Chapter 818: Chapter 816-Heated Match.


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    n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''A bubble of insecurities hidden under ayer of confidence, running away from the past, one might say...''


    I mused as I floated above the sky, looking down at E. For all her bravado and confidence, therey a very fragile ego within her, one born from all the past things that happened to her, which started to push E towards the edge-always to be perfect, to be that one ideal self that cannot have a singleyer of problem or issue others can see or use against her.


    And in that run from those hiddenyers, E has forgotten that by running away from our problems, they will surely catch up to you. Now, it catches up, twisting her tastes and filling her with that fragile ego, which will burst if pushed in the specific way I know.


    Of course, in the game, it''s our duty as the yers to handle E well. She does go down that dark road of control and self-inflicted pleasure, taking the yer away from Carmel. But in a sense, in the game, we must guide E well, be by her side, investigate her past, and together, finally help E get over the problems and truly shine as a beautiful woman.


    One that is truly intelligent and beautiful. And it alsoes with dealing with a lot of baggage, which Ees along with. E is more among the clingy and love-needing targets. Unlike many, she always needs to be assured of her self-worth when she is with the yer. She always needs some time for the yer-a lot of maintenance goes into dealing with E.


    In the game, if we spend some time away from her, her emotions start to spiral out of control. She starts to think the yer is cheating on her, maybe the fact that he''s tired of her, maybe the fact that because she is too clingy, the yer has lost interest in her. Or perhaps the yer has found someone better than her.


    All those negative thoughts would always hover over her. The first part of conquering E begins with creating that atmosphere where Carmel likes the yer. After that, that taboo- like pleasure of taking away and sparkling better would keep E in check, always seeking out the yer for a sense of validation to boost her ego-that she is better than the so-called downtrodden princess.


    The fact, after that, is that E will slowly fall for the yer''s true charm. It''s here that this level of behaviour and jealousy will start to sprout out. In the game scenario, there are parts where E will even ask the yer to get into a rtionship with Carmel and just string her along, while E will be the one ''truly'' enjoying the yer behind Carmel''s back.


    After this woulde the scene of the yer trying to get the girls and not spending enough time with E, which will push her to take drastic measures to keep the love. Taking extreme steps would lead to a bad ending, and this is where, when courting E, the yer has to be careful. The yer also has to quickly deal with the fragile ego of E-that means a journey into her past and learning of the present.


    However, even after that, the main problem of her clinginess and wanting to spend a lot of time together won''t be taken away easily. Instead, it would only reinforce E''s behaviour very well, and she would even start to think of ways to manipte Carmel with the yer, trying to make Carmel into the puppet ruler while truly ruling the Empire as the true couple rulers.


    ''Of course, that only happens if you push your choices for it.''


    A swirling thought filled my mind as I saw E finish biting her lips and talking to Lompak. In the game, there are a lot of ways in which, while trying to help E with her past, we can approach it. Among thates the ways or paths E will fall into—that crazy lover-sharer who wants to control the Empire is just one among them.


    E could also turnpletely dependent on the yer, living to please and be with him. Or she might turn into something even worse-filled with insecurity that would drive pleasure from ''loaning'' her lover to Carmel, after which E will get supreme pleasure from being the one giving the yer more joy than Carmel.


    ''A lot of twisted paths that can lead to a bad end.''


    The ''game,'' in a sense, had a lot of freedom in that regard when ites to the much lower- level capture targets. And as always, I had thought the intense emotional problems were merely from the game specs. But now that I know the truth of the corruption in them, it''s easier to see how the corruption influences them to be very emotional.


    It also goes to show why all these girls, if not many, have such bad or sad backstories, even though they would be from higher positions of power. The bad childhood or past isbined with the intense emotions of renewal, and then the birth of love with corruption gives it more of a boost when the gate has to open to Rehte.


    All that power yet being blessed with a bad past. I have to say these capture targets only sound more pitiful the more you get to know about them. Though I can''t say, this doesn''te with its own fate''s boost of havingrge or extreme amounts of talents not normally seen-a trade-over by fate for making their karmae out to be so worse.


    ''Looks like it''s starting.''


    I smirked as I watched the chess match that was about to renew in front of me. Lompak was now no longer able to read the electric thoughts, and E was a bit disgruntled from it all as her eyes shined with powerful light. The ones around, who used to handle everything, moved within the crowd as I heard E say:


    "Let''s continue, shall we?"


    Everyone held their breath as E''s words hung in the air. The chessboard between her and Lompak glowed faintly with the magic running through the pieces, each yer''s mana coursing through them like tethers of invisible strings. E was poised and calcting, her whole being radiating an almost imperious calm. By contrast, Lompak''s brow furrowed as he reined in his thoughts, ready to engage in what had by now be a purely intellectual battle.


    With a flick of her finger, E''s mana surged, dragging a pawn two squares forward to e4. "Pawn to e4," she said with clipped precision, her voice light but full of authority. Lompak smiled, concealing the tension now gathering in his brain. "Pawn to e5," he responded, moving his own piece out to match her opening move. His voice was even, but instantly, his concentration turned as sharp as a razor. He couldn''t count on reading E''s brain waves anymore-a trick that had helped him so far in anticipating her next move. It was now just skill pitted against skill, intellect against intellect.


    E leaned to one side, narrowing her eyes as if on a battlefield. She cast her mana and slid a knight to f3. "Knight to f3," her voice was smooth, almost yful.


    Lompak replied quickly. "Knight to c6." He put a bit of his mana into the knight as he moved it, giving it a slight shine. He needed to keep her on her toes and make her slip up.


    The pieces clicked and ttered in a rhythmic dance as the game wore on. Subtle yet deliberate, both yers were deep in it now, their moves calcted and exact. E moved her bishop to c4, creating an early pressure point in Lompak''s position.


    "Bishop to c5," was Lompak''s response, the knight and bishop now cooperating in the defense of the king''s side. He was not going to give E an easy opening.


    E smirked. "Aggressive, are we?" she said, an edge of amusementcing into her tone. She adjusted her mana flow and brought out her other knight to c3. Asyer uponyer of intricate strategies unfolded, tensions in the gathering thickened.


    The match heated up as they jockeyed into the middle game, E moving her queen forward to d3, with her mana charging the piece with a nearly silent hum. The ce was alive with silent anticipation, the people around them hardly daring to breathe.


    Lompak scowled, eyes narrowing as he stared at the board with intense focus. He could feel the trap she was setting-neat, too, to entice him into ovemitting his defences. He edged a pawn forward to h6, hoping to gain some room on the king''s side.


    The eyes of E sparkled with approbation. "Clever, but not clever enough," she muttered to herself, moving her rook to e1, firming up her central control.


    For a second or two, Lompak wavered, the weight of her imcable onught bearing down on him. But he hardened himself. He moved his bishop to g5, where it pinned her knight to the queen. "Ah, let''s see how you handle this."


    E leaned forward, her mana ring as she cast a nce at the piece. Her knight leapt to d5, a daring counterattack that sent ripples of admiration through the crowd.


    And it was a little disappointment to the heart of Lompak. She outmanoeuvred him, and he was not ready to give up yet. He sacrificed a pawn to d5, which she had to recapture. The board zed with possibilities, every move feeling like a thrust of the dagger or a raised shield.