November 22, 2013 – Late Evening, New Delhi
The screen dimmed for a moment, and Neil instinctively rubbed his eyes. Three games down. His body was still eight years old, but his brain was pulling overtime like it was cramming for finals in an 1800-rated war zone.
"You look like you've been playing blindfolded against Tal," Fischer muttered, hovering over the bed with his arms folded and his usual dose of snark.
"I'm good," Neil replied, though the growing tightness in his neck betrayed him.
Fischer raised an eyebrow. "You've got two games left. You sure you don't need, like, a juice box or a nap?"
Neil gave a small smile. "That depends. You got any ghost-flavored Gatorade?"
Fischer floated back, shaking his head. "Kids today. Too much sass, not enough prep."
Neil cracked his knuckles. The system screen hovered just above the monitor, quietly pulsing.
[System Mission: Win 5 Rapid Games – 3/5 Complete]Time Remaining: 17 hours, 26 minutesNext Milestone: Hidden Bonus Unlocked at 5 Wins
"Think I can push through the last two now," Neil said.
Fischer didn't say anything for a moment. Then he floated in closer. "You can, yeah. But you shouldn't."
Neil blinked. "Why?"
"Because you're slipping. Not on the board — mentally. Your tempo's tight, your tactics are clean, but the fatigue's setting in. You're getting impatient. Rushing will cost you."
The silence between them stretched.
Neil exhaled. "Okay. One break. But I want it short."
He slid off the chair and stretched. His spine popped like bubble wrap. He walked to the balcony and leaned on the cold metal railing. Below, the night buzzed — street vendors yelling over each other, auto rickshaws honking in protest at existence, a kid crying somewhere over a broken toy or sibling treachery.
He took a breath.
This isn't a dream. I'm actually back. A second chance.
And it wasn't just about winning games. It was about doing things differently this time — no tilt spirals, no quitting after one bad tournament, no more self-doubt eating him alive.
When he came back in, Fischer was floating upside down, spinning slowly like a bored ceiling fan.
"You know," the ghost said, "most people get reincarnated and become princes, warriors, sword-wielding anime nonsense. You got the chess system. You feeling lucky or cheated?"
Neil grinned. "Both."
Fischer flipped upright. "Let's get to work then. Opponent four's not gonna go easy."
[Game 4 Begins]Opponent: DarkLancer69 [GERMANY] (Elo 1600)Time Control: 10|0
Neil got Black again.
"Okay," he murmured. "Let's see what the Lancer's got."
The game began.
1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bf5 5. Ng3 Bg6 6. h4 h6 7. Nf3 Nd7
"So far, textbook," Fischer said, nodding slightly. "This guy's a theory junkie. Could be trouble."
Neil didn't flinch. He knew this line. He lived this line.
8. h5 Bh7 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Qc7 11. Bd2 e6 12. O-O-O O-O-O
Double castling, opposite wings. The board was about to light up.
Neil pushed b5. Aggressive. Bold.
His opponent responded with a3. A little slow.
"Overextended," Fischer muttered. "He wants queenside action but forgot to prep the cannons."
Neil seized the tempo. He lifted his rook, pivoted his queen, and created a battery down the c-file.
DarkLancer lashed out on the kingside with g4.
"That's desperate," Fischer murmured.
Neil ignored the bait. He pushed c5, then c4. The pressure mounted. Files opened. Diagonals sharpened like knives.
Then, move 24: his opponent blundered with Qe2, leaving the bishop loose and unprotected.
Neil saw it instantly. Snapped it off.
From there, it was clean execution. Trade down. Maintain initiative. Opponent's king ended up stuck on b1, exposed and helpless.
Checkmate in 33 moves.
The system chimed.
[System Progress Updated]Mission: 4/5 Rapid Wins CompleteXP Gained: +40New Trait Activated: Calm Under Clock (Passive)You maintain mental clarity during time pressure. +10% calculation speed below 2 minutes on clock.
Neil's eyes widened.
"That wasn't on the reward screen," he muttered.
Fischer grinned. "Bonus trait. You're getting noticed. The system's watching."
"Watching what?"
"Your pattern. How you grow. How you hold under pressure. You're not just being tested — you're being measured."
Neil's throat felt dry. "So I'm… what, being rated?"
"By more than Elo," Fischer said. "By something deeper."
Neil sat back in his chair. His hand hovered over the mouse.
"One more win," he said. "And I clear the mission."
"One more," Fischer echoed. "But this one's not going to be easy."
Neil looked over. "How do you know?"
Fischer floated toward the screen. His tone dropped, quiet and serious.
"Because Game 5 isn't random. It's chosen."
Neil's fingers froze.
"What do you mean chosen?"
But Fischer didn't answer.
The screen flashed.
[Game 5 Begins]
Opponent: QuantumKnight [USA] (Elo 1800)
Neil's cursor hovered above the board.
He had White.
Fischer's voice was low now. "This guy isn't just some amateur. He's... you. Or someone like you. This game's going to test your soul, not your opening prep."
Neil swallowed hard.
And reached for d4.