Chapter 157

Deep Dive Chess.

As its name suggested, it was a game that fused the cyberspace technology unique to this world with the classic game of chess.

‘There was that setting where Zyle Stormwalker really loved this game…….’

In the original, Zyle Stormwalker had been a supporter who greatly helped the protagonist pressure the Stingray Group.

And the decisive factor that allowed Shade Wells, who had only been a mere Academy student, to capture the heart of the heavyweight politician Zyle Stormwalker, was precisely this “Deep Dive Chess.”

In the scene where this “Deep Dive Chess” first and last appeared, there had been a description like that.

–Zyle Stormwalker was an eccentric who enjoyed Deep Dive Chess despite his age and social standing.

At the time, I had tilted my head at the author’s sentence for a moment, but I passed it by without much thought. Perhaps even in this world, “games” carried the image of being harmful and unfit for education.

But once I actually came to live in this world, I understood much more clearly why the author had written such an expression.

‘Among the upper class in this world, there was the perception that cyberspace itself was a vulgar domain.’

The expansion of new markets and spaces had always led to the rise of emerging groups rather than the entrenched ruling classes.

Immigrants who had crossed over to America, entrepreneurs who had succeeded in pioneering the West, the bourgeoisie who created wealth by running factories and machines, or portal sites that grew into giant corporations by dominating the vast internet market, for example.

Those newly risen powers would either try to integrate into the establishment or seek to drive them out and seize their place.

In the same way, here in New Valhalla City, the discovery of the untamed frontier called “cyberspace” birthed a considerable number of emerging megacorps, threatening the old guard, including the “Stingray Group.”

And New Valhalla City was a city ruled by the living corpses who maintained their lives through anti-aging surgeries, people like “Drake Stingray”…… in other words, a city of stubborn old men.

From their perspective, the culture of “cyberspace,” entertainment enjoyed in a virtual world they couldn’t even comprehend, was naturally regarded as “low-class” or “vulgar.”

‘It’s the same context as politicians or parents on Earth constantly shouting that games are a disease.’

The problem was, on Earth, human lifespans had limits, so things naturally changed as generations passed. But here, with the power of anti-aging surgeries, decrepit old men who should already be dead had been holding onto their vested interests for over a hundred years.

As a result, new culture never had the chance to spread into the upper class, and it continued to be regarded as “vulgar.”

‘That’s why a heavyweight opposition politician like Zyle Stormwalker enjoying Deep Dive Chess comes across as eccentric.’

On the other hand, that very aspect was also what earned him public support. The problem, however, was that he couldn’t secure the backing of corporate old men, which kept him stuck in the opposition.

Anyway.

Zyle Stormwalker often used “Deep Dive Chess” as a tool to gauge his opponent. It was similar to taking someone to a gambling table in order to see their true nature.

“Thank you for accepting my proposal. These days, even finding someone who knows the rules of such a classic game is rare.”

“Is that so?”

“After AI brought the world champion to his knees hundreds of years ago, this game only walked the path of decline. At this point, there must be few who even know how to move the pieces.”

A broad smile spread across Zyle Stormwalker’s face. Was he delighted to have finally found an opponent to play with after such a long time?

Just moments ago, we had been in a situation where we might have killed each other, yet he could switch his attitude so quickly. Perhaps that was thanks to a politician’s unique disposition. Or maybe the earlier conversation had changed the way he thought of me.

“If you know how to move chess pieces, then you already understand nine-tenths of the rules. The remaining one-tenth is that you have to become the pieces yourself and move.”

Zyle Stormwalker explained.

“In Deep Dive Chess, whenever pieces attack, you directly become the piece and wield its weapon. For example, when my knight attacks your pawn, I become the knight and you become the pawn.”

“Hm.”

Naturally, I already knew these rules.

It was a game that had appeared in the original, after all, so there was no way I wouldn’t. And in truth, Zyle Stormwalker must have known very well that there was no need to explain the rules to me.

In short, he was just itching to talk. Like a child showing off his toy.

“When a piece attacks or is attacked, the player gains a different weapon and stats depending on the piece. Pawns are the weakest, while queens are the strongest.”

A pawn, which could only move one step forward, was fundamentally the weakest unit in chess. Meanwhile, the queen, which could move freely in direction and distance, was the most powerful piece, with only one on each side.

In other words, when a player became a pawn, they were given the weakest stats, and when they became a queen, they were given the strongest.

“And the most important part: in Deep Dive Chess, the attacked piece can counterattack.”

In regular chess, a captured piece during the opponent’s turn would be doomed without resistance. But in Deep Dive Chess, depending on the player’s ability, counterattacks were possible.

It wasn’t simply about moving pieces to the right positions. Depending on a player’s skill, sometimes a piece that should have died could instead succeed in counterattacking and survive.

“If a counterattack succeeds, your opponent loses their turn and their piece is relocated to an unexpected position. That randomness is the charm of Deep Dive Chess.”

“……That explanation is enough.”

“Of course. Seeing is believing, after all, so trying it directly would be the most efficient.”

