The earth beneath our makeshift chessboard, a tapestry of moss and damp soil, seemed to vibrate with the silent intensity of our game. The fire, a living, breathing entity, cast a warm, flickering glow, painting our faces and the rough-hewn pieces in a dramatic dance of light and shadow. The forest, a silent cathedral of ancient trees, held its breath, its denizens watching our silent battle unfold.
With a deliberate, almost ceremonial gesture, I moved my pawn, a small, dark pebble, to d5. The sound, a soft scrape against the earth, echoed in the stillness, a declaration of intent. The firelight flickered, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to mimic the strategic movements on the board.
Sarah, her brow furrowed in concentration, her eyes narrowed in a silent struggle, moved her queen, a polished, iridescent leaf, to a4. The leaf, reflecting the fire's glow, seemed to shimmer with an inner light, a symbol of her determination. A subtle tremor in her hand betrayed the effort she was putting into each move, the weight of the moment pressing down on her.
Undeterred, I moved my bishop, a slender, intricately patterned twig, to c6, once again placing her queen in jeopardy. The twig, casting a long, skeletal shadow, seemed to point a silent accusation, a challenge to her strategic prowess.
Her response was swift, yet hesitant. She moved her bishop, a cluster of vibrant, green leaves, to g4. The leaves, rustling softly in the still night air, seemed to whisper a warning, a subtle threat. The firelight danced across their surfaces, highlighting their delicate veins, transforming them into miniature works of art.
The tension in the air was palpable, a silent current that crackled between us. With a decisive move, I moved my knight, a gnarled, dark twig, to e2, capturing her bishop. The twig, snapping softly as it moved, seemed to relish its victory, a predator seizing its prey.
Her reaction was immediate, a swift and decisive counterstrike. She moved her rook, a sturdy, elongated twig, to e2, recapturing her lost piece and taking my knight in the process. The rook, landing with a soft thud, seemed to assert its dominance, a powerful force reclaiming its territory. The firelight gleamed off the smooth surface of the rook, making it seem almost metallic, a weapon forged in the heart of the forest.
"How can you say that we are the weakest?" I asked, the question echoing in the hushed stillness of the forest.
"Because Silph said so," she replied, her voice low and steady. "Reincarnators get a lot of time to improve their skills. Apart from this, they also have some unique skills. And when it comes to heroes, their training is done by the best people of the kingdom. Also, the god sends them here with special skills and weapons."
Her words painted a vivid picture of the challenges we faced, a stark contrast to the seemingly idyllic setting of our forest encampment. The fire crackled, sending sparks spiraling into the night, like miniature stars mirroring the vastness of the unknown.
"But it's also true that we have a lot of potential, isn't it?" I asked, seeking a glimmer of hope in the face of overwhelming odds.
"Yes, but—" she began, her voice trailing off, a hint of hesitation in her tone.
"But?" I prompted, eager to understand the unspoken reservation.
"You won't understand," she said, her voice laced with a hint of melancholy, a sense of knowledge beyond my grasp.
Undeterred, I focused back on our game. With a decisive move, I moved my queen, a shimmering leaf, to b2, applying pressure and changing the game's dynamic.
Sarah paused, her brow furrowed in thought, the firelight reflecting in her eyes as she weighed her options. "I don't know," she finally admitted, her voice laced with a hint of uncertainty.
"It's alright," I reassured her, my gaze steady. "If we are the weakest, then we will have to work the hardest. Right?"
"How are you so optimistic?" she asked, a hint of wonder in her voice.
If she knew what I've gone through.
"It's just like that," I replied, a smile playing on my lips. "By the way, do we have any special cheating ability, only the two of us?"
"Maybe..." she said, her voice trailing off, a hint of intrigue in her eyes. "I think there are 2."
"And which are those two?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"The first one is fake status," she explained, her voice taking on a slightly more technical tone. "We can change our status by going into settings so that people will not be able to know our actual status."
"I don't think this can be called an ability," I remarked, a hint of skepticism in my voice. It felt more like a clever trick than a true power.
"Okay, what else?" I asked, eager to hear the second, potentially more significant, ability.
"The second is leveling," she said, her voice laced with a hint of wonder, a sense of unlocking a hidden potential.
"So it's like that," I mused.
we have any special cheating ability, only the two of us?
"By the way, Sarah, do you think we should tell others that we are from Japan?"
"No."
"I also think so."
She moved to her Rook to b2
"The fire crackled, sending a shower of sparks spiraling into the night, illuminating the subtle tension that had settled between us. The forest, a silent sentinel, seemed to lean in, listening to our whispered conversation.
"By the way, Sarah, do you think we should tell others that we are from Japan?" I asked, the question hanging in the charged air.
"No," she replied immediately, her voice firm and resolute.
"I also think so," I agreed, a sense of shared understanding passing between us. The less people knew about our origins, the better.
The silence that followed was broken by the soft scrape of a piece moving across the makeshift chessboard. Sarah, with a swift and decisive motion, moved her rook, a sturdy twig, to b2.
