Do All Dreams Come True If You Dream Them? (7)

Not a hint of hesitation is felt in the movement.

It’s rare for someone to maintain composure when a sharp blade is accurately targeting them.

The sight of leaping using silver threads and conifers as stepping stones – was certainly worthy of being called a mage’s nightmare.

However, Crow is also a necromancer who made it to the semifinals.

He’s quite far from being described as common.

Even at this moment, his mind didn’t forget about the assassin’s doppelganger.

If by any chance. The moment he misjudges due to deception, a blade would be planted in his neck and heart.

Could the main body be hiding in the smoke?

Or is what’s visible the truth?

Pondering won’t yield an answer. The wisest method is to respond to all possibilities.

Sending Death Knights into the smoke is a poor strategy.

It’s impossible to find the assassin’s exact location in there, and precious undead would be meaninglessly consumed.

Then there’s only one solution left.

‘Consume all remaining ghouls. There’s no need to save them anymore.’

The griffins dropped all the ghouls they were holding.

With this, the griffins that had fulfilled their role also became large explosive devices.

As the corpses exploded, the area became a hell of pandemonium, and a storm of blood and flames shook the earth.

Simultaneously, Death Knights pursued the assassin.

It’s an indisputable fact that the assassin’s mobility is exceptional.

But he had applied powerful slowing debuffs several times, enough to overshadow that advantage.

The frenzied Death Knight finally succeeded in catching up to the assassin.

The rusty spear tip stabbed the petite female body.

On the spear that pierced the abdomen and heart… no blood appeared.

The spear shaft came out without any resistance, as if cutting through empty air.

An illusion with no physical judgment at all.

Having discerned the doppelganger, by process of elimination, only one location remained for the main body.

‘Did she survive that bombardment as an assassin? Unbelievable.’

How on earth? Crow pushed away the rising question.

His curiosity could be satisfied later by watching the match video.

As soon as the antique staff struck the ground, the Death Knight turned and went back.

There wasn’t much time left until the smoke disappeared.

Having exploded even the griffins, the assassin’s health should be almost depleted, and that much could be easily finished off.

When Crow’s calculations reached that point.

Some animalistic unease struck his mind.

It was because he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

“Why… hasn’t the doppelganger disappeared?”

“Because it’s not a doppelganger, but the real one.”

There was nothing in the cleared smoke.

His undead had lost their prey, and conversely, a blood-covered girl had caught her target.

Two daggers cut off the necromancer’s breath.

* * *

The day after the semifinals ended.

Yurang, a professional game analysis streamer, started a broadcast.

[Title: Arena Semifinal Breakdown Analysis + Finals Preview]

[‘Yurang’ is now streaming.]

The start was marked by casual chat.

As usual, after greeting viewers and briefly talking about recent happenings, a PPT-organized material appeared on the screen.

At the center of the screen was the video of the first day’s semifinal match between Gawol and Crow.

《 It’s amazing! This… was a play that could only come from trusting the opponent! 》

《 Who would even think of this? And who could realize such a play and succeed in grasping victory! 》

《 From Crow’s perspective, it must be bewildering. No! To lose even after doing all this? 》

“Ah, this seems about right? Gawol’s second match.”

– Aren’t you doing the first match?

– Why start from the second match

“Because… there’s not much to say. They just fought well, what analysis is there to do? Let’s just watch the second match.”

He seemed conscious of viewer reactions even while speaking boldly.

The timeline of the video moved a bit slowly.

Fortunately, there weren’t many who threw a fit about not watching the first match.

In other words, there were some, but most had quite familiar nicknames.

As Yurang remembered, they were guys who simply enjoyed the act of throwing fits.

Only then did the timeline move quickly.

The commentators’ fuss just before moving to the analysis desk.

The video going back in time showed the battered assassin’s appearance, and the scene of indiscriminate bombardment briefly passed by.

A bit more. At the very beginning of the match, the sight of griffins picking up ghouls was visible.

“Alright. For the second match, we can’t help but talk about this, right? The bomber griffin meta. As you know, it was immediately adjusted in the last patch. Honestly, it might have been difficult to use in the pro scene, but it was too powerful in the ranked environment.”

