Ch. 289 - League of Spirits (5)

[In a moment, you will be transported to the battlefield 'Ruins in the Rain.']

The characteristic alert message of Stella Dome echoed in their ears, and in an instant, they were transported to the ruins.

Flash!

When they blinked their eyes, the ruins unfolded before them. A control tower stood tall and could be singled out among the ruins. While smaller defense towers were lined up in front of it.

“Oh. So this is the battlefield.”

“It doesn’t feel much different from the Stella Dome’s illusionary training field.”

Eisel poked at the ground and then reached for her waist. She instinctively tried to pull out a staff but realized there was nothing there.

“Oh.”

She finally remembered that all weapons in the battlefield had to be purchased from the shop.

“You can open the shop at the Control Tower. At the start, you’re given 1,500 mana, and it’s standard to buy a staff and mana stones.”

Naturally, weapons and mana were essential for casting magic.

After confirming that everyone had bought their wands, staffs, and mana stones, Flame continued explaining.

“As you’ve probably read in the strategy guide, upgrading items like robes and boots is just as important as upgrading your staff.”

Although they had memorized the types of items, no one yet knew which items were best in each situation since they didn’t have any game experience.

“Now, you need to choose your spells. It’s better to select only one powerful spell, often referred to as an 'ultimate.' The stronger the spell, the longer its cooldown, so you won’t be able to use it repeatedly.”

"So, you're saying we should fill one slot with a spell that can change the course of battle, even if we can only use it once?"

Hae Won-Ryang asked, and Flame nodded.

“Exactly. Sometimes players choose two or three ultimates as part of their strategy, but it’s rare and inefficient. Once you’ve selected your spell, there’s another spell you must take.”

“... You mean the ‘shield’ spell, right?”

The available spells were predefined, and since 'all spells' were included, the shield spell was also naturally part of the options.

Here’s where the first problem arose.

“What about you, old man? What are you going to do?”

"What do you mean, what am I going to do?"

Baek Yu-Seol showed Flame his spell registration slots.

There was only one spell.

Flash.

That was all.

“Hmm... Are you really okay without a shield? It’s one of the must-have spells. One shield spell can sometimes decide the outcome of the entire battle.”

“Well, I’ll just have to do my best not to get hit.”

Without even a basic shield, being exposed to enemy spells could result in being instantly wiped out.

Fortunately, there were items available that could protect them from attacks even though they had long cooldowns, and upgrading their robes would slightly increase their base defense.

Still, the fact that they had to invest more resources into defense than others was already a penalty.

As an extreme offense-type dealer, Baek Yu-Seol would have to invest resources meant for increasing attack power into defense.

Even though Flame tried to reassure herself with, ‘Well, it’s Baek Yu-Seol , so it should be fine,’ Baek Yu-Seol didn’t look very confident. He wasn’t certain of his own abilities.

‘Besides, I can’t use Flash as freely in the arena...’

In reality, Baek Yu-Seol could use Flash without limits, but in the arena, it required a fair amount of mana to use, like everyone else.

In addition to the lack of an offensive spell that could instantly take down an enemy, being an offensive dealer without such a critical spell was a huge disadvantage for Baek Yu-Seol.

No matter how skilled Baek Baek Yu-Seol was, the penalties he faced in the arena were overwhelming.

‘Come to think of it…’

Flame realized that her confidence in winning had been foolish. The countless conditions that allowed them to wield great power in reality were useless here.

‘Is that why...?’

It made sense now why Ga Yu-Rin, who was well aware of the fame of Ma Yu-Seong, Baek Yu-Seol, and Hae Won-Ryang, had provoked Flame.

No matter how strong they were in reality, Ga Yu-Rin's team, which was trained specifically for managing limited resources in the arena, would be much more adept.

“Old man, are you sure about this?”

“Yeah. No problem. Let’s just run a mock game first. I need to get a feel for things too.”

Flame had the host privileges. She set up the arena system and summoned AI players on the opposing team.

While AI didn’t perform above a certain level, it could still pose a threat to beginners.

“I’ll set the AI difficulty to level 1 since we’re all complete beginners.”

At this, Ma Yu-Seong suddenly spoke up.

“There’s a higher difficulty, right? Can’t we go for the hardest one?”

“I get why you’re interested, but that’s too much. Stella’s highest difficulty AI is tough even for professional players to handle.”

