Chapter 70
Chapter 70
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Second Round: Group Battles Begin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bwoosh...
The stone fragments on the ground settled down, kicking up clouds of dust.
Soon after,
the arena, which had exploded like a massive bomb, was swiftly restored.
The reactions of those who had watched Oh Heon's match were a mix of astonishment and confusion.
While finals matches had ended quickly before, it was unprecedented for one to conclude without anyone even grasping what had happened.
"It just ended out of nowhere?"
"What skill was that...?"
"That's the No. 1's unique ability! That's it!!"
No one even imagined that the sheer destructive power had come purely from stats alone.
Even among the rankers, only a few understood what had transpired—most were clueless.
And so,
I—the one who had just created that spectacle—had already returned to my seat in under a minute, ready to watch the final match of the first round of the finals.
The match that had gone exactly as predicted was already erased from my mind. Now, I focused intently on the fight to gauge even a little of the No. 3's abilities.
No. 3 Afterglow versus No. 13 Iron Wall.
Looking purely at the first-round finals results, rankings were absolute.
No one had beaten someone ranked higher than them.
Therefore,
I judged the odds of Afterglow failing to advance as near zero.
Just as the Sword King had swiftly crushed No. 14.
Factoring in how the gap widens with every rank at the top, Afterglow wouldn't lose even if they wanted to.
Of course, mutants like No. 35 Descent existed, but still.
That was when I tried to deepen my analysis further.
The first round of the finals proceeded at a rapid pace, and before the spectators' excitement could settle, the next match began.
The two fighters skipped any talk and launched straight into the typical clash.
Iron Wall's arms thickened dramatically, his entire physique transforming.
In contrast, Afterglow just stood there blankly, showing no reaction whatsoever.
The instant Iron Wall charged forward—
Iron Wall collapsed face-first onto the ground as if tripping over nothing.
Like the previous match, the outcome only deepened the confusion.
And this time, even I was surprised.
'What the hell was that? I couldn't even see it...'
My doubts were growing.
It clearly wasn't resolved at a speed too fast for me to catch.
Skills and abilities all scaled with stats, after all.
As my questions mounted—
Pushing aside my questions about Afterglow for now, I read through the system messages.
So the second round divides into groups.
That's why they didn't call it 16-strong or quarterfinals.
Unlike my expectations, the first round had been a standard tournament. I'd assumed the second would be similar, with the championship being the outlier.
This time, they hadn't randomly reshuffled the advancers—the bracket stayed intact.
At that moment,
no one disturbed him as he focused quietly.
The crowd had shrunk to a quarter here. And that meant...
The championship would definitely be 1v1.
I reviewed the bracket again, checking Group 2's contenders.
Monster, Lord, Afterglow.
On paper, they seemed stronger than Group 1 excluding Oppression.
But if I'd faced Oppression in the second round, there might have been more variables—so I was pleased with the current setup.
Now I saw that all two-digit rankers had been eliminated.
The second round consisted solely of single-digit rankers—the true elite of the elite,
proven time and again as the pinnacle of their dimensions.
However...
they might discard their pride and form alliances. In fact, they probably would.
Especially in Group 1, where the Sword King might or might not participate—but in my Group 2, Afterglow seemed highly likely to ally.
Early in each group, it'd form a 1v3 dynamic, and the championship outcome would hinge on who emerged victorious from that.
Whichever group had one side win decisively, the championship would be all but decided unless the other group mirrored it.
Assuming a 1v3 unfolds, then.
The one to watch most in my group...
Would be No. 3 Afterglow, no doubt.
In that last first-round match, Afterglow had crushed their foe without warning, like a king's intimidation skill. Did they have something similar?
Or maybe an invisible skill, blocked by the arena barriers, beyond even my high Agility to detect.
While Oh Heon analyzed Afterglow solo, the other second-round contenders mostly strategized with their dimension's allies.
This held true for No. 3 Afterglow as well.
Afterglow and three others conversed animatedly in a corner of the arena.
"How do you plan to handle the Monster's red lightning sword?"
Without dismissing his subordinate's question, Afterglow replied.
"The Monster's red lightning probably isn't innate to the sword—it's a phenomenon from high psychokinetic output. I've seen footage where a barrier blocked an explosion by swiftly reshaping the psychokinetic energy around the sword, dispelling the red lightning."
Afterglow's eyesight was exceptional. This had nothing to do with their unique ability—it was a personal talent.
Afterglow continued.
"In close quarters, they'll barely use psychokinesis. At best, minor body reinforcement. Close combat boils down to stats above all, and No. 7's build won't beat mine."
His subordinates, absorbing his thoughts, began sharing opinions once he finished.
"That seems most logical."
"Afterglow, sir. In that last fight with No. 8 Regeneration, their close combat might not even match No. 7's level. Stay cautious."
"Luring them into close range to limit their variable-heavy psychokinesis is smart, but I think your ranged prowess is solid too."
Unlike subordinates or slaves of other top rankers, Afterglow's crew shared a relaxed vibe. Afterglow had deliberately fostered it to encourage free input.
"Afterglow, sir, do you plan to ally against No. 1?"
"Of course. It's essential. Even Oppression wouldn't want to face him alone. That single blow in the first round says it all."
The second-round advancers had watched every match, dissecting each other's strengths. Naturally, Oh Heon was under scrutiny too.
"Ranged fights won't end quickly due to cooldowns and mana costs, even with rank gaps. Close combat, though? It resolves in seconds. Against No. 1, unless multiple team up, never get close. Even if the other three allied against him, they'd still get crushed in melee—it's that possible."
"Really? No. 1's build is that dominant?"
"Yes. Rewatching his first-round match multiple times led me to that conclusion."
In Afterglow's case,
they always enhanced their eyes mid-match with their unique ability, [Light of Truth].
Anything seen through those amplified eyes became vivid, retrievable memories stored in their mind.
"That one time I crossed paths with No. 1 by chance, my ability failed on him. His higher level made it inevitable. But more crucially, it felt like he had seen right through me."
"No way..."
"That's possible? With a 10-level gap between No. 3 and No. 1?"
Two of Afterglow's three closest aides reeled at this long-secret intel, but the calmest one, Truwi, differed.
"Do you think he detected your attempt, sir?"
"No, impossible. This ability is special."
Unique abilities were trump cards revealed last, unless impossible to hide.
But Afterglow's was visible only to their own eyes. They believed they could use it freely without detection.
As Afterglow and his inner circle's discussion peaked—
In that instant,
as Oh Heon read the system messages, he noticed drastic changes sweeping the current dimension.
A few seconds later,
an irresistible mystical force dominated all space,
and the vast arena expanded even further.
The flat field transformed into barren earth without a single blade of grass.
Soon, massive landmasses erupted, creating a spectacular vista.
Dozens of boulders taller than buildings appeared, alongside cliffs and wide plains.
With a high chance Group 1 shared this arena, I analyzed the terrain even amid the chaos.
"Excluding the castle, it feels like Zone 4."
My gaze shifted beyond the arena.
Not just the arena changed.
Around the spectator seats, floating scoreboard-like displays hovered in the air.
Then,
I and all second-round advancers were transported to designated spots.
Group 1 to the arena's apex, Group 2 to elevated sky seats for better viewing.
I hadn't expected to spectate like this. My eyes—and those of Afterglow, Monster, and Lord—locked onto each other.
And then—