Ghoul bombs falling from the sky.

The scene that gave a fresh shock to those watching the match naturally stimulated people’s curiosity.

Thinking ‘Maybe I should try that too?’, tremendous interest was focused on the necromancer character.

Well, it didn’t last long though.

Because complaints poured in from classes lacking countermeasures.

The unexpectedness unique to non-mainstream classes brings vitality to the game.

However, an overly extreme meta tends to erode the game environment.

As the griffin’s air time was greatly reduced through patching, several methods to counter it emerged.

Crow, who brought such a big wave, brought a bone magic-focused build in the third match and was utterly defeated.

He ended up leaving the Arena receiving more attention than Gawol who had defeated him.

In Yurang’s opinion, it was inevitable.

The counter method Gawol attempted was too difficult.

“I know many others have tried this too, but I also attempted it yesterday and recorded a video? It was quite difficult. But it does work.”

The match screen paused for a moment.

With a clicking sound, another video appeared in the presentation material.

It showed Yurang’s character moving completely overlapped with a doppelganger.

There are mainly two types of assassin doppelgangers.

Doppelgangers with substance and those without.

Among them, doppelgangers with substance are judged as summons.

Doppelgangers without substance are pure illusions – with no physical judgment at all.

When swinging a weapon at the doppelganger, it passes through without any resistance, and if the path is set incorrectly, it even shows passing through objects.

Of course, one could move overlapped with the doppelganger.

Usually, there’s no reason to do so, but.

“Shall we watch this together? It’s a bit embarrassing, but it might be funny.”

Yurang played his own video and then played the match video for comparison.

On the left screen, Gawol leapt out of the smoke.

At this point, the main body was already moving overlapped with the doppelganger.

Jumping up by stepping on the pre-set silver thread, and aerial maneuvering by grabbing the coniferous forest pillar and pivoting.

Yurang pressed the pause button and said,

“The path of movement here was quite meticulous too. Look, she hasn’t touched the ground at all until now, right? That’s because footprints would remain if the main body stepped on it.”

– Holy shit

– Are you crazy

– I thought she couldn’t use the silver thread properly

– Can such judgment really be made in such an urgent situation?

“Of course it can. There’s no pro who can’t do this. Checking footprints when an assassin uses a doppelganger is basic.”

「’Gajigajinamu’ donated 10,000 won」

「But you couldn’t do it」

– That’s why you’re not a pro anymore lol

– Ah hahahahaha

– Hahahahahahahaha

– A guy who strictly keeps his word…

“Damn it. I did, I did! I also judged by looking at footprints! I just couldn’t block it because my reaction was slow! Anyone who said I’m not a pro is banned for a week.”

Poking at a person’s sore spot.

Yurang grumbled and handed out bans.

Only after a round of bloodshed did the video resume.

The point where the doppelganger and main body split was just as they were passing under a conifer.

As soon as shadow movement with almost no effect and delay was cast, the Death Knight stabbed Gawol’s doppelganger.

A thick black aura surrounded the Death Knight. Not even a bit of the assassin’s skill effect was visible.

That’s why he couldn’t help but misjudge.

Believing he had thoroughly confirmed, he didn’t harbor even a bit of doubt.

It was a play made possible because he believed the opponent wouldn’t gamble and would make exactly the same judgment as himself.

If Crow’s strategy showed that ‘a necromancer can operate like this’, Gawol’s match showed that ‘an assassin can use such deception’.

The last third match again had little to discuss.

Against Gawol’s assassin, tactics that simply avoid or deflect don’t work.

It became a match that once again proved what previous players had proven countless times.

“Well… that’s all for the first day of the semifinals. When I organize it, there’s not much content. I don’t think there’s a need for long explanations, so let’s go straight to the second day’s matches.”

The page of the material turns.

After the matches ended, a summary of all results filled the broadcast screen.

[Infinity Arena Semi Final Results]

[Day 1] Gawol 3:0

[Day 2] AT Kelberos 3:1

The light (光明) has set.