“As the difficulty increases, the AI receives buffs to their mana and items. The system makes their spells hit with 90% accuracy, and their ghost-like reaction speeds are terrifying. But on top of that, their growth rate makes them unbeatable.”

“Ah! I see...”

“Got it now? So we should just—”

Before Flame could finish her sentence, she noticed something strange. Baek Yu-Seol, Ma Yu-Seong, Hae Won-Ryang, and even Eisel were all looking at her with eager, shining eyes.

“You crazy guys...”

In the end, with a sigh, Flame moved her hand from the [Level 1] difficulty to [Level 12], which was all the way on the right.

“Fine. But don’t blame me if we get torn apart and can’t do anything.”

Click!

[AI with difficulty level 12 has appeared in the enemy team.]

[1 minute until the game starts.]

[Good luck.]

——-

LOS was often referred to as Stella’s internal matches. It was a tradition with a long history and had garnered significant popularity even among outsiders.

Since LOS was one of the most popular sports worldwide, Stella Academy not only focused on training players professionally, but also regularly hosted visits from outside experts.

These experts aimed to recruit talented young players early for their own teams.

Although magic warrior cadets must graduate to become official magic warriors, LOS players could drop out of academy and began their careers at any time.

This year, Stella had admitted many promising first-year students. And some of the most popular genius magic warriors were participating in the competition.

It was no surprise that professional team owners, coaches, and players were keenly interested.

“Ugh! Arrogant punks. Disgusting.”

A young professional player shook his head as he said that.

“There’ve always been brats like that, back then and now.”

From the observer’s seats, many officials were watching the students practice through dozens of monitors. It was easy to guess who that player was referring to.

‘He’s criticizing Flame’s team.’

‘Well, it’s understandable.’

LOS was clearly a sport, and since it was not a life-or-death fight, it was often looked down upon by magic warriors.

However, even though it was a sport, daily battles in LOS were just as fierce as real combat.

Did those magic warriors even realize that?

Winning in LOS required mastery of strategy and tactics, perhaps even more so than in real-life combat.

Yet, every year, promising young magic warriors underestimate LOS and decide to jump into the game without proper preparation.

“I understand those kids are impressive… But I wonder if they’re underestimating LOS.”

“They clearly are, given how they’re acting.”

Many teams were engaged in mock battles in their respective arenas, but Flame’s team stood out for being particularly clueless.

They were wandering around aimlessly, as if they had just arrived at the battlefield for the first time.

They didn’t even know what items to buy and had to listen to lengthy explanations from their team leader. It was obvious they knew nothing about the game.

“They’re really underestimating LOS.”

It was arrogant enough to submit an entry to Stella’s internal tournament without even having any match experience.

While professional players were fuming, the scouts and team managers who had come to recruit young talent shook their heads in disappointment.

“This is a complete mess.”

“Pfft. I expected more from these supposed ‘geniuses,’ but they’re so poorly prepared. It’s a bit disappointing.”

What happened next made even the professional players snicker.

[AI with difficulty level 12 has appeared in the Flame Team’s territory.]

Their practice opponents were AI. A type usually only used by absolute beginners who know nothing about the game.

But something seemed off about the difficulty level.

“They don’t even seem to know what difficulty they’re dealing with.”

“The 12th difficulty level is tough even for high-rank amateurs, let alone these rookies.”

“Right. They’re already at a huge disadvantage just from the equipment.”

“And their restricted use of magic is another obstacle.”

The geniuses they were watching would soon realize their limitations. They might have lived lives and achieved success without any obstacles, relying on their vast mana, varied magic, and elemental powers, but LOS arena was a completely different story.

“What magic did they choose?”

With only seven spells allowed, one must always include a shield spell. For a knight position, there’s also the need to pick a power jump type of spell, which further limited their options.

“Hmm?”

But when the officials saw the spells chosen by the five players, they couldn’t hide their disappointment.

They had expected unique bloodline magic or the powerful inherited magic of the Full Moon Tower’s successor, but the spells chosen were utterly ordinary.

Although using a precious spell slot for bloodline or inherited magic could be wasteful due to the high mana consumption, these spells had the potential to overturn the battlefield in a single move. Their choices were baffling.

“The only ones who stand out are... That girl who looks like a middle-schooler and Baek Yu-Seol, right?”

