Ch. 295 - League of Spirits (11)

[Victory! Maorun White]  

[Defeat! Black Circus]  

Jo Yerin slumped to the floor and blankly stared at the holographic scoreboard floating in the air.  

[Victory]  

Why? 

Why did this phrase, which should be familiar to her as a player, feel so strange? 

Why did it feel so incredibly welcome?  

"Hehehehe. I did it. I really did it. Even though the opponent wasn’t that strong, just another weak team like us, that doesn’t matter."

In the final moments, under Jo Yerin's lead, the battle began, and her strategy turned the tide, ultimately securing an unexpected victory.  

What would have happened if she had followed her teammates’ clumsy strategies until the end, like usual? 

They definitely would have lost.  

‘We won! We actually won!’

She wanted to jump around and shout with all her might, but she restrained herself and glanced at the defeated expressions of the opposing team. Her shy nature got the better of her.  

"Hey!"  

As Jo Yerin clenched her fist in silent triumph, her teammates came over, grumbling.  

"What was that stunt you pulled? You nearly cost us the match by charging in like that!"  

"What would’ve happened without us?"  

"Phew! We had to step in at the last minute to secure the win. We almost lost because of you..."  

They were blaming her even after winning and subtly trying to take credit for the victory.  

She suddenly felt embarrassed for putting up with their bullying until now. 

What was there to fear about getting kicked out of this hopeless team? 

She’d rather give up LOS than keep suffering through games with these idiots.

"So, what?"  

"You little..."  

"What would you have done without me? Get your Guardian stolen while hesitating again, then get wiped out by the enemy team pushing with buffs?"

"Hesitating? We were waiting for the right moment!"  

"Yeah, sure. You're always 'waiting for the right moment.' And you always lose. Am I wrong?"  

"You crazy girl, that’s..."  

"But what about me? I entered at the right moment and won the fight, didn’t I?"  

"Ridiculous! You wouldn’t have won without our help!"  

She was stunned by that response.  

"Of course you were supposed to help! Since you guys were dawdling like idiots, I set up the whole play for you, so you should at least finish it properly."  

"You’re asking for it..."  

Snap! 

A female teammate was unable to hold back. She grabbed Jo Yerin by the collar and lifted her. 

Due to the difference in build, Jo Yerin’s feet were quickly off the ground. 

Meeting her fierce gaze up close, Jo Yerin almost felt afraid, but she stared back defiantly.  

"Fine. Go ahead and mess things up in the next match with your thick-headed strategies. I won’t help. I don’t care if we lose. I’ll just go back to my department, study hard in the Magic Warrior department, study hard, and make something of myself. But what about you? Didn't you enroll to major in LOS?"  

"You...!"  

Of course, Jo Yerin’s assumption wasn’t entirely correct. They weren’t serious about the sport. They were infiltrators here on orders from their ‘Cult Leader.’

Many dark mages were rooted throughout the magic world, and their mission was to blend in and become key figures within Stella. The position of Stella’s representative LOS player had been an idea from Professor Raiden, and they were risking everything to hide their dark mage identity to play LOS.  

But there had been a problem. 

One of the five originally planned members couldn’t join due to an unforeseen accident, so they had to reluctantly include a human mage...  

‘Who knew she’d be this much of a hindrance…’

Seeing they had no counterargument, Jo Yerin smirked, pried off the hand gripping her collar, and threw it aside. She almost stumbled but managed to regain her balance and avoid a disaster.  

"So, do a good job from now on. If you don’t want to see me deliberately throwing matches, listen to me."  

After saying that, Jo Yerin quickly left the arena, walked down an empty corridor, and leaned against a pillar. She could finally let out a breath she’d been holding in.

‘Phew… I thought my heart was going to stop.’

It felt even more thrilling, terrifying, and tense than the moment they won the match… 

She felt an overwhelming sense of exhilaration.  

She clenched her fists tightly while her whole body trembled. 

She remembered how ridiculous they looked, speechless and frozen on spot. 

It felt incredibly satisfying, like she had finally repaid all the debt for the way she’d been ignored until now.  

All thanks to Baek Yu-Seol.  

‘Yeah. I can’t be satisfied with just this.’  

Regardless, her teammates appeared to have a desire to win too. 

