Adorned in an elegant imperial robe, the black king looked nothing but majestic. Its intricate gold embroidery gleamed in the sunlight, and its long flowing sleeves added an air of regality to its imposing figure.
In front of the black king, five more pieces materialized, each taking their designated places. A white rook stood proudly on the left flank, flanked by two gray pawns. A white bishop and a black rook completed the formation.
On the opposite side of the board, five pieces now stood before the white queen. A black rook loomed over the battlefield, its jagged edges casting ominous shadows. A gray bishop, a black knight, a white pawn, and a gray pawn completed their ranks.
"Should we make our move first or..."
"Brother Windcheaser, don’t be impatient," Greenthump cautioned. "These two may not be as strong as they appear, but we must remain vigilant on the chessboard. We cannot afford to underestimate them."
Windcheaser nodded in agreement, his keen gaze fixed on the duo opposite him.
"What do you think, brother Liang?"
Liang’s lips curled into a slight smile. "We wait," he replied calmly.
"Do you want them to make the first move?"
Liang shook his head. "Not necessary. I am..."
Just then, something strange interrupted him. On both the left and right sides of the board, the squares in the first horizontal column began to crumble and disappear, one after another.
"Greenthump, Look!" Windcheaser exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"I see there is a time limit," Greenthump replied, his lips curving into an amused smile. With a wave of his hand, he commanded, "Gray pawn, two squares forward."
Boom!
Instantly obeying his command, the gray pawn surged forward two squares, its swift movement causing the squares on their side to stop falling.
Following suit, Windcheaser ordered, "Gray pawn, move two squares!" The gray pawn disappeared in a blur, reappearing two squares forward, now standing beside the other gray pawn that Greenthump had previously moved.
Greenthump nodded inwardly, impressed by Windcheaser’s quick thinking. It seemed like his fellow king had the same idea as him.
On the other hand, Liang and Dong Rui took a different approach. "Black Knight, step forward," Dong Rui commanded, her voice clear and decisive.
Instantly, Liang’s black knight moved in an "L" shape, its menacing presence unnerving their opponents.
"Gray bishop, move!" Dong Rui commanded her bishop, which disappeared in the blink of an eye, reappearing ten diagonal squares away, directed toward the center of the board.
"Too reckless," Greenthump sneered, observing the duo’s moves. "Trying to pressure us?"
Windcheaser chuckled. "They are too hasty. We will establish our defense first, and when the time is right, we will crush them in one move."
"Now," Greenthump raised his hand, his voice echoing with authority. "White rock, it’s yours. Move ten squares to the left."
"Black rock, do the same, move to the right," Windcheaser commanded, mirroring Greenthump’s move.
Liang observed his opponents’ cautious maneuvers with a sardonic smile. "Too predictable," he muttered to himself, his mind already teeming with a bold plan. "Dong Rui, what say you?"
A curious expression crossed Dong Rui’s face. "I fail to discern any flaw in Windcheaser and Greenthump’s approach. Perhaps we should adopt a similar strategy to minimize our losses?"
Liang’s eyes sparkled with an enigmatic gleam. "On the contrary, We shall launch a relentless offensive, overwhelming our adversaries in a whirlwind of attacks."
"Black rook, charge forward!" Dong Rui exclaimed, her voice filled with newfound determination.
Liang’s lips curled into a sinister grin. "Two pawns, move as one!"
Swift as lightning, the pieces executed their commands. The black rook surged towards the center, while the two pawns synchronized their movements, becoming an unstoppable force.
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"Brother Liang, such audacity!" Dong Rui couldn’t resist voicing her apprehension.
Liang merely smiled in response, his gaze fixed upon their opponents.
Five relentless rounds later, the battlefield bore witness to the devastating consequences of Liang and Dong Rui’s strategy. Greenthump’s once-impregnable defense crumbled under the weight of their relentless assault, their pieces battered and bruised.
"Greenthump, what now?" Windcheaser cried out in desperation, their position becoming increasingly precarious.
"Our fate hangs in the balance, brother," Greenthump answered, his face etched with grim determination. "But all is not yet lost."
"Black Knight, engage the King!" Liang’s voice boomed across the board, echoing with deadly intent.
