Timeless Assassin-Chapter 1074: Peak Entertainment
*Click*
*Click*
Both cards slid into the game board as the mechanism locked them into place, the faint sound echoing between them as the duo waited patiently for the outcome of the fifth exchange.
*Flip*
Self Explosion.
Defend.
Once again, it seemed like they had both chosen completely different paths, as while Mauriss committed to destruction, Leo had chosen restraint, as in that single divergence, the flow of the match shifted.
Before making this move, Mauriss had felt certain of what would come next, as from his perspective, the pressure he had applied, combined with Leo’s increasingly fragile position, pointed toward only one logical outcome, which was a desperate attack meant to reclaim control, as it was exactly that expectation which had guided his decision to trigger a self explosion, as he aimed to punish aggression with mutual damage.
And yet, Leo had not followed that path.
As the constructs responded, Mauriss’s golem trembled violently from within, the cracks across its body glowing faintly as unstable energy surged through its frame, before erupting outward in a violent detonation that tore through its own structure, the force expanding rapidly across the ground.
*BOOM*
The blast spread outward, but Leo’s golem, already positioned at a distance and braced in a defensive stance, absorbed only the outer edge of the impact, its shield holding firm as the force diminished against it, leaving it largely intact while the origin of the explosion suffered the true cost of the exchange.
*Wobble*
*Sizzle*
Mauriss’s construct staggered in place, its already damaged frame now further compromised as fresh fractures spread across its body, pieces of stone cracking loose while its structure grew increasingly unstable. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
As for the first time, Leo won an exchange.
"Oh..." Mauriss said, his voice carrying a rare note of surprise as his eyes flicked briefly toward the board before returning to Leo, clearly not expecting this outcome.
If Mauriss had been a conventional player, he would have reserved self explosion for moments of guaranteed entanglement, using it only when locked in a grapple to ensure that both sides suffered equally, yet Mauriss was not bound by such patterns, as his entire approach had been built around unpredictability, around forcing decisions that broke structure rather than followed it.
And based on everything that had happened so far, he had been convinced that Leo would attack.....
That Leo would attempt to break free from the pressure, to prove that he was not being controlled, and in doing so, walk directly into the explosion that would punish both sides.
But Leo had not taken that bait.
Even now, this deep into the match, Leo had stayed true to his original plan, choosing stability over impulse, and in doing so, he had turned Mauriss’s own unpredictability against him.
"Ha...."
Mauriss chuckled.
"Ha.. hahahaha... ha... interesting. Very interesting."
His grin returned, though this time it carried a sharper edge, as he leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming once more.
"You have balls of steel, Skyshard... I’ll give you that."
He complimented, as across from him, Leo exhaled quietly, the breath subtle, controlled, yet unmistakable, as for the first time since the game had begun, something had gone his way, and the tension pressing against his mind eased ever so slightly.
’Good...’
The thought passed through him calmly, as the fog clouding his path forward thinned just a little, revealing clearer lines of progression where before there had only been uncertainty.
They were now halfway through the match, and although Mauriss still held a slight advantage in terms of pure damage dealt, the structure of the game had begun to tilt, as Leo retained more offensive flexibility while his opponent’s options had narrowed, forcing him into a position where each remaining attack had to be used with far greater care.
Mauriss now had two attacks, two defensive plays, and a single recovery left, which meant that he now had more non threatening moves left than threatening ones.
"Interesting.... It would not be fun if I was the only one dominating this game from the start to end.
However, you’ve now grabbed my interest.
I’ll not be so casual anymore Skyshard.
From this point onwards, I will play seriously ...."
Mauriss said, as he cracked his neck too, and leaned in closer towards the table, as he chose his next card and slotted it in.
*Click*
He chose, as a second later, Leo did the same, as he chose a card and a multiplier and slotted it in.
*Click*
A tense moment passed between the two, where they both watched the gameboard in silence, before—
*FLIP*
The next set of cards revealed themselves, as—
Recovery.
Recovery x 5.
They had chosen, as both players finally committed to restoring their constructs at the same time, the moment carrying a strange sense of symmetry as the board acknowledged their decision and triggered the internal mechanisms embedded within the golems.
*Glow*
A faint golden light began to shimmer across both constructs, spreading slowly over their fractured bodies as the restoration process initiated, while a soft blue glow followed from within, pulsing through the cracks like veins of energy as the damage that had accumulated over the previous exchanges began to recede.
The fractures shrank.
The blackened edges faded.
The unstable surfaces began to solidify once more as the healing took effect, the constructs stabilizing visibly as the restoration process continued to run its course.
However, the difference soon became apparent.
While Mauriss’s golem recovered steadily, the glow surrounding Leo’s construct was far more intense, as the golden light enveloping it shone brighter and the blue energy coursing through its body surged with greater strength, accelerating the rate at which the damage disappeared.
As while Mauriss had chosen to recover without any multiplier, relying purely on the base restoration of the card, Leo had committed one of his multipliers to the move, amplifying the healing effect significantly and allowing his golem to recover from far more damage than its opponent.
As in that single exchange—
The balance shifted.
As for the first time since the game had begun, Leo finally held the net advantage.
His construct now stood more stable, its frame largely restored as only faint remnants of earlier damage remained, while Mauriss’s golem, though repaired, still bore visible signs of strain, its structure not fully returned to optimal condition as it lagged just a step behind.
The difference was subtle.
But decisive.
Leo was now in control.
The flow of the match had turned, as the player who had been reacting for most of the game now found himself in the driver’s seat, with more options, better condition, and clearer lines toward victory, while Mauriss, for the first time, had to consider the possibility of being outplayed.
For a brief second, silence lingered between them.
Then Mauriss began to laugh.
"Ha... ha..."
The sound grew rapidly, twisting into something louder, sharper, more unrestrained as his head tilted back slightly and his shoulders trembled with the intensity of it.
"Hahahahahaha!"
His laughter echoed into the storm, wild and manic, as though the very fact that the game had shifted away from him only made it more enjoyable.
"DELICIOUS, THIS IS MOST ENTERTAINING!"
He leaned forward again, his grin wider than ever, his eyes gleaming with excitement that bordered on madness.
"This is exactly what I wanted!"