While she had said she could just go back to the Magic Warrior department, she also truly cared about LOS and had no intention of losing.

The next match, and the one after that… She would secure victory every time and make it to the finals.  

‘I must!’ 

———

As Baek Yu-Seol predicted, Jo Yerin’s Maorun White team continued to win consecutive matches.  

[Upcoming Match]

[Emerald Stella VS Flame]  

The team representing Stella would be going up against Flame. They had a rather unoriginal name but comprised the most famous students from the Magic Warrior department.  

Even though it wasn’t the finals, it was such an exciting matchup that professional players and LOL Association officials had come from far away to watch.  

“Ga Yu-Rin, it seems like some representatives from the MLCC (Major League Championship) are paying attention to this tournament.”  

At her coach’s remark, Ga Yu-Rin scoffed.  

“They’re not even a major team. It’s ridiculous.”  

“They may not be a major team, but you could call them notable players.”  

It’s often said that a player isn’t just about skill, but also popularity. This is partially true and partially false since a popular player usually needs good skills.  

But sometimes, there were players whose popularity outshined their skills—like the Flame team, where individuals renowned in other fields had joined the LOS competition.  

“It looks like a few reporters have already slipped in…”  

“Unbelievable. Doesn’t Stella care about security?”  

“It’s not exactly confidential, so Stella probably allowed some access on purpose.”  

More buzz around the elite students would also benefit Stella.  

"Good grief..."

Outwardly, Ga Yu-Rin feigned frustration, but inwardly, she was smiling.  

‘Isn’t this a good thing for me?’  

Even though it was irritating to see these Magic Warrior students treating LOS so lightly, they were famous enough to draw attention. If she could make them the center of attention, wouldn’t it boost her own career?  

Flame, Ma Yu-Seong, Hae Won-Ryang, Eisel.  

Each team member was a prodigy from renowned families. They had studied powerful magic, so their lack of experience wasn’t that important.  

If she could win against them, her reputation would skyrocket. Besides, it seemed they had practiced LOS extensively and were on a winning streak.  

Although she had lost a few times due to poor conditioning before, she was fine now. She planned to bring her highest focus to the next match.

“A stage made just for me.”  

“Still, don’t get too cocky. Even if they haven’t had professional training, that ‘genius’ title isn’t given to just anyone at Stella, especially not to Class S students…”  

“I know that much, Coach.”

Ga Yu-Rin didn’t even bother to glance at her coach and looked at her own reflection in the mirror and spoke.

“I admit it. Those guys are more impressive than I thought.”

“… Right.”

“I’ve already set up the perfect countermeasures and strategies to face them. Understand? There’s no issue at all.”

“I know.”

Ga Yu-Rin was not only outstanding in physical combat but also in strategic planning, earning her the title of the best rookie of her generation. 

Although there was no doubt in her abilities, it was natural to feel a bit concerned given the strength of their opponents.

‘She’ll handle it… She always does.’

After all, the opponents were rookies, and Ga Yu-Rin was practically a pro-level amateur. 

There was no reason to believe she would lose.

———

[Emerald Stella VS Flame]

The match had started. 

The audience grew from hundreds to nearly thousands, and considering most of them were professional athletes or people in the LOS sports industry, it was an impressive turnout.

“Oh, Lauron, you’re here too?”

“Coach Baker, it’s been a while. It’s our break until the postseason, and scouting new talent is part of my job too.”

Not all LOS players with a background in the Magic Warriors Department fled from combat out of fear. 

Coach Baker and Lauron were well-known pros in the industry, but they had been forced to shift to LOL due to serious injuries that prevented them from fighting any longer. Despite their injuries, they couldn’t forget the thrill of battle.

Thus, hearing that promising students from the Magic Warrior Department would be competing, they had traveled a long distance to watch.

“It’s starting off rather normally.”

As Lauron, who had naturally taken the seat beside him, commented, Coach Baker nodded while stroking his beard. 

People around them subtly moved away. 

With the best player of the strongest current team, Lauron, and his rival’s coach, Baker, seated there, who would dare linger close?

“Teams rarely pull crazy moves from the beginning.”

Neither the Flame team nor Ga Yu-Rin’s team took a gambling approach right away. When unique teams clashed, unexpected situations arose, providing plenty to watch. For now, the start was a bit uneventful.

