Chapter 55: Chess Trial!
2016-03-30
Author: Floating Tower
“Maze stabilized!”
When the cold mechanical voice of the Tower Spirit experiment body echoed, everyone present couldn’t help but sigh in relief.
The Maze part is the most important aspect of the Floating Tower because the Floating Tower is connected to the internal realm of the Chess Half-Plane. If a repulsion reaction occurs, the results would be quite complex, and the time consumption would increase exponentially. However, if there are no issues with the Maze, a slight modification can directly transfer the Floating Tower to the Material Plane.
“It seems to be a success.”
Soren also sighed in relief and waved his hand to open a large door, directly entering the internal realm of the Chess Half-Plane.
With the highest authority inside the Arcane Tower, access to the Chess Dimension was also granted. Unfortunately, Soren’s knowledge of the arcane was insufficient to decipher the mysteries of this dimension, and even Gloria and the Fallen Witch could not analyze the bizarre abilities simulated by Virtual Reality that resembled illusions.
The entire Chess Dimension is a gigantic server magic circle.
It looks like a pyramid, with the bottom layer being the Element Pool of the Half-Plane, followed by layers of corresponding spatial levels of the planes.
The first layer is Earth.
The second layer is Wind.
The third layer is Water.
The fourth layer is Fire.
The fifth layer is Light.
The sixth layer is Darkness.
The seventh layer is the Element Pool, connecting the Four Elemental Planes, while also maintaining passages to the upper and lower planes.
If Gloria’s created Half-Plane level is 1, then this Chess Half-Plane’s level is at least 20; it has already existed for thousands of years, with an area and energy expansion to an astonishing degree. In terms of spatial range alone, the Chess Half-Plane is far larger than the Half-Plane controlled by the Northern Witch Council.
Each layer is a magic circle.
All are simulations of chess games, where controllers can immerse human consciousness within. They can create an extraordinarily mystical illusion that simulates virtual reality effects.
This is just like the virtual games before Soren crossed over!
However, the former accomplishes this through spell-like illusions, while the latter directly connects to the human nervous system and is arranged using super brains.
Of course.
To be serious, the Chess Half-Plane is still inferior to the virtual games of the interstellar era.
Firstly, the world is not large enough, and the computational power is far inferior to super-brains. The illusions of the Chess Half-Plane are probably controlled by Tower Spirit 13.
In a way, the Tower Spirits can be transformed into supercomputers!
They can be endowed with powerful computational abilities to help manage the entire Floating City, much like the computational capacity of a divine network.
However.
The Chess Half-Plane also has its advantages, namely the extreme sense of realism.
Illusions.
A sense of reality that far exceeds the virtual reality of the stellar era. Soren has never truly understood the purpose of this thing.
Chess Games.
These were once all the rage during the Arcane Empire era, including Unpredictable Cards, Arcane Cards, Tarot Cards, Destiny Cards, and so forth. This series of decks all evolved from chess games.
In other words.
These items were once prizes and tools for chess games.
Why did the Grand Archmages create this?
Soren has always pondered this question.
Could it be merely for entertainment?
That’s definitely impossible. The Grand Archmages were not so bored as to expend so much energy just to create an entertainment tool.
In the end.
Soren thought of the most likely scenario.
— “Training!”
During the Arcane Empire era, the threshold for spellcasters was exceptionally high. Every eligible arcane practitioner was a genius, born with a natural intelligence of over 20.
Such individuals are extremely rare!
It can be said that any loss would be hard to make up for in a short time.
Individuals with a natural intelligence of 20 are no longer one in a million but rather exceptionally rare. However, for the entire civilization of the Arcane Empire period, ordinary spellcasters hold little value.
Only those above a natural intelligence of 20, those geniuses with the potential to advance to Grand Archmage, can inherit and expand the power of the Arcane Empire!
So.
How can these geniuses enhance their strength?
Should they venture out for risks like other ordinary professionists? What if they die before honing their skills?
If one of them dies, where can they be found again?
The purpose of the Grand Archmages in creating chess games may have been to provide them with a basic platform to face various threats of death without dying, thus honing their strength and wisdom.
To be honest.
Up to now, Soren could probably count only two people by his side who might possess extraordinary intelligence.
One is Gloria.
The other is the Fallen Witch.
Now both of them are legendary witches. Aside from them, almost no one else has such talent. One can imagine how rare individuals with the aptitude of Grand Archmages were back then. In all likelihood, they could basically become legendary spellcasters.
Of course.
The purpose of chess games is not solely to train archmages. It is also very useful for other naturally extraordinary professionists.
For example, someone like Lulu.
Her speed of improvement is simply shocking; she is already on the verge of becoming a high-level professionist even before reaching adulthood.
