Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 214

Title: Details on the 'Great Martial Arts Tournament' Format and Likely Finalists List (+5,521)

Content: This is about the World Quest "Great Martial Arts Tournament" happening in the Betarion Empire.

Expect significant shifts in the arena rankings this season. Many hidden masters from outside the rankings are anticipated to join.

Although this event is part of the grand historical narrative of the game, it’s safe to say it’s essentially hosted by the game developer, Hana Games.

Interestingly, the finals will be held offline in Seoul! Of course, for players who can’t attend due to unavoidable circumstances, they will accommodate online participation, as it is also an in-game story event.

A unique aspect is the participation of players from other servers.

You likely know that the historical narratives differ across the servers of Astria Online. Since this event originates on the Korean server, players from other servers will /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ copy their character data to participate.

This marks the first large-scale event in the game’s history where players from all servers will gather.

The finals will consist of participants from:

Korean & Asia serverEurope serverNorth and South America serverOther global servers (integrated)Each server will send 16 participants, making it a 64-player knockout tournament.

Matches up to the semifinals will follow a best of three format.The semifinals and finals will be best of five.While we can’t gather information about players from other servers yet, some prominent Korean & Asia server players are well-known. Below is a list of about 30 users who are considered likely finalists:

1. Death of Deaths (Martial Artist)

This top-tier player has never lost the #1 spot in the arena rankings since the arena launched.

Not only is he a PvP powerhouse, but he also leads the charge in PvE dungeon clears. He’s achieved multiple first clears of elite dungeons since the game’s official release.

There’s no disagreement that this user represents the pinnacle of Astria Online.

Except for one...

A monster who defies all measurement.

2. Jo Hyun-soo, "Rockstone" (Swordsman)

The eternal runner-up in the arena rankings, consistently close behind Death of Deaths.

While he’s slightly overshadowed, he’s undeniably a formidable player.

Although the arena evens out stats, removing any equipment advantage, his items are terrifying. He’s one of the few on the server to possess a legendary-grade Echo Stone.

Notably, he’s the guild master of the massive guild Plan B, based in the Betarion Empire.

15. "We Got Married" (Martial Artist)

Ranks between 15th and 20th in the arena.

Since direct entry to the finals is limited to the top 16, he’s on shaky ground and may lose his spot. Still, his defensive playstyle is notoriously difficult to counter.

Interestingly, he’s the guild master of GG Clan, a major guild in the Alfarion Empire.

18. Chris (Onmyoji)

Barely ranks within the top 100 in the arena, but that’s likely because he doesn’t participate much, mostly completing daily quests.

Those in the know are aware—he’s essentially a rich second-generation heir playing for leisure. 😂

While Jo Hyun-soo is known for his single legendary Echo Stone, Chris owns three.

He’s more focused on PvE than PvP. He’s also the raid leader of the Hongbaek Attack Team and closely acquainted with the aforementioned "monster user."

19. Skada (Mage)

Leader of the Skada Attack Team.

Primarily a PvE player, though recent reports suggest he’s been active in the arena, likely to secure a direct finals ticket.

While slightly behind Chris’s team (Noname Attack Team) in elite dungeon first clears, he’s consistently in the top three.

Notable weakness: his items aren’t top-tier. Many raid pioneers make considerable money from their efforts, but his funds seem to drain mysteriously.

30. Drizzle Rain (Swordsman)

We can’t not talk about this one.

The idol of Astria Online.

Advertising model.

Monster solo player.

The "Silver Flash."

This character, often called "Whitedoggy," has many titles.

She used to rank within the top 100 in the arena but hasn’t appeared this season.

Reportedly, she surrenders as soon as matches begin. 😂 Probably just a daily quest player—this season, participation counts are enough to complete them.

Many debated whether to include her on this list because she rarely draws attention outside of raid pioneering. She’s almost mythical to regular users.

Despite her low-key presence, rumors are flying after she beat Park Jeong-gwon and Death of Deaths in a 2:1 match at the Azure Death King’s Resting Place this morning.

Key Question:

Will Whitedoggy participate in the tournament?

It’s unclear why she suddenly displayed such prowess. Could this signal her intent to join the competition?

Comments:

"These names are all legends."

"Jo Hyun-soo is in, huh? Lol."

ㄴ "kekekeke"

ㄴ "Broadcasting a lot since the World Event announcement."

"Even if I don’t make the rankings, I’ll try the prelims."

"Any info on top players from foreign servers?"

ㄴ "They’ll summarize later."

ㄴ "We’ll see during the finals. First dual online-offline event in Astria Online history."

ㄴ "Where in Seoul?"

ㄴ "Gocheok Dome during the KBO All-Star break. The schedule’s on the official site."

