I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 80

Soul Chess.

To Baek Yu-Seol, it was a tedious and frustrating game.

In the Aether World, soul chess was everywhere.

Persona gates, dungeons, ruins, and more often had mages play chess, build rapport, or persuade key characters.

Unlike conventional chess, soul chess involved placing pieces with various abilities. It was more akin to a turn-based role-playing game (TRPG).

However, Baek Yu-Seol wasn't particularly smart, so he didn't excel at it.

But the same held true for other players; they, too, had no choice but to devise strategies and exploit their foes with the system's assistance.

Did his forces stand a better chance against the enemy's ranks?

Was the formation he arranged more favorable than that of his opponent?

This was where Baek Yu-Seol held the upper hand.

Though he had never confronted Edmon in person, the forms and tactics of the pieces he employed were carefully documented within his glasses.

In other words, studying the guidebook would allow him to play soul chess.

Moreover, he could use the Sentient Specs to analyze the opponent's chess patterns and determine the moves that had the highest probability of leading to victory.

In essence, with the strategy guide and his ‘AlphaGo’ by his side, Baek Yu-Seol was unbeatable.

Unaware of this fact, Edmon looked at the chessboard before him confidently.

‘Ha, soul chess?’

His anxiety had vanished. Now, he could survey his surroundings with ease.

The pledge document had been signed. All that remained was to triumph in soul chess and secure the rights to trade items.

"Hey, are Senior Edmon and the first-year student going to play soul chess?"

"They’re not just playing; it's a bet. They’re playing soul chess for stakes."

"To the point of signing a pledge document..."

"Senior will win, right?"

"Well, obviously. Have you seen anyone in Stella who plays soul chess better than Edmon?"

The crowd of spectators had grown larger without Baek Yu-Seol even noticing.

At first, their presence felt somewhat burdensome, but now he found himself wishing for an even greater audience.

That way, he could let everyone witness his triumph.

Edmon cast a fond glance at Hong Bi-Yeon, who sat beside him.

However, she merely closed her eyes, crossed her legs, and sipped her coffee leisurely, not sparing them so much as a glance.

Though her indifferent demeanor was vexing, it hardly mattered.

She would be his, and no one would dare stand in his way.

With such convictions, Edmon locked eyes with Baek Yu-Seol.

Meanwhile, Hong Bi-Yeon's thoughts were a whirlwind of chaos.

‘What is he thinking? Soul chess…’

Of all things, Baek Yu-Seol had chosen the discipline Edmon excelled in.

It felt utterly insane.

If he were to lose now, everything would be for nothing.

‘Does he have a plan?’

Even if Baek Yu-Seol was rumored to possess a sharp mind, defeating Edmon - hailed as a prodigy of soul chess and trained since the age of five - seemed impossible.

Aware of this truth, Edmon spoke with unwavering composure,

"Well, junior. Let's start by placing our pieces. You can go first."

Baek Yu-Seol nodded without hesitation.

Surrendering the initiative so easily in such a crucial wager… there could be no greater fool than Edmon.

"Yes."

They arranged their pieces on a chessboard far larger than a standard one, its shape forming a perfect octagon.

Even the act of placing the pieces became a battle of wits.

Taking turns, they each selected five pieces at a time, studying their opponent's choices, crafting strategies, and meticulously deciding which pieces to deploy.

[Edmon Atalek usually deploys the forces of the 'Unbreakable Flame Troop.' He focuses on firepower, so be cautious.]

[If he has the first move, there is a high possibility that he will move 'Burning Golem' or set up 'Scorched Earth' on the field. It would be good for you to prepare 'Frozen Glacier' in anticipation, but if you haven't...]

Countless strategies from Edmon Atalek's soul chess unfolded before Baek Yu-Seol’s eyes.

Drawing from that, his augmented reality specs began analyzing patterns, projecting the most optimal path like a holographic map in the air.

Following that, he calmly placed his pieces on the chessboard.