“That’s Flame, coach.”

“Ah! Yes, I’ve heard of her. She’s said to use angelic magic, correct?”

“Yes. She can use all kinds of magic from different races, like elves, dwarves, and beastfolk.”

But what good is such a strength if the spells she can use are limited?

Even so, Flame’s magic slots were filled with unfamiliar and unique spells, which piqued the curiosity of the observers.

“As for this Baek Yu-Seol... Has he really only chosen one spell?”

“Is he brave, or just foolish?”

“Rumor has it he can only use Flash due to some personal issue.”

“Whatever. I don’t care how he operates in the real world. In LOS, he’s hopeless.”

With nothing but Flash for mobility and no offensive spells to make an impact, Baek Yu-Seol was just dead weight in LOS.

“It might be better if he weren’t even here. If he dies, he’ll just provide mana to the enemy team.”

“That’s true. Haha!”

Knowing Baek Yu-Seol’s fame, the professional players were eager to see him face a harsh reality in LOS. Their eyes were fixed on the match and they completely forgot about other games.

“They’re finally moving. I’ve been waiting.”

LOS matches generally began with five players splitting up across three lanes, where they protected their towers and eliminated the oncoming enemy monsters.

It was not necessary to finish off a monster entirely by oneself. Since the allied tower could launch long-range attacks, players could finish off weakened monsters to collect mana. This strategy was especially effective in the early game when mana was scarce. However... “Pfft.” “What’s he doing?” “So much for his reputation as a genius.” Ma Yu-Seong was stationed in the central lane, which was critical for the team’s morale and victory. He made a foolish mistake right from the start. He began recklessly casting spells at the mini monsters. Given that spell options were limited in the early game, and his reckless use of magic every time his cooldown ended, he looked like a complete novice, which made the situation laughable. “Huh?” Although Ma Yu-Seong managed to defeat all the mini monsters and collect resources, he quickly ran out of mana and had to retreat, leaving him unable to attack the incoming wave of monsters. As a result, the monsters reached the allied tower, giving the enemy a resource advantage right from the start. “He must be used to having an overwhelming amount of mana.” Meanwhile, the other lanes were doing relatively better. Flame was stationed in the upper lane. She displayed a wise approach and used her tower effectively while attacking aggressively. Hae Won-Ryang and Eisel were in the lower lane. They soon figured out how to conserve mana and played more strategically. And what was Baek Yu-Seol doing in the alley lane? The Ruins in the Rain map had numerous winding alleyways where monsters summoned based on the players’ mana would appear. Even though Baek Yu-Seol and Hae Won-Ryang had invested little mana, Ma Yu-Seong, Flame, and Eisel’s considerable mana resulted in stronger-than-average monsters wandering the alley. “Hm? Has that kid played a few matches before?” The alley monsters were tricky to deal with early on, with unexpectedly high attack and defense stats. Yet Baek Yu-Seol skillfully dodged every attack, taking down the monsters without a single hit. This level of skill was impossible for someone who hadn’t played several matches. “No, it’s his first time. Didn’t you see him register his spells earlier? If he were replacing them, maybe, but registering them was proof that this is his first match.” “Hmm.” At this point, the scouts and team officials began to sense something strange about these young players. Their intuition was right. The novices, who had seemed to be floundering like blind men unfamiliar with the rules, were now starting to move with purpose. With efficient movement and spells, they swiftly defeated the mini monsters, and their rapid growth allowed them to push against the enemy, even timing their moves to coincide with the next wave of monsters.

[Blue Team Death!]

However, that was as far as they got.

The level 12 AI wasn’t easy to deal with. Fully equipped with high-performance items from the start, the AI unleashed more than four spells, putting immense pressure on Flame’s team.

Having not yet gathered enough resources, Flame's team had fewer spells available and lacked proper items, leaving them at a severe disadvantage.

One by one, Flame's team fell. The gap in growth widened, their towers collapsed, and it was a complete defeat.

“Well, that’s how it goes.”

"It was more anticlimactic than I expected."

“If they had started with level 1 AI, at least we could have gauged their skill. But they got too arrogant and messed up from the beginning.”

“Haha. Maybe it’s for the best. Their pride must have taken a hit. Now they’ll realize how powerless they are in the LOS battlefield.”