"What are the rewards?"

ㄴ "The Emperor will reward winners. 1st place gets three legendary-grade Echo Stones, 2nd gets two, and 3rd gets one."

ㄴ "Even trying to craft one takes insane luck and costs millions of won."

ㄴ "Echo Stones are the ultimate wealth symbol."

"Will Chris and Skada join?"

ㄴ "They’d be crazy not to. But their PvP skills are untested."

ㄴ "Must see the offline event to meet the Astria Online legends."

"Haha, everyone knows who they really want to see. Are you just avoiding saying it?"

ㄴ "Gasp... lol."

ㄴ "Nuuuooooong lol."

ㄴ "Why can’t you just say Whitedoggy!"

ㄴ "I want to see Whitedoggy too."

ㄴ "We’ve seen her plenty in ads, right? She’s also spotted near dungeon entrances sometimes, and tons of people have been carried by her lol."

ㄴ "But seeing her in real life is totally different, right?"

ㄴ "Wait, is that rumor true? That her real-life appearance is identical to her in-game avatar?"

ㄴ "For real? I heard there was a photo posted once, but it got deleted quickly. And the person who uploaded it apparently got dragged away by a red monster a few days later... creepy."

ㄴ "Chris might track your IP and take you down. Be careful about mentioning her lol."

ㄴ "Even though Whitedoggy did some ads, she’s still technically a private individual. You shouldn’t take photos without permission."

ㄴ "The real-life Whitedoggy sightings are turning into urban legends at this point."

ㄴ "Man, I hope Whitedoggy participates in the tournament."

ㄴ "I wish she’d show up at the venue. That way, we’d get legit media coverage and finally see her real-life photos."*

BZZZT!

DING—

[Progress of ‘Azure Death King’s Resting Place’ 3/3]

[The raid dungeon ‘Azure Death King’s Resting Place’ has been cleared by the Skada Attack Team!]

Noname Attack TeamHongbaek Attack TeamSkada Attack Team"Finally!"

"Yesss!"

"Hah... that was hell. Truly."

Ssssshhh.

The members of the Skada Attack Team, who had been pinned against the walls and immobilized, were finally released from their restraints. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Whoosh!

In the center of the battlefield, blue light surged upward.

Standing triumphantly before the vanishing echo of the Azure Death King was none other than...

"Hah, if I’d been just a little better, we could’ve secured the second clear," said Park Jeong-gwon, the tank of the Skada Attack Team, scratching his head with an awkward smile.

The raid leader, Skada, approached him with a broad grin.

"You did well."

"After all the beatings I took learning from Rain, of course I had to make it happen. Still, it’s a shame we lost the second clear to the Hongbaek Attack Team without Rain and Chris."

"It was a close call this time. If we’d made fewer mistakes, we might’ve been first. Now, let’s see... the drops are..."

[Azure Death King’s Remnant]

[Material Item]

[Death Knight’s Armor Shard]

[Material Item]

Skada glanced at the drops and smiled.

"I can already see how this combines. With these materials, we can upgrade the Northern Legion Commander’s Sword."

"The second legendary weapon to appear in a raid dungeon, huh?"

"From what I hear, the Hongbaek Attack Team had their main tank, Death of Deaths, craft the gauntlets first."

The mage, nicknamed PooKiki, nodded as they checked their messenger.

"That team uses a rotation system for weapon materials. We’ll stick to our auction system, right? Alright, starting with the main material, Azure Death King’s Remnant. Bidding starts at 100 gold."

"1,000 gold!"

"2,000 gold!"

The chance to own a new legendary weapon drove the bidding to a fever pitch, showing no signs of slowing down.

While overseeing the auction, Skada stole a glance at the other dropped items, casually checking through them until the bidding ended.

Standing nearby, Park Jeong-gwon turned slightly and, in a casual tone, said, "Take my share of today’s loot too."

"What’s that supposed to mean out of nowhere?"

"You still need to save up, don’t you?"

"I can’t do that. Your share is yours."

Determined to make his point, Park Jeong-gwon began speaking in a steady stream, not letting up.

"You’re running a sub-character raid team soon, managing the main team’s schedule, and squeezing in arena matches when you can. Are you even getting any sleep?"

"In a month, the tournament begins. I need to rank up in the arena to qualify for the finals."

"I get why you’re pushing so hard, sacrificing everything to gather money however you can."

"...I’m enjoying it, in my own way."

"Of course you are. When we were younger, the only time you smiled often was when you were playing that game. At least we can do this together now."

As he turned to walk away, Park Jeong-gwon left one final remark over his shoulder.

"...Back when you made history in WOA Online as the legendary middle school raid leader."

Skada’s faint smile lingered as she watched him leave.