Chapter 294: Ascending to the Peak – Talent Skill Point
In the final match, the right to go first was decided by a coin toss.
Yukima Azuma chose heads.
It landed on heads.
Just that alone made it seem like today, luck was on Yukima Azuma's side.
And in reality, that did seem to be the case.
He chose to go first.
Once again, the opening was the Aigakari style.
The first hundred moves flew by in an instant.
Both of them had mentally rehearsed this exact match countless times before.
The first hundred moves were played with such ease, and yet each one was flawlessly optimal—almost as if no thought was needed.
But what both players performed so effortlessly—
Nearly "crashed" the professional commentators on the livestream.
They simply couldn't keep up with their train of thought.
Eventually, the commentators gave up.
This shogi match—at least for the rest of the current shogi world—was something that could only be studied and transcribed afterward. No one dared to comment or critique it on the spot anymore.
Later on, the pace of the game slowed slightly.
The time on the clocks beside each player began to tick down noticeably.
Until both players had used up all their main time—
From that point on, each move had to be played within 30 seconds.
Right before one move, Yukima Azuma suddenly paused.
It wasn't until the referee counted down to the very last second that he finally made his move.
Then, within his vision, the system suddenly flashed a series of notifications:
[Your Shogi skill's proficiency has reached the maximum.]
[Shogi skill level has changed: Lv9 → Lv10.]
[Your Shogi skill has reached the peak level. Congratulations on reaching the summit!]
[You have acquired a bonus skill.]
[Your Intelligence has increased by one point.]
[Your Intelligence stat has broken through to 9 points. You have received one bonus Talent Skill Point to allocate.]
The system—something that usually remained dormant and unintrusive—
Suddenly burst out with a string of alerts.
Even Yukima Azuma was momentarily stunned.
Beneath this barrage of messages—
What Yukima Azuma felt most clearly was: his mind was incredibly sharp.
Information that used to take time to process could now be handled effortlessly.
It seemed like eight points in base stats was some kind of threshold.
Once that boundary was crossed—
It was no longer just the level of a genius.
This shogi match, which normally would have required total concentration—
Now, Yukima Azuma could split his attention and still respond smoothly, like it was nothing.
He opened his system panel.
The info there had also changed significantly.
[Host: Yukima Azuma]
Physique: 8Intelligence: 8–9Charm: 8
Skills:
Linguistics (Lv6)
Literature (Lv7)
Cooking (Lv8)
Programming (Lv4)
Shogi (Lv10 – Peak)
Acting (Lv4)
Music (Lv4)
Auxiliary Skill: Shogi
(Note: In Chinese, this term seems to encompass all types of board games like shogi, chess, go... but there's no precise term for this in English. "Board game" sounds awkward here, so I'm keeping it as "shogi.")
Available Talent Skill Points: 1
Notes: Skills under level 4 are hidden from the panel.
Notes: Talent Skill Points can be allocated to any skill. Upon use, you will receive a special talent corresponding to that skill, accelerating your mastery of it.
,,,
Seeing the new annotation that had appeared on the system panel,
Yukima Azuma raised his eyebrows slightly.
Nine points in Intelligence had granted him a Talent Point.
It felt like one of those "don't-know-where-to-invest-but-anywhere-is-right" kinds of moments.
It didn't look particularly flashy.
But one had to understand: all of Yukima Azuma's skills were self-learned.
On top of that, thanks to the system, he could grind proficiency.
His learning speed could only be described as inhuman—so long as he grinded, he could reach the pinnacle.
With that as the premise, the skill point gained at this moment—
No matter how you look at it, it couldn't be taken lightly.
Yukima Azuma felt a bit curious, wondering what kind of talent would be unlocked after using this skill point.
However, a skill point was incredibly precious.
If ten points per stat was the limit, then Yukima Azuma could only ever obtain a maximum of two skill points per stat.
He had to think carefully about where to spend it.
Moreover, the shogi match was still ongoing.
Yukima Azuma had just placed a piece, but his thoughts couldn't help drifting elsewhere.
On the system panel, a new auxiliary skill tab had appeared.
The auxiliary skill corresponding to shogi was also named "shogi."
It didn't sound any different.
But Yukima Azuma could feel it—this game that he had always been able to control,
Had now completely condensed into something tangible.
It had practically become an aura that hovered around him.
Yukima Azuma could use this aura to sense the presence of those around him, and even exert pressure on them.
Even without ever testing it, the power was visually perceptible.
As for actual progress in shogi—
Surprisingly, it was minimal.
Reality proved that the tactics and techniques Yukima Azuma had already mastered were already close to perfection.
The real breakthrough lay in his mental capacity.
It could be said—after the software had reached its peak, the hardware was directly upgraded.
He placed another piece.
The Meijin, holding his piece, fell silent for a moment, then lowered his head.
"I concede."
Yukima Azuma bowed in return.
"Thank you for the game."
The semifinal of the Meijin Tournament concluded with Yukima Azuma's victory.
Though it wasn't the final match, in the eyes of everyone else, this battle was no different from a true final.
This earth-shattering game had already become a legendary moment in the history of shogi.
Even years later, when a new era dawned and AI entered the world of strategic games like shogi, chess, and go—
The hottest debate—whether humans or AI were stronger—
Many argued that no AI could ever produce such a magnificent game.
Some even wanted Yukima Azuma—long since retired—to make a comeback and challenge the AI.
Cough cough, getting off track here.
In front of the shogi board—
The Meijin stood up.
He shook hands with Yukima Azuma.
This moment was almost identical to a match long ago, back when Yukima Azuma was still a child.
Back then, the Meijin had also stood, extended a handshake to Yukima Azuma.
A trace of unwillingness lingered on his face.
That unwillingness back then may have been due to not yet unlocking the full truth of shogi.
But now—there was more resignation in his defeat.
Of course, whatever the reason, Yukima Azuma didn't particularly care.
If he won, great—it satisfied his desire to compete and emerge victorious.
If he lost, Yukima Azuma wouldn't be hung up on it either.
At most, he'd just go home, crawl into his senpai's oppai, and have a good cry.
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