The board felt heavier now.
Not physically—
But mentally.
Lin Xia's horse stood in danger.
Directly in range of the opponent's chariot.
A clear target.
An obvious loss.
The violet-eyed girl leaned back slightly.
"…You're offering it?"
Lin Xia didn't answer.
Her gaze stayed on the board.
Mei Chen muttered under her breath:
"…What are you doing…"
Yue Ning's fingers trembled slightly.
"…Lin Xia…"
The girl reached forward.
Without hesitation.
She moved her chariot.
Straight across.
Clean.
Precise.
Click.
The horse was taken.
The crowd reacted immediately.
"Got it."
"That's a free piece."
"She messed up."
The girl smiled.
"…You're not as good as I thought."
Silence.
Lin Xia finally spoke.
Quiet.
Steady.
"…You moved too fast."
The girl's smile paused.
"…What?"
Lin Xia lifted her hand.
Slowly.
And moved her cannon.
It slid across the board.
Carefully aligning—
One piece.
Two pieces.
Then—
It stopped.
"…Count your pieces," Lin Xia said.
The girl frowned.
Looked down.
Then—
Her expression changed.
Her general.
Exposed.
Yue Ning gasped softly.
"…No way…"
Mei Chen leaned forward sharply.
"…Wait—"
Lin Xia spoke clearly.
"Your chariot became your screen."
A beat.
"…Now it traps your general."
The board fell into silence.
The cannon had a direct line.
Not immediate checkmate—
But unavoidable pressure.
The girl's fingers tightened slightly.
"…You set that up three moves ago…"
Lin Xia didn't respond.
The timer ticked.
The girl made her move.
She shifted her advisor.
Blocking one angle.
Lin Xia moved instantly.
Her chariot advanced.
Straight.
Cutting off escape.
The pressure built.
The crowd leaned in.
"She's cornering her…"
"That's tight…"
"No space…"
The girl clicked her tongue softly.
"…Interesting."
She moved her horse.
Trying to create an opening.
Lin Xia shook her head slightly.
"…Too late."
She moved her cannon again.
This time—
No hesitation.
Direct line.
Clear path.
The board locked.
CHECK.
Silence.
The girl froze.
She scanned the board.
Fast.
Sharp.
Left—blocked.
Right—blocked.
Forward—danger.
Back—impossible.
Her general had nowhere to go.
The realization hit.
"…You built a cage…"
Lin Xia's voice was quiet.
"…And you walked into it."
A pause.
Then—
She made the final move.
Her chariot slid forward.
Click.
CHECKMATE.
The system exploded into light.
RESULT: WIN CONFIRMED
The room held its breath.
For a second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
The punishment triggered.
The girl staggered.
Her expression flickered.
Confusion.
Then—
Fear.
"…Wait—"
She looked at Lin Xia.
At Mei Chen.
At Yue Ning.
"…Who…"
Her voice broke.
"…who are you…?"
Yue Ning's chest tightened.
"…No…"
The girl stepped back.
Shaking.
Her memories—
Not gone completely.
But fractured.
The system glitched.
Like it wasn't fully stable.
Then—
It stopped.
She dropped to one knee.
Breathing hard.
But still conscious.
Still… herself.
Partially.
Lin Xia stood slowly.
"…The system hesitated."
Mei Chen frowned.
"…Why?"
No one answered.
Because above them—
The screen flickered again.
Stronger this time.
…INTERESTING…
The text distorted.
Glitched.
…ADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR DETECTED…
Yue Ning froze.
"…It's watching…"
No one spoke.
Because now—
They all knew.
This wasn't just a system anymore.
It was learning.