Episode 1030 Intellectual Conflict (4)
There are a total of ten types of revised intellectual conflict objects.
Citizen.Infantry.Archer.Wizard.High Wizard.Sage.Knight.Assassin.Noble.King.
The position of the commander’s equipment was replaced by noble equipment.
Commander equipment → Delete.
Noble artifact → Add.
Assassin unit → Add.
Assassin units were specialized in concealment and surprise attacks, while Noble units were literally special units that displayed commander abilities and performed a new victory condition of occupying the core area of the faction.
Among these, citizens, infantry, archers, and mages are each individual units composed of groups…High mages, sages, knights, assassins, nobles, and kings are high-tier units, each consisting of a single entity, some of which possess special abilities.
For example, the Adrian piece belongs to the Knight class and instantly kills an opponent’s piece every third attack, ignoring all status effects.The Liam Arrain piece, classified as a Noble, strengthens combat units within a 5-tile radius. It allows them to move one extra tile per turn and has a low chance of assisting with attack and defense.
Like this… … .
Eon’s artifacts mimicked the forms of people connected to Verden. The artifacts’ special abilities were closely related to their actual abilities.
They moved like living people. They reacted much more sensitively than their original intellectual conflicts. Their joints did not creak. Nor were they unnatural. Their bodies were flexible and soft.
It feels like commanding a miniature actual battlefield.
Now, you must win victory against Bloodia and Deus, who represent Fate and Resistance, with dozens of pieces consisting of ten classes.
Offense or defense from the start?
Verden adopted an integrated strategy that kept both offense and defense in mind.
Use infantry and wizard pieces to keep the other two factions’ pieces in check, and conceal archer and assassin pieces with magic and special abilities to prepare for flanking attacks.
The pieces move freely whenever a turn comes around.
Send a Knight unit, supported by a High Wizard and benefiting from the Noble’s Area effect, to a strategic location to continuously pressure the center.
If you try to seize the center, you will face fierce resistance from both sides, but you cannot gain anything by simply playing it safe.Enter firmly.Just as Alpha overwhelmed Luzak in the intellectual clash by looking ahead, Verden continued the game by clearly seeing dozens of moves ahead.
Whoosh, crash!
Wizard pieces composed of members of Black Hour burn the tile with scorching heat. Elf pieces acting as archers fire a volley at the forest tile.Bloodia’s archer pieces, which were hiding due to the tile effect, take damage and are pushed back two spaces.
Kaang, kaang, kwazizik!
In the north, Bloodia and Deus’s scouts engage in combat. Knight units step onto other tiles and cut down the infantry.They were not merely dying.The units under attack resisted desperately as if they had real lives. They screamed even as their swords shattered and their bodies were severed.
The dead infantry fell. The other infantry fled, pushed back one square.The corpses did not disappear but remained on the tile.
Bloodia is bold, and Deus is meticulous.
The Fate faction has advanced with great sacrifice and currently controls the most regions. As the dominion area expands and exceeds the threshold, the number of units that can be controlled in one turn increases.
The resistance forces kept a close watch on Verden while exploiting the weaknesses in Bloodia’s bold expansion strategy, and retreated without suffering any damage.
The Yeokcheon camp watched the confrontation between the two and gradually pushed up from the south.
Just like reality… … .
Verden was immersed in the game. He saw a world drenched in blood and tragedy. The screams and shouts of the innocent seemed to linger in his ears.
[your majesty?]
It was only after hearing Beta’s voice that Verden snapped out of his thoughts.
Hmm, I took a moment to collect my thoughts.
[It seems the resistor faction is targeting the southeast.]
“okay.”
Verden adjusted his detailed strategies little by little according to the situation moment by moment. He was like the embodiment of change. He was not a hamster wheel rolling in place, but a sphere tumbling down a bumpy hill.Bloodia and Deus could not predict at all where he would veer off next.
[… … .]
Alpha quietly watched Verden, who was approaching the situation with sincerity, then turned his gaze back to the intellectual clash.
Kuuuuuung!
Dozens of turns passed.
Finally, the conflict began in earnest.
Bloodia discovered a piece of ancient knowledge hidden in a random tile.
You win if you pass two out of three pieces of Ancient Knowledge to the Sage piece.The moment a piece containing Ancient Knowledge passes through three out of five specific tiles somewhere, an Absolute piece is born and the game ends.
thud!
Deus advanced westward, led by the high-ranking mage Deus. He blocked the movement path of Bloodia’s infantry units, which possessed ancient knowledge.In response, Bloodia dispatched a being of light classified as a knight and a dragon unit. These were the First Apostle and the Fourth Apostle.
[You’ll take on two apostles by yourself?]
It is enough.
[Kuhahaha. As expected of a wizard following Oldarc, you are beyond compare.]
Bloodyia’s eyes narrowed.
[In what form will you die?]
The first Apostle and Deus clashed. Light and magic collided, and the stage vibrated. Damage was nullified by Deus’s special ability, and the two pieces were forcibly moved five tiles apart.
