NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 639: Pieces and coins
Ty blinked, bewildered. Coins? What was the point of all this? He glanced from Aldric to the silver spike on his own side, his heart pounding in his chest. Whatever this was, it wasn't going to be pleasant.
He sighed, his lips curling into a wry, humorless smile. "Well, this is probably going to hurt," he muttered to himself, stepping forward.
Ty hesitated for a moment, staring at the spike. He could almost feel the hum of energy vibrating around it, a strange resonance pulling at the edges of his mind. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed his hand firmly against the cold, unforgiving surface.
Pain. Blinding, searing pain shot through him as electricity surged from the spike into his body. He clenched his teeth, his muscles locking up, his vision blurring at the edges. He forced himself to remain still, his mind screaming against the agony.
In that moment, the world around him seemed to vanish. All that was left was pain and—something else. A presence. Ty's eyes flickered closed as he felt the space around him shift. In the center of the arena, a massive crystal had risen, floating above the chessboard, a shimmering beacon that glowed with an otherworldly energy.
And there, in the darkness of his mind, she appeared. The goddess.
She was as vivid as the last time he'd seen her, her hair flowing around her like a halo of molten gold, her body ethereal and… Ty's eyes widened in surprise. Naked. Why is she…? he thought, the question lost in the fog of pain. He opened his mouth, about to ask, when she moved closer, her fingers brushing against his chest. He felt her hand pass through him, and then she pulled—not his body, but something deeper.
His soul.
A rush of cold washed over him as he watched her pull a shimmering, translucent version of himself free from his chest. The goddess smiled, her eyes locking with his. "So few people left," she whispered, her voice echoing in his mind. "I am glad you are one of those I want to see win. I will be watching this game with great interest, Ty."
She moved her hand, and the soul slipped back inside him, a warmth returning to his chest. He gasped, his eyes snapping open, and found himself back in the arena, his body collapsing to one knee. He breathed heavily, the pain fading to a dull throb as he looked up. In front of him, ten dark coins floated above the table, swirling with a strange aura that seemed almost alive.
Next to the coins, Ty noticed a hand-shaped imprint, as if beckoning him to place his palm on it. His eyes darted over to Aldric, who stood tall now, inspecting his own coins and platform. Ty took a deep breath, willing strength back into his shaking limbs, and reached out, his hand hovering over the imprint.
As soon as his skin touched the cold surface, a tremor passed through the board. The statues began to shift—the massive chess pieces coming alive, moving slowly, their stone limbs grinding against each other. Ty looked up, a panel above him flashing with bright, luminescent letters:
King: Ty, the Demon Overlord
Ty blinked, raising an eyebrow. "The Demon Overlord? Seriously?" he muttered, his lips twisting into a half-smile. "They're really going all in on making me the bad guy, huh? Well, I guess it's fitting."
Across the board, Aldric gave a low laugh, his gaze meeting Ty's. "Looks like they've got your title all figured out, Demon Overlord," he called out, his voice echoing across the arena.
Ty scoffed, shaking his head, but his eyes were drawn to the glowing panel in front of him. As he reached for the first coin, the intricate details of his pieces flashed before his eyes, every figure on the board shimmering with latent power. His fingers brushed the coin, feeling a strange pulse through the metal. Above him, a clock blinked to life, and bright red numbers began counting down: 120 seconds.
"Great," Ty muttered, glancing at the timer. "No pressure."
The system's voice resonated in his ears—a calm, almost melodic tone that felt oddly familiar. "Ty, the Demon Overlord," it said. "You have 120 seconds to allocate your first Life Coin."
Ty's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute... Shiella? Is that you?"
"Incorrect," the voice replied, devoid of any emotion. "My name is Phillis. This temporary system is made possible by the connection to the Titanis Goddess. No other information can be disclosed at this time."
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Ty exhaled sharply. "Right. Of course. Nothing is ever simple."
As he held the coin, the glowing outlines of his pieces on the chessboard became more vibrant. Each of them—from the Infernal Footsoldiers to the towering Flamecaller Sovereign—appeared imbued with a fiery, demonic energy that seemed to call to him. The voice of Phillis continued, without any hint of warmth or humor.
"Your opponent is being relayed identical information. Each turn, you may insert one Life Coin into a piece of your choosing. Below is the list of your pieces and their respective abilities."
Phillis began to explain each piece, her voice mechanical and precise. As she spoke, glowing windows appeared over each piece, showcasing their abilities.
"The King—yourself—stands as a symbol of raw power, clad in molten black armor with veins of fiery magma beneath. You wield a massive, double-edged greatsword wreathed in black flames," Phillis intoned. Ty watched as the image of his King piece shimmered before his eyes.
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"So, if both pieces have a Life Coin... we take control of them?" Ty asked aloud, piecing it together.
"Correct," Phillis affirmed. "If both pieces possess Life Coins, their Kings will temporarily take over their respective pieces, engaging in direct combat. The battlefield will expand around the chosen square, and you must fight for control. Only one will emerge victorious."
Ty tried to steady his breathing as he processed the information, the weight of the coin heavy in his hand. Before he could ask anything further, Phillis continued, her mechanical voice devoid of emotion but still instructive.
"The King, also known as Ty, the Demon Overlord, moves like a standard King—one square in any direction. Without a Life Coin, you cannot attack directly but instead command other pieces. When you add a Life Coin, however, you gain powerful abilities. The first ability is Infernal Command. It buffs all friendly pieces within a three-square radius, doubling their movement and making them immune to capture for one turn. Visually, the veins of magma on the King's armor will pulse, sending waves of heat outward. This is particularly useful for supporting surrounding pieces, providing a strong strategic push when needed."
Phillis continued, unflinching, as Ty's King piece glowed for a moment, the imagery taking form before him. "The second ability—Demonic Dominion—allows you to create Fire Pits in a five-by-five area around you, dealing damage to enemies that remain within it for too long. It can be used to deter your opponent from encroaching on your territory, or to force a retreat. Lastly, if circumstances are dire, there is Last Resort. This powerful attack will unleash a massive fire blast, obliterating everything within a ten-square line. However, note that you will be removed from the game afterward—a double-edged sword indeed."
Ty grimaced, the vivid description of each ability making him grasp just how serious this game was.
"Now, the Queen—the Flamecaller Sovereign. She moves like a regular chess Queen—any number of squares diagonally, vertically, or horizontally. Without a Life Coin, she is an agile and powerful force on the board. However, when you use a Life Coin, she gains additional abilities. Infernal Rain allows her to target a three-by-three area, raining down fireballs and destroying enemy pieces in that area. Use this when there are clusters of enemies. She also has Soul Drain, allowing her to absorb the life force of all fallen enemy pieces within a four-square radius, thereby healing friendly allies in the vicinity. Lastly, Hellstorm Shift grants her the ability to move like any other piece on the board for one turn, making her highly unpredictable."
As Phillis explained, Ty could see the Flamecaller Sovereign ignite, her flowing robes and crackling power leaving little to the imagination. He clenched his jaw, trying to focus. He didn't have time to hesitate. He needed to understand.
"The Bishops," Phillis went on, "are known as Pyromancer Warlords. Without a Life Coin, they move diagonally, like regular Bishops. Their Life Coin abilities include Molten Smite, which unleashes a flaming shockwave damaging all pieces in the eight adjacent squares. It will instantly destroy Pawns, while causing significant damage to more powerful pieces. Their second ability, Holy Inferno, launches a diagonal fire attack up to four squares, capable of piercing multiple enemies. This is especially effective against magical or shadow-aligned enemies, dealing extra damage."