#i haven't analyzed chapter 45 yet because i couldn't decide whether i should start comparing the chapters to the novel but nah

[thewizardingtoad]

Time, Chess, and the Tower of Magic

(novel: 29-35)

(manhwa: 44-45)

I just reread the scene in the novel, and I'm kind of obsessed with it, but also am in awe of how well it established the dynamic between Desir and Zod, something that I feel like the manhwa didn't really do, so, I'm doing a bit of comparing under the cut.

Also, if you like these characters in the manhwa, then you should 100% read at least these few chapters, because, as I said before, they are amazing.

So the manhwa starts us off with how Zod is an "odd fellow", he's always been that, and how he lead civilization into a new era of magic, he's achievements are endless, and is Desir's irreplaceable friend.

Now, in the novel, Desir says that Zod accepted his request because he was intrigued by it. (True) He says that Zod single-handedly renewed interest in magic.

(Also, fun-fact: someone wrote a book about all of his accomplishments, and it's thicker than most encyclopedias.)

(Also also, in the manhwa he looks like 40, in the novel that's 30)

The next scene plays out almost the same, except that we learn, in the novel, that Zod has an 'archaic feeling to his words'.

While in the manhwa he's all nice, and smiley etc. novel!Desir points out that until the North Sea's rules are mentioned, Zod's so impatient to get on with the match that it can almost be heard in his tone, which for this old man is VERY impatient.

And then of course Desir drops the bomb, that yeah, he wants to play the Rule set that originates from Zod's homeland and n!Desir immediately points out how much more relaxed Zod gets from hearing that.

The chess match starts, and in both mediums Zod's like, this kid is pretty good, but he's still just a kid, and "[He's] too hasty with [his] moves"

Desir, when he's on the verge of losing, makes the bet. It goes in the novel as it goes in the manhwa, except that a) Zod's like, 'I know that everything you did so far was to make this wager, and I hope you see how suspicious you are.' and b) At this Desir's just like, 'Wow, you're very interested, huh? Then I won't tell you until I win.'

And then the whole 'you play like a whole different person' thing happens in the manhwa, 'oh, well, I played against him in the future so of course I know how he plays', 'I've been the same person this entire time' etc. etc.

So. That does not happen in the novel.

What happens instead is we get the explanation as to why is Desir losing:

He's been playing with Zod for 6 years, yes,

However, this Zod plays differently than other Zod

In the future, his play style is more aggressive

Now he focuses on counter-play and he's more reserved

And Desir deduced this in the first few steps in their game, and been sacrificing pieces since then to analyze Zod's play style.

And also, yes, Desir did figure the greatest mage of all time out in what? 20 minutes?

And Desir might be losing, but because of the time limit Zod's going to make some stupid moves, which Desir deducted will happen, then he makes even worse moves, and the next thing Zod knows is that he got ripped to shreds in 3 minutes.

In the novel, Desir mentions that in the last minutes of the match, Zod's straight up panicking over how bad the situation has gotten for him.

Then, when Desir mentions the trade, Zod tries to calmly explain to him why that's not possible "You're asking to exchange a bar of gold for a peanut"

Desir of course doesn't budge and after a bit of "bartering" it's clear just how fed up with this "boy"'s bs Zod is and reading this scene after the manhwa is kind of shocking

Zod expressed disdain at the boy's choice. "I expected you to choose more wisely. You've rejected my offer, and I can't accept your deal. With that, the negotiations are over." The man rose to get up from his seat.

(...)

"So you think this is a fair deal." The Tower Master was audibly upset by Desir's words.

And I'm very sad that this scene in this form didn't make it to the manhwa, because while we see Zod being dismissive and uninterested in Desir's idea before he sees it to himself, we don't see him being, well, like this.

Prideful, kind of cocky, and straight up offended that a mere student would even dare to suggest that his idea worth as much as support from the Tower of Magic, upset to the point that Desir has to actively put out 'fires' during the conversation so that it can progress.

Which is a beautiful way of showing us how, yes, Desir does know this guy, he knows why he's upset he knows what to say to get him to calm down enough to listen and also how to say it.

What in the manhwa is essentially just 'Well if I show you that my idea is worth it then it will be fine, right? Let me show you then.' in the novel is Desir going on first about how of course what he's saying is outrageous, and Zod is right to be upset, but shouldn't Zod know that impossible things are sometimes real? And then he starts explaining how 20 years old Zod Exarion becoming the Tower Master was an impossible feat, or maybe, perhaps, even more impossible, a student defeating him in chess! Which happened just now, and That is when Zod tells him to show him his idea.

This scene alone reaffirms to the reader, that Desir doesn't just know Zod as a tactician, but as a person, he knows how to talk to him, he knows how to talk sense into him, and that Desir did this enough in the past that this comes like second nature to him.

Zod being stone headed and stuck to his ways until Desir reminds him that he's been just like this boy in the past is also one of the most Old Person Thing TM Zod does in the entire novel, showing and not just telling us that the G is not just for show in that GILF he is actually old.

After that the "reveal" scene plays out pretty similarly except that Zod gets a bit more info out of Desir, one of them is that he didn't necessarily discover the technic but he "knows of it", and Desir lets the reader know that the person who discovered it was in fact Zod, just 3 years into the labyrinth, and as he starts explaining the theory Zod catches up extremely quickly, actually taking over Desir's explanation of how resonance is better than the enchant method.

When Desir mentions that he has more ideas like this, Zod tells his secretary to cancel every plan he has until he says otherwise, which is a very entertaining turn of events in my opinion.

So to wrap it up, while I love how the manhwa did this scene, (this is probably my favorite two chapters from it) I'm kind of sad that most of the little tidbits of building up the relationship between Zod and Desir, that would be important later got lost in adaptation.

#this has been in my drafts since August jfc #i haven't analyzed chapter 45 yet because i couldn't decide whether i should start comparing the chapters to the novel but nah #If it's important (like here) i will just make a separate post lol #plus there is a whole ass separate post about it already soo #which i will post part 2 of after the manhwa graces me with the explanation for Helena because i don't want to make an ass out of myself #for getting angry at things in the manhwa that i just made up #a returner's magic should be special #returner's magic #zod exarion #desir arman #joad exarion #rmss #xeilon's zod sightings