The game was simple. It was a word chain. Whoever failed to respond within thirty seconds would lose. If she won, Ren would tell you everything. If she lost, there was no punishment.
"A word chain?" Jibril heard about this game for the first time.
"Yeah, I'll show you. For example, 'mountaintop,' then 'peak,' something like that." Ren said with a smile.
"Oh, okay." Jibril was ready for the challenge.
In less than ten minutes, Jibril started doubting herself. In those ten minutes, she had already lost three times.
"I've won three times. Now there's nothing more to say. I'm leaving this time, don't try to stop me." Ren turned to leave.
Jibril didn't actually try to stop him, but she followed him anyway. She didn't understand why the God of War would be interested in a weakling's battle.
"Um, can you stop following me?" Ren turned his head, a little embarrassed. He didn't have a brain as sharp as Riku's. From the start, he believed the other could end this great battle. If Jibril kept following, wouldn't that ruin his reference?
"You still haven't told me," Jibril said, no longer acting playful.
"You lost the game," Ren gave her a hint.
But Jibril didn't seem to realize it and continued following him.
"Damn it, I hope I don't really have to prove it to her," Ren thought, headache forming. He knew one thing well: the races in this world had faith in their gods.
If he changed that faith, the other might not accept it without a reasonable explanation.
Jibril followed Ren to a secluded spot. There were peaks and food here.
Watching him grab uncovered food and shove it into his mouth, she really couldn't understand why the God of War cared about such things. He would die without food.
Soon, Ren found another shelter, a small cave. After arranging the entrance, he started preparing a bed inside.
He worked until night, and finally it was livable. Ren held out his hand to Jibril. "Give me your glasses."
Jibril obediently removed her glasses and handed them to him. Ren was a little surprised but didn't mind. He began seriously reading the Flügel books. He studied them to know his enemy.
Jibril quietly observed him. His day was busy in every sense—reading, eating, drinking, and even using the bathroom. He repeated these actions over and over.
"Ah, Jibril, I've really lost to you," Ren muttered in frustration. Who followed someone to the bathroom?
"I'm just observing your behavior patterns," Jibril answered very seriously.
"Come, follow me outside." Ren dressed carefully and led her to the edge of the forest.
"Jibril, now you need to cut the tree, and it must be in complete sections. How would you do it?" Ren gestured for Jibril to demonstrate.
Jibril didn't reply. She took out her sickle and instantly cut the tree into several segments. That was her method.
"People of my race are weak, and without tools, I'll show you how we manage." Ren handed his glasses to Jibril.
Jibril put them on and watched the large yellow machine start cutting the trees, stripping the bark, and segmenting them in one smooth process. A person only needed to stand inside the machine to operate it.
"This is…?"
"Jibril, you don't need to know what it is. What matters is, between these two methods, what principle do you understand?" Ren asked.
Jibril thought for a long time but still couldn't grasp the meaning behind the two methods.
"The strong sharpen their claws, the weak sharpen their minds. That is why I read every day." Ren felt he had explained it clearly.
"You mean using your mind to defeat the strong?" Jibril couldn't believe it.
"My race people have survived, but have you ever seen any trace of their life?" Ren looked at her.
Jibril shook her head. She had seen Werebeast before, but never someone like Ren, completely lacking Spirit Corridor.
"Did the strong wipe us out with their claws? Jibril, let's play another game. The wager is that the loser cannot reveal any of the winner's information." Ren smiled.
Since Artosh had responded, the initiative was now his.
"Alright. In that case, raise the stakes. The loser must unconditionally become the property of the winner."
"Are you sure?" Ren asked, curious.
"Yes." Jibril nodded.
"Fine. You can set the game, but it must be one I can participate in." Ren naturally didn't want her to propose a game he couldn't play at all.
"A war game. Using all my Spirit Corridor can make a simple game board." Jibril answered seriously.
"Alright. In this war, is it only our two races?" Ren asked.
"You can add two more races, but their sequence must be lower than mine." Jibril said.
"Good. Then Dwarves and Elves." Ren thought for a moment, then said without hesitation. He avoided the Ex-Machina race because they were integrated machines and hard to bluff in the game.
Jibril shrank directly, clearly using all her power. The two quickly joined the sandbox game, each getting a private room and watching their own sand table.
Ren looked at the tiny figures in front of him and began to try controlling them, but clicking on them didn't have any effect.
The little people stayed inside their homes.
"Since this is a war game, and it's a creation of Jibril, it should follow reality. Is the way to control them through letters?" Ren looked at the letters placed not far away.
[There is food here.]
After Ren delivered it, the little people quickly moved to collect the food.
[There may be information here.]
The little people moved slowly and took a long time to gather the information.
"I see. The needs of the little people also affect their actions." Ren quickly conducted a series of experiments and basically understood the core mechanics of this sandbox.
Afterwards, Ren sent out a few vanguard squads to scout. Since Jibril's power was limited, only the Dwarves and Elves races were outside, which made the game much simpler for Ren.
"In this game, the strong sharpen their claws, the weak sharpen their minds. Jibril's approach is simple: control the Flügel Race to sweep through the war." Ren quickly understood the essence of the game.
He was the one playing hide-and-seek, and Jibril was the seeker. While he used his brain to evade her, he also needed the other two races to fight her or delay her, while Jibril had to find his hidden position.
After several rounds of control, Ren discovered that the personalities of the little people followed certain patterns.
Jibril had likely replicated them using the "Detective glasses," which actually made it easier for Ren to control them.
Soon, Ren sent out a small squad to explore the foggy map, collect food, wood, and water, and return to camp to build more concealed homes.
Ren increased the speed to four times normal, accelerating population growth and resource collection in an orderly manner, sending letters frantically.
Some letters warned, "Do not go here," yet some squads still went. These were rebellious and curious little people, whose enthusiasm actually improved success rates and reduced casualties.
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24