As the officials began laughing and shifting their attention to other matches, there were some who couldn’t tear their eyes away from Flame’s team.

Even though it was a perfect, crushing defeat, professional players and former athletes were still watching intently.

“Hey. Why are you still watching that match? Do you want to see them get completely destroyed?”

“No. It’s not that…”

One player pointed to Ma Yu-Seong’s individual screen.

“Look at that.”

“What? He’s getting wrecked.”

“Does it really seem that way to you?”

The coach, who hadn’t been paying much attention to the game, chuckled, but the player tried to suppress his irritation and explained further.

“At first, he wasn’t countering the enemy’s spells effectively. He was always on the losing side in magic exchanges and taking more damage.”

“Exactly. He’s a disgrace to the name Ma Yu-Seong. He’s still getting beaten up now, isn’t he?”

“Yes. But that’s the strange part.”

“What?”

The coach furrowed his brow at the odd comment, and the player continued.

“When the AI grows by 10, those boys have only grown by 1. Now, in the mid-game, the difference in growth is massive.”

“Right.”

“But... Ma Yu-Seong’s trading spells just like in the early game.”

“Hm?”

That was odd, now that he thought about it. Usually, when there’s such a large difference in growth, you’d be getting overwhelmed, dying without a chance to fight back. Yet, they were still exchanging attacks at the same level as before.

That meant…

“Ma Yu-Seong has completely analyzed the enemy’s patterns. He’s not just surviving; he’s countering every single attack perfectly and hitting back just as efficiently. If not for the cheat-like growth of the level 12 AI, they’d be dominating the game by now.”

“Hmm...”

The coach hesitated. It made sense, but he wasn’t entirely convinced just yet.

Without using magic, they dodged enemy attacks with precise movements, chipped away at the enemy's HP with minimal mana, and landed powerful critical hits with well-timed moves. This kind of play could easily be seen even in the amateur leagues.

‘Wait. Hold on.’

Amateur league?

As the coach thought about it, a chill ran down his spine.

‘Aren't they playing their first match?’

The other officials who overheard the conversation also shifted their attention back to Flame's team. The situation still looked the same—they were getting overwhelmed.

But… When there's such a significant growth gap, the team should be crushed by overwhelming power.

Why were they still fighting at a similar level to the early game?

"Still… They’re definitely beginners. They don’t even have proper map vision. They haven’t installed any basic ‘radars’ on the map.”

However, something even more surprising was happening.

"Normally, you use radars to maintain vision or predict where the enemy is in areas you can't see… But these kids are reacting purely based on reflexes and instant decision-making."

“But it's no use. Their teamwork is a mess. They’re not even fighting proper team battles."

Their attempts at a full team fight, or "brawl," were chaotic at best. They didn’t share spells, there was no coordination, and at times, their attacks even interfered with each other.

However, in one-on-one duels, their individual performance was incredibly impressive.

“This is...”

The professionals were thinking to themselves.

Could it be that if they played one more match, they might actually defeat the level 12 AI?

Given how fast they had adapted and grown, if they faced the same opponent again, there was a slim chance they could win!

That was the conclusion the players came to.

[Blue Team Defeat]

When Flame’s team’s Control Tower finally collapsed, declaring their defeat, the players watched the arena with eager eyes. They had just finished their first practice match and were silently urging them to start another round.

However, they clearly didn’t know Flame's team well enough.

"Ugh. I’m exhausted!"

“Do you guys feel like we’ve practiced enough?”

“No?”

“Well, I feel like we’ve practiced more than enough. Should we grab some food?”

“I’m hungry too, Yu-Seol.”

“Agreed. If I don’t have dinner by 7 PM, my biological rhythm will be disrupted.”

"Hey, you idiots! You’ve only played one game!"

“We’re going for spicy pork cutlets and cold noodles. You can stay if you want.”

"... Uh. I can't resist that. I’m coming too."

“Ah! I want to come too!”

And just like that, the five players disappeared from the arena and disbanded.

The match ended after just one game.

"... Huh?"

The professional team officials watching this scene through the monitors were left dumbfounded. They stared blankly at the empty arena.

“What’s with these kids…?”

They started seriously questioning whether these players even intended to take the match seriously.

Holiday Greetings! :christmas_tree::sparkles:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! I hope this season fills your days with joy, laughter, and plenty of relaxation.

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