*Pulleim Team vs. 12th Level AI*

[The match has started.]

The game began with a simple message appearing onscreen, lacking any fanfare or commentary due to its relatively low profile. However, most of the seats in the observer area were already occupied, their attention fixed on the action.

Normally, Saturday afternoon in the observers' area would be empty except for a few training supervisors, but today it was buzzing with interest.

"The start looks standard enough."

The supervisors carefully observed Pulleim’s team's positioning.

In the *League of Spirits* game, players who excel at one-on-one combat are usually placed in the central and ascension lanes. Here, those spots were held by Mayuseong and Baek Yuseol, respectively.

“They’re already looking different from last time.”

A week ago, their gameplay had been disastrous. Without even a basic radar, they had no map awareness and displayed inefficient movement patterns when hunting minions.

But in just a week, they were moving on par with average trainees, understanding the basics of the meta and adapting accordingly.

“The spells are completely different from before.”

“Right. Seems like they’re clear on what works best.”

“Of course, the choice of spells changes depending on the opponent’s strategy and magic lineup, so players need to practice various spell combinations.”

With only seven spells available, opponents could easily memorize them and counter their effects. Thus, players had to experiment with different spell combinations to adapt and survive longer in *Rios*.

“Baek Yuseol is still only using *Blink*.”

Due to technicalities, techniques like *Taeryeong Divine Art* weren’t classified as “magic,” leaving Baek Yuseol limited to just *Blink* in the arena.

The observers were puzzled.

If he couldn’t use offensive magic, how was he planning to deal damage?

The answer came when Baek Yuseol bought a single auxiliary item: [Magic Sword].

“Magic Sword, huh…”

“Is that really worth anything?”

“They say in reality, Magic Swords can be customized for better performance, but that’s not possible in *Rios*, is it?”

Baek Yuseol’s specially modified Terrifon Wand transformed into a Magic Sword, granting it unique power. However, within *Rios*, Magic Swords had low attack power and were merely used for keeping opponents at bay in close-range, with no real killing potential.

Auxiliary items also have limited upgrade paths, so relying on one for the entire match may work initially, but it becomes a handicap as the game progresses.

"We’ll just have to wait and see."

Calm and focused, Baek Yuseol used the Magic Sword to hunt minions.

As he swung the sword gracefully, he dodged every attack from the AI-controlled monsters, moving with fluidity. Compared to other mages, who often had to stand still or move slowly while casting spells, Baek Yuseol’s flexible movements and high attack speed set him apart.

But that was all.

While his basic attacks had decent power, they lacked any decisive impact.

[A fight has broken out!]

Not long into the match, a skirmish broke out in the central lane. Mayuseong used a low-power, fast-recharging ranged spell to poke at the enemy while hunting minions to gain experience. The moment he unlocked his *Power Jump* spell, he leapt toward the enemy.

The observers quickly analyzed Mayuseong’s move.

Pulleim was waiting in a nearby alley, while the enemy’s alley lane players had moved down to support the descending lane.

Normally, a central lane player would try to initiate the fight by pulling the enemy toward their own base, using stuns or other disabling spells to temporarily incapacitate the enemy, waiting for backup from their allies in the alley.

So naturally, everyone expected Mayuseong to do just that…

"Huh?"

*Boom!*

Instead of bringing the enemy closer to his team, he leapt forward with *Power Jump* and delivered a powerful impact to the enemy’s chest, sending them flying back.

He then mixed in his poke spell with basic attacks, slowly chipping away at the enemy's health. Just as Pulleim’s “special monster” hunting completed, their team gained additional resources. Mayuseong immediately purchased another spell, finishing off his opponent on the spot.

[First casualty!]

Mayuseong returned with just a sliver of health remaining.

“What…?”

“Aren’t they supposed to be working together?”

In a typical match, Pulleim would’ve rushed in to assist. Instead, she merely glanced at Mayuseong and continued cleaning up alley minions.

Mayuseong’s spell choices also suggested he intended to fight alone, focusing on finishing off opponents rather than team coordination.

“The timing was intentional, though…”

Reflecting, the observers noticed Mayuseong’s precise entry coincided with Pulleim’s special monster kill.

He had correctly predicted that Pulleim would complete the monster hunt, allowing him to unlock a new spell mid-fight, seizing the perfect moment to engage.

Mayuseong’s keen sense of timing allowed him to identify gaps in the enemy’s defense, taking into account their cooldowns and the health of Pulleim’s special monster.

“His sense of timing is impressive… but that courage to leap in solo is something else.”

“Isn’t the real problem their lack of trust? It’s like they’re all playing separately, focusing entirely on individual play.”

“They don’t seem to have any spells that synergize with each other, acting as if each player is on their own.”

“What’s their plan…?”

*League of Spirits* is a 5-on-5 team sport that requires collaboration, not solo play.

After five minutes, then ten minutes, Pulleim’s team still hadn’t performed a proper coordinated play.

Each player fought their own battles, and whenever multiple enemies appeared, they would abandon their positions and retreat.

Around the fifteen-minute mark, one of the spectators finally noticed Baek Yuseol.

“Huh? What’s that item?”

Within *Rios*, certain items became trendy, while others never saw use in matches.

One such item, displayed by Baek Yuseol, was the *Pendant of Obsession*—an item no one had ever seen in play.

*Pendant of Obsession*

- **Required Mana:** 2,700 MP
- **Equipped Effects:** Attack Power +90, Attack Speed +7%
- **Special Effect:** When you hit an enemy with 10 basic attacks, your next hit triggers the *Obsession Destruction* spell, dealing 274% of your attack power.
- **Cooldown:** 60 seconds

On paper, its usefulness seemed unclear.

