CHAPTER 344: THE PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM?!

"Oh! It seems that we have some development on board 4 here!" Bagas shouted a little bit too excitedly. Even though he knew that all of the Indonesian players approached today’s matchup cautiously, the lack of action there still frustrated him a little bit. "Somehow, the game turns completely into Sheva’s favor, and the computer engine even gives -1.2 for his advantage! What is going on here?!"

"Johan-Sebastian Christiansen is too fixated on chasing Sheva’s king, completely ignoring the threat looming from the left flank," Arfan explained, far calmer than the boy next to him. "Now that Sheva’s pawn there had already probed the white’s defensive wall, Christiansen doesn’t have much choice but to exchange the bishop, but in doing so, it would also help Sheva fix the pawn structure and strengthen black’s control over the middle."

*Author note: If you want to visualize the position better, check the comment below.

Yeah, just like what Arfan said, Sheva’s pawn on the A file was too strong. If Christiansen took it or even tried to lock the position there, this would disable the protection on his bishop, giving it away for nothing. However, if he didn’t do anything, Sheva’s pawn would be so strong that it could penetrate directly into the heart of his territory.

It was a necessary evil, but that didn’t mean Christiansen had to like it. The Norwegian GM frowned instantly when he faced this choice, trying to find something out of the box to get out of this situation and even catching Sheva off guard. Unfortunately, doing something like that without stepping into a landmine was not easy in the endgame phase. He needed to treat the situation carefully, knowing that Sheva was a decisive player who would be ready to punish any mistake that the boy’s opponent made in the game.

’No, my situation is not that bad to the point that I need to do something out of the box.’ Christiansen shook his head, trying to clear the distraction inside his head. ’Even if I take the bishop and let him get a strong center, that doesn’t mean everything is set on the stone. No, it is still not an easy endgame, so my chance will come soon!’

The man took his time to calculate every possibility on the board, trying to outsmart Sheva with his brain. Time ticked by, and now, his time finally caught up to Sheva’s. It was crazy, especially since a moment ago, Sheva was down by 30 minutes. However, that just showed how difficult and meticulous the position on the board was.

What the man didn’t notice, though, was that the opponent in front of him was sweating bullets right now. It wasn’t due to the jam-packed venue or the AC malfunction, but because of the stress that he felt from the title that had worked for too long.

’Fuck! This title should be activated for at least one hour by now, right?’ Sheva gritted his teeth, wiping the sweat on his forehead while also taking a big gulp from the bottle of water that he brought here. ’Oi, system! Is this normal?!’ He shouted inwardly.

[Rest assured, Host. All the products coming from the system are top-notch; you don’t have to worry about their quality.]

Sheva had to hold back the urge to scoff here. The tone was exactly the same as the salesman who tried to sell a shady thing, and it would be foolish for him to trust the system 100 percent in this case. ’If this is safe, how could I feel so much pain here?’ He gritted his teeth, trying to hide his pain and put his best poker face on.

[The title brings Host’s concentration 30% higher than the normal state, so it is normal to be drained like this. That is why Host needs to improve the physical state, or your body will not be able to handle the stress caused by it.]

’And you tell me something this important just now?! Three weeks after I get that?! What the hell, System?!’ Sheva roared inwardly, feeling like screaming and kicking the system in its ass. Well... If it had one, of course. ’Just tell me here, System! What should I do in this situation?!’

Physical state was not something that could be improved magically in one night, so the system’s suggestion earlier was not possible. However, since the system gave him this title, it should know about his current state and have a solution for this situation, right?

Unfortunately, he was bound to be disappointed here.

[Host, you have already used the item that could solve your situation in this case.] The system said, still with its cold, mechanical tone.

’Um?! I have one, and I have already used it?!’ Sheva was taken aback, frowning a little. His head was throbbing as he tried to recall what the system meant, before a moment later, a realization hit him hard. ’You mean that Recovery pill?!’

The recovery pill was the reward he got after dominating everyone during his first meeting with the other Indonesian players. Unfortunately, the boy had already used it to solve his jetlag problem after arriving at Chennai, so he didn’t have one anymore.

[Affirmative. That pill’s effect is to restore your body to the best state, and it also includes your brain. This will give you an instant recovery, and you don’t have to worry about this anymore.]

’Then, why would you recommend me to use that on the opening day?!’ Sheva clenched his teeth, feeling so frustrated with the machine inside his head. ’You know that I would have this problem, yet why would you do this to me?!’

[You ask me for a solution at that time, Host.]

Sheva choked at the cold answer that the system gave him. Indeed, this was not the system’s fault. It was just like him asking the Internet about something. It would give him a solution, but whether he did it or not was his problem.

’So, what should I do now, System?’ He asked, once again wiping the sweat on his forehead.

[Just bear with the pain for a while and try to win the game as quickly as possible, Host. You probably only have one more hour at most before your brain is fully overclocked, and once that happens, you will pass out immediately. So, use your time wisely.]

After that, the system went quiet once again, leaving Sheva with his own problem. He took a deep breath, somehow feeling relieved. At least, he didn’t have to bear the pain without a clear solution, which would be the worst scenario, as it would also affect him mentally. Now, with a target set here, the boy clenched his fist tightly, feeling determination burning his heart brighter than ever.

’So, one hour, huh?’ He took another deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. ’Let’s try to kill him before that happens...’