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Chapter 130: Quest 14- The King’s Gambit

Chapter 130: Quest 14- The King’s Gambit

Noah was tired.

He was moving forward through sheer willpower, the single-minded determination to complete the last of the random quests.

[You have accepted Quest 14: The King’s Gambit!]

BZZZ!

The moment Noah selected the quest, the system notification appeared and then the world warped around him, dissolving into a grand chessboard battlefield floating in an endless void.

This was one reason why Noah decided to push on, he was good at chess.

Towering statues of kings and queens stood at the edges of this grand battlefield, their stone eyes watching in judgement.

A massive, obsidian throne sat at the far end of the battlefield, pulsing with a dark, regal aura.

And at the center of the board, a king in black armor arose, his form half-shadow, half-metal, with a flowing crimson cape.

His eyes burned like dying embers.

On his hand was a long, runed greatsword, its blade humming with an ominous presence.

The king’s voice was deep and unyielding as he spoke.

"The throne is never safe. If you desire its power, you must seize it by force, defend it by cunning, and rule it with wisdom".

"This is the law of kings".

The chessboard rumbled and spectral figures emerged, knights in blackened plate, rooks with shifting, stone-like bodies, bishops cloaked in ethereal mist, and a swarm of pawns armed with serrated blades.

The game had begun.

Noah’s reaction? The first thing that came to his mind was the fact that he had once watched something similar in a Harry Potter movie.

’I swear the developers got inspiration from that’. He thought.

Even as he thought of an old movie that he once watched, his eyes never stopped moving, observing and analyzing the test.

He quickly discovered his objective. To win this game of chess, he had to reach the throne while navigating the battlefield.

The chessboard is divided into squares, and stepping on certain tiles triggers traps, shifting terrain, or summoning new enemies.

The enemy pieces move according to real chess rules. Knights leap in L-shapes, Bishops strike diagonally, Rooks bulldoze forward, and Pawns swarm aggressively like a mob.

To win, Noah must predict enemy movements, using strategy to outmaneuver and defeat them to arrive at his destination.

Without hesitation, after confirming the basic rules, he started.

He may have started without hesitation, but he was not reckless. Using a conservative approach at first, Noah managed to learn more to confirm a few more details, realizing the key mechanics of this quest in his head.

If Noah stepped into a controlled zone without a plan in the chessboard, he quickly gets overwhelmed.

However, if he cleverly baits out movements, creating weaknesses in the formation, he can carve a path forward.

Also, the throne pulsed with power, subtly influencing the board.

Noah realized that he could manipulate the energy of the throne to shift pieces or freeze certain moves.

Once Noah realized all the pieces, the puzzle in his head was complete.

And then, without stopping once, he moved.

After an intense series of maneuvers, he finally reached the throne but there, the real challenge began.

Notifications appeared before him in ominous red.

[WARNING!]

[Defend the throne against an overwhelming assault!]

Noah’s eyes gleamed.

The moment he sat on the throne, the battlefield shifted. Now, he is the king and he had to defend his throne from invaders.

Bzzz!

A massive army of spectral warriors emerged, led by a powerful White King in gleaming platinum armor.

The rules flipped.

Now, Noah commands the black pieces, positioning them to counter the movements of the invading forces.

He now truly engaged in a game of chess.

He can issue strategic orders, commanding Rooks to form barriers, Knights to flank, and Bishops to cast area-wide spells.

However, he cannot move freely anymore. He was the king and the throne bound him; he must now rely on his tactical skills to win.

Noah’s eyes flickered as he felt the thrill. ’I’m now loving this!’

The White King himself is a formidable foe, wielding a holy greatsword and unleashing devastating light-based attacks.

The battle is a test of leadership, forcing Noah to think multiple steps ahead but that was how every game of chess was in the first place.

Using quick thinking and precise strategy, Noah orchestrated a perfect defense, eliminating the enemy King’s last major pieces until only the two rulers remained.

It was an overwhelming victory.

And then, a new notification, this time in yellow font appeared.

[New Objective: Defeat the White King in single combat.]

CRACK!

The throne shattered, releasing Noah from its constraints as the battlefield cleared. Now, it was a one-on-one duel.

The White King, now wielding both his greatsword and the last remnants of his army’s power strode forward.

His eyes glowed golden. "To rule, one must have strength. Show me yours!"

He moved.

Whoosh!

The duel was brutal.

The White King is incredibly fast, using a hybrid of knight-like agility and overwhelming power. He mixed precise swordplay with holy magic, forcing Noah to react with perfect timing.

But luckily, this time, there was no restrictions on Noah.

He was back in his Lord Doom’s full glory.

With a combination of Aetherforge’s 6 forms, his combat intuition, and his mastery of counterattacks, he finally delivered the decisive blow, shattering the king’s armor and bringing him to his knees.

The White King let out a soft laugh, gazing at Noah in approval.

"Well played, challenger. The throne is yours".

With those words, the White King faded into golden dust, leaving behind his crown.

A new system notification flashed before Noah.

[Congratulations! You have completed the King’s Gambit!]

[You have received rewards:]

*+7 Skill Points.

*New Passive: King’s Authority.

>When fighting against multiple enemies, you gain increased presence, reducing the effectiveness of their coordination against you. Tactical awareness improved<

[You have received an Exclusive Title: The Checkmate Monarch]

>A title granted only to those who have bested the King’s Gambit. NPCs will recognize your strategic prowess<

As the chessboard faded into darkness, Noah found himself back in the real world, exhaling deeply.

"Well, that was one hell of a game".