“That student… Was his name Baek Yu-Seol? His item tree is unusual.”

“They said he can only use one spell, Flash, right? It might be amusing to keep him on the team as a trophy-player, but he’s not fit for the main lineup.”

“That’s true. Ultimately, the use of one spell limits his strategy, making it easier for the opposing team to counter him.”

“He may do well against amateurs, but he’ll never make it as a pro.”

A simple magic like that would inevitably be thoroughly analyzed through scientific scrutiny. No matter how unique Baek Yu-Seol’s items were, countering them would be easy enough.

“Baek Yu-Seol is now facing Alia on the top lane.”

Alia was a second-year student with five years of experience in LOS. She was highly skilled in one-on-one combat and was the only player Ga Yu-Rin trusted to handle the top lane. 

Baek Yu-Seol was probably feeling pressured right now.

In addition, without a full set of items at this early stage, Baek Yu-Seol had almost no offensive power. It left him without a way to respond if Alia started pressing him.

Still, people watched closely, anticipating how Baek Yu-Seol would respond. 

Even though he could only use Flash in LOS and in real life, he had a record of defeating countless Dark Mages, earning him a reputation as a true genius, allowing him to stand on equal footing with the top prodigies of his generation.

“… Oh?”

Coach Baker let out an exclamation.

Player Alia had perfectly timed support from her alley line teammate, trapping Baek Yu-Seol from both front and back.

"He's done for."

Player Lauron predicted, as if he could already see three seconds into the future.

Baek Yu-Seol would try to use his Flash spell to escape backward, but Alia, who was ready, would use her magic to catch him mid-cast and take him down.

“Huh?” 

“What’s going on?!”

However, the next moment defied all expectations. Instead of retreating or even using Flash, Baek Yu-Seol charged straight at Alia. 

Alia, who had anticipated Flash and was casting a long-range, high-damage spell, hurriedly canceled it and backed off. 

But just as if he had been waiting for her to cancel her spell, Baek Yu-Seol teleported to her side, scattered something on the ground, and rolled away.

Beep-beep-beep—BOOM!

‘A sticky grenade!’

With no mobility spell or shield to protect her in the early stage, Alia was struck directly by the grenade and sent flying backward.

"Is he insane? Wasting resources on such a trash item early in the game?"

“Oh my god. That means Baek Yu-Seol isn’t even wearing a robe for protection right now!”

Only then did Player Lauron check Baek Yu-Seol’s item setup and realize the truth.

“… I take back what I said. This kid’s a madman. A complete lunatic.”

Without a shield spell or a long-range counterattack, it was essential for any player to buy a ‘defensive robe’ with armor. 

Yet Baek Yu-Seok hadn’t equipped any defensive items. In other words, his body was as fragile as paper—just a few basic spells could kill him!

“No matter how you look at it, sacrificing the defensive robe for a consumable item like a grenade…”

“But that insane decision turned out to be right.”

Stunned and immobilized by the sticky grenade, Alia couldn’t even move properly, and she fell to just a few slashes from Baek Yu-Seol’s blade.

[First casualty!]

[The blood of the fallen flows on the battlefield.]

Alia had relied on her teammate’s support and her strong magic to cast a large-scale spell. Her decision to do so was sound, especially since she was up against Baek Yu-Seol, who was weak in the early game. 

Any player—even a pro—would have done the same.

But who could have expected that he’d forgo defense entirely, rush in with a grenade, and turn the tables?

“… That student completely overturns my understanding of the game.”

Coach Baker felt embarrassed by his earlier words. 

He had dismissed Baek Yu-Seol, saying his limited magic would prevent him from strategizing effectively as a pro.

‘I was wrong.’

It was quite the opposite. 

Though he could use only one spell, his ability to create unpredictable situations made him terrifying. 

The simplicity of his single spell lulled opponents into thinking they understood him, only for them to be caught off guard.

[Another casualty!]

Finally, another alley liner couldn’t withstand Baek Yu-Seol’s elusive movements and consumable item onslaught, and died as well. 

Baek Yu-Seol had gambled everything on consumable items instead of armor and effortlessly returned to his base, having gained more than he invested.

Watching him leave, the players all had the same thought.

‘If he joins the pro scene… He’s going to be hated.’

A player so annoyingly cunning was bound to be despised by his opponents.

-------

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