Chapter 526

“Are they really just going to let that slide?”

“Ah… in the end, it ended with just a warning, and the first half is over.”

“If that’s not a flagrant foul, then what the heck counts as a foul? That situation was in complete contradiction to sportsmanship!”

“I saw player Noname being tossed around with Sufian Hakim grabbing him by the collar. I’m left feeling disappointed with the decision that there was no intent. I wonder if there wasn’t a significant time gap to consider it a sequence of actions before the previous act.”

“GM William Robinson is coming out and protesting aggressively, but for now, player Noname will not contest the referee’s decision and is leaving the training hall.”

As could be inferred from Hakim’s expression, it was clear that he was frustrated with Noname’s performance in the match.

Everyone watching the game was outraged.

If Noname’s response had been even slightly delayed, they would not only suffer damage to the walls but could also cause major injuries to the player.

During halftime, the community was on the brink of paralysis.

[Live Best]

[Noname Grabbed by the Collar by Sufian Hakim & Referee’s Biased Decision]

(Noname being lifted by the neck.gif)

(Noname being thrown to the ground.gif)

(Noname protesting to the referee.gif)

Upon closer inspection, he wasn’t actually grabbing his clothes.

He tried to grab his collar but ended up choking and throwing him down.

[Comments]

– This crazy bastard has lost it

– So it was a choke, damn

– Is he just mimicking the behavior he saw his parents doing at home during the game?

– What good does it do for Saudi to be rich? Their national character is worse than that of China or India.

– Insta drama~

– Did the referee get bribed?

– You can’t throw away that money quietly.

[Feeling the murderous intent from Noname]

(Noname walking down from the training hall.gif)

(Close-up shot of his face.gif)

(Noname walking past the assistant referee without acknowledging him.gif)

Is this expression something a 10-year-old can make?

Seriously, he might kill someone later…?

[Comments]

– LOL

– No, this is seriously scary hahaha

– If you don’t know, he just looks cute, but since it’s Noname, it’s deadly

– Suppressing the urge to kill

– I’ve never seen such an angry expression before

– Look at how tightly his lips are pressed together

– Something seems to be rising up to his throat? Is he going to explode soon?

– Noname declares a rage game

* * *

During halftime, the atmosphere in the locker room was icy cold.

While Noname gulped down bottled water, the tactical coaches brought in screens to review the first half of the match.

GM William Robinson received a warning from the referee and began issuing tactical instructions.

“First off, drawing the fight into a melee was successful. However, the fact that both sides didn’t use their wands left a lot of barriers intact.”

“How many exactly?”

“68.42 to 61.09. Given that there’s a high chance this match will go into overtime, don’t lose your composure in response to their provocation, and just operate as we did in the first half, and we can win easily. The urgent ones are them. If Hakim recklessly pushes in and picks up the tempo? Don’t engage! But if they’re just sitting around the arena, get in there and hit them! With spells you do well! Did you see Hakim’s state earlier?”

“He was quite emotional.”

“Exactly! With that idiot’s state of mind, he’ll never get to the quarterfinals. Noname, this is your chance to seize.”

William Robinson raised the tension with motivation.

He provided a framework for game management while giving Noname discretion.

Listening intently, Noname threw the water bottle into the trash.

“Phew…”

He interlocked his fingers and bowed his head in thought.

Then, with his golden eyes glinting, he abruptly overturned the coach’s instructions.

“I don’t want to go into overtime.”

“… Then what?”

“I’ll finish it within 10 minutes.”

“High tempo comes with conditions. You need to cut below half within a minute of the second half starting. If not, let’s revert to the original tactics.”

“That’s easy.”

“Okay, let’s go, go, go!”

With the encouragement of the coaches, Noname stepped out into the training hall.

William Robinson wiped his cold sweat and slowly stood up.

“Player Noname truly doesn’t listen at all, haha…”

At the chief coach’s remark, Robinson smiled faintly.

“There’s only one path visible to the players who compete in the arena on the day. Our role isn’t to block the path but to guide them as best as we can in the right direction.”

Of course, he completely agreed that Noname didn’t listen.

* * *

Sufian Hakim’s unlikable behavior continued afterward.

