Timeless Assassin - Chapter 1066 Preperation

Chapter 1066 Preperation

(Meanwhile, The Time Stilled World, Leo’s POV)

After finalizing the rules of the game and sending his proposal over to Mauriss, Leo did not allow himself even a moment of rest, as he immediately shifted his focus towards preparation, understanding that creating the game was only half the battle, while mastering it would decide everything that followed.

“How many golems do we have to burn through today?”

Leo asked, as Shadow Number One quickly checked the inventory data.

“Nine today, My Lord.

We are trying to ramp up production, but it will take some time for us to produce dozens of these special constructs everyday.”

Shadow Number One said, as Leo nodded before throwing a glance at the newly prepared battle chamber.

The area was barely 40 by 40 meters, and yet, it was the perfect zone for a tiny 30 centimetre versus 30 centimetre tall golem fight.

As despite the tiny overall size of the arena, since the fighters fighting within were tiny as well, the space proved to be sufficient.

Inside, two identical stone golems stood facing each other, their forms perfectly symmetrical while a table between them held the ten action cards and five multipliers laid out with precision.

Leo stood on one side of the table, his gaze fixed on the setup while his mind replayed the rules he himself had designed, as he understood that against Mauriss, even a single oversight in his own system could become the very thing that led to his downfall. “Shadow Number One, you will be my opponent today….”

Leo instructed, as the fox beastman stepped forward, his posture

respectful, yet his eyes sharp with the desire to win.

The beastman bowed his head slightly before taking his position

across the table, as he reached for the cards without needing further instruction.

“Go-“

The first round began in silence, as both Leo and Shadow Number One selected their cards and placed them face down, their movements controlled and deliberate while the air between them seemed to tighten with anticipation.

*Flip*

The cards revealed simultaneously, as the golems moved at once, executing their assigned actions with absolute precision, as they collided against each other in a sharp, echoing clash.

*Grind*

Leo observed everything.

Not just the result, but the sequence, the interaction, the timing, as he watched how one move flowed into another, how one decision created openings while another closed them, understanding that the game was not about individual choices, but about chains of consequences.

They reset.

And played again.

Then again.

And again.

The repetitions blurred together as time lost its meaning within the Time Stilled World, as Leo continued to cycle through possibilities, testing combinations, sacrificing advantages, exploring failures, while Shadow Number One adapted each time, learning, evolving, and occasionally… winning.

That was important.

Because Leo did not need an opponent that he could always defeat.

He needed one that could challenge him.

One that could think.

One that could punish mistakes.

And Shadow Number One… was capable of all three.

“Again,” Leo said, as his tone remained steady despite the growing intensity of his focus while the cards were reshuffled and placed back

into position.

This time, he varied his choice slightly, as he began experimenting with different approaches, sometimes opening aggressively, sometimes conserving his stronger cards, sometimes baiting reactions while holding back his multipliers for later turns.

And each time… the outcome shifted.

Some sequences gave him early dominance, only to collapse later

when he ran out of options.

Others forced him into defensive play, dragging the battle longer

while giving his opponent room to outmaneuver him.

There was no single path that guaranteed victory.

And that realization… unsettled him.

Because against a normal opponent, adaptability was strength.

But against Mauriss… unpredictability was a weapon.

Leo paused mid-game, his fingers hovering over the cards while his eyes narrowed slightly, as he began to understand that the problem was not the system itself… but the nature of the opponent he had

designed it for.

Mauriss would not follow patterns.

He would not play optimally in a predictable sense.

He would play… to deceive.

Which meant that even a perfect strategy could fail if it relied too

heavily on expectation.

*Sigh*

Leo exhaled slowly, as he picked up a card and placed it down with renewed intent, shifting his mindset entirely while abandoning the idea of control and instead embracing controlled chaos.

The next round unfolded differently.

Less rigid.

Less predictable.

He began mixing aggression with hesitation, using weaker moves in

stronger positions while saving critical multipliers for moments that appeared insignificant, as he deliberately distorted the flow of the

battle.

Shadow Number One responded in kind.

Adapting.

Countering.

Winning some rounds.

Losing others.

But most importantly… forcing Leo to think deeper with every

exchange.

Hours passed.

Then days.

And still, Leo did not stop.

The floor of the chamber bore the marks of countless simulated

battles, as the golems clashed over and over again while the cards were picked, placed, flipped, and reset in an endless cycle of

refinement.

Patterns began to emerge.

Not fixed strategies… but tendencies.

Moments where pressure peaked.

Moments where they both hesitated.

Moments where risk created opportunity.

As slowly… Leo began to shape something.

Not a perfect plan.

But an approach.

One that did not aim to outplay Mauriss directly, but instead aimed to

survive his unpredictability long enough to create a decisive moment.

Leo placed another card down, his expression calm now, far more composed than before, as he no longer searched for certainty… but for control within uncertainty.

Because that according to him was the only way to fight someone like

the Deceiver.

“I have no choice but to use the final multiplier this way…..

If I have to go through with it.

Mauriss will know the hidden card I hold.

However, If I don’t go through with it.

I can potentially lose the wager…..”

Leo began, as he stroked his chin in deep thought.

“I need to guarantee my win.

And adding this condition to the hidden multiplier does it.

However, let’s hope I never have to use it.

Because if I do.

I’d only be trading one immediate problem for a bigger one later down

the road.” Leo muttered, as he prayed that he could get good enough to beat Mauriss in just five multiplier cards, and never have to use the fifth.