## Chapter 678 – #137_Turning Point (3)
#678
1.
Let’s revisit the rules of the Position Board at this point.
1) On a given board, one edge represents one ‘path,’ and the vertices have ‘runes’ essential for drawing magic formulas, randomly placed by a random number algorithm within the crystal ball.
2) Magic cannot be completed with just paths and runes. Therefore, each player is given three ‘mana sources,’ which they place in desired locations to start the game.
3) Once the game begins, players take turns making moves like in Go, using the runes at the vertices and the paths at the edges to create magic.
4) The created magic is used to attack the opponent’s mana sources or defend against their attacks.
5) The player who first captures all three of the opponent’s mana sources or forces a surrender wins.
Having reviewed the game records to entertain Diana, it wasn’t difficult for Siwoo to recall his old senses.
Siwoo’s calculation skills and magical thinking were among the top of the great witches, and this was clearly evident in the Position Board.
As a result of playing casually with his lovers, except for Amelia, most were no match for Siwoo.
Therefore, he had some confidence in his match against Rosie.
His plan to win Manya and Malisha through a Position Board bet was not a reckless act.
“Wow, you’re actually pretty good?”
The game was already halfway through.
Rosie was half-lying on the sofa, carefully observing the board.
Rosie played the game in the most orthodox way, and Siwoo, who usually enjoyed using bizarre tactics, also adopted a strategy close to the basics.
The fact that was grasped after repeated small-scale skirmishes to secure the main runes important for completing magic, and large-scale battles to occupy the center with the created magic, with mana sources spread out at a moderate width.
Rosie’s skill was certain.
Diana was also quite good, but there was a gap due to the difference in play time.
She was much more seamless and skillful.
As a veteran, her strategic maturity was evident in her surprise strategies that took advantage of unexpected moves or tricks.
Nevertheless, the overall advantage was Siwoo 55, Rosie 45.
Siwoo was ahead by a very slight margin.
This was because Siwoo was generally using cheats.
When you trace the essence of the Position Board, it is ultimately a magical battle.
The performance of the magic eye, which can read the flow of mana, is comparable to a map hack.
It is possible to see not only the opponent’s intentions but also the parts that were not considered in the head.
Conversely, it could be said that Rosie had played almost an even game against Siwoo, who was fully utilizing his magic eye.
But he intended to lose this game.
Like luring a sucker in a gambling den, he planned to create a thrilling comeback victory to get her to participate in the bet.
Honestly, after seeing her ‘collection,’ he didn’t even want to face her, let alone play a game.
This was due to the physiological disgust caused by her sacrificing others for her own pleasure and interest, without a shred of conscience.
Perhaps he had been too complacent.
Like with Dorothy, he thought that if they talked, they might have something in common.
The malice and twisted moral values she exhaled as if breathing.
Wasn’t this what a stereotypical public enemy was like?
“Rosie.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Still, he had opened the door to conversation.
Even Diana, who was a couple of moves behind Rosie, had noticed Siwoo’s accommodating board during the review stage.
To naturally play an accommodating game with Rosie, who was several moves ahead of her, he needed to distract her.
“About the collection.”
“Why? Are you now regretting that you refused Mama?”
“No, it’s not that. But I have a question.”
“Ask me anything.”
“Are the others in the other two rooms also witches?”
Siwoo asked, pointing to the two doors behind Rosie.
“Yes, Mama, Manya, Malisha, and Pina are my collection.”
As expected, Manya and Malisha were also in there.
It had been about a week since Alice was sold, and after seeing the black witch, he was worried about what kind of heinous things they might have suffered.
“Strictly speaking, Manya and Malisha aren’t part of the collection.”
“Huh?”
“I’m just taking care of them and playing with them; the ownership belongs to Rinne. I sold them as a set with Alice before.”
This was information he already knew from Alice herself.
That’s why he thought they were more suitable as betting items.
It was not about taking over the ownership of a witch, which would be worth at least billions, but only about getting the right to borrow them.
“By the way, how is Alice doing? I was very fond of her. I heard you begged Rinne to buy her for you?”
“Well, she’s doing well.”
“Hahaha!”
Rosie suddenly burst into laughter.
It is said that men are drawn to women who laugh well, but from the moment he learned her true colors, he could only think, ‘Why is this crazy bitch acting up again?’
“Why are you doing that?”
“It’s funny. You pretended to be so devoted to protecting Manya and Malisha, but you seem to be doing fine after getting out of it alone.”
“……”
“That’s why you can’t trust women’s friendships, right? Okay, it’s your turn.”
He looks down at the board.
The runes each occupied were slowly beginning to take the form of a certain magic, and the end of the game was approaching.
As they had repeated advancing and retreating without intense consumption and fighting, a large-scale battle was expected.
It was the most suitable environment to pretend to make a mistake.
“Oh, aren’t you curious about this?”
“Yes?”
“How Mama became Mama.”
In fact, he had intentionally avoided mentioning her story.
As mentioned earlier, he probably wouldn’t have the capacity to rescue ‘Mama.’
Even if he was lucky and things went well, he didn’t have the luxury to take the initiative in such a matter.