With the end of halftime.

Just before stepping back into the training hall, Hakim opened a new bottle of water and drank.

His mindset was to at least rest for ten seconds longer than Noname.

While not technically a violation, it was an action that made one frown.

[Nation Exchange Match 115! South Korea vs. Saudi Arabia, Player Noname’s round of 16 second half begins!]

[Player Noname is fully prepared, huh? Noname charges in! Noname is running!]

[Cast: momentum adjustment]

As soon as the second half began, Noname dashed towards Hakim.

This time, Hakim cast Ramal Hazir and summoned a sand shield thinking he had a free hit.

When the sword and shield meet, ninety-nine swords break.

[No…! Noname still hasn’t pulled out his sword! It’s right in front!]

The essence of the Cheokhwa sword is the wand.

Noname usually operated by attaching a magic circle at the end of the wand to summon the blade.

And now, Noname threw the wand high into the sky.

The handle spun around.

[Cheokhwa Sword Engraving: Skiabona]

Shuaak- Bang-!

The blade lengthened to 10 meters and shot straight at Hakim.

Caught off guard by the unconventional attack, Hakim instinctively dodged the sword.

Ramal Hazir, the Cheokhwa sword embedded diagonally into the sand.

“What the…?”

“You should have blocked instead of dodging!”

[Nature: Medusa]

The sand began to harden like cement.

“…!”

Since there were no signs of any magic, Hakim had an expression of utter confusion.

He tried to retreat significantly along with the heap of sand, but—

Thud—

Ramal Hazir was interrupted midway, and the magic circle was destroyed.

In the meantime, Noname had already approached him.

[4th Circle Unique Magic: Stellar Atraho – Supernova]

Clang-!

A massive sword split into eight pieces and plunged into the ground surrounding Hakim.

Noname wrapped the wire flowing from the magic circle around the blade.

Pazizizk—

With a short breath, the sword disappeared from Noname’s hands.

The blue lightning crossing the training hall blasted through Hakim’s side.

Kiiing-!

The sound of the wire clanging echoed, causing the stadium to tremble significantly.

[Round of 16 Match 115]

[Noname (South Korea)] [70% | 68%]

[Sufian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia)] [72% | 61% → 57%]

“Did you not even realize you were taking damage?”

Hakim lowered his head to check where he was hit.

Hexagons fell from his right side.

“If this were a real fight, you would just be dead.”

Pazizizk—

Nine swords began to glow simultaneously.

Thirty-six lines that connect the swords were etched.

Noname sent the sword away from his hand and began to compress the size of the circle.

With each shocking flash, the audience grew restless.

[Wow! What’s this magic from Noname!]

The commentators writhed in agony as if seated in an electric chair.

[72% | 57% → 53%]

[72% | 53% → 49%]

[72% | 49% → 45%]

Boom-!

A blade so fast it seemed invisible spat thunder.

The margin of the sand barrier was unprecedentedly thinning.

[4th Circle Cast: Kazm Baraka]

Although Hakim erected a large dome barrier spell,

[Nature: Medusa]

Swish—

The mana reverted to a crude quality, failing to perform even as well as a 1st Circle spell.

He had no clue why this occurred, utterly bewildered.

“Waaaaaa!”

Hakim stood at the center of the training hall, looking around at the cheering crowd.

Why is everyone so happy?

The answer to that question quickly appeared on the screen.

[Time: 16:19]

[Noname (South Korea)] [70% | 68%]

[Sufian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia)] [72% | 25% → 21%]

A mysterious unique magic caused 40% of the barrier to completely evaporate.

Hakim, eyes wide open, denied reality.

Then a Korean commentator clapped his hands, signaling that he had figured something out.

[It’s been rumored that Noname has loved games since long ago!]

[Yes, yes?]

The caster was taken aback by the random remark.

[This is it! In Legacy of Legends, a game loved by people all around the world, there’s a character known to use this very technique!]

└ Could it be that what I just saw was Arsteria’s ultimate?

└ Supernova, wow

└ How did you figure this out? Hahaha

└ Noname ended up not showing everything until the end hahaha

└ Maybe he just created a scene to show this off

└ It really is Supernova. It says ‘a.k.a. Supernova.’

