I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

[Flame's Team VS Level 12 AI]

[The match has started.]

A subtle message appeared. Since it wasn’t a major game, there were no alarms or commentary, but most of the observers in the spectators' seats were already fully focused on it.

Saturday lunchtime was typically quiet in the viewing gallery, with only a few training coaches around. However, today, the place was unusually crowded.

‘The start seems normal enough.’

The coaches slowly observed Flame’s team’s positioning. In League of Spirits, players most skilled in one-on-one combat were usually sent to the mid and top lanes. In this case, Ma Yu-Seong and Baek Yu-Seol had taken those roles.

“They’re definitely different from last time.”

The match a week ago had been a complete mess. They didn’t even have basic radar for map vision, and their routes for hunting mini monsters were highly inefficient.

But now, only a week later, they were playing at a level comparable to ordinary trainees, understanding the basic meta and moving accordingly.

“They’re using completely different spells this time.”

“Hmm. I suppose they’ve figured out what works best.”

“Well… Magic trees change from match to match, depending on the opponent’s spell combinations and strategy.”

With only seven spells, it was easy to memorize and counter them, so players had to practice using a wide variety of spells. A single combination wouldn’t be enough to survive long in LOS.

“Baek Yu-Seol is still only using Flash.”

Unfortunately, skills like Tae-Ryeong's Godly Technique weren’t considered magic, so once again, Baek Yu-Seol entered the match with just Flash.

This puzzled the spectators.

If he couldn’t use offensive magic, how would he be able to strike the enemy?

The answer came when Baek Yu-Seol purchased a utility item: a Magic Sword.

“A magic sword, huh…”

“Is that really going to be useful?”

“In reality, he can somehow modify a magic sword to be effective, but in LOS, he must know that’s not possible.”

Baek Yu-Seol’s Teripon Wand had been custom-enhanced as a magic sword in reality, making it far more powerful than an ordinary weapon.

However, in LOS, magic swords were just weak items, meant for close-range harassment rather than delivering any lethal blows.

Utility items like these had limited upgrade potential, so while they might be interesting in the early game, they would be useless in the late game.

“Well, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Baek Yu-Seol calmly swung the magic sword while hunting monsters. Since the monster’s movements were mechanical and predictable, he moved fluidly, avoiding every attack while dispatching them with his sword.

Compared to normal mages who couldn’t move while casting or whose movement slowed when using spells, Baek Yu-Seol’s fluidity was remarkable. His basic attacks appeared to have higher damage than other mages.

However...

That was all.

Basic attacks were also known as ‘auto-attacks.’ They ultimately lacked the power to decisively turn the tide.

[A battle has begun]

Shortly after the game started, a fight broke out in the mid lane. Ma Yu-Seong used long-range harassment spells that were weak but had short cooldowns. They served to poke the enemy.

After leveling up by hunting monsters, he immediately charged at the enemy with his newly acquired ‘Power Jump’ spell.

The spectators quickly analyzed Ma Yu-Seong’s actions.

Flame was waiting in the alley lane nearby, while the enemy's alley player was currently supporting the bottom lane.

Normally, the mid-laner would initiate a fight, pull the enemy towards their team, use stuns to incapacitate the enemy, and wait for backup from the alley.

Naturally, everyone thought Ma Yu-Seong would follow this standard play... But then—

“Huh?”

Boom!!!

Instead of pulling the enemy towards his team, Ma Yu-Seong leapt forward with ‘Power Jump’ and delivered a powerful shockwave to the enemy’s chest, knocking them back.

He then followed up with harassment spells and auto-attacks, slowly chipping away at the enemy’s HP.

Just at that moment, Flame successfully hunted a special monster, increasing the team’s resources. Ma Yu-Seong immediately purchased another spell and finished off the enemy.

[First kill!]

He then casually retreated with just a sliver of HP remaining.

“What the...?”

“Aren’t they supposed to be cooperating?”

Normally, Flame would have gone to help Ma Yu-Seong, but she merely glanced at him and continued focusing on clearing the alley monsters. Ma Yu-Seong's magic tree, too, seemed tailored not for team play but for killing enemies on his own.

“There wasn’t no coordination, though...”

Upon further thought, the timing of Ma Yu-Seong’s engagement perfectly matched with Flame’s special monster hunt. In other words, Ma Yu-Seong had entered the fight knowing he would unlock a new spell thanks to Flame’s efforts.

He had factored in the enemy’s vulnerability, the cooldowns of their spells, and the remaining HP of the special monster that Flame was hunting. His entry was a calculated decision based on all those elements.

“Not only is his timing impressive, but the decisiveness to jump in like that shows he’s no ordinary player…”

“But isn’t the real issue that they don’t seem to trust each other? It looks like every player is acting on their own.”

“Their magic trees don’t sync up either. They’re each playing as if they don’t care about working together.”

“What on earth are they thinking...?”

League of Spirits was a 5v5 cooperative sport. It was not designed for solo play.

