!!!!]

[It’s Friede who can’t use the Broken Greatsword… I can’t hold back!]

[Haldir’s matchmaking luck is just great, huh?]

[Friede is the dark horse of this tourney… and her opponent is a Challenger.]

[Who even is Friede, nerds?]

[Yeah, she’s low-tier among challengers, but she’s definitely skilled.]

[How does she stack against Scum Guy?]

[Of course, Haldir is on top…]

[Stop circle-jerking and just let me know.]

[What position is Friede in?]

The chat had gotten heated enough with everyone previously glancing at past preliminary matches.

Friede’s appearance, one of the stars in this tournament, was more than enough to crown the climax of the preliminaries.

The screen shifted, revealing the bleak arena’s scenery.

Commonly compared to the Roman Coliseum, the outskirts steeped into an unending abyss showed the seriousness of a guillotine match among fans.

If the duel began, spiked bars would sprout like thorns from the entrance, leaving no room for escape.

There remained only one way.

To defeat the enemy in sight.

The duel had already commenced. As everyone stood ready, it seemed not much time had passed.

Some fans felt disappointed at missing the awesome character animation of Friede’s entrance, but all were deeply focused on watching their duel unfold.

The initial feeling among them was tension.

The two players matched their weapons, measuring each other’s distance.

Who would cut the taut string first, saliva was already pooling,

The next feeling to come was surprise.

While Haldir was decked out in his overpowered gear,

Everyone couldn’t help but be astonished by Friede’s equipment.

The Spear of Thorns.

The weapon boasting the longest reach among spears.

If calculated based on real ratio, it boasted almost a length of 6 meters.

Due to its extreme length, and the fact that the main attack point, the spearhead, was smaller than other spears, it’s not easy to master.

Its specialty lay in the combat skill, Piercing Thrust.

Even if someone blocked it with a shield, if hit by this skill, their body would be skewered right through.

Especially during execution of the Piercing Thrust, if it penetrated a shield, there was additional damage compensation, so Haldir might seem disadvantaged at first glance.

But…

[Friede, what are you thinking wielding a weapon without practice?]

[Is that Ten1 just picking a counter because they read the weapon description? LOL]

[It’s so logical I can’t even argue against it.]

[What even is this Spear of Thorns, nerds?]

[Hey, if you don’t know about Soul Warfare, just shut up already. Tsk tsk.]

[The Spear of Thorns can pierce through both shields and armor, making Friede appear favored, but this Piercing Thrust has a huge weakness… What is that…?]

[…What is it?]

[Who knows?]

[You scoundrel!]

[Let me explain. Although Piercing Thrust seems to give Haldir an advantage in a counter, the Spear of Thorns has two major issues. First, it’s too long, making it hard to hit the target. Second, the hitbox of the Piercing Thrust feels like it’s superficial. Yeah.]

[Don’t think the spear object applies directly to the hitbox. It’s practically less than half the effective hit detection, so timing, control, and distance are all crucial… Thankfully the preparation for the move is around one second, at least…]

[If that Piercing property and short preparation didn’t exist, the Broken Greatsword would definitely be more manageable.]

[On the other hand, while Haldir seems like a disgusting overpowered setup, it has solid performance. It doesn’t have any big weaknesses, at least.]

[So how does Haldir overcome this setup?]

[It’s not impossible. To break it in a duel, you need to use a Self Sword—Rapier’s Rush Thrust or a Katana’s Draw Slash to sneak in from the side and take the fight.]

[The problem is those weapons rely heavily on timing, so there’s also the option to go in for a brawl, banking on Super Armor and Guard Crush with a heavy weapon!]

The chat erupted with an intense discussion that overwhelmed the mindless spam.

They analyzed strategically and coldly, but the conclusion drawn from the viewers was that Friede was at a disadvantage.

Of course, it was true that her physique was outstanding…

[That’s right, she doesn’t have the stiffness you nerds think she has!]

[Yes, she’s as slack as a bean sprout!]

[That’s why they say targeting isn’t easy!]

With the peculiar laws of physics applying, everyone let out sighs as they saw the Spear of Thorns, slightly bent downwards.

And that was when it happened.

―Boom!

With a kick-up of dust, a forceful blow shook the arena like a violent storm!

[What?!]

[What’s going on?]

[Meeting? Meeting?]

Caught up in their heated analysis, their focus was drawn naturally to the chat, deepening the surprise.

The moment every viewer turned their gaze back to the duel, they were shocked by an unbelievable sight.

The sturdy shield and armor lost all sense of value and turned into scrap.

Pierced through completely by a single strike.

Friede’s spear, gripping the very tip while thrusting with force from maximum distance, pierced through Haldir’s chest.

Like a head of a serpent snatching its prey, it cleaved through time and space, piercing Haldir.

Friede’s first highlight was completed in less than a single second with that swift strike.

* * *

 

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