└ Did it become one with LOL…!

└ Give back Noname’s precious Arsteria, Riot!

└ Is that why they call champions/skills as characters/techniques? Hahaha

└ The ultimate form of LOL, wow wow wow

[Oh, it seems Sufian Hakim is deeply discouraged! He’s making mistakes in drafting his magic circle!]

Hakim cast a 3rd Circle spell only to crumble it himself.

And for Noname, he never tolerated any mistakes.

[Cast: Stream Control]

[Cast: Glacius Ion Trap]

[Cast: Ignis Respiratio]

[Cast: Arc Discharge]

In an uninhibited quadruple cast, he unleashed a barrage of attacks.

Sharp water lasers carved the ground while ice whips erupted and struck at Hakim.

Fireballs rained down from the sky, and Noname enveloped his hands in electricity.

As the barrier difference widened, Hakim’s numbers began to evolve more towards a gamble.

[Hakim is trying to mimic the technique showcased by Giselle Fisher yesterday! But if he relies too much on luck…! Noname foresees and withdraws the magic circle!]

[Player Noname, are you dancing a tap dance atop Hakim’s head?]

The bravado of the external manifestation had no chance against Noname.

[Time: 21:38]

[Noname (South Korea)] [70% | 61%]

[Sufian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia)] [65% | 12% → 11%]

[Cast: Heat Transfer – Convection]

Hakim, sensing defeat, closed his eyes.

The stress released from his shoulders, and the sand barely managing to maintain its form crumbled down to the floor.

[Release: Heat Transfer – Convection]

“How dare…”

“?”

“How dare you think about giving up?”

[Cast: Demon Lord’s Horn]

[Cast: Black Aurora]

[Cheokhwa Sword Engraving – Skiabona]

Noname canceled the magic and drew his sword.

[And now! It seems player Noname! Player Noname has knocked down the authentic martial artist of Arabia, Saudi Arabia, into the quarterfinals!]

[Player Noname canceled his magic!]

[Uh? Uh uh?]

Swish—

[Imperial Palace Sword Method 2nd Form – Sky Slash]

A clear surface wound was etched above Hakim’s barrier.

Even after that, Noname continued to swing his sword.

Hakim hastily defended with his scimiter.

Clang clang clang!

No matter how physically superior Hakim might be, with his spirit broken, it was impossible to withstand Noname’s sword technique.

Skiabona curved even more than an Arabian curved sword, targeting Hakim’s vital points.

[Sufian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia)] [65% → 59% | 11%]

It was behavior that could only be viewed as beyond rudeness and sheer mockery.

“ابن العاهرة (You son of a bitch!)”

Noname slipped through as Hakim’s movements grew much larger.

The sword tip jabbed his chin, snapping Hakim’s head back forcefully.

[Sufian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia)] [59% → 39% | 11%]

Noname stomped down on the forehead of Hakim, who lay sprawled on the ground, preventing him from getting up.

He pierced and sliced the barrier at its most vulnerable points; the neck and joints.

“Cough…!”

[Sufian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia)] [20% →⚠19% (Unrecoverable) |⚠11% (Unrecoverable)]

Hakim entered an area of serious pain.

[Imperial Palace Sword Method 121st Form – Crow Pecker]

The brutal sword technique inspired by crows feasting on corpses pierced deep into Hakim’s abdomen.

The excruciating pain from when he first learned swordsmanship resurfaced as Hakim’s tolerance waned.

“Get off me!”

Hakim pushed Noname away and crawled a few times on the floor, barely getting up.

[Time: 29:58]

[Noname (South Korea)] [56% | 51%]

[Sufian Omar Hakim (Saudi Arabia)] [⚠11% (Unrecoverable) | ⚠11% (Unrecoverable)]

Neither the micro particle barrier nor the large barrier managed to remain intact.

It would have been less humiliating to lose just one by a score of 100 to 10 than this.

“I was hoping to end this quickly, but….”

Noname casually brushed off dust from his butt as he waved his sword.

“You’ve gone into overtime.”