System's POV

Chapter 1483: Playing A Game Of Fate [Part 1]

After dealing with Mammon, the Seven Celestials and the Six Fiends rose from the darkness of the pit and clashed against the Infernals guarding the red portal in the sky.

Concealed by chaos, Rocky headed to the Godfall Castle, where the last gate waited to be opened.

Upon reaching a certain proximity, the Balboa halted and opened its mouth, out of which Thirteen emerged.

Without a shred of hesitation, the young man inserted the Key of Pride into the keyhole. He twisted the key, and a resounding click reached his ears.

Finally, the gate had opened.

The doors of Godfall Castle sprung wide, and Rocky approached it with haste. As soon as the Hell Lord Balboa crossed over its threshold, the castle gates shut tightly, temporarily preventing anyone from entering.

Thirteen stared at the vast hallway in front of him. It was easily a hundred meters high and fifty meters wide. Even Giants would be unobstructed walking through this hallway without problems.

But the young man was not surprised, taking into account that this castle had been built by Gods.

Rocky tried to move forward, but its body seemed to be stuck and couldn’t leave the spot where it appeared.

“Don’t worry, Rocky,” Thirteen replied. “It means you’re not meant to cross over this hallway. Just wait for me here.”

Rocky growled sadly but still listened to its Master.

It then lowered its head, allowing Thirteen to get off. After taking just a few steps, all his lovers appeared behind him.

“We’re coming too!” Erica declared as she hurried to the teenage boy’s side without any problem.

Sherry, Shana, Princess Xynalia, Princess Aracelle, and Stella acould also walk through the hallway

Since Tiona was coiled on her Master’s neck and didn’t seem to be restricted like Thirteen, that meant that she could explore this place as well.

“Stay close to me,” Thirteen warned his lovers. “This place might be filled with traps, so be on your guard.”

The ladies nodded in understanding and took out their weapons.

This was the first time Thirteen entered Godfall Castle, where Pandora’s Treasury was located.

But regardless of his unfamiliarity with the place, he already knew there would be traps planted all over the place. A final test befitting those who covet the power of Divine Treasures.

Before the main army of the Infernals arrived, Thirteen had already briefed the Celestials and Fiends about what strategy they could use against the enemy.

According to his estimate, he had less than two hours to find Pandora’s Treasury, where powerful artifacts lay. His priority was to find the perfect artifacts to salvage their precarious situation.

Thirteen had always been logical and practical. A former system like him pragmatically understood his limitations more than anyone else.

He hoped the treasury indeed had something suitable for tilting the scales in their favor.

After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrived at a junction where three paths diverged. Now, they only had to choose which path to take.

Thirteen glanced at the left, right, and middle paths but sensed nothing special from all of them.

Time wasn’t on their side, so he couldn’t choose a path blindly.

Suddenly, Sherry lightly tugged Thirteen’s clothes.

“Something is calling out to me in that direction,” Sherry said, while pointing on the right path. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s telling me to go there.”

Among Thirteen’s lovers, Sherry was the most soft spoken and rarely took the initiative to do anything. So whenever she did, Thirteen would praise her and shower her with his love. He hoped that she’d keep doing it and eventually take more steps on her own.

“Do any of you sense anything like Sherry?” Thirteen asked his other lovers.

“No.” Erica shook her head. “I don’t sense anything.”

“I don’t sense anything either,” Shana commented.

Stella, Princess Aracelle, Princess Xynalia, and Tiona also shook their heads.

“Very well,” Thirteen reached out to hold Sherry’s hand, and gave it a light squeeze. “We’ll go this way.”

After walking for quite some time, they arrived on top of what seemed to be a giant chessboard.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Erica muttered.

“Don’t raise a death flag,” Shana commented.

“Too late…” Princess Xynalia said. “Look over there.”

Several chess-pieces at least ten-meters-tall appeared on the other side of the board.

Thirteen suddenly found himself floating at the back of the chess formations, overlooking the battlefield.

All his lovers were also forced to move in their respective positions, taking up the roles of chess pieces on the board.

Tiona became the Queen, Shana was the bishop, and Princess Aracelle and Princess Xynalia became the Rooks.

Stella was the King, Erica the Knight, and Sherry the pawn.

The chess pieces were already placed in various positions on the board, which made it look like the game was already in its middle-stages.

Thirteen gazed at the position of his lovers, and his face turned grim. His side of the board had a very precarious positioning, and if he made a single mistake, one of them would be eliminated from the game.

He had no idea what would happen if his lovers were to be eliminated, but he wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen.

Suddenly, an emotionless voice from the other side of the board reached everyone’s ears.

“Knight to G4.”

The massive Black Knight of the opposing team crashed on their side of the board, making the faces of the ladies turn pale.

This move seemed harmless at first glance, but the next time the black knight moved, Sherry and Princess Aracelle could both be in danger.

Knights were one of the most troublesome pieces in the chessboard. When they attacked, players might be forced to choose between two important pieces, which could spell their defeat in the short term.

Thirteen’s eyes turned cold, and his body oozed with killing intent. Although the voice of the one playing the black chess pieces sounded emotionless, he felt like he was up against the Goddess of Fate itself.

To make matters worse, there was a timer that was flashing on the right side of the chess board, telling the teenage boy that his time to move a chess piece was running out.

Since the lives of his lovers were on the line, Thirteen raised his concentration to the limit.

“Knight to H3,” Thirteen ordered.

A moment later, his own White Knight moved to its designated location, blocking off the path of the enemy’s knight, who wanted to make Thirteen make one of the hardest choices in his life.