"By the way," I began, my voice laced with a hint of playful curiosity.
"Hmm?" she responded, her eyes flicking up from the board.
"Why did you take my queen?" I asked.
A mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes as she replied, "How about I become your queen instead?"
"No need," I retorted, a chuckle escaping my lips. The firelight danced across her face, highlighting the playful challenge in her expression.
"Check!" she declared, her voice ringing out with a triumphant note.
"Yeah, yeah," I conceded, a hint of resignation in my voice.
I moved my Rook to b8, taking her rook
She moved her Rook to f1
"Why didn't you take my defenseless bishop?" I asked
"Sorry but I have no interest in getting checkmated so soon."
She remembers very well which thing is representing which piece. Despite this, till now she hasn't made a single blunder.
I respect you sarah.
I moved my Pawn to d4
She moved her Rook to c1
I moved my Bishop to b5
She moved her Rook to e1
I moved my Rook to e8
She moved her Bishop to e8
I moved my Pawn to h4
The firelight danced in Sarah's eyes, reflecting a playful mischief that warmed the cool night air. A sense of camaraderie, forged in the shared strangeness of our situation, crackled between us.
"Oh," I said, my curiosity piqued, "can you show me healing magic?"
"Yes," she replied, a hint of eagerness in her voice. "But whom should I heal?" A thoughtful pause followed, her gaze sweeping across the clearing. "Idea! How about I heal you after biting your lips?"
My eyebrows shot up, a mixture of surprise and amusement swirling within me. "Are you a vampire?" I asked, a playful grin spreading across my face.
A flicker of confusion crossed her features. "Vampires bite lips?" she questioned, her voice laced with genuine curiosity.
"I dunno, leave it," I replied, waving my hand dismissively, a chuckle escaping my lips.
Sarah's gaze lingered on me, a strange mix of curiosity and something akin to exasperation in her eyes. "Why did you chuckle?" she asked, her voice laced with a hint of suspicion. "It would've been good if it's for what we were talking about, but it's not because of that."
She punctuated her words by moving her pawn, a small, dark pebble, to f5.
I countered with a swift movement of my bishop, a slender twig, to b5.
"Stop! I don't want to play anymore!" she declared, her voice a mix of frustration and playful surrender.
"Really?" I asked, a hint of amusement in my voice. "We are very close to the end. Maybe you also realized that you cannot defeat me."
"You're one of the most selfish person I've ever seen," she retorted, her eyes flashing with mock indignation.
"Why so?" I asked, feigning innocence.
"If there was someone else, he would have let me win!" she exclaimed.
"No, I don't think Luca would do that," I replied, a hint of a smile playing on my lips.
"Can you stop talking about him already?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly. "I believe that he brainwashed you!"
"Look, when I had no one, then Luca stood for me," I said, my voice firm and straightforward. "I can't forget what he did for me!"
"Fine," she said, her voice laced with a hint of resignation. "Now if you need help, just call him. Since I'm not going to help you anyway."
"By the way," I said, changing the subject, "since I have won this game, I can go on the magic route, right?"
She placed her hand on my cheek, her touch surprisingly gentle, like a concerned guardian. "Leon, Leon, Leon," she said, her voice laced with a hint of concern, "I don't think you'll be able to go further with magic."
She reiterated her earlier warnings about the vulnerabilities of magicians in this world, the long casting times, the vulnerability to preemptive attacks.
"So what do you want?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"Swordsman, or assassin," she replied, her voice firm.
"Because they are good in close combat?" I asked.
"Look, this world is not like the world of games," she explained, her voice earnest. "Here, the enemy will not wait for your spell to be completed. Apart from this, Silph told me that people always attack magicians and healers first."
"But you said that if I win in chess then you'll let me become a magician," I countered, a hint of playful defiance in my voice. "I'll become a magician and you become a swordsman, after that you can protect me."
"Alright, let's make a bet," she said, her eyes gleaming with a hint of challenge.
"What kind of bet?" I asked.
"You learn magic and I will learn swordsmanship," she explained. "After 2 months, we will fight to see who is stronger. If I win, then you'll leave the magician class aside and become something else. Okay?"
"Granted," I replied.
"magicians are very weak. If you are a magician, it will take you at least 15 seconds to cast a spell, that much time will be enough for your enemy to kill you. Even after this, if you use the spell, what is the guarantee that it will hit the enemy? The heroes who have chosen the magician class have to always stay under tight security because it's very easy to kill them."
"So what do you want?" I asked
"Swordsman, or assassin."
"Because they are good in close combat?"
"Look, this world is not like the world of animes, here the enemy will not wait for your spell to be completed. Apart from this, Silph told me that people always attack magicians and healers first."
"But you said that if I win in chess then you'll let me become a magician. I'll become a magician and you become a swordsman, after that you can protect me." I said
"Alright, let's make a bet."
"What kind of bet?"
"You learn magic and I will learn swordsmanship. After 2 months we will fight to see who is stronger. If I win then you'll leave the magician class aside and become something else. Okay?"
"Granted." I said