CHAPTER 15 OPENING MOVE
The board finished forming in a low, grinding silence, and what had once been chaos was now something structured, deliberate, and far more dangerous.
Daeven observed without moving, taking in every detail of the new environment as his mind worked quietly in the background.
The five thousand survivors were no longer scattered randomly.
They were divided.
Placed.
Organized into zones that resembled segments of a massive chessboard, but unlike before, this one felt controlled from the very beginning.
Kael looked around with a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Now this feels like a real game.
Lyria's expression was more tense as she scanned the area, her ability clearly active as her gaze moved in subtle patterns.
There are paths again… but they're different.
Daeven already knew.
Of course they are.
This isn't about survival anymore.
It's about confrontation.
The boy swallowed nervously.
You mean… we have to fight?
Daeven didn't look at him.
Yes.
There was no point softening it.
The screen above the core flickered again, and a new set of messages appeared, larger than before and impossible to ignore.
[ PHASE 2 BEGIN ]
[ OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE OR ADVANCE ]
[ ZONE CONFLICT ENABLED ]
A low murmur spread across the distant participants as everyone read the same thing at the same time.
Kael cracked her neck slightly.
Good.
Lyria looked at her.
Good?!
Kael glanced at her.
Clear rules are better than confusion.
Daeven agreed silently.
Confusion killed faster than enemies.
The ground beneath them shifted slightly, and a faint boundary formed around their zone, marking its limits with thin lines of dim light.
Daeven's eyes moved immediately.
Counting.
Estimating.
Roughly fifty people in their zone.
Too many.
The fewer, the better.
The system reacted again.
[ TIME LIMIT: UNKNOWN ]
[ ZONE REDUCTION WILL OCCUR ]
Daeven exhaled slowly.
So it's a shrinking field.
Kael nodded.
Forcing conflict.
The boy looked terrified again.
So we can't just hide?!
Daeven glanced at him briefly.
You can try.
A pause.
You'll die anyway.
The boy went silent.
Lyria didn't comment, but her expression tightened.
She understood.
Then—
A sound.
Movement.
From the far side of their zone.
Daeven's gaze snapped in that direction instantly.
Other participants.
Watching them.
Assessing.
Just like they were doing.
Kael stepped slightly forward.
Finally.
One of the figures on the other side moved.
A tall man, broad-shouldered, his presence heavy.
His mark glowed faintly.
Daeven focused.
Rook.
Another one.
Kael noticed too.
She smiled.
Mine.
Daeven didn't stop her.
But he spoke.
Don't rush.
She glanced at him.
For a second.
Then smirked.
I know.
But she still moved.
Not recklessly.
Directly.
The other man stepped forward as well, clearly understanding the same thing.
Two rooks.
No need for words.
They clashed.
The impact echoed across the zone as both of them met head-on with raw force that sent a shockwave through the ground.
The boy flinched.
Lyria stepped back slightly.
Daeven didn't move.
He watched.
Carefully.
Kael's movements were clean and aggressive, each strike calculated, each step controlled.
The other man was strong.
Very strong.
But slower.
Less precise.
Daeven narrowed his eyes slightly.
She'll win.
Not immediately.
But inevitably.
Behind them, the rest of the participants began to move.
Some stepping back.
Some circling.
Some preparing to attack.
Chaos was starting again.
But this time…
It had structure.
Daeven felt it.
The pull.
The urge to act.
But he didn't move.
Not yet.
Because something else mattered more.
Information.
Position.
Timing.
He glanced briefly at his hand.
At the hidden mark.
At the thing he hadn't shown.
Then back at the battlefield.
If I use it now…
A pause.
Too early.
Much too early.
So instead, he did what no one else was doing.
He waited.
Observed.
Learned.
Lyria moved closer to him.
What do we do?
Daeven answered without hesitation.
We don't rush.
She looked at him.
Even while they're fighting?
Yes.
A pause.
Especially now.
The boy looked confused.
But Kael is—
Daeven cut him off calmly.
Kael can handle herself.
Another impact echoed.
Stronger this time.
Daeven's eyes didn't leave the fight.
And if she can't…
A brief pause.
Then we learn from it.
Lyria didn't like that answer.
But she didn't argue.
Because deep down…
She knew he was right.
Daeven finally took one slow step forward.
Not toward the fight.
But toward a better position.
His eyes scanning everything.
Every movement.
Every hesitation.
Every mistake.
This wasn't just a battle.
It was the opening of a game.
And Daeven…
Was already thinking ten moves ahead.