Chapter 240 - 248. Chess Game

After tea, the hoarse luxurious cart rattled away from the palace, it’s wooden wheels grinding against cobblestone. Inside, Asher sat back in the cushioned seat, a self-satisfied grin tugging at his lips. Beside him sat Valerie and Clara, each holding onto one of his arms. He and Val had successfully acquired the platinum coins they wanted—and not just that. The King had also granted Asher unrestricted permission to come to Zephandria to purchase platinum coins whenever he pleased.A sly grin crept across his face. Another door had opened. Another opportunity.

With enough platinum coins, he could buy land in Zephandria and establish a new branch of Stick & Lick Enterprises here. He imagined the elegant storefront gleaming on foreign soil, selling his his products and sex toys in yet another territory. Influence would follow. Reputation. A throne built not on birthright but ingenuity.

Yes. Life was starting to make sense.

But just as the cart rolled past the outer gates, something by the roadside caught Asher’s eye. A man was on his knees, head bowed to the dirt, as a woman in sleek boots pressed her heel into his back, scolding him with venom in her voice.

"You touched my ass, didn’t you? You filthy pig!" she spat, and the man stammered a weak apology.

"I really apologize. It was unintentional."

Asher watched with a dark silence. His fists clenched in his lap. It was a bitter reminder that no matter how sweet his own rise tasted, others—men like him—were still being stepped on like insects. The world hadn’t changed yet. Not enough. Women still strutted through the streets like tyrants, treating men like trash—like animals. Just like his former wife had treated him the same way, never seeing him as "man enough." He hadn’t forgotten. He never would.

"Just a little longer, my brothers," he whispered coldly in his mind. "Soon, this will all be over."

He would tame the goddess of this world herself if it meant tearing down this rotten hierarchy. The smug faces. The boots on backs. This... this would all change.

As the cart creaked toward Eldoria, Clara leaned into his side with a purr in her voice. "So... I’ve been waiting," she whispered, eyes sultry as her head rested on his shoulder.



"Waiting?" Asher echoed, feigning curiosity.

"For you to come and collect the money. The dildos you gave me to sell? I ran out of stock on the first day."

He chuckled. "Right. I’ll squeeze in a moment in my ’tight’ schedule to pick it up. Keep it safe for me, alright?"

She smiled. "Of course, master."

Money poured in faster than he expected. He had earned more in days than most would in years. years. But to reshape this world? To build a city of his own? This was barely a spark. He needed more. Much more.

As the cart faded down the road toward Eldoria, chaos simmered in the palace behind them.

**

Inside the palace.....

Max was exploding.

The prince of Eldoria stormed into his chambers with two of his closest friends trailing behind him. The nobles had seen him fall apart, had watched Clara humiliate him—his pride shattered in front of his mother and the court. And for what?

For that boy.

Glass shattered against the wall as he hurled a bottle. A vase followed, splintering across the marble. He couldn’t show it then—but now, he let it burn.

Outside, maids flinched at the sounds of crashing porcelain and broken glass, exchanging weary glances. This tantrum would mean hours of cleanup later, but no one dared interrupt a royal’s wrath.

"Chill the hell out, bro!" one of his friends shouted, trying to block a chair Max hurled.

"Smashing the place won’t fix anything!"

"You’ve got a whole harem! Why cry over Clara?!"

Max spun, eyes bloodshot. "You think I give a damn about that whore?! I’ve got fucktoys for days! This isn’t about her!" He punched a cabinet door off its hinges. "It’s the humiliation! She broke up with me—in front of everyone! For that nobody!! And Valerie! Both of them! It’s his fault! That smug little rat’s gonna pay!"

"Actually..." one friend spoke cautiously, rubbing his chin, "he said his surname was Reynolds, right? Said something about winning the tournament. I didn’t think much of it until now..."

Max narrowed his eyes. "Get to the damn point."

"You remember that day in Eldoria? You were busy banging girls in the bathroom when l tried to convince that thick older woman to let me screw too—you know, the one who always hangs around Ivy Rembrandt’s shop."

"Onalenna," the other friend recalled. "Real juicy milf."

"Yeah, that one. She broke up with me then. Said she had to go watch her son’s match. I didn’t care then, just wanted to fuck her. But she mentioned her family name to me once—Reynolds. Same as that boy. They look alike, too: same hair, same scowl. I think she’s his mother."

