Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 291

Chapter 291

League of Spirit (4)

***

This was the first time that Ma Yuseong, Aiselle, and Baek Yu-seol, who were existing members of the Gourmet Club, were joined by Flame and Hae Wonryang for a meal at the same table.

“Is this your first time eating pork cutlet?”

“It is a bit unfamiliar to cut a fried dish with a knife, rather than a steak.”

“How does it feel to cut a fried dish instead of a steak?”

“It is quite edible.”

As the five of them, who did not seem to fit together at all, gathered in one place, Flame felt a strange sensation.

It was because she felt both unfamiliar and happy that the people she had loved the most while reading the original romance-fantasy novel had now become her closest companions.

“Sigh. To think they would stop practicing after just one round.”

Either way, Flame, who was not very pleased with the situation, stirred her spicy cold noodles and sighed deeply.

“No, maybe this is for the better. Anyway, we have roughly grasped how this game flows through the first round.”

There is a limit to endlessly running practice games.

In League of Spirit matches, there was often a so-called ‘build’, and then there was a ‘fixed framework’.

The fixed framework refers to a very basic strategy that does not change over time.

For example, the invade strategy of hiding in the opponent’s alleyway to steal alley monsters, or the gank strategy of roaming the alleys and backing up allies at the right timing.

Knowing where to hide to easily ambush enemies, what actions enemies will take in certain situations, and how to move efficiently.

It means that one must learn firsthand, following the framework that has been firmly established along with the history of League of Spirit.

Next is the build.

This, also known as another word for strategy, was the weakness of Flame’s team.

“Look, what do you think of our team?”

When asked, Baek Yu-seol slurped his cold noodles and said.

“Well, honestly, there is no hope?”

“The core of League of Spirit is strategy and cooperation, but we are not doing either. But among them, we are perfect at one useless thing.”

“What is that?”

“Individual skill.”

“Hmm, isn’t that important too?”

“It is important, but… when I say individual skill, I do not mean the performance an individual can display in a game, but rather their one-on-one combat ability.”

As if finally understanding, Aiselle put down her fork.

It is Aiselle’s habit to not speak while chewing something or holding utensils.

“So, you are saying that our ability to handle 5 vs 5 situations is poor, but our 1 vs 1 ability is excellent?”

“Yes. That is right.”

At that, Aiselle’s expression hardened slightly.

“Individual skill is undoubtedly an important factor… but in a cooperative game, it can also be a poison.”

“That is right. Because everyone is too good on their own, they tend to act individually.”

Flame said refreshingly.

“So, let’s just go with that.”

“What?”

“Let’s just practice the bare minimum to avoid interfering with each other’s attacks, and then just go around solo and take out the enemy team’s necks. Just like your style.”

“So… can we win like that?”

Shrugging, Flame twisted the spicy cold noodles with her chopsticks.

“Well, wouldn’t it be better than practicing cooperation that won’t work anyway? Register and use various magic, get used to it, and destroy the enemy team through individual battles. That is the perfect ‘strategy’ for our team.”

“…That is not a strategy at all.”

“If you just roughly put it together, it is all the same, isn’t it? For that reason, we need to drastically adjust our positions to make the most of our strengths.”

The previous positions were arbitrarily set by Flame, but the result was a complete failure.

It was proof that she still did not fully understand this sport.

“First, if anyone has a position they want to play, speak up.”

Then Baek Yu-seol quickly said.

“Top… no, send me to the Upper Lane.”

Since he spoke first, there must be a reason.

Baek Yu-seol clasped his hands, rested his chin on them, and said with a serious face.

“The top is… a true man’s battlefield.”

“…”

“It is a ruthless world where battles are settled one-on-one, without cowardly calling for the team…”

[Crazy bastard…]

It was an absurd statement, but it was also true.

It was correct to send those skilled in one-on-one combat to the Upper Lane and Central Lane.

Because of that, those who are not good at one-on-one but think they are, go to the Central and Upper Lanes and lead their team to defeat, but at least Baek Yu-seol and Ma Yuseong are different.

Their one-on-one combat ability is top-tier, no matter what anyone says.

