Chapter 296: Dark Demon不动明王 (4k)
“Letting me go easy on you is fine.”
Dark smiled slightly, putting away the chess pieces on the board and looking at Tudor, “So, did you bring your own pieces?”
Clearly prepared, Tudor immediately pulled out an exquisite chess box and sat opposite Dark.
Seeing that they were about to start the game, Fatso Pistons quickly called his classmates over, soon surrounding them.
This was the first time the first-year students had seen Dark so leisurely playing chess in the common room, naturally piquing their curiosity.
Both sides had already picked up their pieces and started with three level one pieces.
The pieces were ranked from level 1 to level 2, and initially, only level 1 pieces could be placed.
However, as the game progressed, players could use specific rules to upgrade their pieces.
Upgrading to level 2 allowed for placing level 2 pieces.
Reaching level 3 enabled the placement of level 3 pieces.
Dark’s initial three pieces were three level one goblins with bond glows—clearly obtained from Professor Kazel!
Tudor’s opening move was three level one lizards of a strong attack type.
…
From the handling of the pieces, Dark was clearly a novice, while Tudor, though perhaps not highly skilled, had rich experience.
If his opponent wasn’t Dark Demon, most people would likely think he was going to win.
Tudor himself seemed to believe this as well.
After a few moves, he was convinced Dark was a true beginner and couldn’t help feeling gleeful.
He had a chance to beat Dark today!
If he truly won, he could brag about it for a whole year!
At the beginning, Tudor took advantage of his understanding of the game mechanics and indeed gained the upper hand.
He successfully built momentum.
In contrast, Dark’s pieces were gradually eliminated, often falling into crisis.
But when everyone thought Tudor would win smoothly.
Dark finally met the conditions to upgrade his level to 3 and began placing level 3 pieces, instantly reversing the situation!
…
Several minutes later.
Tudor, looking egg-stricken at the “Vampire Vlad” standing on his “castle,” couldn’t help but say, “3000 attack and defense! Your ‘Vampire Vlad’ is really unfair!”
Dark smiled, picking up the “Vampire Vlad” piece and casually revealing the bottom, exposing the carefully replicated official emblem made by Professor Kazel.
A few students equally astonished by the strength of the piece promptly shut up.
Since the magic chess guild began selling new pieces, old versions of magic chess were almost abandoned.
Though the new pieces lost fairness due to their varying strengths,
the purpose of spending money to draw pieces was to break fairness and crush opponents.
If after spending a lot of money on rare powerful pieces, one couldn’t gain any advantage on the board, who would still spend?
So don’t blame the pieces if you lose; blame yourself for not investing enough!
“Congratulations, congratulations.”
Dark put the pieces back into the box and closed the chessboard with a smile.
One should never go too far.
Since “Vampire Vlad” had already made its debut, continuing wouldn’t make much sense.
Stopping in time was the best way to avoid future losses.
So, today’s game ended here.
…
“How about another round?”
Tudor stared at Dark, wanting revenge.
But Dark didn’t give him that chance.
Once the chessboard was tidied up, Dark calmly returned to the dormitory, leaving behind the legend of the invincible “Vampire.”
The students began discussing once he left.
3000 attack and defense, an unusually powerful ultimate skill—without the anti-counterfeiting emblem, many might have subconsciously mistaken it for an unofficial pirated piece!
“It’s too strong! Where did Dark get such a rare piece? Could it really be drawn?” Tudor frowned.
Pistons pondered, “Under normal circumstances, the likelihood of drawing it is actually the highest. After all, who would want to sell such a powerful piece they drew?”
Tudor: “Then why can’t I draw one?”
Pistons: “Equal input equals output. Maybe he drew more? I remember during the welcome ceremony, Dark received a full ten thousand credits!”
Tudor frowned, “That’s something we can’t compare to.”
Pistons curiously asked, “Tudor, do you remember what reason he got those ten thousand credits for?”
Tudor recalled, “Let me think… It was during Halloween and the long holiday… It seems like he saved someone?”
Pistons: “Who did he save?”
Tudor: “I don’t know.”
…
Tudor and others’ discussions grew heated.
Returning to his dorm, Dark had already temporarily set aside these matters.
He was discussing a longer-term plan with the professors.
He didn’t plan to achieve results within a day or two.
Therefore, his focus remained on writing the arithmetic textbook.
…
Two days later…
When Dark entered the classroom, Robert suddenly asked him, “Hey, Dark, I heard you have a great magic chess piece?”
Dark knew his plan had begun to unfold.
News of his “Vampire Vlad” piece had spread from the Noble Academy to the Knight Academy.
Gradually reaching the higher grades and then the entire academy.
This small part of the plan was complete.
Dark winked at Robert and said, “You know, the ‘Vampire’ piece.”
Robert paused for a moment, and Dark walked past him to the other corner of the classroom.
Wit nudged him with his elbow and whispered, “Did you hear that, Robert? Just as I guessed, it’s Vampire Vlad! Do you know what this means?”
Robert snapped back to reality, somewhat angry, “The magic chess guild can’t possibly sell pieces based on Vlad! Dark must be using a pirated piece! How can he do this?”
Wit: “Dark is different. He lacks the spirit of a chess player, just a beginner blinded by victory.”
Robert pondered for a long time and suddenly looked up, “No! I have to make him understand that this is wrong!”
Wit: “How? Tell others he’s using a pirated piece? Hey, Professor Shylph warned us not to reveal anything about Vlad.”
“No, it’s unrelated to Vlad!” Robert clenched his fist firmly, determined, “I have to make him realize that the strength of a single piece doesn’t decide the outcome! Magic chess must not be desecrated!”
