Curious about my new pieces, I tapped one of the pawns on the chessboard in my mind. Honestly, I had no idea which one it was, nor did I care. I just wanted to see what they could do, and maybe figure out other functions of the Chess King System.
The piece pulsed faintly, as if the system were waiting for my command. It seemed tied directly to my thoughts - deeply woven into my mind, responding to intent alone.
I couldn't wrap my head around it all, but it was...
'Interesting.'
Could I move them remotely? Coordinate their actions in real time? The thought made a strange kind of sense - like being a general who never has to leave the tent while his pawns bleed for him. That was exactly my style: power without sweat or danger.
Then there was the matter of promotions.
What happened when a pawn reached the end of the board?
Glancing at the three bruised idiots standing in front of me, I doubted they'd ever make it that far. They were disposable - likely to be sacrificed before the second move. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. They weren't exactly pleasant to look at anyway.
But the more I thought about it, the more questions stacked up:
What was the "board," exactly? Did it only appear in certain battles, or was the entire world the board? Was it even literal, or just a mental framework the system used because my brain liked chess? I'd read and written plenty of stories where the system took a form the protagonist related to most. Apparently, I was that protagonist now.
That tracked. But it didn't answer the big questions: Were promotions permanent? Was I capped at fifteen pieces plus myself, like a normal chess set? Would I be facing multiple opponents, or one massive endgame boss? Could I physically move pieces on this mental board… or communicate with them through it?
So many unknowns. And clearly, the Chess King System preferred it that way - no handholding, no tutorials, no helpful pop-ups.
'I'll figure it all out. Just you wait.'
Inevitably, my thoughts eventually drifted to an even bigger rabbit hole: how I ended up here in the first place. I mean, yeah, I wrote a lot of novels, but they were just fiction. Had I somehow caught the attention, or maybe the irritation, of some transcendent being through my work?
I sighed, knowing the answers weren't just going to fall from the sky.
And by the time I came back to reality, I realised I'd been staring into space again. The surrounding people probably thought I was insane, but I didn't care very much.
'Oh, well.' My three pawns weren't in a position to judge, and Zeyra was probably used to my zoning out by now.
As such, I rubbed my temples gently and calmly collected myself.
"Is everything okay, young master?" came a cold, familiar voice.
"I'm fine," I muttered. "Just pushed it a little too far."
"You have quite a unique ability there," she observed, voice steady. "It seems to destabilise minds... including your own if overused."
I shot her a flat look. "Thanks, Mom."
Her lips twitched, but she said nothing.
I stared at her for a moment.
'That confirms it - she was watching the whole time. How else would she have seen my King's Will skill in action?'
But even if that was the case, the fact remained - she showed up when it mattered. And on the bright side, she had been worried about me enough to come, even when she should've been focused on herself.
Whether it was duty… or simply the bond of being one of my pieces, it was reassuring to know she had my back.
Turning my attention back to the three pathetic figures, I found them still standing there - shuffling awkwardly, waiting like schoolboys caught in the act.
'Alright. Time to size up my new pieces.'
I summoned their statuses with a mental flick.
[Status Window: Pawn Piece – Dim]
Name: Dimion Grubbernack
Title: None
Condition: Failure who has reached the limit of their potential
Age: 33
Rank: Initiate Aurist
Class: Warrior
Aura Path Potential: E+
Mana Path Potential: F
Special Trait: Fatty - Durable round body
[Status Window: Pawn Piece – Tim]
Name: Timothai Grubbernack
Title: None
Condition: Failure who has reached the limit of their potential
Age: 32
Rank: Initiate Aurist
Class: Warrior
Aura Path Potential: E+
Mana Path Potential: F
Special Trait: Average - Easy to forget
[Status Window: Pawn Piece – Lim]
Name: Limuel Grubbernack
Title: None
Condition: Failure who has reached the limit of their potential
Age: 31
Rank: Initiate Aurist
Class: Warrior
Aura Path Potential: E+
Mana Path Potential: F
Special Trait: Lanky - Long thin Limbs
I blinked.
Their names rhymed.
Of course, they rhymed.
And they were brothers.
Of course, they were brothers.
But that wasn't even the surprising part.
The system, as it turned out, wasn't just brutally honest with me - it was brutal with everyone. And seeing their Status windows pop up in front of me almost made me laugh out loud.
Their special traits were… well, let's just say "uninspiring."
Short and fat. Average and forgettable. Tall and skinny.
A tragic holy trinity.
No wonder they were insecure and had it out for me - the pampered prince who'd never had to lift a finger. Their potentials were barely a notch above my own cursed body. Honestly, what a pathetic trio of siblings.
And yet, it only made Zeyra's value shine brighter. She wasn't just a lucky early recruit - she was a once-in-a-lifetime jackpot.
Still, I couldn't ignore one detail: the little "+" next to their potential ratings. A hint that, under the right conditions, even these walking punchlines could grow stronger. Their ridiculous traits might even point to how best they could be used.
Compared to Zeyra, they were basically furniture.
But even furniture had its uses...