“Ma Yuseong, you will still protect the Central Lane. You are the most skilled in one-on-one among us, and you have the best magic for linking up when receiving backup from allies.”

Ma Yuseong was the one who could quickly approach and engage the enemy team after checking the minimap for ally backup, or eliminate enemies with a powerful one-shot burst, showcasing various plays.

“And the Support and Alley Lane positions will be taken alternately by Aiselle and me. As you know, we can freely employ crowd control (CC) magic that can neutralize and bind opponents.”

“Ah, that is right.”

“So, the two of us will take turns playing this position, find the person who fits better, and sometimes switch according to the strategy. It can also confuse enemies who have analyzed us.”

“That is right.”

“What does the Alley Lane mainly do?”

“Usually, they roam around the Upper, Central, and Lower Lanes, killing alley monsters, and then back up each lane to give them strength. Players call it ‘ganking’.”

“Ganking…”

“This is a really important role. If you do not make quick judgments, one lane can collapse in an instant.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“And Hae Wonryang will take the Lower Lane, and I will be the Support to help him. However, I will mainly use defensive and healing magic rather than crowd control to bind the enemy team. My role is a bit different from yours.”

Baek Yu-seol interjected.

“If I had to say, the Alley Lane is like a modern father who works silently, and the Support is like a mother who is busy at home, taking care of vision and the ADC.”

“Hey, how can you understand it like that?”

“Ah! I completely understand!”

Anyway, they are both peculiar.

Anyway, at this point, when the pork cutlet was almost finished, Flame wrapped up the conversation.

“Baek Yu-seol and Ma Yuseong are good at one-on-one, but in the end, Hae Wonryang is the core power in 5 vs 5 battles. He has the judgment and offensive power to use the limited seven magic spells most efficiently and complexly according to the situation.”

At Flame’s praise, Hae Wonryang’s expression faintly brightened.

Although he quickly returned to a growling face when Ma Yuseong tried to playfully pat his shoulder.

“Did you get a rough idea from this match?”

All four of the young men and women nod their heads.

“Then we would like to go straight to practice matches… but I do not think we should. We need to learn the ‘basics’ first.”

Ma Yuseong made a face.

“Do we have to read that boring strategy book again?”

“No. There is something better than reading that all day, you know?”

Flame rummaged through her handbag and took out some small tapes.

“These are recorded videos of amateur league matches. We will watch these repeatedly to learn what strategies the players use and how, how they secure vision, and what happens in certain situations. So that our bodies will react automatically in actual matches.”

With only two weeks left until the internal competition, studying videos now was a very tight schedule, but Flame believed in this team.

These protagonists, who are exceptionally good at practical sense and remarkably intelligent, will surely benefit from this unique practice method.

The next day, at the Stella Dome.

In the spectator seats of the League of Spirit training ground, as usual, quite a few people were gathered.

However, there seemed to be a few more people than the day before, and the reason was that the rumor that ‘Flame’s team is unique and unusual’ had quietly spread.

Of course, there were still only those who spread rumors about the clumsiness of Flame’s team, but there were also quite a few people who came trusting the keen eyes of the players.

“Those guys are that unique?”

“Yes. They did not understand the game’s operation at all, but each of their physical abilities was beyond imagination.”

“Hmm, I do not understand.”

At that time, many coaches and players who had not seen the match were mostly skeptical.

It is understandable, because no matter how great a magic warrior was in reality, no, the greater the magic warrior, the more clumsy they were in League of Spirit.

The limited seven magic spells were like suddenly putting one ton of shackles on them, and they often struggled all day without overcoming the awkwardness and collapsed.

Fixed cooldowns, limited magic, and insufficient mana.

All the elements that would make a real magic warrior go crazy were present in this League of Spirit.

“Still, it makes me curious.”

“When are those guys coming?”

“Let’s wait. Anyway, there is nowhere else to practice except within Stella’s internal.”

“They said they practiced for the first time yesterday, so they will probably practice hard for two weeks from today until the internal competition. Let’s analyze their strengths just in case.”

So they waited quietly.

And six hours passed.

“When are they coming…?”