Wit: “You can do it, friend!”
Robert: “So, friend, I need your support!”
Wit: “With all my might!”
Robert: “Alright, lend me some credits!”
Wit: “??”
Robert: “I only have twenty-one pieces of the old version of magic chess. To win, I need to buy new ones.”
Wit: “But Robert, Valentine’s Day is coming soon…”
…
St. Maryan in February still clung to winter’s tail.
There was no hint of spring’s warmth.
Professor Metia made a small prediction in her astronomy class on Wednesday evening.
The young magi knew that there would be snow on Valentine’s Day!
They lacked the awareness of “snow heralds a good harvest,” but they felt joy at the sight of a silver world.
Combined with the special occasion of Valentine’s Day, it was as romantic as Christmas!
On that day, confessing to someone you like might receive the blessing of the Winter Goddess!
“Hey, wake up! It’s already spring!”
In the next day’s history of magic class, Professor Ryan Hux lectured about the harshness of marching in the snow and the several disastrous battles due to heavy snow, dampening the young magi’s anticipation for the snowy Valentine’s Day.
But in St. Maryan, rumors about it still spread.
Beyond the cold and inconvenience, snow always gave a sense of purity.
Linking snow to love, it felt natural and pure.
Without any ulterior motives or impurities.
Only pure love.
Teenagers are often easily immersed in their own fabricated emotions.
In the name of cherishing the present, they don’t consider the sustainability of the future.
But looking back, perhaps this is youth.
…
February 9th, Friday.
It seemed as if a week had passed.
Dark was busy writing and revising the arithmetic textbook, even having little time to notice the impact of the “Vampire” magic chess piece.
Forget about snow and Valentine’s Day.
He drew “Bliss” three times on the nights of the 4th, 5th, and 6th.
He drew “Pride” twice on the nights of the 7th and 8th.
Finally lowering both “Bliss” and “Pride” to a slightly acceptable level.
Tonight, he planned to continue drawing “Bliss.”
His goal was to keep both “Pride” and “Bliss” around 100 points.
…
Even so.
Dark felt the growing atmosphere of romance.
Glancing around, it seemed everyone was secretly doing something.
Valentine’s Day in this world was quite different from his previous life.
People clearly distinguished between Valentine’s Day on February 14th and White Day on March 14th.
Boys and girls would give gifts to their loved ones on this day to express affection.
If the relationship was mutual, receiving a gift might come with one in return.
But if it was one-sided, you’d have to wait a month for a response.
This one-month interval contained a form of kindness.
Expressing the value of love, encouraging people to think more carefully rather than impulsively making decisions under the influence of the moment.
It also avoided the awkwardness of immediate replies.
Giving a gift was a subtle confession.
Receiving a gift on White Day was a positive response.
For the reserved, this was a good way to express love.
…
This year’s Valentine’s Day falls next Wednesday.
Thus, from today until Sunday, it’s the last time students can go to Traveler’s Street to buy gifts.
On Friday afternoon, the crowd surged into Traveler’s Street like a tide.
Standing at the window of the castle’s second floor, Dark watched, feeling a peculiar sensation.
He enjoyed his youth during Halloween and Christmas last year.
But these two weeks in February were exhausting.
Occasionally, he wondered who might give him gifts and how he would respond.
“The first-year students, I’ve clearly refused before Christmas. They shouldn’t send anymore, right?”
Thinking along these lines.
Dark turned to leave for the tower of the Noble Academy.
…
At the same time.
Wit, Robert, Diana, and Rose all followed the crowd into Traveler’s Street.
Wit was still considering whether to give a gift on Valentine’s Day.
If he decided to give one, should he buy it or make it himself?
Store-bought chocolates were beautifully packaged and tasted better.
Handmade ones might be rough but showed more sincerity.
Wit didn’t expect a positive response.
But sincerity can move mountains.
Giving a gift on Valentine’s Day would at least make Senior Pandora notice him.
If he did this every year, maybe something would change?
Tonight, the Oceanic Biology Research Department would have a meeting, where he might get some hints from the seniors.
He lowered his head in thought, not noticing that Robert had already prayed to all the gods he knew.
Robert, without a love interest, was thinking about how to draw rare and powerful magic chess pieces.
A gacha could yield a magic chess piece.
The price wasn’t high.
In the academy, it cost 1 credit per gacha.
Converted to sacred coins, it was 16 sacred coins.
But to draw good magic chess pieces required significantly more credits.
But to “wake up” the lost Dark Demon, Robert was willing to pay!
He had wanted to buy for a long time.
Finally, he found a reason!
…
Diana and Rose held hands and entered a chocolate workshop.
Today was the last session, and Diana hadn’t yet mastered making edible chocolates.
But it didn’t matter; Rose could already make chocolates that wouldn’t look cheap in a store.
Every time, Diana felt lucky to meet Rose.
“Have you heard?” Diana said mysteriously while learning to make chocolate.
Rose paused, curious, “What?”
Diana leaned close to her ear and whispered, “I heard that if someone doesn’t have a partner and is seeking one, fate will guide them to marry the first person they see on Valentine’s Day!”
Rose was surprised, “Is that true?”
Diana was a bit proud, “I heard it from a senior in the common room. She’s bold! She said she’d wait at a senior’s door at midnight. Eh, not afraid of being embarrassed! By the way, should we go check it out?”
Rose tried hard to suppress her laughter, “I think we should.”
Diana poked her cheek with a finger covered in cream, “Don’t tease me! I’m not going!”