Bloodia, who possesses an area larger than a certain size and can move two pieces in one turn, gestured.
The fourth apostle breathed out a breath.
Meia’s artifact and the resistance faction’s knight artifact, whose identity Verden could not identify and therefore could not recognize, defended against the attack with magic prepared in advance.
Just as the North was on the brink of disaster, the South was also on the verge of explosion.
The Desert God slayed by Verden in reality—the Seventh Apostle—aims for the Reverse Heaven faction across the harsh desert tiles.The Sixth Apostle, the Old King, scattered evil spirits upon the corpses remaining on the tiles to create undead creatures, and deployed them into the battle.
‘The Giant and the Host… … The remaining Apostles are waiting at the main base. Bloodia is ahead by occupying a vast area, but if the Apostles to the south are stopped, the tide of battle will turn.’
The result 43 turns later was pictured before Verden’s eyes.
Reinforce the front line with the Kalia unit.Bombard with the Unia unit.Assassinate the Knight unit guarding the Seventh Apostle unit with the Grave unit.The Isabella unit manifests a special magical ability that instantly kills lower-tier units.
[… … .]
Bloodia’s eyes roll ceaselessly as she battles in the north and south. She appears to be pondering how to break through the southern front established by Verden.
The ancient royal artifact approaches.
The Lord of Death, shouldering the massive dragon sword [Magrath], corrupts the tile. The corpses within his sphere of influence have been fully resurrected.
As expected.
It was just as Verden was about to advance the Adrian artifact to confront the old king. His hand, which had shown absolutely no hesitation, stopped midway.
17, 29, 30, 49, 73, 77… … .
The variables and situations that would unfold as a result of placing the Adrian object flashed through my mind. It was an instinct born of anxiety.
As the flow of intellectual conflict was suddenly interrupted, puzzlement appeared on the faces of Bloodia and Deus, and in the meantime, Verden’s pupils twitched.
“Even if Deus interferes, we can finish off Bloodia in 483 moves. And in 798 moves, we can occupy Deus’s core territory. Although two as-yet-undiscovered ancient knowledges are variables, the margin of error should not exceed 50 moves.”
Even though he had finished the painting, Verden hesitated.
However, in the end, our side must also endure damage bordering on annihilation. We can only eliminate the main forces of those two by sacrificing our key pieces.
He had no choice but to hesitate.
Adrian… … must be sacrificed.
The deaths of Cain, Rateon, Junia, Grave, Osgar, Liam, Melad, Kalia, and others are presupposed.The survival of Isabella, Medrant, Aldanis, Levana, and others cannot be guaranteed. Depending on the variables, they could be wiped out or all survive.Alpha and Beta must also sacrifice one of them to barely achieve victory.
In the end, the only thing remaining unscathed was the Verden artifact. I tried to devise other methods, but there was no better option than this.
To transmit two pieces of primeval knowledge to a wise creature?It is a bad move.On the contrary, that method maximizes the sacrifice.
Summoning the Absolute with primordial knowledge?That is also a bad move.Protecting the primordial knowledge is a problem in itself, and unless all three Absolute tiles are revealed, they cannot be included in the calculation.
Satisfying the victory requirements of the Defiance faction by blocking the victory requirements of the Fate and Resistor factions?That is nonsense.There is not a single clue regarding the victory conditions of those two right now.
Verden clenched his fist.
In a game like this, sacrificing pieces is a perfectly natural move. Here, it is impossible to win without giving up anything. The board was smaller than the world, and each player’s pieces were limited.
Verden whipped himself into believing that intellectual conflict was nothing but a game, but he failed to send the will to Adrian Kimull to move forward.
There was a reason.
Because this isn’t some game.
Will you seize victory even at the cost of giving up what must be protected, or will you be weighed down by a sense of responsibility and merely defend, ultimately suffering defeat unable to do anything?
The world of intellectual conflict unfolding before Verden was asking just that.
Hiante’s words came to mind.
At first, both ‘you’ and Oldarc discussed a kind of self-sacrifice similar to Verden’s. However, that sacrifice eventually became corrupted. That was the conclusion they reached after overcoming their own frustrations.
From the Great Divergence to the Battle of Destiny, and from the Battle of Destiny to the present. Countless years have passed, far beyond what a mortal could even dare to imagine. If even the world changes, how could the countless lives upon it possibly remain unchanged? Even if they have no lifespan, they cannot remain immutable forever.
Verden truly understood what distinguished him from ‘you’ and the first Demon King. Both of them had crossed the line of sacrifice, while Verden was trapped in self-sacrifice.
This… was the host’s intention in deciding on a three-way battle of intellectual conflict as the final game. It is to force Verden to cross the line along with them.
It is not an unfair game.
All conditions were identical. The total ability stats of the pieces were the same as well. The only difference was Verden’s personal ideology. If Verden makes a decision, the three factions become subjectively equal.
