The opponent's actions were quicker than expected, and their quality exceedingly high, but the situation didn't necessarily turn dire because of it.
At this moment, both sides had very clear objectives. In other words, it was a contest of overt strategies. They planned to use the still likely nearby Night Song and Morning Forgotten Language as bait to trap me, whereas I intended to give my all to maneuver and appear near the target. On the surface, it seemed I was indeed at a disadvantage, but...
[The more a purposefully clear encirclement occurs, the more likely scheduling issues lead to flaws.]
Though I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about board games and didn't consider myself capable like Ramollok, I didn't believe I had no chance. She had casually studied before, reaching about an amateur fifth dan level, which didn't prove much but at least showed Jiawen had a good sense of the big picture.
