Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Round 5 - Part 3 (5)
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"Round 5 begins."
"Please select your participation format."
I stared at the options floating before my eyes and moved my finger with familiar ease.
As I waited for the next step, I wondered how many participants there would be in this round.
The system soon answered my curiosity.
696 participants.
A very low number, not even reaching 700.
Considering there had been over 14,000 in Round 1, this was a drastic drop.
But from my perspective, Round 1 or Round 5 made no difference—they were all on the same level.
If I had to point out something special about this round, it was that the lucky ones who picked 16-person duels in Round 1 and made it through were joining here.
They had succeeded in an enormous gamble, skipping straight to Round 5 with just one win, so even if they dropped out now, many would still consider it a gain.
After the participation results were announced, the matchup draws followed immediately, and I was assigned to the early slots.
A few minutes later, my turn came.
And as always, the match ended before my opponent could even register my presence.
The result was the same as before.
But this time, there was a very subtle difference.
I could see my opponent's figure more clearly than in previous rounds.
Of course, it was only visible to me because my Agility stat was overwhelmingly higher.
To the spectators watching from outside, it must have still looked like the match ended the instant it started.
I pondered this slight change for a moment, then opened the community window to gather information.
The boards were filled with reviews of rankers' matches, excuses for why people got eliminated, and analyses of job matchups.
I skimmed through most of these community posts.
Some were interesting, but ultimately, their chatter was just cycles of complaints, envy, and satisfaction born from power gaps.
A colorful array of human natures filtered through the community window.
As I closed it and took a break, Round 5 was nearing its end.
Come to think of it, I still hadn't run into anyone from Dimension 64.
Aside from Siron, I hadn't bothered looking, so they might have passed already.
With that, Round 5 drew to a close.
A new rule out of nowhere.
Environmental variables?
This went beyond raw power contests—it was meant to encourage terrain use.
It would likely have a big impact on future fights.
In the meantime, I naturally picked the 2-person duel again.
297 total in Round 6.
Truly only an elite few remained.
The process continued, and my match was slotted for mid-round.
After the round started, I was transported to a new area and surveyed my surroundings.
Unlike previous rounds, the arena interior had changed dramatically.
Instead of cold stone floors, it was dry sand with massive rock pillars jutting up everywhere—a desert terrain ideal for cover and ambushes.
For the first time, I seemed to be near 4-person and 16-person arenas.
Enormous arenas on a whole other scale from the originals caught my eye.
Even as rounds progressed and 2-person arenas grew slightly, they paled in comparison.
I quickly headed to the nearest 4-person arena.
Upon arrival, I spotted the four participants.
My gaze locked on one of them.
A familiar back.
'That's Siron?'
Still not eliminated?
Among the four summoned into the arena, Siron was there.
Seeing him in Round 6 brought more surprise than joy.
'To run into a familiar face in the first match of Round 6. Even if it was from outside the arena.'
His presence here proved his hidden potential exceeded my expectations.
No matter the luck factor in tournaments, making top 300 earned universal respect as a skilled player in the community.
As I watched,
The 4-person battle inside hadn't truly begun.
At that moment, Siron lowered into position to move first, but someone was faster.
He kicked off the ground faster than anyone and charged at full speed.
He exploded forward at speed beyond a full sprint.
His target wasn't Siron, but the burliest-looking giant.
But the target didn't panic.
Instead, he gripped his shield as if he'd been waiting.
Bang!
The central clash sent shockwaves rippling out, whipping up a sandstorm for a moment.
The inertia-boosted attack was powerful, but the shield block neutralized much of it.
As the two locked in stalemate, Siron prepared to move again.
Instead of approaching the fighters, he headed for the last remaining opponent.
The scrawniest, weakest-looking guy.
Siron feinted a close approach to bait him, then backed off and unleashed steel thorns from mid-range.
Whoosh!
Dozens of thorns surged toward the opponent, who couldn't react in time—until something bizarre happened.
His body twisted unnaturally, barely dodging every single one.
Siron immediately realized.
'That's... definitely a skill. No one moves like that suddenly. If he uses it multiple times, it'll be a huge headache.'
Meanwhile, the inertia user had somehow already taken down his opponent.
Without pause, he turned toward his next target: Siron—and charged.
No hesitation. Siron met him head-on.
Steel skin clashed against inertia amplification, filling the arena with their fierce battle.
In the intense exchange, Siron's defenses wore thin, wounds accumulating. The stat gap was clear.
Siron had braced for a 2v1 disadvantage, but the weirdo hung back, timing his entry.
His ambush prep was obvious from his movements, forcing both combatants to divide attention.
But Siron risked it, exploiting a gap to barely fell his foe.
Yet he was heavily damaged now too.
Sure enough, the last opponent ambushed from behind.
A dagger arced sharply through the air, sparking off Siron's steel back.
The attack bounced off the tough skin, but the impact staggered him.
Accumulated damage was now critical.
One more hit, and Siron was out.
But he refused to yield.
Knowing the agony it would bring, he pushed his unique ability to the limit.
Extending a single steel thorn,
Siron focused utterly and began manipulating it freely in mid-air.
Whirr—swoosh!
The thorn moved like a living creature, forcing the opponent to scramble dodging the incoming strikes.
After dozens of assaults, it buried deep in his shoulder.
Instantly, new thorns sprouted from within, piercing through his body.
With this final, squeezed-out strike,
Siron emerged victorious.
I watched as he was transported away, on the verge of blacking out.
Reflecting on the battle I'd just witnessed.
Fighter job synergizing with steel skin, plus masterful application.
Excluding rankers, Siron seemed top-tier.
Especially the Fighter-Steel Body synergy—it was stronger than expected.
But his overall stats lagged behind others noticeably.
His body was wrecked, and recovery would be slow here.
Next round would be impossible.
An impressive fight that left a strong impression about Siron, worth revisiting after the event.
Soon after his match ended, my turn arrived.
Round 6 battle.
Ended in a blink again.
But I could feel match times stretching longer.
Opponents' forms were now clearly discernible.
If their shapes became fully visible to everyone, King's Intimidation might backfire.
Subduing foes without lifting a finger would shock and raise questions more than a normal fight.
This could expose me as a top ranker faster than just fighting normally.
...
'Time to change tactics.'
The moment had arrived when King's Intimidation alone wasn't enough.