It can be said that, once she matures, she will definitely be a legendary professionist!
This is the most likely use of the Chess Half-Plane that Soren can think of; otherwise, he really can’t think of any other uses for the Chess Half-Plane.
A large-scale entertainment game?
That is also possible.
During the Arcane Empire era, everyone’s combat power was quite high. Perhaps it also has something to do with the chess game.
It merely provides a platform and does not grant any abilities.
Once anyone enters the Chess Half-Plane, the battle relies on their own skills; without combat skills and strength, it is a dead end.
………………
Soren’s current idea is whether he can use the Chess Half-Plane to train the most promising individuals of Modo City.
He has personally experienced the Chess Half-Plane and understands how useful it is. It has an absolutely surpassing effect on a person’s combat potential and skill training. After all, a person cannot always face the threat of death, and there are not many who survive such situations in reality. However, the Chess Half-Plane only slightly affects the mind.
Of course.
It does have some effect on the soul.
After mastering the Chess Half-Plane, Soren discovered that death in the trials within does entail a slight loss of soul power.
But it is very minimal!
To quantify, it roughly reduces about 1000 points of Killing Experience.
This fragment of soul power is absorbed by the Chess Half-Plane and then transformed into the magic circle. Soren believes that the intelligence of the virtual characters within is related to a fragment of the soul energy stripped upon death.
What specific mysteries there are.
With Soren’s current knowledge, he is not yet able to unravel! Because this is the realm of the arcane and not that of the deities!
However.
One thing Soren can be certain of is that the research during the Arcane Empire period indeed began to touch upon the field of souls.
No wonder the gods are not so friendly towards the Arcane Empire!
………………
“How should this thing be used?”
Soren gazed at the Chess Half-Plane before him, falling into deep thought.
To be honest, there are many places where this thing can be utilized.
First of all.
Modo City has a large number of outstanding talents facing breakthroughs, such as Lulu, Chouhou, Jack, Scarface, Cyclops Pirate, and the already legendary giant, and so on.
These individuals lack a type of extreme training!
For strong individuals like them, losing around 1000 points of Killing Experience is hardly an issue. If it can buy an opportunity for direct confrontation with death, it is absolutely worth it.
They are Soren’s first targets of consideration.
Then there are those closer to the mid-tier in Modo City, where many outstanding officer ranks can also benefit from training.
Finally.
It concerns ordinary people and low-level professionists.
These individuals probably cannot enter for the time being. Ordinary people would need to lose the equivalent of 1000 points of Killing Experience in soul energy, which would require them to lie down for over three months.
If low-level professionists die a few times, they might face the danger of levelling down.
In other words.
This thing is provided for professionists, and they must be those with strong strength, firm will, and sufficient potential.
Otherwise, they might end up truly dying in the illusion if they die in the illusion.
No choice.
The Chess Game is simply too realistic!
………………
“There’s no way to promote it in the short term.”
Soren glanced at the Element Pool at the bottom layer and murmured, “However, for now, we can conduct some tests! Let’s see if the trials in the Chess Half-Plane have any effect on those with exceptional talent!”
“But it cannot be tested continuously.”
“For now, let’s select a few excellent targets and see how it performs!”
After dying in it, Soren’s spirit felt a little uncomfortable.
One thing is for sure, this thing has side effects. And for ordinary people, the side effects can be very severe.
The specific effects still need testing.
Soren has been exploring many matters along the way; the research on the Chess Half-Plane will likely require a lot of time. However, the potential of this thing is immeasurable. If it can truly reduce the side effects, maybe Modo City can mass-produce a batch of elite troops who dare to confront death!
To some extent, the Arcane Empire is indeed very similar to the interstellar era.
Because this virtual reality technology, when it was first researched, was initially applied to training super soldiers. One used a technology tree, while the other used alchemy.
………………
Modo City. Grand Temple.
When Soren returned to the Grand Temple, the High Priest had long been waiting for him.
“My lord.”
The High Priest bowed slightly and said softly, “The artifact, the Mithril Chainmail, is a bit troublesome. I’m afraid I won’t be able to complete it in the short term.”
“I need to study the psychic marks on it.”
“Greybeard must have gained some knowledge related to the Spirit Sucking Monster Empire, and I need to clarify these special psychic marks first.”
Soren nodded in response, “No problem.”
“You research this first; I don’t need it for the time being.”
Currently, the only significant enemy is the Lord of Shadows, and Soren has already prepared a big gift for Him. To deal with Him, Soren has a super meat shield in front, so it doesn’t matter if he wears the artifact chainmail or not.
[Ascendant] – Eugene.
This is indeed a super meat shield that ranks in the Material Plane.
……………… (To be continued ~^~)
