In an extraordinarily slowed-down world.
Ordinary people could barely understand a snippet of what the geniuses were thinking.
Only after painfully reviewing personal screens could they comprehend what they were witnessing.
Bulcon provided commentary:
“Our team continuously monitors allies’ movements in real-time, only issuing orders when they diverge from the master plan. If teammates’ actions align with the plan, there’s no need for interference.”
“Truly a commander-type player.”
“The speed of decision-making is almost AI-like.”
The grand map conceptualized by Sol.
An algorithm immediately adjusted for any discrepancies within the conceptualized plan.
It was an almost mechanical playstyle that could not be described otherwise.
In certain fields, comparing a human to a machine was one of the highest praises.
In contrast, in other domains such descriptions amounted to the worst curses—an interesting irony.
“Why wouldn’t it be enough to rotate screens less often? Checking every ten seconds should suffice.”
“It’s a form of kiting. Like alternating between attacking and moving, it alternates between personal and teammates’ views, making it more efficient than just focusing on one.”
“A normal person would get dizzy or nauseous.”
“Directly asking the person themselves would be the best solution, but it’s regrettable that they seem reluctant to join.”
“Even just sharing their personal screen with us like this deserves gratitude.”
“It also appears to be an act of confidence. As if to say, ‘Here, try to follow if you can.'”
“Indeed, it doesn’t seem easy to follow.”
“If it were easy, the win rate wouldn’t be at eighty percent.”
—
[Anonymous has donated 1,000 won.]
─”??? : Since monsters move according to AI, what’s the point of checking the screen? (An actual quote)”
“Which brings us to this. They use skills on monsters, check teammates’ screens, move a bit, check again, and only glance at their own screen when controlling their character.”
“For an average person, it might feel like trying to follow a crane and ending up with torn legs.”
“One must know one’s limits.”
“The reason climbers ascend mountains is that there is a mountain to climb.”
“Are we just throwing around wise sayings today?”
—
Monsters also launched their attacks, and regular players tried to minimize damage during hunts by closely watching their own screens.
Map reading typically happened while traveling, but few checked others’ screens like they were while clearing monsters, with the exception of Victory and Sol.
Did these minor differences in detail lead to significant outcomes?
“But how do they accurately predict enemy movements just from allies’ screens?”
“They keep track so flawlessly, without ever triggering wards. It’s mindblowing.”
“That’s why the term ‘regressor’ came up.”
“Does that mean regressing with every game?”
“At least consider this as something everyone is potentially doing.”
“Huh?”
“Everyone?”
At this statement from Once, the two guests had question marks above their heads.
“What do you mean by ‘everyone’?”
“Prediction, simulation. Essentially, continuously projecting in their minds how all ten people will move.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Isn’t that what we think about during a typical game? Like, ‘There are more allies on this side,’ ‘There are more enemies on that side.’ Except now, this has become much more concrete.”
“Someone might be here, someone else over there. Their likely decisions, probable destinations.”
“Is the mental image much clearer?”
“Higher resolution imagination.”
“It’s like switching to a better graphics card.”
“I see what you mean.”
—
Loving games, computers, and novels, these three communicated through apt metaphors.
[Enemy Position Simulator ㄷㄷ]
[Are you imagining enemy positions during the entire game?]
[Shouldn’t you just rush in when you see them?]
[Is this how deep the game really is?]
Some lower-tier viewers or casual users couldn’t relate.
To them, the game was just about farming mobs, moving when nothing was there, and fighting when enemies appeared.
To them, the high-tier theories were overly complex.
Easy to learn, hard to master. In the lower tiers, you could play without much thought.
Since the mistakes in teamfights were far more crucial than the inefficiencies in farming.
And with both sides moving inefficiently, the advantages wouldn’t be exaggerated.
However, as you ascended through the higher tiers, smaller mistakes began to tip the scales. The games became about squeezing out every possible advantage.
With limited character capabilities, the skill gap eventually reached its peak, making even small mistakes increasingly consequential.
—
At the apex of power, having that singular superior situational awareness became an overwhelming edge!
Yet, it wasn’t an entirely new concept.
Rankers had simply mastered and implemented this well-known idea to an exceptional level.
Only by observing closely could others understand.
How this vast amount of information was absorbed and translated into more precise predictions.
“Our game isn’t fundamentally different. It’s just being played with superior efficiency.”
“Then they aren’t a genius?”
“But typically, that’s exactly what people call this.”
“Take someone running 100 meters in 5 seconds instead of 10 seconds. That’s a genius, right?”
“At least it’s more feasible than flying. You can try to catch up.”
“But this doesn’t fully explain it. It feels different from a regular solo rank.”
“I know why! There’s no one rebelling. Everyone follows Seol’s orders perfectly!”
“What kind of superpower is this?”
“I think I get it, I’ve played with them.”
“What’s this ability? Once, can you explain?”
