New Tactics
ESP Director Choi Han-gyu couldn't believe his own eyes. A 7-0 defeat? Even worse, getting crushed in a textbook formation battle on Imperial Bridge, a map famous for rewarding solid positioning and adherence to fundamentals over flashy tactics.
Of course, I knew Lee Chang-hyun was exceptional to some degree...
Everyone knew he'd won Hunters Next Generation and put up a solid showing against Lee Geun-taek. They'd prepared countermeasures accordingly: thicken the formation with double and triple layers of mana shields to block his sniping, then press forward from all sides.
It should have sealed him off completely. Instead, it was ESP whose limbs got tied up, collapsing without a fight.
His mind went blank. No thoughts came. What had gone wrong? Everything?
Was it my fault for coming here just to boost the players' confidence with an easy win?
No, definitely not. Even in defeat, he still believed his players' average skill outclassed PER's by a wide margin.
Then had they failed to adapt to the opponent? No—his players had reacted properly at every moment. If Lee Chang-hyun had slipped up even once when his formation crumbled, they could've ended it without taking a scratch.
And the way he had pushed himself so far forward made him impossible not to target. Momentary openings like that happened even in the first division, and taking advantage of them was standard play.
The problem is a player who uses even those gaps as bait...
Choi Han-gyu had never seen anything like it. Hell, it wasn't a tactic anyone in their right mind would attempt. How do you expose yourself in a position where getting caught means game over? The risk was enormous—like tightrope walking over a fatal drop.
How could anyone play like that...?
Setting aside stats and skills, the word crack felt tailor-made for him.
And with that, his thoughts drifted to the league starting soon.
That arrogant bastard’s claim that the third division would be a cakewalk... it might actually turn out to be true.
After the practice match ended, the team's mood was sky-high—the first win in ages, even if it was just scrimmage.
"How'd you pull that off?"
Yi Gil-han, who'd quietly followed after losing to Lee Chang-hyun once before, finally spoke up, curiosity getting the better of him. Or maybe it was realizing he didn't always have to carry everything himself.
"What's the most important thing in a formation battle?"
"Keeping the formation from breaking, obviously."
"Then how do you break the enemy's?"
Yi Gil-han was stumped. And in that moment, he realized Lee Chang-hyun saw far beyond what he'd ever considered.
Lee Chang-hyun answered his own question. "Make them break it themselves, or shatter it with raw power. One or the other."
Yi Gil-han nodded, thinking, It's so obvious in hindsight... why didn't I see it?
"What I did was make them dismantle their own. Technically, I leaked a gap in their defense formation to bait them into switching to offense, then hit the transition."
Now it all clicked—why he'd ordered the main squad to hold position no matter what. Why he'd exposed himself alone outside the formation. In retrospect, it felt like flawless logic.
Like water flowing—smooth, no hitches anywhere...
But Yi Gil-han knew that seamless execution made it brilliant tactics. He'd never pulled off anything that intricate in a real match, no matter how hard he schemed.
"Surprised? Too simple?"
"Nah, it's the kind of answer anyone would nod at. What shocked me was the team's coordination. You drill this beforehand without me?"
Yoon Han-gyeol had jumped in—the rookie who'd sat out with Han Ji-su.
"No drills. That's why we stuck to a simple formation."
Yoon Han-gyeol reflected: PER had formed up once and barely budged, while ESP shifted from defense to offense and even advanced—only to crumble.
He accounted for the team's inexperience in the strategy...
It hit him anew. He'd thought personal power was Yoon Han-gyeol's edge, but Lee Chang-hyun wielded something greater.
"Phew... so that’s the plan from now on? With Do-jun and Ji-su back, we’ll be even stronger than we were today—the third division should be easy, right?"
Yoon Han-gyeol's face relaxed. He'd clearly worried about joining PER.
But reality was brutally honest.
"No way. ESP's a 9th-place team—we racked up points, sure, but lower ranks might fall for it again. Top teams? Probably not. And hammering one tactic wears thin fast."
"...Then what? I came here betting on you—this feels irresponsible."
Han Ji-su cut in as the vibe shifted.
Fair enough... Unlike others, she'd joined lured by promises of fat contracts and career boosts. Anxiety made sense.
"That's why we prep other tactics."
"Other tactics? With no super-special abilities in this lineup?"
Individually, the skills were solid: Yoon Han-gyeol's Seven Flying Swords, Han Ji-su's gravity, Yi Gil-han's charge. But synergy? Lacking.
That's what she thinks, anyway.
"Doesn't have to be ability-to-ability."
"...? Why bring up Mana Bomber?"
"We'll use these instead. Memorize it—our team's becoming Mana Bomber experts from now on."
"????"
Most blinked at the sudden gear pivot amid ability talk. Training day dawned.
The next day, Lee Chang-hyun customized training manuals one-on-one.
"Just control swords and float multiples?"
Yoon Han-gyeol's eyes widened—uncharacteristic pushback.
"Problem?"
"Multiple swords dilute precision—reduces the point of flying blades."
Valid point. Fine swordplay needed focus; splitting attention was basic no-no.
But Lee Chang-hyun knew better.
This guy's potential is way higher.
Pre-regression, he'd handled seven casually, three at pro level. Now? Barely pushing two.
To accelerate growth, shatter his limits himself.
And for that tactic, multiples were essential.
Stone-faced, he said, "Suit yourself if you hate it."
His disappointed glare screamed, Is that all you've got?
Perfect psychology—Yoon Han-gyeol idolized him enough to follow anywhere.
It worked like a charm. A sigh, a ponder, then, "Fine. Always knew it'd come. How many?"
Cocky now. But no half-measures in PER.
"Seven."
Yoon Han-gyeol's face twisted grotesquely.
***
"What? Practice dropping distant targets precisely one by one?"
Han Ji-su was trickier—surprise she'd even joined.
"Finer control, the better."
"Weak gravity tweaks won't help offense."
Perplexed expression. Made sense without context—gravity shone wide and heavy.
"Tell me the plan, or how am I supposed to buy in?"
Still feisty post-beating. Her true colors, maybe.
No beatings now—they were teammates. She could handle details.
"Use your gravity to drop bombs."
"Bombs? What bombs?"
"Mana Bombers."
Han Ji-su pondered deeply. Stumped solo.
"Plan's this: Hang Mana Bombers on Yoon Han-gyeol's Seven Flying Swords. You drop 'em mid-flight with gravity. Battlefield bombers, duo-style."
Chin-stroking dawning realization. Admiration.
"So the new tactic..."
"Yep. That's PER's new playbook."
Yoon Han-gyeol, Han Ji-su, and Mana Bombers. He could already picture the devastation.