Zyle promptly set up the Deep Dive Chessboard on the table. It looked like a regular chessboard, but with cables attached to both sides.

He and I connected the cables to the ports at the back of our necks. I felt my consciousness link to the chessboard.

Bzzzt—!

The pieces appeared on the board in holographic form. Pawns, knights, rooks, bishops, kings, and queens. As they lined up neatly across the holographic chessboard, they suddenly began to expand in size.

The next moment, when I opened my eyes, a vast battlefield resembling a chessboard spread before me. The chess pieces had transformed into human-like figures. I stood in a position overlooking them from behind.

“Isn’t it fascinating?”

I lifted my head at Zyle’s voice and saw him sitting across the field. In reality, we had only been facing each other across a table, yet here we were separated by a vast battlefield.

It felt like becoming the god of war.

Not a bad sensation at all.

“The stakes are, of course, one’s ‘memories,’ right?”

“That’s correct. I’ve set it so that each time you hunt down an opponent’s piece, you get to glimpse a memory. Pawns are worth 1 point, bishops and knights 3 points, rooks 5 points, and queens 9 points.”

“And if I capture the king?”

“Of course, that’s game over. You’d take every memory contained in the pieces.”

He explained that the higher the score of the piece, the higher the chance it contained memories one would rather not let others see.

“So even when using a piece as a decoy, you should be careful. It might hold a memory more important than you realize.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Then let’s begin at once. Which side will you choose?”

“Black.”

“Then I’ll start.”

Zyle Stormwalker moved the first piece.

As expected, he began lightly, pushing a pawn forward two squares. Hardly an expert move, but still one of the most standard openings.

I did the same, advancing my own pawn. After all, pawns had to open up the space first if the stronger pieces behind them were to rampage freely.

After those cautious opening moves, Zyle Stormwalker glanced at me and asked:

“Are you confident in chess?”

“Not particularly.”

I meant it.

I’d never dug too deeply into chess. And even if I had, I had no confidence I could beat someone like Zyle, who was obsessed with Deep Dive Chess.

“Then why did you accept my proposal?”

“Why did you suddenly bring up playing chess in the first place?”

“I already told you. Because I want to glimpse your memories.”

Zyle answered lightly, as if it were nothing.

“This world is filthy.”

“……”

“New Valhalla City is rotten and vile. The rules humans should uphold for one another have long been shattered, while corporations and politicians rampage madly across every line. In a world where order is broken, it’s only the powerless who bleed.”

He continued calmly.

“That is why this world needs rules. In a world where even a being called ‘god’ is defined as an enemy to be struck down, what humanity needs to believe in and follow are absolute rules. Like this chess game, rules that apply fairly to all.”

“I’ve worked harder than anyone to establish order in this city. Of course, you may think that, as a transmigrator, I’m not the real ‘Zyle Stormwalker.’”

“But regardless, what’s vital to protecting this place are rules and law. And yet ‘rule-breakers’ like you always trample those rules as if they’re nothing, just to serve your own ends.”

“And I don’t like that.”

Zyle Stormwalker glared at me.

But instead of answering, I made my next move, placing my knight in a position to attack his pawn. Unless he protected it with another piece, that pawn would soon be my knight’s prey.

Even as I moved, Zyle kept talking. Maybe it was the politician in him, but his play didn’t falter even while speaking. He quickly shielded the pawn I had been eyeing with another knight.

The match was about to get heated. Pawns would soon start dying off, and then the powerful pieces like queens and rooks would rampage across the board.

And the first attack…

Was Zyle Stormwalker’s.

Watching the chessboard leisurely, he spoke.

“Aaron Stingray. You said you wanted to protect this city. I felt sincerity in those words. Unlike ‘that villain’ from the novel, you seem to truly want to protect this place.”

It happened then.

Perhaps because my focus narrowed for a moment, Zyle’s bishop suddenly struck from an angle I hadn’t expected. My lowly soldier was stabbed in the side out of nowhere.

And at the same time—

My vision flipped, and I opened my eyes in the middle of the battlefield.

In my hand was a black sword that looked like it was made of plastic. Across from me, Zyle Stormwalker held a pure-white staff.

Ah, so this was how it worked.

I immediately raised my sword to block the swing of Zyle’s staff. But my effort was meaningless—my body was split clean in two along with the blade.

Just like that, I died.

Srrrk.

I felt no real pain. I simply opened my eyes again in the position of the “player.”

Yet a strange unpleasantness crawled up my brainstem. It was the discomfort of someone rifling through my head.

I frowned and raised my gaze.

And saw my opponent’s face, twisted in shock.

“Khak—damn it…!”

Zyle Stormwalker muttered with wide, glaring eyes.

In his hand was the pawn through which his bishop had just hunted me down. It must have contained a 1-point-level memory of mine.

In other words, a trivial memory.

Yet Zyle’s reaction was violently extreme. Still reeling, he gasped over and over, barely managed to steady his breath, and then stammered out a question.

“What on earth… what kind of life have you lived?”

“Who knows.”

I replied indifferently.

Then I pressed him.

“Now, hurry up and make your next move.”

Because there was still so much I wanted to show him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep