"I'll pass on the one-piece handicap."
Dark smiled faintly, retrieving the pieces from the board, and looked at Doron. "So, did you bring your pieces?"
Doron had clearly come prepared; he immediately fished out an exquisite chess box and sat down opposite Dark.
Seeing that the two were really about to play, the little fatty Pistan hurriedly called for classmates to watch. In no time, they were surrounded.
It was the first time the first-year students had seen Dark playing chess so leisurely in the common room, so they couldn't help but be curious.
At this point, both sides had taken their pieces. The opening hand allowed for the deployment of three pieces.
Piece levels were divided into Level 1 and Level 2. Initially, one could only deploy Level 1 pieces.
But as the game progressed, players could raise their level through specific rules.
Raising the level to 2 allowed the deployment of Level 2 pieces.
Raising the level to 3 allowed the deployment of Level 3 pieces.
Dark's opening three pieces were three Level 1 Goblins possessing a bond aura—clearly mooched from Professor Kazel!
Doron, on the other hand, opened with three Level 1 Lizards of the offensive type.
...
Judging by the way he handled the pieces, Dark was obviously a novice. Doron, while not necessarily high-level, certainly had abundant experience.
If his opponent weren't Dark Demon, most people would probably think he was guaranteed to win.
Doron himself seemed to think so as well.
After a few moves, he was completely certain that Dark was a true rookie, and he couldn't help but secretly rejoice.
The opportunity to defeat Dark is today!
If I really win, bragging about it for a year would be an understatement!
At the start of the game, Doron relied on his understanding of the game mechanics and indeed gained an advantage.
He even successfully started to snowball.
Conversely, Dark's pieces were slain one after another, repeatedly falling into crisis.
But just when everyone thought Doron would win smoothly,
Dark finally met the specific conditions, raised his own level to 3, and began deploying Level 3 pieces. The situation reversed instantly!
...
Several minutes later.
Doron looked at [Vampire Vlad] stepping on his own [Castle] with a pained expression and couldn't help but say, "A full 3000 Attack and Defense! Your [Vampire Vlad] has no martial ethics!"
Dark smiled and picked up the [Vampire Vlad] piece, intentionally or unintentionally revealing the bottom of the piece, displaying the "genuine" crest meticulously forged by Professor Kazel.
Several students who were equally astonished by the strength of this piece immediately shut their mouths.
Ever since the Magic Guide Chess Guild began selling new pieces, almost no one played the old version of Magic Guide Chess anymore.
Although the new version of Magic Guide Chess had lost its fairness due to the disparity in piece strength,
isn't spending money to draw pieces done precisely to break fairness and crush opponents?
If one spent a huge price to buy rare, powerful pieces but couldn't gain any advantage on the board, then who would still spend money?
So if you lose, don't blame the pieces; you can only blame yourself for not spending enough!
"Good game, good game."
Dark placed the pieces into the chess box one by one, then closed the board with a beaming smile.
In all things, going too far is as bad as falling short.
Since [Vampire Vlad] had successfully made its debut, there was no great significance in continuing.
Stopping while ahead was the best way to avoid capsizing later.
So that was it for today.
...
"How about another game?"
Doron stared at Dark, wanting revenge.
But Dark didn't give him this chance.
Once the chessboard was packed, Dark returned to the dormitory unhurriedly, leaving behind only the legend of the invincible [Vampire]!
After he left, the students immediately began to discuss it.
A full three thousand Attack and Defense, and Ultimate Moves powerful to the point of abnormality. If not for the anti-counterfeit crest, many people would probably have subconsciously identified it as an unofficial pirated piece!
"Too strong! Where on earth did Dark get such a rare piece? It couldn't be from a draw, right?" Doron said with a frowning face.
Pistan pondered, "Under normal circumstances, the possibility of drawing it is actually the highest. After all, whoever drew such a powerful piece wouldn't likely want to sell it."
Doron: "So why can't I draw one?"
Pistan: "Input equals output. Maybe he draws more? I remember at the opening ceremony, Dark received a reward of a full ten thousand credits!"
Doron scrunched up his face. "That is indeed not something we can compare with."
Pistan asked curiously, "Doron, do you still remember the reason he received that ten thousand credit reward?"
Doron recalled, "Let me think. It was that time during Halloween plus the long holiday... he seemed to have saved someone?"
Pistan: "Who did he save?"
Doron: "I don't know."
...
The discussion among Doron and the others gradually heated up.
Dark, having returned to the dormitory, had temporarily put this matter to the back of his mind.
What he discussed with the professors was a relatively long-term plan.
There was no intention to produce results within a day or two.
So his focus remained on the compilation of the Arithmetic Class teaching materials.
...
Two days later.
When Dark entered the classroom on a certain occasion, Robert suddenly asked him, "Hey, Dark, heard you have a really great Magic Guide Chess piece?"
Dark knew then that his plan had initially unfolded.
The matter of him possessing a [Vampire Vlad] piece had already spread from the Noble House to the Knight House.
Wait until it gradually spreads from the first years to the upper years.
Then spreads from the upper years to the entire academy.
This matter would then be considered partially complete.
Dark blinked at Robert and said, "You know, the [Vampire] piece."
Robert was slightly stunned, and Dark had already walked past him to the corner on the other side of the classroom.
Virt nudged his arm with an elbow and whispered, "Did you hear that, Robert? Just as I guessed, it's Vampire Vlad! Do you know what this means?"
Robert snapped back to reality, somewhat indignant. "The Magic Guide Chess Guild couldn't possibly sell a Magic Guide Chess piece prototyped after Vlad! Dark is using a pirated piece! How could he do this?"
Virt: "Dark is different from us. He has no chess spirit; he's just a beginner blinded by victory."
Robert pondered for a long time, then suddenly looked up. "No! I must let him know that doing that is wrong!"
Virt: "How? Tell the others he's using a pirated piece? Hey, Professor Silf warned us not long ago not to reveal the matter regarding Vlad."
"No, it has nothing to do with Vlad!" Robert clenched his fist tightly, speaking with determination. "I want to let him know that the strength of a single piece cannot decide the outcome! Magic Guide Chess will not tolerate blasphemy!"
Virt: "You can do it, close friend!"
Robert: "So, close friend, I need your support!"
Virt: "I'll do what I can!"
Robert: "Great, then lend me your credits!"
Virt: "???"
Robert: "I only have the twenty-one pieces of the old Magic Guide Chess. To win, I need to buy new pieces."
Virt: "But Robert, Valentine's Day is coming soon..."
...
St. Marian in February still tread upon the tail of winter.
There was not the slightest warmth of winter leaving and spring arriving.
Professor Medea made a small prophecy during Wednesday night's Astronomy Class.
The little magisters then knew that snow would fall on Valentine's Day!
They didn't have the concept of "auspicious snow promises a bountiful year"; they were merely delighted by the world wrapped in silver.
Combined with the special season of Valentine's Day, there was a romance not inferior to Christmas!
Confessing to the person you like on that day might receive the blessing of the Goddess of Winter!
"Hey, wake up! It's already spring!"
In the History of Magic class the next day, Professor Ryan Hacks specifically recounted the harshness of marching in snowy nights and several battles that ended in crushing defeat due to heavy snow, forcibly diluting the little magisters' anticipation for the snowy Valentine's Day.
But within St. Marian, various rumors related to it still gradually began to circulate.
Setting aside the cold and inconvenience.
Heavy snow always gave people an impression of "pure white."
Linking snow with romance created a naturally pure feeling.
Without any utilitarianism.
Without any impurities.
Only pure love.
Boys and girls of this age group were always prone to immersing themselves in the emotions they crafted for themselves.
In the name of "cherishing the moment," they did not think about the sustainability of the future.
But looking back and thinking carefully, perhaps this is youth.
...
February 9th, Friday.
A week's time seemed to pass just like that.
Dark was busy with the compilation and revision of the Arithmetic Class teaching materials, not even having much time to pay attention to the influence caused by the [Vampire] Magic Guide Chess piece.
Let alone the snow and Valentine's Day.
He extracted [Lust] three times on the nights of the 4th, 5th, and 6th.
And extracted [Pride] twice on the nights of the 7th and 8th.
He finally lowered the indicators of [Lust] and [Pride] to a slightly acceptable level.
And for tonight, he prepared to continue extracting [Lust].
The goal was to control both [Pride] and [Lust] at around 100 points.
...
But even so.
Dark also felt the growing atmosphere of love.
Looking around, it seemed everyone around him was secretly doing something.
The Valentine's Day of this world had a rather subtle difference from his previous life.
People made a clear distinction between Valentine's Day on February 14th and White Day on March 14th.
Men and women would give gifts to the people they liked on this day to express their love.
If your love was mutual, you might receive a gift from your lover at the same time you gave yours.
But if your love was one-sided, you would need to wait until a month later to receive an answer.
This one-month interval contained a kind of goodwill.
It expressed a cherishing of love, hoping that people could think more carefully, rather than making impulsive choices following the atmosphere in the heat of the moment.
At the same time, it also avoided the awkwardness of an immediate reply.
Sending a gift was an implicit confession.
If a return gift was received on White Day, it was a positive response.
For reserved people, this was a very good way to express love.
...
This year's February 14th was next Wednesday.
Therefore, from today until Sunday was the final time period for students to go to Traveler Street to buy gifts.
On Friday afternoon, crowds poured into Traveler Street almost like a tide.
Dark stood at the window on the second floor of the castle looking down, feeling like he was watching people rushing to a festival market; he had a subtle feeling in his heart.
He had enjoyed his youth properly during last year's Halloween and Christmas.
But this period in February was really a bit tiring.
Only in the intervals did he occasionally think about who would send him gifts, and how he should respond.
"Those first-year classmates I explicitly rejected at Christmas shouldn't send any more, right?"
Similar thoughts spun in his mind.
Dark took one last look at the surging crowd, then turned and walked towards the Noble House tower.
...
Meanwhile.
Virt and Robert, Diana and Rose, all flowed into Traveler Street with the crowd.
Virt was still thinking about whether to give a gift on Valentine's Day even now.
If he was to give one, was it better to buy it directly, or was handmade better?
Chocolates bought in stores had exquisite packaging and better taste.
Handmade ones might be rough, but they had more sincerity.
Virt never thought he would get a positive response.
But sincerity can move metal and stone.
Giving a gift on Valentine's Day would at least let Senior Pandora notice him.
If he gave one every year, perhaps he could change something?
Tonight, the "Marine Biology Research Department" would have a gathering; perhaps he could get some hints from the seniors.
He lowered his head in thought, not noticing that Robert beside him had already prayed to every god he knew.
Robert, who had no romantic prospects, was of course thinking about how to draw a rare and powerful Magic Guide Chess piece.
One gacha capsule yielded one Magic Guide Chess piece.
The price wasn't expensive either.
The price within the academy was 1 credit per gacha.
Converted into Saint Coins, it was 16 Saint Coins.
But to draw a good Magic Guide Chess piece, the credits required were not just a matter of one or two points.
But to "wake up" Dark Demon who had fallen astray, Robert was willing to foot the bill for this!
He had wanted to buy them for a long time.
Finally found a reason!
...
Diana and Rose entered a chocolate workshop arm in arm.
Today was the last session of the course. Diana still couldn't make edible chocolate very well.
But it didn't matter; Rose could already make chocolates that wouldn't look shabby even if sold in a store.
At times like these, Diana always felt that meeting Rose was truly a lucky thing.
"Have you heard?"
Diana said mysteriously while learning to make chocolate.
Rose paused slightly and asked curiously, "What?"
Diana leaned to her ear and whispered, "I heard that if a person has no lover and is seeking a partner, fate will guide them to become husband and wife with the first person they see on Valentine's Day!"
Rose said in surprise, "Is there really such a saying?"
Diana was a little proud: "I heard this from a senior in the common room. Let me tell you, she's so bold! She said she's going to squat at a senior's door in the early morning. Ehe, she's not even shy! By the way, should we go squat and see too?"
Rose tried her best to hold back her laughter. "I think we can."
Diana poked her cheek with a finger stained with cream. "Annoying, laughing at me again. I won't go!"
...
Behind them, a girl with a pink doll-style haircut was secretly listening.
...
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