Timeless Assassin

Chapter 1070: The Game Begins

Once both Mauriss and Leo had settled into their positions, the game finally began as both players contemplated which card to play first.

Unlike Mauriss, Leo already knew which card he wanted to play, as after having played the game against multiple opponents hundreds of times, he had arrived at what he believed to be the most optimal opening sequence, one that did not guarantee victory, yet ensured that he would not fall behind from the very first exchange.

Because in every variation he had tested, against every opponent he had faced, the first move always dictated the rhythm of everything that followed.

And since the first move was so important, he had thought about it the most, eventually arriving at the conclusion that the game must begin with an attack.

If both players chose to attack, then the damage would remain equal and the field would stay balanced, allowing the match to progress into deeper layers where preparation and structure would begin to matter more than unpredictable instinct.

However, if both players chose to defend, then nothing would happen, and such a stagnant opening would quietly disrupt the flow Leo had designed his strategy around.

Since the outcome he was chasing here relied on controlled defensive pressure and carefully timed exchanges when options became limited, delaying the progression of the match was sure to only work against him.

Which was why he decided against carrying such an unnecessary risk.

’So the first move must be an attack,’ Leo concluded calmly, as his fingers hovered over the cards before selecting one without hesitation, his expression steady as he slid it forward.

Across from him, Mauriss looked down at his own set of cards with his head tilted slightly, his lips slowly curling into a grin that widened with every passing second, as his eyes gleamed with a kind of excitement that had nothing to do with winning and everything to do with creating chaos.

Because unlike Leo, who sought the most efficient path forward, Mauriss was drawn toward something far more chaotic, something that would distort the rhythm of the game before it had even properly begun, as the idea of breaking structure fascinated him far more than following it.

"Let’s see what happens if I choose to go for this from the very start," Mauriss muttered softly, as his fingers drifted across the multipliers before settling on one without the slightest hesitation, the choice made out of impulse, as he just picked a card at random, and placed it alongside the multiplier.

"Alright, we both show our choices together..."

Leo said, as since both of them had chosen their cards, they now had to slide it into the gameboard mechanism, which would then reveal the cards simultaneously.

*Slot*

*Slot*

Both of them locked in their choices, as—

*Flip*

The cards turned over simultaneously, revealing vertical slash, against vertical slash enhanced by a five times multiplier, as the constructs responded immediately.

*BOOM*

Both stone golems surged forward at once, their movements mirroring one another in form, yet differing drastically in intensity as they accelerated across the surface with heavy, grinding steps, closing the distance in an instant while raising their arms to strike.

Leo’s golem moved with clean precision, its attack direct and efficient as it drove forward with a calculated blow aimed at the opponent’s head, while Mauriss’s construct erupted with amplified force, its body surging with violent energy as the multiplier took effect, pushing its movement beyond its natural limits.

*CRASH*

The two blows connected almost simultaneously, stone colliding with explosive force as fragments scattered outward, the impact sending both constructs sliding back across the board while cracks spread across their bodies, yet the difference in damage quickly became apparent as Leo’s golem staggered under the heavier strike, its head dented heavily, while Mauriss’s construct remained comparatively stable with only surface level damage marking its frame.

*Crack*

At this moment, Mauriss leaned forward slightly as he watched Leo, his grin widening into something unhinged as he licked his lips in clear enjoyment, his eyes never once shifting toward the board as his laughter rang out freely into the storm.

"Hahahahaha!"

The sound cut through the chaos around them, sharp and unrestrained, as his golem straightened first and held the advantage, while Mauriss remained focused entirely on Leo, as though the damage dealt was only part of the entertainment and not the true objective of the game.

"You have truly designed a very interesting game here.

I was wondering if my golems weapon would collide against that of yours and break it.

However, the attack lines were just slightly different, allowing both attacks to land simultaneously and differ only in damage....."

Mauriss observed, as despite the unhinged madness on his face, it became clear that the God was trying to grasp the exact mechanics of the game underneath that facade of insanity.

"You warning me that running out of multipliers might be a bad choice, made me want to use one from the very start.

And let me say.... I am not disappointed at all.

Both of us hit our targets, and yet I did so with a multiplier.

Which means, I have the upper hand now.

Ideally, as long as I counter every move that you throw at me ideally from here until the end, then you lose just because I landed one hit that was stronger than yours.

So, in a way, you have lost already..... no?"

The Deceiver said, as he kept trying to get into Leo’s head even now.

"Tell me Skyshard, of all the times you have played this game against an opponent.

How many times have you actually faced an opening exchange like this?

And how many times have you won while starting from this position?"

Mauriss asked, as he tried to read Leo’s expression to understand the level of confidence Leo still possessed.

Whether he was still unfazed?

Or whether this exchange was truly out of his anticipation?

However, unfortunately for him, Leo revealed nothing, as he simply slid his hand to select the second card, and waited patiently for Mauriss to do the same, as he showed no signs of being put under pressure.