Psychological warfare was unnecessary.

No matter what moves were made, the advantage was his.

"Hmm...?"

As Edmon arranged his pieces, a slight furrow formed on his brow.

He never underestimates an opponent, especially one bold enough to wager on soul chess. Yet, witnessing Baek Yu-Seol’s calculated placements after observing only a handful of pieces left him feeling cornered from the very beginning.

A flicker of unease struck him, but he quickly shoved it aside.

Such a minor setback could be overturned with his wealth of experience and superior strategies.

He had fought countless battles like this and was familiar with them.

"Ahem, shall we begin?"

Baek Yu-Seol responded by moving his piece to take the first move.

'Hmm?'

He started off aggressively.

Sending a piece with both high attack and defense close to his territory showed Baek Yu-Seol's boldness, which slightly surprised Edmon.

Not in a good way, but a bad one.

‘Does this commoner not know that this is an exploration game?’

For Edmon, this wasn’t an unfavorable development.

If he could cripple his opponent’s forces early on, it would tilt the scales in his favor.

Matching boldness with boldness, Edmon advanced his limited three pieces without hesitation.

'Speedrun knight.'

It wasn't a piece with strong offensive power, but it had exceptional mobility, capable of covering the entire map.

Clang!

As Edmon’s piece advanced, it swiftly captured one of Baek Yu-Seol’s pieces, shattering it into specks of light.

Yet, Baek Yu-Seol remained unfazed and promptly moved his next piece. This time, he applied pressure from an entirely different angle.

True to form, it was an aggressive maneuver, but it failed to deal any meaningful damage to Edmon’s forces.

Instead, Edmon capitalized on his superior mobility, swiftly picking off Baek Yu-Seol’s key pieces one after another.

'This is easy.'

Edmon’s lips curled into a confident smile. He made no effort to conceal it, continuing the game with an air of ease.

Meanwhile, Hong Bi-Yeon bit her lip anxiously, her face clouded with worry.

'What is he trying to do?’

Baek Yu-Seol felt the same.

‘Seriously, what am I doing?’

Although he trusted the analysis provided by the spec, he couldn't grasp the strategy behind it at all.

However, as Edmon’s pieces gradually infiltrated Baek Yu-Seol’s territory, a change happened.

"Hm?"

By the time they snapped back to their senses, three of Baek Yu-Seol's pieces had claimed key positions, activating a field magic effect.

[Trap: Lockdown]

By creating a prison within a designated narrow space, the field effect trapped the affected pieces, preventing their escape for five turns.

Whether by sheer coincidence or calculated strategy, all three of Edmon’s mobility-focused pieces - the swift and agile speedrun knights - had been caught in the trap.

'What…?'

It had to be a coincidence.

Five turns - just five turns - weren’t nearly enough to overturn the situation.

Furthermore.

'Haha, I can complete my field soon!’

In soul chess, victory wasn’t achieved by simply capturing the opponent’s pieces. It required relentless attacks to gradually wear down their defenses.

However, a field magic that significantly increased the attack power of all of Edmon’s pieces was activated.

[Field: Scorched Earth]

A field that reduced the defense of opponents who had weak defense against fire and increased the owner’s attack power.

It was incredibly difficult to complete this field as it required occupying points in five different locations.

But, once it was completed, the opponent would be overwhelmed in an instant.

‘It's over. How many times have I secretly moved my pieces to occupy these points?’

Edmon had completely failed to notice this strategy and was engaged in meaningless actions.

[Captured: Reversed Ground]

"...Huh?"

As Baek Yu-Seol moved his piece, Edmon unintentionally blurted out a dumbfounded remark.

Without realizing it, a lowly pawn had somehow snatched control of a specific point.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have any effect, but if the opponent occupied it while the [Field] was active, they would gain the [Reversal] effect.

In other words, the fiery [Scorched Earth] instantly turned into the [Frozen Ground].

