Slender, pale fingers plucked up a white seed and gently pressed it onto the chessboard.
This was a game of chess that had entered its endgame.
The black side's big dragon was almost taking shape, and this move of the white seed could only slightly contain it, but not directly strangle the big dragon.
"You seem to be merely staving off the inevitable with that move, which doesn't fit your usual style," the middle-aged man on the black side, who had an imposing presence without the need for anger, commented.
"Perhaps it's because I'm not as carefree as I used to be," the young man holding the white pieces said with a wry smile, his eyes lacking spirit.
In the past, he would move deliberately, conceding the game once he saw there was no chance for a turnaround. But now, he was stubbornly persisting in a losing game, undoubtedly a stark change from his former play style.
