Soya nodded, his gaze fixed on the chessboard, his expression focused.
"Alright then, let's begin. You're the beginner, you go first." Sidra gestured to Soya, making an inviting hand motion, his posture appearing generous.
"Okay." Soya did not object. He picked up a black piece, lightly pinched it between his fingertips, and placed it steadily on the board.
Sidra immediately followed, placing a white piece, his movements crisp and decisive.
After several rounds of play, Soya felt that Sidra was a complete novice at Gomoku, placing pieces without any pattern or strategy.
His level was simply too low, wasn't it?
However, it was also possible that Sidra was deliberately feigning weakness to lure him into a trap.
But the rules of Gomoku were just that simple.
Generally speaking, if one's Gomoku skill level is high enough, the player who moves first may have a nearly 100% chance of winning.
This was also why Gomoku was gradually being phased out.
After all, Gomoku matches weren't entirely fair.
Compared to Xiangqi or Go, as long as one mastered the techniques of Gomoku, winning was far too easy.
They played for a while longer, and gradually more pieces filled the board.
Soya couldn't hold back any longer. Seizing an opportunity, he placed a crucial piece and directly secured victory.
The first match ended with Soya winning easily.
"You're not bad, kid!" Sidra laughed heartily and patted Soya's shoulder. "For a beginner to reach this level is indeed impressive."
After speaking, Sidra cheerfully waved his hand. A flash of light coalesced into 30,000 points of Universal Essence, floating before Soya.
Soya happily stored it in his system space, a smile spreading uncontrollably across his lips.
"Let's continue." Sidra looked full of confidence, as if the previous loss was just an accident, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"Okay." Soya nodded, picked up a piece, and prepared to start a new game.
"This time, I should go first, right?" Sidra asked with a smile, a trace of anticipation in his eyes.
"Mhm, mhm." Soya did not object and gestured for Sidra to make the first move.
Sidra placed the first piece, his movements carrying a hint of caution.
Soya had originally thought Sidra might have some clever tactic.
But after playing for a while, he felt Sidra was still only at a beginner's level, hesitating with his moves and lacking any strategy.
Soya simply decided to play along with him properly, intentionally slowing the pace.
Then, just when Sidra thought he was about to win, Soya placed a piece and secured victory once again.
Sidra froze for a moment, his eyes widening slightly in a bit of shock, his smile stiffening on his face.
What the hell...
How did I lose again?
This shouldn't be possible!
Didn't he just master the rules of Gomoku?
Has Soya gotten this good so quickly?
Rumshii's face darkened, his elephant trunk drooping, his eyes filled with disappointment.
Didn't you say you had studied this Gomoku game quite a bit?
How come you lost two games in a row?
"Um... I don't have that much Universal Essence left, Rumshii, could you front me some?" Sidra called to Rumshii, his tone carrying a hint of embarrassment, his gaze evasive.
Rumshii: "..."
Afraid I'll welch on the debt, is that it?
Rumshii gritted his teeth. Energy surged within him, coalescing into 30,000 points of Universal Essence, which he handed over to Soya, his face full of reluctance.
Soya was overjoyed, his eyes narrowing to slits. Without any politeness, he collected the Universal Essence.
Just by playing Gomoku, he had already won 60,000 points of Universal Essence.
This was much easier than getting the 50,000 points from Quitela.
Soya shot a look of disdain at Quitela, the contempt in his eyes completely unconcealed.
Quitela's expression soured, his fists clenching tightly, knuckles turning white.
"Negative emotional value from Quitela +1000!"
"So, shall we continue?" Soya asked with a smile, his tone light.
"Again!" Sidra rolled up his sleeves, looking unconvinced, fighting spirit burning in his eyes.
Mainly, Soya had operated skillfully earlier, each time securing victory just as Sidra was about to win.
Giving him hope, but not letting him win.
Just that willful.
This way, Sidra would have the urge to keep playing.
Otherwise, if he realized the huge gap between them, he wouldn't want to play anymore.
Doing a quick calculation, Soya now had 110,000 points of Universal Essence.
He could finally create that set of items.
Should he intentionally lose this one?
Know when to stop, right!
No need to fleece the same sheep relentlessly.
Thinking it over, Soya simply threw the game on purpose, losing one match.
This time, Soya lost relatively quickly, mainly because he didn't want to waste time.
The game lasted at most three minutes before he lost.
"Damn it, I was careless! When did four pieces get lined up here!" Soya suddenly slapped his thigh, his face showing an expression of deep regret, his tone full of self reproach.
Sidra and Rumshii were so happy they danced about. Sidra even jumped up excitedly, and Rumshii's elephant trunk wagged joyfully.
Soya pulled out a bottle of Combat Divine Water and tossed it directly to Sidra, his movement casual.
Sidra delightedly caught the Combat Divine Water, examining it carefully as if holding a treasure, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Let me see." Rumshii quickly leaned in closer, his tone urgent, his eyes fixed intently on the bottle of Combat Divine Water.
Sidra gritted his teeth, an unwilling expression appearing on his face, but he still reluctantly handed the Combat Divine Water over to Rumshii.
"Is this the Combat Divine Water? It doesn't seem much different from ordinary water." Rumshii examined the Combat Divine Water carefully, muttering under his breath, his brow slightly furrowed.
"Have a taste." Soya chuckled, a hint of mystery in his tone.
Rumshii unscrewed the cap and was just about to take a drink.
"That's mine!" Sidra became anxious, hurriedly reaching out to snatch the Combat Divine Water back, and immediately took a big gulp, afraid Rumshii might take it.
Rumshii glared, his eyes furious, his elephant trunk swishing angrily.
Look at how stingy you are!
I shouldn't have partnered with you in the first place!
Sidra's gulp consumed at least a third of the bottle. He then smacked his lips, waiting for a change.
And then, there was no "then".
Sidra silently sensed the changes in his body.
No change!
"Negative emotional value from Sidra +999!"
"Kid, you're tricking me!" Sidra glared angrily at Soya, his eyes filled with rage, his fists also clenching.
"The effect doubles from the second sip." Soya remained completely unruffled, reminding him with a calm, smiling tone.
"I hope you're not lying to me!" Sidra was half believing, half doubting. He took another big gulp, a trace of expectation in his eyes.
Immediately afterwards, Sidra's eyes lit up, feeling immense surprise. A faint energy fluctuation emanated from around his body.
His power had indeed doubled!
It seemed to have increased twofold!
"Not bad, not bad!" Sidra was extremely excited, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. He looked at Rumshii with a beaming smile, a challenging glint in his eyes.
Rumshii frowned, his heart also filled with curiosity.
"Rumshii, shall we two give it a try?" Sidra suddenly became interested, cracking his knuckles, producing a crack crack sound.
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