As the knight descended upon the black king, the queen’s ethereal form emerged. "Enhancement spell, now!" Dong Rui screamed.
A radiant aura enveloped the knight, imbuing it with newfound strength and resilience. The king’s valiant sword swing proved futile, and he was ruthlessly cast aside by the unstoppable force of Liang’s knight.
The battle reached its inevitable climax, the knight’s powerful strike shattering the black king’s resolve. The ground beneath began to tremble violently, the squares dissolving into nothingness one by one. Windcheaser and Greenthump looked at each other in despair, their hopes of victory extinguished.
As their squares crumbled, they disappeared into the abyss below, their dreams of conquest left unfulfilled.
"That was... surprisingly effortless," Liang remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. His gaze shifted towards the two ornate gates before them.
"Which path shall we choose?" Dong Rui pondered, turning to Liang.
"I have had rather bad luck so far," Liang replied with a wry smile. "Perhaps you should choose this time."
Dong Rui burst into laughter. "Since I have a white queen, why not go with the white gate?"
Liang nodded in agreement, be it the white or the black door both of then felt the same to him.
As they neared the glowing portal, an unseen force seemed to beckon them forward. Liang and Dong Rui shared a brief glance, an unspoken understanding passing between them. With a deep breath, they stepped through the gate, leaving the ethereal chessboard behind.
The transition was seamless, the world around them shifting and transforming. When their senses fully adjusted, they found themselves in a serene, verdant landscape. Towering trees stretched towards the azure sky, their leaves rustling gently in the warm breeze. The air was filled with the sweet scent of wildflowers, and the sound of birdsong filled the air.
"Where are we?" Dong Rui murmured, her gaze sweeping over the unfamiliar terrain.
Liang shook his head slightly, his thoughts consumed by a different concern. After defeating Greenthump and Windcheaser, they had only managed to acquire four pieces, two pawns, one castle, and of course, the monarch piece. They had failed to obtain any other pieces or special abilities.
"Sadly, we didn’t manage to acquire anything from them beside the two pawns, the black castle, and the monarch piece," Dong Rui voiced out, her tone laced with disappointment. "Besides, with this game also being luck-dependent, we were simply unlucky this time."
Liang nodded in agreement. Luck, indeed, played a vital role in their success.
His gaze soon shifted to the new environment around them. The verdant landscape was completely different from the previous one.
"Oh, interesting!" Dong Rui suddenly exclaimed with a light laugh.
"Have you discovered something?" Liang’s eyes glimmered with curiosity.
"I certainly have," Dong Rui replied with a mischievous grin. "Look at your clothes."
Confused, Liang looked down at his own appearance. To his horror, he realized that he was wearing a ridiculous knight’s costume, complete with a helmet that concealed his face.
He turned to look at Dong Rui, and his expression darkened. Dong Rui, on the other hand, was wearing an elegant white imperial robe that flattered her figure.
"How peculiar," Dong Rui observed with a hint of amusement in her voice. " It seems like this round would be different from the previous one."
"I don’t think it will be a chess game this time." Liang said, his expression unusually serious. "If I’m not mistaken, the entire game is divided into different rounds. The first one was a test of strategy and wit."
"That makes sense," Dong Rui nodded in agreement. "So, what do you think this round will be?"
"Adaptability," Liang replied succinctly before taking a step forward.
"Adaptability?" Dong Rui pondered for a moment before following suit.
Soon, they arrived at a vast and expansive battle arena. Suspended high in the sky were two ethereal gates, identical to the ones they had encountered before.
"Why is there no one here?" Dong Rui asked curiously.
"They’re probably still in the first round," Liang replied nonchalantly. "We’ll have to wait."
Dong Rui nodded and gazed at the sky for a while. "By the way, how did you manage to escape from Spirit Wandering?" she asked cautiously.
Liang paused for a moment. "It’s nothing," he said evasively. "We just had a little misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding with a Divine Paragon?" Dong Rui mused aloud. "Do you think I would believe that?"
Liang’s eyes flickered slightly. Although it wasn’t a well-kept secret, he suspected that the individual who had aided him belonged to the Alliance. Revealing this to Dong Rui would be tantamount to confirming his own affiliation with the alliance, which is not true.