Chapter 78 - The Maze (Part Three)

After running for the next ten minutes, they stood in front of an enormous door. "There are no writings or anything here on this one. So let's see if I can open this one", he thought as he pushed the door. To his surprise, the door was pushed open quite easily. "Well, if such a large door is opened up quite easily, then whatever is inside must be hard to finish", eh thought.

After he entered, lights began to turn on, and he looked around him. He could see life-sized chess pieces around him, and there were two balconies. "Seems like a game of chess", he thought as he climbed up to the balcony to finish this quick. "Let's just hope that this game ends sooner and I will be able to move to the next phase", he thought.

"Emperor Lucas has taken the head of operations. Commencing match", read a hologram in front of him. "Well, only an emperor can command a king", he thought as he looked at all the pieces near him. All of them were white, and he had the liberty to make the first move.

"What should I open up with? Since I have the opening hand, I can do a lot of things to bait them", he thought. He then began to think hard, and his eyes landed on a pawn that was standing at D2. "Let me try this technique", he smiled as a plan formulated in his mind. 

"Pawn at D2. Move to D4", he commanded. The pawn that was standing there suddenly opened his eyes. He then took a step forward, and it covered one tile on the chess board. "They're so life-like", he thought as he looked at the pawn move forward to D4. 

The other side responded. A robotic voice sounded in the place. "Pawn at F7. Move to F5", said the robotic voice, and the same thing happened again. But Lucas noticed something happen as he looked at the other side. The King, who had his eyes closed, opened it up the instant the pawn was commanded to move.

"Alright. I have opened up my way for the Bishop to move", he thought. He then eyes the opposite side, and he saw a hologram of a man over there. The man was covered in shadows, and it was like he was alive. "This is truly fascinating", praised Lucas as he saw the man playing against him.

"Bishop at C1. Move to G5", he commanded once again. He waited for the other side to give out its command. "Pawn at H7. Move to H6", said the robotic voice again. Lucas was still thinking if this was a good idea. "They're so life-like. What if something unexpected happens during this time? I hope it's a game of normal chess and not something with supernatural powers", he chuckled.

"Alright, everything is going according to plan for now. Let's see if this succeeds. If not, I am going to have to make this game a little longer", he thought. He looked at the countdown and there were around two and a half hours left.

"Bishop at G5. Move back towards H4", he commanded. The Bishop slid across the floor, and it had a staff in its hands. It was glowing white whilst it moved. Lucas was still in awe at the whole thing. "These things are so otherworldly. Then how are they following the same rules as Earth? Maybe someone from Earth created them?", he thought.

"Pawn at G7. Move to G5", said the robotic voice again. Lucas wanted to smile wide, but he stifled it inside him. "This is a battle of wits and strategies. May the best one win", he said out loud. The move from the other side was an attempt to block the bishop from moving any further, thus trapping it in a solid place.

"Alright. After seeing that these things are life-like, I don't want to do what I'm about to do", he thought. "Pawn at E2. Move to E4", he commanded. He now had two of his pawns out, while the other side had three of their pawns drawn out.

"Pawn at G5. Move to H4" said the robotic voice again. The moment the other side made its move, a loud sound was heard. "BOOM!", came a noise as he saw the Bishop being blown to smithereens. 

Rubble was flying around, and the Bishop was truly dead. Lucas looked at it and gulped down his saliva. "Well, I thought there might be blood and something like that. But this? this is truly unprecedented", he thought as he looked at the board. 

He then steeled his nerves and looked at the board. The King on his side was looking at him evident anger in his eyes. Lucas then smiled at him, which provoked more anger from the King. "Well, time to finish this thing, and move to the next round", he thought as he called out his move.

"Queen at D1. Move to H5", he said in a commanding tone. The queen's eyes lit up, and the crown above her head began to glow white. She then transversely moved across the board, and she quickly reached the tile that Lucas mentioned. Lucas then smiled as he looked at the play he had pulled off.

"Checkmate!", he smiled at his victory. The Shadow that was on the other side did a bow, and they disappeared. Lucas got down from the corridor, and he ran across the board. He then saw the tiles on the opposite side come to life, and they were about to surround him. " Is this is a part of chess?", he thought.

Time was ticking down, and everybody knelt to him. Then a notification popped up in front of him.

[The pieces of the Wizard's Chess Set wish to reward you]

[Do you accept? Yes/No]

Lucas was shocked. "Well, if it's a reward, then I shall gladly accept it", he thought as he pressed 'Yes'.

[Reward of the White Wizard Chess Set King]

[Title: Master Tactician]

[Master Tactician: Any plans formulated when equipped with this title, have a ninety percent success rate. Only usable when commanding large troops]

[Reward of the Black Wizard Chess Set King]

[Title: The Schemer]

[The Schemer: This title allows the user to change his facial expression to the opposite of what he is feeling. Can be equipped and unequipped at will]

"Well, these are good rewards. And I thought the White King must be extremely angry at me", he thought. He accepted their show of good faith, and he was about to move when another notification popped up.

[The Shadow Tactician wishes to reward you]

[Do you accept? Yes/No]

"What will this be?", he thought in anticipation. He was rubbing his hands in glee as he pressed 'Yes'.

[Reward of The Shadow Tactician]

[Item: Wizard's Chess Set]

[Wizard's Chess Set: This is a Domain-type Item. Once cast, the caster will be able to see any moves that are being made within this domain and have absolute authority on the side he commands. Rules can be altered by the caster]

"That's going to be very useful for me", he thought as he accepted the reward. He recalled his father's words, and he knew this would be very crucial if things started to go south. He then moved away from the board, and he saw the pieces go back to their forms, and the Bishop that was broken was brought back.

"Well, if it could be mended, then I shouldn't have worried too much about this", he smiled. He then left the room and headed down the path that lead him out of the building, and he reached a fork. "Which way?", he asked Valentine. "Well, you will have to choose, and solve something that you see to open up the path", replied Valentine.

Lucas looked and saw a board in front of him, and on it were some words. "A man kidnapped another woman and placed her in a cage. He said, he was going to set a poisonous snake loose and let her be burned to death, or he was going to drown her by filling up the cage. What decision did the woman choose?", read the sign.

"Beware: Each answer has its path. The right answer will have a smooth path. The wrong answer will have the path filled with danger", read below the riddle. "So we must make a choice. And each choice has its consequences", pondered Lucas.

He then began to think. "What kind of a choice I will make when I'm put in this situation? Do I have a weapon to face against the snakes? And what type of cage am I locked into?", he thought. 

He assumed the worst. "Let's assume the kidnapper just left me with these two choices. I have no weapon. And he has the advantage.. Now, how do I fool him into thinking that I would face certain doom from his choices?", he thought.