Yet, even as five minutes passed, and then ten, Flame’s team didn’t display any real teamwork. Each player took care of their own lane, killing enemies when they could. If multiple enemies showed up, they simply abandoned their positions and retreated without hesitation.

Around 15 minutes into the match, after focusing on the other players, someone finally noticed Baek Yu-Seol again and gasped.

“Wait, what’s that item?”

Like any game, LOS had its own trends and meta, with certain items being used repeatedly, while others were completely ignored and never picked up.

Among the vast number of items, Baek Yu-Seol had chosen the Pendant of Obsessive Crystal, an item that was rarely, if ever, seen in matches.

The item had never been seen in a match before.

[Pendant of Obsessive Crystal]

Required Mana: 2,700 MP

Equip Effect: Attack Power +90, Attack Speed +7%

Special Effect: After landing 10 consecutive basic attacks, the final strike triggers the 'Obsessive Destruction' spell, dealing 274% of attack power as damage.*

Cooldown: 60 seconds

Just reading the description was puzzling.

Most items that required 2,700 MP would typically boost stats by 200, but this one only raised attack power by a mere 90.

And what was the deal with the special effect?

It wasn't even a spell—it required landing 10 basic attacks?

"Sure. 274% damage is impressive."

“But there’s never been an item that boosts attack ratios by this much.”

“Still, when are you going to have time to land 10 basic attacks in the middle of a fight?”

“And Baek Yu-Seol’s basic attack is a sword. It’s not even ranged magic.”

“The cooldown is also way too long—60 seconds!”

“Wait. What’s that other item…?”

The item Baek Yu-Seol had just purchased also stood out.

[Rhythmic Shoes]

Required Mana: 2,700 MP

Equip Effect: Movement Speed +125, Attack Speed +12%, Mana Recovery +70

Special Effect: For every hit landed on an enemy, reduce the cooldown of 'Special Effect' items by 3 seconds.

This was another item no one had ever seen before.

“The more he hits, the more it reduces the cooldown of special items…”

At this point, the observers began to understand his plan.

“He's aiming to constantly reduce the cooldown of the pendant using the shoes and stack up damage over time…”

The theory made sense, but whether it would work in practice was still uncertain.

Just then, the top-laner and alley-laner from the enemy team emerged, setting up a 1v2 situation.

Normally, retreating would be the best option, but since Baek Yu-Seol could only use Flash up to three times in quick succession, there was a risk of being caught by the enemy’s mobility.

However, Baek Yu-Seol did something strange. Instead of focusing on escaping, he continued to hit mini monsters along the way, landing last hits as he ran.

Although it seemed like a greedy move, considering how close the enemy team was to catching him, it felt reckless.

“He’s done for.”

Just as the enemy’s charge spell was about to reach him, Baek Yu-Seol suddenly turned around and teleported toward the enemy, closing the distance.

“Is he seriously going to fight?”

Level 12 AI couldn’t be treated like ordinary players. Their overwhelming growth meant they had far superior items than regular players.

But in an instant, Baek Yu-Seol teleported twice toward the chasing alley-laner and swiftly slashed his throat.

[Obsessive Destruction activated!]

At that moment, a straight flash of light seemed to cut through the air, and the enemy player staggered before falling to their knees.

A powerful stun effect!

“H-How?”

“This is ridiculous!”

Baek Yu-Seol had only landed a single attack, yet the special effect had already triggered.

How could that be?

Without stopping, Baek Yu-Seol performed a large backflip and threw a Flame Grenade onto the ground. This created a fiery trap that would burn the area for three seconds.

It was a rare item since it consumed a lot of mana and was difficult to land for its full duration.

However, the enemy was already stunned by the Obsessive Destruction effect. He couldn’t move and was caught to witness the full intensity of the flames, dying as a result.

Baek Yu-Seol then seamlessly used Flash to dodge all of the remaining enemy’s spells, striked with his sword twenty times, and alternated between mini monsters and the enemy player. Finally, a bright white flash cut through again.

[Obsessive Destruction activated!]

The second enemy collapsed.

After swiftly defeating two enemies, Baek Yu-Seol used a Sticky Bomb to destroy the enemy’s tower and casually returned to base just as the enemy players were respawning.

“So that’s how it works… The passive effect of his basic attacks doesn’t require hitting the same target 10 times. He can hit mini monsters and then switch to the enemy to trigger it.”

“Is that possible?”

“Managing the stacks like that… That’s impressive.”

“It’s interesting… But I’m not sure if it’s truly effective.”

While the item suddenly seemed useful, there was still doubt. Instead of painstakingly managing stacks by hitting mini monsters, most players would just increase their magic power and land powerful spells to deal massive damage.

“It’s impressive, though. I’ve never seen a player make such use of consumable special items like that.”

“And this is just their second day of practice?”

“They’ve barely played any matches, and yet he’s already created his own item build and strategy...”