“Reputation. Imagine if Victory gave an order. Wouldn’t you take it seriously?”
Much like a towering mountain, the higher you ascend, the more steeply it narrows. Thus, the number of people in the celestial tier is highly limited.
There’s a constant influx and outflow of members, but it fundamentally remains a tight-knit community, especially for those at the absolute top.
They meticulously read patch notes and stay updated on all gaming controversies.
When a superstar emerged in this exclusive circle, everyone noticed.
Seol, acclaimed by Victory herself. A perfect record to max level, a 90% win rate to reach Challenger in the shortest number of games, and the first woman to do so.
All these achievements added prestige to her commands.
Thus, Unspecified Gender Seol gained authority and weight unmatched by others.
“Since people follow the orders so well, the game becomes predictable, which leads to higher win rates, which again makes people follow better. It’s an amazing positive feedback loop.”
Wealth begets wealth, and poverty begets poverty. It’s not just about financial dynamics.
Good breeds good in positive feedback, bad breeds bad in negative feedback. Sol kept this positive feedback cycle going.
“Getting the opinions of five people in agreement is already a huge advantage. How many games are ruined due to split orders?”
“That’s truly amazing.”
“She’s more incredible the more you watch.”
“Instead of analyzing, it seems like you’re only praising her.”
“Just accurately analyzing that she’s good at what she does.”
—
[Anonymous has donated 1,000 won.]
“To the point where Seol feels embarrassed watching herself.”
—
[Still not in the watch list]
[Who actually watches the main channel? We all use the alternate accounts]
[I would have fully subscribed 100% if it were me]
[Sol quietly cheering in her alternate stream is just priceless]
[By the way, Seol is on a break today?]
[Is it really that she’s about to ascend to the heavens?]
[Thinking about Seol excitedly makes me burst into laughter]
[Sucking up? What? Delete the message]
—
“Conclusion, the game is played textbook style, but all stats are above average.”
“Lu Bu’s prowess with Zhuge Liang’s strategy.”
“Then, isn’t it unattainable? We need to enhance our skills. Train the fundamentals.”
“Not really. Isn’t it like having a textbook already, ours?”
“Textbook?”
“The personal screens we’re watching.”
“And new study materials keep appearing. Seol’s solo rank replays.”
“Learn by watching?”
“That’s how I see it.”
“The game is fast-paced, constant deaths, and quick respawns. Not many will play this way while overthinking.”
“But we have to if we’re aiming for the top.”
“Agree, physical prowess is as important as mental acumen. The coaching staff tries to cover that area.”
“Really, is the higher tier so thought-heavy? Yes, that’s how it is.”
“Scrappers’ salary is on the line, so we have to give it our all!”
“Yes! We’ll show you a better performance!”
The broadcast then transitioned to part 2, where they attempted to apply analyzed techniques directly in their rank games.
Kerberos, the three-headed gaming broadcast.
This broadcast later ignited a wave of change in the celestial ranks.
—
“Ah, they’re not here either. Their movements are too predictable.”
—
How does Sol predict the future so accurately?
It must be because the enemies move too predictably.
Why are they moving so predictably?
Because they’re selecting the best possible moves for the current game scenario.
Best.
Optimal choice.
What is “best”?
The one and only choice.
Because they chose the best play, their moves were almost comically obvious, like observing Buddha’s palm. A contradiction made feasible because everyone in the celestial tiers plays so predictably.
If it’s so predictable, shouldn’t it be easy to catch them off-guard?
No. Most people simply don’t fully comprehend the concept of reading the opponent’s path.
Even the top rankers.
In a game where ten players start at random ten starting points.
There are 3,628,800 possible configurations for ten different players at ten spots.
Simplified to two teams of five players, there are still 252 possible starting configurations. And countless variables affect the gameplay.
A perfect judgment, unless by a machine, is humanly impossible.
Players make the best possible decisions moment by moment, and these decisions were all transparent to Sol.
Since the potential choices in a game, though vast, are still limited by algorithms designed to maximize the player’s advantage.
But after Sol broadcasted her predictive abilities, some decided to adjust their strategies.
They started to intentionally choose suboptimal paths to counter Sol.
As a result, Sol’s predictive accuracy plunged in half.
—
[Was showing replays a bad move? They’re now countering Sol]
[Really, the celestial tier thinks a lot]
[Isn’t the game tiring when played like that?]
[For them, the game is life]
[You’d know only if you’ve ever ranked]
[The euphoria of victory is magnified]
“Countering it, huh? Flipped the logic around, but they’re choosing worse moves on purpose. Do I look that easy?”
—
Seol smirked.
Not winning through chance but overpowering with sheer skill.
Do you really think analyzing alone can beat that?
Merely improving isn’t enough.
More practice is required.
On the contrary, the added complexity made the game more enjoyable.
After all, a game is not fun if it’s too easy.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")