Quarterfinal Breakthrough
The commentary continued.
Kilimanjaro fired an arrow, but.
Tang! Clang!
The Armor Knight blocked it with its shield, preventing any significant damage.
Meanwhile, the skeletons were gradually closing the distance, building a razor-sharp tension.
It drew every viewer in, holding their full attention.
"Ugh, uwaa...."
Sung Min-woo, watching on TV, was no exception.
Is he winning this?
Anyone could see Mu-hyuk had the advantage. But Kilimanjaro was a player who had dominated his way here. He surely had some powerful trump card hidden up his sleeve.
As all eyes focused intently.
Kilimanjaro's hand paused.
Swish.
He drew a single arrow from the quiver slung over his shoulder.
He nocked an arrow far thicker and longer than any he'd used before. A purple energy began to ripple around it.
Kilimanjaro stared indifferently at the Armor Knight right in front of him. Even at the bone arrows flying rapidly from the Armor Archers.
Yet he didn't rush. He waited calmly before releasing the bowstring.
Bang!
The purple-infused arrow shot forward.
---------!
Not content with deflecting the incoming bone arrows, it slammed into the Armor Knight's shield.
A powerful, menacing explosion erupted, and the Armor Knight, unable to withstand the impact, was hurled backward.
But the arrow hadn't lost its momentum. It continued onward, devouring the skeletons blocking its path.
The Armor Knight took damage, and even the Armor Archers were hit.
This time, he fired a blue-glowing arrow.
Just looking at the blue arrow sent chills through viewers, and as expected, it froze everything in its path.
The skeletons froze solid, and follow-up regular arrows shattered their frozen bodies.
Right on cue, Burtan unleashed its Ki Wave.
Kieeeaaak!
With its wide area of effect, it swept over Kilimanjaro, but he didn't stagger. He'd apparently anticipated the Ki Wave skill and blocked it with his shield.
A Skull Snake slithering along the ground leaped up.
Explosions rang out in succession.
Boom, kwagwagwang!
Powerful attacks engulfed Kilimanjaro.
In that moment, wind scattered, revealing Kilimanjaro.
He looked to have taken quite a hit.
The battle raged on.
Perhaps because he'd moved once.
Kilimanjaro no longer held his ground.
He danced around with light steps, firing arrows while his quick movements kept the skeletons' attacks at bay.
Mu-hyuk, who had been watching patiently, vanished in that instant.
He must have used Stealth.
Sung Min-woo, watching the broadcast, held his breath.
Right, Stealth. That bastard!
Victory seemed within reach.
"Win it, win!"
Even after quite a wait, Mu-hyuk didn't appear.
"Hoo."
Sung Min-woo felt his tension ease a bit as he grabbed a snack from the table.
As long as Mu-hyuk didn't strike first, his position wouldn't be revealed.
Of course, taking a hit would expose him, but that wasn't easy.
The camera panned to the host.
He was rifling through papers.
Even with Mu-hyuk gone, the skeletons kept up their frenzy. Clashes between Kilimanjaro and the skeletons continued everywhere.
Right behind Kilimanjaro.
Slash.
Mu-hyuk, swinging his sword, had already inflicted heavy damage.
Storm Blade and Cross Slash.
Two skills landed clean.
"Hup!"
The startled Kilimanjaro swung his bow desperately, but Mu-hyuk dodged with Wind Step and closed in.
Even as Kilimanjaro tried to create distance with steps, Mu-hyuk didn't allow it. The Armor Knights had all predicted paths blocked.
"Yeah, finish him!"
Sung Min-woo shouted.
No need to give him any openings.
"Good!"
Mu-hyuk knew it too, relentlessly pressuring Kilimanjaro without respite.
But Kilimanjaro had real skill. Despite close combat being a massive disadvantage, he somehow created space to fire arrows.
But as time passed, Mu-hyuk gained a slight edge. Combat leveraging overwhelming numbers was a realm archers struggled to overcome.
For an archer who should target the summoner, Mu-hyuk was a nightmare.
High Strength, Agility, and Vitality stats.
Freely switching between sword and bow for close- and long-range attacks.
Swift movements with Wind Step.
Extra damage from Storm Blade.
And exceptional Command Authority.
Even hiding behind skeletons to minimize damage or maneuvering them to block paths felt natural.
Kilimanjaro had soloed over 50 skeletons, but he couldn't handle more.
"Ha, this is..."
He laughed hollowly.
Starting with Mu-hyuk's victory, the round of 16 wrapped up quickly. Soon, the quarterfinalists were set—and what a lineup.
Gangster Necromancer, Mu-hyuk.
Knight, Mulan.
Martial Artist, Gurs.
Shadow Dancer, Asrahan.
Hidden powerhouse, Swordsman Miyamoto.
Druid, Taesan.
Shadow Archer, Ares.
And finally, Rank 1, Holy Knight Dark.
An interesting situation unfolded.
Once called a gaming powerhouse, Korea.
*
Puppeteer, Adeon.
Mad Warrior, Esca.
Assassin, Rudolph.
Most with ties to Mu-hyuk had been eliminated.
Well, except that guy.
Asrahan.
Just thinking about him furrowed Mu-hyuk's brow.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
Now was the time to focus on the opponent at hand.
Mulan, huh.
Honestly, an unfamiliar name. And a face he'd never seen.
"Begin!"
But he didn't let his guard down.
Summon.
He immediately called forth skeletons and pressed with full force.
"Kugh!"
Yet Mulan couldn't cope properly.
What?
Seemed like a player who'd advanced through an easy bracket.
In that case.
No challenge at all.
Boom, kwagwagwang!
With a massive explosion.
"Mu-hyuk wins!"
Mu-hyuk easily advanced to the semifinals.