Though the observers now understood Baek Yu-Seol’s combat method, they still felt uneasy. His approach was so unique that it would be hard for anyone else to imitate.

As the match entered its late stage, Flame’s team continued to operate without any teamwork, each player acting on their own.

Hae Won-Ryang stuck close to Eisel, taking down two or three enemies at a time, while Baek Yu-Seol continued to dominate the top lane by himself, using the same tactics as before.

Ma Yu-Seong relentlessly pushed the mid lane all the way to the enemy base, and Flame roamed the alley lane, not only gathering her own monsters but also killing the enemy’s alley players and stealing their resources. Gradually, Flame’s team began closing the resource gap with the level 12 AI.

And finally…

[The Guardian of Chaos has appeared!]

The Guardian, which spawned mid-game, provided an immense buff to the team that killed it, often tipping the scales in their favor.

The Guardian of Chaos appeared in the late game. It usually signaled the start of the final, inevitable team fight.

The showdown was about to begin.

No matter how much they had avoided 5v5 team fights until now, if they lost the Guardian buff, their chances of winning would vanish.

“What are they planning to do?”

As the observers watched with bated breath...

[Blue Team has destroyed an enemy tower.]

Baek Yu-Seol was still in the top lane, completely ignoring the fight over the Guardian. He focused instead on attacking the tower. Meanwhile, Flame was sweeping through the enemy’s alley, stealing monsters.

Hae Won-Ryang and Eisel seemed like they were going to contest the Guardian, but soon lost interest and wandered off to another lane to do something else.

“What are they… doing?”

The Guardian of Chaos granted an almost invincible buff in the late game, so it was crucial to capture it.

“Do they not know that?”

It couldn’t be. Unlike their complete lack of understanding a week ago, this time they clearly understood the meta.

Which meant…

“They’re saying the Guardian buff isn’t necessary for victory…?”

Just as they were thinking this, Baek Yu-Seol, who had nearly cleared the top lane, suddenly used the ‘Jump Gear’ item. This item allowed him to jump to a pre-set location, as long as the target hadn’t been discovered and erased by the enemy team. If used strategically, it provided a significant advantage.

He had hidden the target well, preventing the enemy from discovering it, but fighting alone at this stage seemed like a reckless move.

“… He’s gambling.”

“He’s done for.”

The coaches shook their heads.

Baek Yu-Seol’s actions seemed like the typical desperation strategy of a novice: charging into the enemy as they hunted the Guardian, throwing everything into a reckless attack, and likely dying in the process.

While this might work in lower-tier matches, it never succeeded against skilled players.

Top players would block every entrance, and perfectly manage damage so that the Guardian didn’t fall to the enemy’s attacks.

But the coaches had forgotten something critical: Baek Yu-Seol had a special item capable of dealing massive damage instantly without delay, and he also had the mobility granted by Flash, which exceeded even the power of Power Jump.

“Wait… Could he?”

The AI team reacted quickly upon spotting Baek Yu-Seol, but like a phantom, he teleported into the midst of the enemies and swung his sword.

[Obsessive Destruction activated.]

[Final Attack triggered, dealing additional damage.]

[Attack Crusher activated, ensuring the next attack deals critical damage.]

[Strong Weakening has activated, dealing 30% more damage to enemies with less than 10% HP.]

In a flash, devastating damage cascaded through the enemies.

Baek Yu-Seol was clad in items typically not used by most players. However, they were perfect for his playstyle which focused on ‘basic attacks.’ He slashed his sword toward the Guardian.

A brilliant streak of light followed, and the Guardian was instantly killed.

[Blue Team has defeated the Guardian of Chaos!]

[Baek Yu-Seol has died!]

Though Baek Yu-Seol was quickly overwhelmed by the enemy team's focused attacks and died, his team immediately surrounded and wiped out the AI team using the Guardian buff.

Even without any real teamwork, the Guardian buff had equalized the item advantage between them and the level 12 AI. Their overwhelming physical skill and spellcasting ability crushed the AI team.

At this point, their mastery of magic usage had easily surpassed that of the 12th-level AI, despite only having completed three practice matches.

“… It’s over.”

The match ended in a chaotic fashion, with little teamwork and a highly risky individualistic approach, but Flame’s team emerged with an effortless victory.

“It was impressive, but…”

“I don’t even know what to call that…”

It was a series of strategies that would never be seen in a professional match. As they witnessed this unprecedented game, the observers were left speechless for a moment, before eventually gathering their thoughts and analyzing the match critically.

“It’s all show.”

If even a single one of those plays could work in a real match against seasoned players, it would deserve applause, but their opponent was AI.

“Beating a level 12 AI in just one week is impressive, but there’s no way that would work in a real game.”

“Exactly. The Stella trainees are already skilled enough to compete in amateur leagues. Do you think such reckless strategies and gambling tactics would work against them?”

“It’s impressive, but... Their growth has clear limits.”

That was the conclusion the experts came to.

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