"This is….”

‘How did he manage to complete [Reversal] right after [Scorched Earth]?’

That meant Baek Yu-Seol had completely seen through Edmon’s intentions.

‘No, no! If I devour all the pieces on the points, I can reclaim my field!’

Biting his lips anxiously, Edmon attempted to move his speedrun knight to attack the points.

'Oh.'

He realized that all his speedrun knights were trapped by [Lockdown] and were unable to move.

From that point on, he couldn't think of anything.

‘What should I... do...?’

There was no escape.

With the speedrun knights trapped, he had no pieces capable of reaching the opponent’s key positions.

Yet, if he chose to release the field himself, all the effort he had invested thus far would be rendered meaningless.

It would be nothing short of suicide.

‘No, no. Maybe he was just lucky to see through my strategy. If I calmly refine my forces and fight again, I’ll win…’

Edmon clenched his teeth tightly and released [Scorched Earth]. As a result, its effect melted away.

‘Good, now I need to regroup and—’

However, before he could even finish his thoughts...

Bang!

Baek Yu-Seol’s piece moved without hesitation.

It was a relentless and aggressive movement.

'Uh...'

Edmon was momentarily shaken, but he gradually regained his composure. He needed to decipher his opponent’s strategy. If he could find a crack in their defenses, the opponent would undoubtedly falter and expose a weakness.

Slowly and carefully. That was how he ought to proceed.

However...

Bang! Bang!

While Edmon contemplated for five minutes, Baek Yu-Seol only took five seconds to think. He moved with no hesitation whatsoever, and as soon as Edmon’s turn ended, he swiftly swept his pieces like a tidal wave.

At that moment, a chilling sense of dread washed over Edmon. It felt as though he was playing chess against a soulless entity… one devoid of blood, tears, or mercy.

Suddenly, the Baek Yu-Seol in front of him seemed distant and remote.

Edmon found himself unable to meet that cold, emotionless gaze.

His hands trembled violently as he gripped his piece, but the realization struck… there was no escape.

The opponent revealed no weaknesses, repelling every assault and utterly annihilating his forces with brutal, unrelenting precision.

In that moment, despair gripped him. It felt as if he stood powerless before an overwhelming mage, crushed under sheer, unstoppable force.

Never before had he faced an opponent who moved with such ruthless logic and icy detachment. It sent chills down his spine… chills so sharp they nearly brought him to tears.

'Heh, heh… heh…'

He’d lost.

He refused to acknowledge the glaring truth, but the harder he resisted, the more he felt like a writhing worm beneath the shadow of a giant.

In the end, Edmon reached out with trembling fingers and tipped over his own king.

Thud!

A silent declaration of utter defeat.

He buried his head in his hands, overwhelmed by despair.

‘What on earth is happening...?’

Sweat droplets formed on his sharp nose. Even in the messy situation, he couldn't do anything to resolve it.

‘It must be a dream.’

It had to be a dream.

This was a game he absolutely couldn't lose.

‘Yeah, this can’t be reality.’

Unfortunately, the noise surrounding him was an unrelenting reminder of reality.

"Did Senior Edmon really lose?"

"How could that even happen?"

"Did you see that strategy? It was absolutely insane!"

"I don’t know a thing about soul chess, so I couldn’t follow any of it..."

"But he completely overwhelmed him, didn’t he? Senior Edmon didn’t even stand a chance."

Amid the murmuring crowd, Hong Bi-Yeon slipped away unnoticed, while Baek Yu-Seol rose to his feet, clutching a paper.

For someone who had played a chess game as cold and emotionless as a machine, the gentle smile he now wore as he offered a slight bow was almost difficult to believe.

"It was a good match. Well done."

After speaking those parting words, Baek Yu-Seol swiftly departed from the café, leaving Edmon behind to shake his head in disbelief.

It wasn't a dream. It was reality.

And now, that reality weighed on him with crushing clarity.