Also, there was the problem of whether he could maintain his composure while watching Rosie brag.
He was not confident that he could hide his unbearable disgust.
“Mama was originally the ‘Black Witch.’ She was a 17th-level witch, and I bought her with an apprentice witch. Her name is Pina. She’s in the room opposite Mama.”
Rosie started bragging about things he didn’t want to hear, regardless of Siwoo’s intentions.
From Mama and Rosie’s conversation, he knew that there was a ‘hostage.’
He roughly guessed that Mama and the hostage’s affectionate relationship was that of a teacher and student.
“Mama was originally very rough and didn’t listen well. She was like a rabid raccoon, trying to bite me. So, on the third day after I brought her, I made a contract with her.”
“I see.”
“If she plays the role of Mama well and listens to me, I wouldn’t touch Pina. If she spends 10 years like that, I’ll release them both.”
“……”
Originally, he had intended to cut off the conversation appropriately.
But he couldn’t help but look at the third room.
Was it because the twins came to mind for a moment?
The hand that was moving to the Position Board stopped abruptly.
He didn’t know what this feeling was.
A thick emotion like boiling tar was flowing down his throat, and the nausea he had barely suppressed was resurfacing.
“Did you keep your promise?”
“What do you think?”
If Rosie calmly said, ‘Of course not, I’m not stupid,’ and laughed, he had a dangerous urge to twist her neck.
Rosie, who had stopped talking as if enjoying the silence, smiled so widely that her white teeth were visible.
“I always keep my promises. After that, I didn’t lay a finger on Pina. Well, Mama doesn’t seem to believe me even when I tell her. Well, I guess it can’t be helped since I didn’t let them meet each other?”
“How much time is left?”
“Hmm, about a month? Time really flies.”
“Will you release them then?”
Rosie blinked, looking bewildered as if asking something obvious.
“What are you talking about? Of course, I have to. Mama kept her promise well.”
It was okay to abuse a mother by using her child as a hostage, but breaking a promise was not?
He couldn’t figure out where she had gone wrong.
Still, Siwoo felt a sense of relief in one corner of his heart.
He didn’t know how much of her words to believe, but if the promise was kept, Siwoo wouldn’t have to go out of his way to do anything.
“I won.”
“That’s right, it seems like there’s no way to turn it around.”
After exchanging about 50 more moves, the first game finally ended.
A stable early game where each side strengthened their foundations.
A mid-game where they engaged in moderate consumption and attacks.
A late game where they clashed with all the magic they had accumulated.
It was an orthodox game that could be included in a Position Board textbook.
Siwoo managed to give her the victory by a very slight margin.
In fact, based on Rosie’s skills he had seen so far, he had expected to reverse the situation much more easily…
Could it be that the conversation they had had taken away her attention?
Her sharpness had dulled considerably, and it was only at the very end that he was barely able to give Rosie the victory.
“That was fun. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a great match. You’re pretty good, aren’t you? I almost lost.”
“I’m also having fun because it’s the first time I’ve met someone who’s this good.”
While resetting the board, Rosie showed interest in the bait Siwoo had casually thrown.
“Really? Then shall we play another round?”
“Sure, but um… how about we make a bet instead?”
“A bet?”
“It’s more fun when there’s some stake in a match, right? Not something too heavy, but a simple bet.”
“I’m in.”
He spoke as if it were a light drinking bet between friends, not a serious bet.
Rosie bit the bait as if she would swallow the fishing hook.
“So, what do you want?”
The best thing would be to sneak Manya and Malisha out right now, but it didn’t have to be that.
For example, if Dorothy could receive the magic formula and complete the dimensional transfer formula, even if it was just a condition to borrow the two for half a day, it wouldn’t hinder the escape plan.
With that in mind, he opened his mouth.
“I want to take Manya and Malisha to Hyangwolru and make them my servants.”
“Ah, so that was your goal from the beginning?”
Originally, he was planning to set a slightly heavy condition and gradually throw lower balls.
Rosie nodded as if she understood the situation at once.
“It’s not like that…”
“Hey, there’s no need to hide it. It looks like Alice has brainwashed you well.”
Was that really how she understood the situation?
Thanks to that, he was spared the trouble of making excuses.
“Well, there’s a bit of that too.”
Rosie, who had been staring at Siwoo for a while, replied.
“Well, they were a collection that was difficult for me to handle as I pleased anyway. That much is fine.”
Rosie agreed without asking for a detailed reason or trying to lower the stakes.
It seemed that the victory earlier had given her confidence.
“Do you want anything, Rosie?”
“I don’t have anything that pops into my mind right now. Can I think about it slowly while we play? I’m not going to try to make unreasonable demands. I’ll ask for something reasonable.”
“…Okay.”
From the beginning, Siwoo had been quite unreasonable, and the result of the negotiation was quite good.
To prevent the game from falling apart, he decided to listen to Rosie’s request later.
Even if she made a somewhat unreasonable request, it would be enough to win the game.
“Shall we start?”
Siwoo and Rosie, each occupying three new mana sources.
The second match, with Manya and Malisha’s fate at stake, had begun.
