Chapter 142: May I Wager What I Usually Wager
Royal Palace of East Gorteau.
"Another game," the King of Ants casually swept the remaining pieces aside and said calmly.
Upon hearing the King's words, Komugi revealed a joyful smile: "Yes! I'd be delighted to comply!"
When it came to Gungi, she could play for three days and nights without tiring.
Because Gungi was her everything.
The King of Ants lost again.
Game after game—defeat, still defeat.
The King of Ants glanced at the little girl before him. From beginning to end, her breathing hadn't faltered in the slightest.
Uncertain how many games they'd played, even the sky outside the window had darkened.
For the first time, Komugi hesitated.
"She's maintained the same rhythm all along, making moves decisively. This is her first hesitation!" Shaiapouf observed Komugi and thought to himself.
Meanwhile, the King of Ants, believing he had made a brilliant move, raised his head and stared intently at Komugi.
This formation would generate endless attacks and defenses radiating from the board's center.
There was no fixed strategy—everything depended on my responses. This game would last a long time.
Let me hear your disordered breathing now.
The King of Ants' eyes were filled with anticipation.
Under the King's gaze, the little girl reached out to pick up a piece and firmly placed it on the board.
"9-2-1, Central General's Advance."
As Komugi made her move, countless solutions immediately surfaced in the King's mind. Just as he had said earlier, this formation of his would give rise to endless variations across the board.
Yet none of these variations could resolve the current predicament!
The King bit his index finger, staring intently at the board as his expression darkened.
"Grand Marshal, this exquisite formation you've conceived is correctly called Lone Fox in Solid Ground," said the blind girl Komugi calmly, her expression unchanged. "This move was created by me ten years ago. Placing the Central General at the center to counter three lances is called Central General's Gambit, another new technique I developed."
"These moves caused quite a stir at the time. From Lone Fox in Solid Ground to Central General's Gambit, they were profound strategies testing opponents' observational skills that once became hugely popular."
Komugi scratched her head somewhat sheepishly and chuckled foolishly: "Even someone as foolish as me could come up with such clever moves, which made me overjoyed at the time..."
"But the person who solved this move... was also me."
"One year after creating Lone Fox in Solid Ground, during the National Peijin Tournament, my opponent used this move against me. That's when I came up with the countermeasure. I won the match, but since then, Lone Fox in Solid Ground has never appeared in official competitions or books."
The King displayed rare patience, simply sitting there quietly listening to Komugi speak.
"And for the Grand Marshal to have conceived the same strategy as me fills me with immense honor and deep emotion, as if..." Komugi clasped her hands tightly, pausing for a moment before continuing. "As if a child who had died has been reborn. That's why I couldn't bear to kill this child again, which is why I hesitated earlier."
The King had thought he had grasped Komugi's weakness, only to discover the truth was completely different.
After a moment of silence, the King put down the piece in his hand, stood up, and walked toward the door.
"How disappointing. Let's take a break."
Stopping at the doorway, the King turned back and said: "Once we resume, there won't be any more breaks. You'd better be mentally prepared for that."
"Yes, Grand Marshal!" Komugi responded loudly.
Nearby, Shaiapouf quietly observed everything, thinking: "This is the first time His Majesty has listened to someone speak for so long without interruption."
He turned his gaze toward the window.
"But this doesn't matter. Soon enough, this girl will be no different from all those before her."
At this moment, Pouf clearly hadn't yet realized the seriousness of the situation.
This was heaven's second chance for him.
As for Komugi, in some ways she resembled Chairman Netero.
One was an invincible martial artist.
The other was an undefeated professional Gungi player.
This destined both of them to pursue the ultimate in their respective fields.
The pinnacle of martial arts, the pinnacle of Gungi.
When Komugi heard that the nation's supreme commander wanted to play Gungi with her, she was naturally very happy.
But in the very first game, Komugi discovered that this new Grand Marshal was merely a novice at Gungi, though she could sense his extraordinary learning ability.
As the game progressed, her heart grew increasingly certain that the person before her was the one she had been waiting for all along.
The opponent who could help her break through her limits and discover the divine move.
Thus, Komugi decided to gradually guide the King of Ants, and indeed, the King did not disappoint her, executing the long-lost move known as "Lonely Fox Solid."
Komugi lifted her head, her sightless eyes gazing in the direction where the King of Ants had departed.
...
On the throne.
For the first time since his birth, the King of Ants fell into deep contemplation.
He didn't understand, and it truly irritated him.
Until now, the one whose breathing had grown erratic had always been him. Under normal circumstances, this would have been an unbearable humiliation that tormented him deeply!
But this time...
Though he felt anxious and angry, he also found enjoyment in it.
He didn't know why this was the case.
It was this very feeling that left the King of Ants with an indescribable sense of frustration.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make sense of it.
So he rose once more from his throne and made his way to the great hall.
Upon entering the hall, the first thing that caught his eye was Komugi's back. She sat as before, poised before the board, her posture unchanged.
The King of Ants turned to Shaiapouf and asked, "Has she been like this the whole time, without resting?"
"No..." Shaiapouf replied with a complicated expression.
As the King drew closer, he realized Komugi had fallen asleep while sitting, and in her slumber, drool and snot had trickled all over the place.
"How repulsive. There's not a trace of intellect or dignity in her," the King of Ants remarked with disgust.
Looking at Komugi's unkempt and slovenly appearance, the King couldn't comprehend how someone like her could produce such profound and endlessly flowing game strategies as she had earlier.
"Wake up!"
"Let's play again!"
The King shouted loudly.
Finally roused by the noise, Komugi offered her apologies, and the game resumed.
As the King watched the girl focusing intently on the board, a sudden thought crossed his mind, and the corners of his lips curled slightly into a faint smile.
"What should we wager in this game?"
The King of Ants stared intently at Komugi and said with a smile, "If you lose, you must give me your left arm."
In the King of Ants' view, there were only two things that could disrupt a person's breathing rhythm.
Desire and fear.
Desire could make one lose their mind, while fear could make one timid and hesitant.
"Left arm, left arm..."
Just as the King of Ants had anticipated, Komugi indeed fell into deep contemplation.
"Ahhh, what should I do?"
"Why are you so hesitant?" the King of Ants asked.
"Could we not bet the left arm, but instead wager what I usually bet?" Komugi hesitated for a long time before speaking.