• CHAPTER 49. The Game of Geniuses (8)

A death match between Lee Sang-wook and Ryu Geon-wook.

The moment the game started, the other cast members silently backed away.

And they stayed that way for a long time, not daring to speak.
No one could afford to intervene.

Even the most carefree and bold ones like Ppaeng and Lim Doha quietly watched the match unfold with their lips sealed.

They weren’t watching as game participants.
They were watching as fellow geniuses.

‘They’re playing on a completely different level.’

It wasn’t just that their moves were fast or complex.
The psychological warfare between the two was overwhelming.

They were making moves that even the observers couldn’t predict.
They’d sometimes take back a move that looked perfect, only to come up with an even more brilliant one.

‘They’re already on turn 7, and neither has lost a single piece…’

It was like watching two monsters clashing.
To be more precise, it was like watching a fight between two monsters with identical abilities.

They were both completely absorbed, giving their all in this match.

“…”

For once, even Ha Joyoon fell silent.

Though he usually had a sharp tongue, now he was quiet, his fingers pressed lightly against his lips.
It was the first time he’d watched a game this intensely.
Even the unpredictable Haeun was at a loss for words.

It was Ryu Geon-wook who broke the silence first.

“You’re better than I expected.”

Even as he spoke, his eyes didn’t leave the board. His fingers moved restlessly, flicking the tops of his pieces.

Lee Sang-wook didn’t respond. He just watched him in silence, like a machine observing data.

Ryu Geon-wook laughed softly.

“I didn’t think you’d keep up with me for this long.”

Lee Sang-wook finally opened his mouth.

“I told you. I’m the top-ranked player on the Genius channel.”

“Right. I admit that now.”

Then Ryu Geon-wook met his gaze directly for the first time.

“So it’s okay if I stop holding back now… right?”

“…?”

The moment Lee Sang-wook blinked at those words—
Ryu Geon-wook’s hand moved like lightning.

He had been carefully maneuvering the board until now, watching the flow and waiting for his opponent to make a mistake.
But now, he started attacking relentlessly.

It was fast, unhesitant, and even reckless.

Even if a move was just a bit risky—if it could deal damage, he went for it.

‘What the…’

Lee Sang-wook’s brows furrowed as he adjusted his strategy.

He had been following a steady tempo, but now his rhythm was breaking apart.
Ryu Geon-wook was throwing punches from all directions.

And he wasn’t just attacking blindly.
He was baiting traps while hiding traps inside those traps.

When Sang-wook countered one, another would snap shut.
Defend once, and you’d get caught from the side.

It was like facing an endless barrage of tricks.

No, more than that—

‘He’s… having fun?’

Lee Sang-wook suddenly realized.

Ryu Geon-wook wasn’t just trying to win this match.

He was enjoying it.
Even while losing pieces, even while backing down—he was laughing.

Not outwardly, but in the look in his eyes, in his breathing, in his presence—

He was genuinely thrilled to be facing someone at his level.

So he was showing his true colors.

“You’re fun, Lee Sang-wook.”

His gaze sparkled.

“Let’s keep going.”

Lee Sang-wook’s hand, which had briefly frozen, moved again.

“…Fine.”