A slow, dangerous smile spread across Max’s face.

"Well, well... So the boy has a mommy." He laughed—low and cruel. "This just got interesting."

"What are you planning?" one of them asked, already unsettled.

Max’s eyes gleamed with madness. "Oh, just a little payback." He began laughing loudly. "I’m gonna destroy that brat from the inside out."

**

Back in Eldoria, the cart finally rolled to a halt at Asher’s new estate. Clara had been dropped off earlier, leaving Valerie and Asher alone as they stepped down. They were greeted by a strange sight—maids in pristine uniforms lined up outside the door, heads bowed low. Across from them stood the estate guards, similarly dressed in black, faces grim.

Valerie’s brow furrowed. "What’s going on?"

Anemone, the head maid, stepped forward. "Welcome, Master. My Lady."

"Why are they all standing like this?" Valerie asked, sensing something was off.



Anemone lowered her gaze. "It’s... it’s your sister, my lady."

Valerie’s heart skipped. "Veyna? What about her?"

Animone’s fingers gripped her dress. "She’s... reportedly dead."

The words hit like an axe to the chest.

"What!?" Valerie stumbled backward, eyes wide with horror as she collapsed to her knees, sobbing, her cries raw and hollow.

Asher stepped forward, voice sharp. "What?! You mean Veyna’s dead?"

"Yes, Master," Animone replied.

Valerie dropped to her knees. Tears streamed down her face. "No... no, she was fine... she was fine..."

Asher ran a hand through his hair, confused and furious. Veyna had lost a leg, sure, but she was tough. Strong. Women in this world didn’t die easily—not like that.

"When exactly?" he demanded.

"Reported this morning. Just after you left, the guild sent word."

"And the interrogation? Did they learn anything from her? Did she say anything before she died? About who she worked for?"

"I... I don’t know, Master," Anemone whispered. "I wasn’t told."

Something about it stank. It felt too sudden.

"I need to go," Asher said, activating his flight spell.

Valerie sobbed harder, but he turned to her. "I’ll be back. I promise. But I need to find out what happened."

With that, he shot into the sky like a bullet, soaring toward the Guild.

Someone had silenced Veyna. And he needed to know who.

I hope it’s not who l suspect because...

Elsewhere...

Deep in the chambers of House Martinsville, an eerie silence surrounded the chessboard where Duke Martinsville sat cloaked in black. One hand nudged a knight across the polished board, the other slapped a pawn aside, letting it tumble to the ground.

"Another pawn... gone," he muttered.

Across from him knelt a grotesque creature—barely human, with slimy, dripping flesh that refused to stay attached. Goo pooled beneath it as it twitched, silent.

The Duke reached out and lifted the monster’s face by its chin.

"Hurry up and become complete, my boy. I’m running out of important pieces."

The creature blinked slowly and raised its trembling hand. Google seaʀᴄh novelhall.com

Suddenly, the floor behind him cracked open, emitting a sickly red light. Symbols in an ancient, forbidden language pulsed on the ground, glowing brighter until a tall figure rose from within.

Black horns. Crimson eyes. The necromancer demon—Berial.

Martinsville didn’t flinch.

"I don’t recall summoning you," he said flatly.

"I don’t need your permission," Berial growled, trapped in the burning ring. "You’ve been too quiet."

"Patience. Things are falling into place."



"Patience? You’ve been saying that for centuries, you leech of the Departed!"

The Duke’s eye twitched. "Don’t call me that."

Berial sneered. "Our brethren are waiting. Our Lord must awaken. It’s not that hard to corrupt one little human girl! Time is ticking!"

A purple light engulfed his body—his time in this realm ending.

"Don’t make me return here again," he growled.

With a hiss of wind and a sound like tearing flesh, Berial vanished as silence engulfed the room again.

Martinsville picked up a knight from the board, stared at it, then dropped it, letting it roll into darkness.

"Awakening the Lord, huh...?" he whispered. "No. Let him sleep. His age is over."

He turned to the melting creature.

"The world needs someone new. Don’t you agree, my boy?"

He smiled to himself, and the chess game resumed again in silence.

TBC