Verden broke out in a cold sweat and asked himself.
Can I cross the line? Can I sacrifice everything for an ideal?
Unable to answer even in his heart, Verden answered with action instead. Will was placed in his hand. The Adrian artifact ‘retreated’.Verden could not bring himself to meet the eyes of the startled Alpha and Beta.
‘… … I can’t do that.’
The greed of being unable to let go of what is held in one’s hand.
Realizing Verden’s weakness, Bloodia sneered sadistically. The front line shifts. Soon, the forces of destiny began to concentrate in the south.
Deus shook his head inwardly, yet… … moved his troops to the south.
The important thing is winning or losing.
In a three-way battle, the basic strategy is to completely eliminate one of them first.
* * *
───W-The Factions of Fate and Resistor are pressuring the Faction of Defying Heaven. The Fourth Guest has constructed a near-perfect defensive formation and has not lost a single piece, but… … if things continue like this, defeat will only grow darker… … I wonder what kind of scheme you have?
Shelbron is commentating on the upset resulting from the intellectual clash as the host. The tide has turned. Verden’s territory, which has shrunk, is more than half surrounded.The other sides are chipping away at Verden’s pieces little by little.
{As soon as Asher realized he could not use tactics based on sacrifice, he launched a bold attack. However, Asher’s defenses are impeccable. Even if Fate and Resistance unite, they will have to endure significant damage.}
The host added a detailed explanation as the founder of the intellectual conflict.
{Ultimately, the Reverse Heaven front will collapse within 493 moves at most, the key area will be occupied by 643 moves, or Asher’s piece will be captured by 888 moves.}
Thearel asks.
“How can Asher win?”
{Have you ever seen a king who fears the sacrifice of his own forces win? Danger is a price. You cannot achieve a grand goal without taking risks. Especially if it is the ideal of a transcendent being. Even more so if it is Asher’s ideal. That defensive line may efficiently weaken the enemy’s forces, but it is far from victory.}
At this rate, Verden has no choice but to lose.
Even Thearel, who only knows the rules of intellectual conflict, could tell by looking at the screen. The best defense is offense, so it was unfamiliar to see Verden unable to boldly counterattack despite having such a weakness.
The sacrifice of allies is Verden’s weakness. Host must have been aiming for this. After all, Host made an intellectual clash the final game. He has trapped Verden.
There is no way for Thearel, who is merely a spectator, to help Verden. Should he attack the host? It is meaningless. This octopus-headed human is not the main body.
‘however…….’
Amidst his confused thoughts, a question arose in a corner of Tearel’s mind.
What on earth are you expecting?
Even though Verden’s defeat seemed almost certain, Host was still glued to the screen, as if determined not to miss a single moment.Soon, Host tapped his long fingertips together, expressing his anticipation.
“What trick are you pulling again…….”
{fizzle.}
The host enforced silence. Shelbron chattered on the screen. Verden’s cold, somber expression was captured on screen.It was the moment Thearel, who had been looking at the host suspiciously, turned his head.
───Ah… …! The Knight unit of the Fate faction has been destroyed by a surprise attack! It seems the Fourth Guest has finally chosen a massive counterattack!
The Alpha piece, coming out of a full defensive line, finished off the Knight piece that had already taken damage once. The Knight piece can only withstand attacks up to twice.
‘uh?’
I wondered if Verden had made up his mind, but… he, too, lowered his gaze with a bewildered reaction. Alpha was reaching out a hand in Verden’s place.
Hahahahahaha!
The host stood up and clapped his hands together.
Right, this is it. The scene I wanted to see.
The fourth guest of honor is three as one.
Why did the Host grant such exclusive authority? It was because he wanted to see this very sight: the determination of the artificial golems to fill in Verden’s shortcomings.
Oldarc, Oldarc, Oldarc.
The host laughed sincerely, convinced.
The creatures you failed to deal with will become the variables. The variables of the third choice, neither the fate nor the resistance that Verden will choose.
The birth of new knowledge has been confirmed.
* * *
The Alpha piece left the front line even though Verden had absolutely no intention of doing so. It was a proper move, but it was a situation where he could have easily lost it.
“……Alpha?”
[Your Majesty Asher.]
As the fourth guest of honor, Alpha can move pieces when his turn comes. Alpha patted the back of Verden’s hand as if to encourage him.
[Alpha is Alpha. Alpha moves. Not His Majesty Asher’s fault.]
[That is correct.]
It meant that since Alpha had moved his piece, it was not Verden’s fault even if it was sacrificed. Beta agreed and prepared to move his piece on the next turn.
Bloodia, who had lost his knight’s equipment because he was caught off guard, scoffed.
[Am I being protected by such insignificant beings now? And to call myself a Fate Destroyer? It’s not even funny… … .]
[Bloodya.]
Alpha selected a word he had seen and heard while traveling with Verden. It was a word that Adrian, Rateon, and others had mentioned.
[Gaguri.]