Compared to other items that required 2,700 MP, most of which boosted stats by 200 points, this item only increased attack power by 90.

Its special effect seemed odd, too. Basic attacks were difficult to land ten times consecutively in battle, especially with a sword.

“Sure, 274% is a lot.”

“But how do you get ten hits in a fight?”

“Especially with Baek Yuseol’s sword. It’s not even a ranged spell.”

“And the cooldown’s a whole 60 seconds.”

Then, Baek Yuseol bought another unusual item.

*Rhythmic Boots*

- **Required Mana:** 2,700 MP
- **Equipped Effects:** Movement Speed +125, Attack Speed +12%, Mana Recovery +70
- **Special Effect:** When you hit an enemy, the cooldown of ‘special effect items’ decreases by 3 seconds.

The observers finally understood his plan.

“With these boots, he can continually reduce the Pendant’s cooldown by attacking, stacking up damage…”

Though theoretically sound, they were unsure if it was viable in practice.

At that moment, a 1-on-2 situation unfolded as two enemies from the ascension and alley lanes emerged, surrounding Baek Yuseol.

Normally, he should have retreated, but limited to only three consecutive *Blinks*, he risked being outmaneuvered.

Surprisingly, instead of fleeing, Baek Yuseol attacked minions along his escape path, landing finishing blows on them.

With the enemies closing in, this behavior seemed reckless, if not overly ambitious.

“He’s done for.”

As the enemy's charge spell closed in, Baek Yuseol suddenly turned and blinked straight into his opponent’s range.

"Is he actually going to fight?"

The 12th Level AI opponents boasted superior growth and gear, matching veteran players.

But despite this, Baek Yuseol blinked towards the enemy in rapid succession, slicing through them.

[Obsession Destruction activated!]

With a brilliant flash, the enemy staggered and collapsed to their knees, immobilized.

A powerful stun effect!

“What the…?”

“This is insane!”

With just one attack, the special effect triggered. How?

Baek Yuseol didn’t stop there, flipping backward to launch a fire grenade, creating a fiery barrier for three seconds—a rare, mana-consuming item.

Usually, it was too difficult to hit the full three seconds, but the stunned enemy took the entire blast, burning to death.

Then Baek Yuseol blinked again, dodging every spell from his remaining foe. With twenty consecutive attacks, he alternated between minions and players, triggering another radiant flash.

[Obsession Destruction activated!]

The second enemy fell instantly.

With two foes defeated, Baek Yuseol used a sticky bomb to destroy the enemy tower before calmly returning as the remaining enemies respawned.

“I get it now… He doesn’t have to hit the same enemy ten times. By building stacks on minions, he can finish off an opponent with just one blow.”

“He really managed that…”

“Amazing, but I’m still not sure…”

While effective, stacking up on minions seemed overly complex

, when he could simply focus on boosting his magic power and landing powerful spells.

“It’s impressive, though. I’ve never seen anyone use disposable items this creatively.”

“And this is only their second training match?”

“To think he’s created his own item build and strategy already…”

Though they had figured out Baek Yuseol’s method, the observers couldn’t shake their discomfort. His approach was simply unrepeatable for most players.

The match was now in its final stages, with Pulleim’s team continuing solo play without teamwork.

Finally, as the *Chaos Guardian* appeared—granting immense buffs to whichever team defeated it—the situation escalated into a high-stakes battle.

To everyone’s shock, instead of contesting the *Chaos Guardian*, Baek Yuseol stayed in the ascension lane to attack towers, while Pulleim swept through the enemy’s alley minions.

Even Haewonryang and Aizel briefly engaged before losing interest and moving on.

“What are they doing?”

Securing the *Chaos Guardian* was practically essential to win this late-game buff.

"Could they really not know?”

That was impossible. They had clearly mastered the basics in a week.

In that case…

"Could it be… that they don’t need the Guardian buff to win?”

With everyone holding their breath, Baek Yuseol suddenly used the *Jump Gear* item, jumping to a pre-set location undetected by the enemy.

When the AI team finally reacted, Baek Yuseol swiftly blinked into their formation and unleashed a series of attacks.

[Obsession Destruction activated.]

[Final Attack triggered with an additional hit.]

[Attack Crusher activated, guaranteeing a critical hit.]

[Weakness Surge activated, dealing 30% extra damage to enemies below 10% HP.]

Though normally unused, Baek Yuseol’s mastery of basic attacks made full use of his item setup, striking the *Chaos Guardian* with a deadly slash, killing it instantly.

[Blue Team has defeated the Chaos Guardian!]

[Baek Yuseol has fallen!]

Though Baek Yuseol quickly died to the AI’s retaliation, Pulleim’s team overwhelmed the AI with their newfound buffs.

Without any coordinated strategy, they crushed the 12th Level AI, showcasing unmatched individual skill.

Though their style of play defied conventional strategies, Pulleim’s team emerged victorious with unexpected ease.

“Amazing, but…”

“What can you even call this?”

An unprecedented display of nontraditional tactics left the observers speechless as they tried to analyze the match objectively.

“Nothing but a novelty.”

While impressive against an AI, it was a risky and unreliable approach for a real competition.

“Beating the 12th Level AI in a week is incredible, but this won’t work in actual matches.”

“Yes. The academy’s league participants are practically at an amateur pro level. Would this bizarre, reckless strategy hold up against them?”

While extraordinary, experts foresaw a limit to their growth.