When there was no sign of them all day, the players started to get annoyed.

“Wa, wait. It is almost evening.”

Even late at night, when other trainees went home, they did not show up.

“…They will come tomorrow, right? The competition is just around the corner.”

But a day, two days, three days, and even a week passed.

They did not show up.

“What are those guys doing…?”

“Aren’t they practicing?”

“What are they doing after their afternoon classes?”

“I, I do not know. I heard that they either rush back to their dormitories and stay there, or they all go to the reading room and watch videos…”

“Crazy.”

One of the coaches said, touching his forehead.

“They are forfeiting the match.”

It is a common occurrence.

Among the magic warrior cadets, there were occasional cases where they underestimated League of Spirit and challenged it, but soon gave up because it was not easy, and Flame’s team was probably the same.

“Still, since they were praised as geniuses, I thought they would perform well in League of Spirit…”

“They were not good enough.”

“No matter how good they are in actual combat, our world of League of Spirit is completely different.”

“They probably underestimated it and got burned.”

Now, there is only about a week left until the competition.

Even if they suddenly come to their senses and start practicing now, it is doubtful whether they can even pass the preliminary round.

“I am disappointed.”

“I will not pay attention to them anymore.”

“Well, even if we wanted to pay attention, they won’t come now. They will probably just forfeit in the preliminary round.”

The match officials completely gave up on Flame’s team.

And the next day, six days before the internal preliminaries.

“Hmm? What are those guys doing?”

Saturday morning.

A few coaches and players who showed up early on a weekend morning expressed their doubts after seeing some trainees practicing.

It is understandable, because Flame’s team, which was thought to have forfeited the match, was practicing from early in the morning.

“Ah, damn it. I came to give my kids special training today because it is the weekend, so I cannot watch…”

“Sigh, I also have to leave after watching my kids for a while until lunch.”

“Still, shall we watch for a moment since we are curious?”

“Well, those guys who were in that state a week ago, how much could they have changed…”

The player who was speaking until then closed his mouth after watching Flame’s team’s match.

The other officials were the same.

[Blue Team Wins!]

[Level 12 AI has been eliminated.]

“Wh, what?”

Just as they were about to watch the match, Flame’s team suddenly won against a level 12 AI.

“How did they do it? Did anyone, anyone see? Hey you! You have been sitting here since earlier!”

“Huh? I was watching my team…”

“Damn it…!”

Because there were so few people in the morning, no one had seen Flame’s team.

“To beat level 12…”

It is not easy for a student-level trainee.

No, it is impossible for beginners who have not even practiced properly.

It was only when they became amateur players who had rolled around in the League of Spirit battlefield and had become experienced enough to prove their skills that they could beat a level 12 AI and use it to prove their skills.

“Those guys haven’t practiced at all.”

“Did they go somewhere else to practice?”

“Where would a Stella student go? And they said they were stuck at home after school every day.”

“W, well, I do not know either…”

“Let’s wait. They will probably play another round.”

But Flame’s team, as if they knew how to tease people.

– Hey. It is lunch time.

– Oh, you are right. Shall we go eat?

– Sure. Let’s meet here again in the afternoon.

They are talking about eating again.

“Ah, damn it. I have a sponsor meeting at lunch, so I cannot come…”

Some team officials sighed, but for others, it was rather a good thing.

Anyway, it meant that they would practice here again after lunch.

‘Hmm. I should bring that player and ask him to analyze it.’

‘Did the coach want to see this match… I should contact him.’

They had time to gather their analysts.

Time passed quickly, lunch time was over, and when it was 1 PM.

“What? League of Spirit players came even on the weekend.”

“That is right. Is something going on?”

“Over there, the coach of Adalen Fires is also there…”

External big-shot analysts began to gather one by one, and finally, five young men and women appeared at the Stella Dome League of Spirit training ground.

-Difficulty selection. Level 12 AI.

Soon, with Flame’s small voice, the match began.

Even though it was not a professional league, all the officials were silent and focused their attention there.

For them, who were tired of the boring practice and analysis of teenage trainees… this mock battle was a very exciting match.

End of Chapter