Page 142 of Light Leech

“Do not doubt yourself.”

Why? I’m not doubting you.

“No one deserves this glory. It is filth, why do you yearn for it? Do you wish to become the king of liars? That is what your whining amounts to. You wish to triumph over this man in a game of memorizations. Enough with your infantile murmuring, you are a man of wisdom, true wisdom, not aptitude in a fool’s errand. Awaken yourself to your wisdom and center your mind on what matters, lest your fit leads you to a cowardly capitulation.”

Is this the first time you are complimenting me?

“Focus, bakuh.”

I cracked a smile, though my health took damage from their penetrating attacks.

He was right. This was a game of lies, run by someone who was convincing the planet that we were still living on the true Earth–that is, if our theories proved true. If not, to what end were we striving?

Green infant: twelve.

Red infant: seven.

Swine’s Servant’s barrier dissolved. Seeing the health of our infants, I doubted either of us cared about each other’s player health.

Can I attack the infant itself?

“Not directly.”

I figured as much.

“He would have won by now if that had been true.”

Right. I should have thought about that from the beginning. Maybe I did? I guess it doesn’t matter.

“It does.”

Is there something I’m missing?

“There is something we are both missing. I can see into the game’s structure. It is possible, though I fail to see how.

Well then. Might as well try this. I tapped the Gamble deck. The card turned over and revealed itself.

The Curse of Neglect: All unprotected Lonesome Infants lose four health.

The infants cried out in harmony. Their voices were a haunting siren’s song.

Green infant: nine.

Red infant: three

Zeg, I should have protected it beforehand!

“This is true, but alas, you are closer to the end.”

I eyed my ability cards, seeing one called Double-Edged Ritual, a two-cost. I read the text beforehand, trying to focus on the patience I had dismissed before. I summoned a two-cost legend called Aquahorror that looked like one of the hellish ghosts I had seen swimming near Gong’s fetus back in Arabasia. Rather than suffer by staring at it any longer, I used Double-Edged Ritual, which forced me to eliminate one of my legends to kill one of RegLon’s. Aquahorror died with a bashree’s shriek which was then followed up by the howl of the armored Brulatist’s death.

“Why would you waste your time on that?” Zhu snorted. “That thing is nothing to me. You should have eliminated that mother!”

Just watch.

“What?”

If I can trust you, can you trust me?