Bab 37: Chapter 36: The Game of Shadows
The tunnel stretched on, leading Shubhu deeper into the heart of the Dark King's lair. The air felt heavier with each step, as though the dark dimension itself was pressing down on him, suffocating any lingering divine power he had left. The oppressive energy was overwhelming, but Shubhu knew he couldn't turn back now. He had to confront whatever awaited him in this twisted realm.
Finally, he emerged into a vast chamber, and before him stretched a massive black-and-white chessboard. The cold, gleaming tiles underfoot sent a shiver up his spine. Around the board stood towering statues of demonic figures, their hollow eyes fixed on him, silent sentinels to his struggle. At the far end, Karan, now fully consumed by dark power, stood watching. His eyes gleamed with malicious intent.
""I see you made it, Shubhu," Karan's voice echoed, calm yet dripping with menace. "But this is where your journey ends."
Shubhu said nothing, his gaze fixed on the figure before him. But as his eyes scanned the room, he noticed the others—eight dark figures emerging from the shadows. Pawns. Their bodies were hunched, their faces hidden beneath dark cloaks. But they radiated power, a twisted, corrupt energy that pulsed through the chamber.
Behind the pawns stood two more figures—Rooks. One of them was Karan himself, and beside him stood another—a dark warrior, clad in armor black as night. Their towering forms radiated an aura of invincibility, like unmovable guardians of the Dark King's will.
To the sides, two Knights—swift, agile figures—paced restlessly, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. And then, in the back corners, stood two Bishops, cloaked in dark magic, their faces obscured by shadows, ready to strike from afar.
Shubhu's heart pounded in his chest. He was alone. No Satya to back him up this time. No divine powers to call upon. Just him, surrounded by enemies, in a twisted game where the odds were stacked against him. And worse yet—he could feel the darkness seeping into his very being, calling to him, whispering temptations of power and destruction.
Karan stood, his hand raised, and with a single motion, the game began.
[15:28, 08/11/2024] sb200032: The first pawn moved forward, stepping onto a black tile. As it did, the tile beneath Shubhu's feet flashed with a strange light. In the blink of an eye, the chessboard, the chamber, and everything around him vanished. Shubhu found himself standing in the middle of a vast battlefield. Around him, stretching for miles in every direction, were thousands of soldiers—dark, shadowy figures armed with spears, swords, and shields.
The first pawn's challenge had begun.
Shubhu clenched his fists, feeling the mortal weight of his body, but also the fire of determination that burned within him. These soldiers weren't real—they were illusions, constructs of the dark power that ruled this dimension. But that didn't make them any less dangerous.
The army moved as one, surging toward him like a dark tide. Shubhu teleported to a higher ground, appearing atop a hill that overlooked the battlefield. But the soldiers were relentless, climbing up the hill with terrifying speed. Shubhu narrowed his eyes, his mind racing. Without his divine powers, this fight would be much harder, but he wasn't powerless.
He focused his thoughts, feeling the energy of the dark dimension around him. He had no choice but to use it. He had resisted the darkness for so long, but now it was his only weapon. Drawing the dark energy into his body, Shubhu unleashed a torrent of power, sending waves of black fire crashing down on the soldiers. They fell like leaves in the wind, but more kept coming, swarming the hill from all sides.
Teleporting again, Shubhu appeared in the center of the battlefield, catching the army by surprise. With a roar, he conjured a dark blade in his hand, cutting through the soldiers with a ferocity that surprised even him. His movements were faster now, more precise, as if the darkness was enhancing his reflexes. The soldiers fell one by one, but for every one that fell, two more appeared.
The battle raged on for what felt like hours. Shubhu fought relentlessly, teleporting across the battlefield, dodging attacks, and cutting down wave after wave of soldiers. But as the last soldier fell, the battlefield shimmered and disappeared. Shubhu was back on the chessboard.
The first pawn had been defeated.
But there was no time to rest. Another pawn stepped forward, and once again, the tile beneath Shubhu's feet glowed. This time, when the light faded, he found himself in the middle of a massive fortress. Surrounding him were not soldiers, but towering knights in full armor, their eyes glowing with an eerie red light. Their presence was even more overwhelming than the soldiers—these were elite warriors, each one a formidable foe.
Shubhu felt the weight of exhaustion beginning to creep in. The darkness inside him was strong, but it was also draining. Every time he used it, he could feel a part of himself slipping away, swallowed by the corrupt energy. But he couldn't stop now. Not with so much at stake.
The knights charged, their heavy footsteps shaking the ground beneath them. Shubhu leaped into the air, teleporting to a nearby tower. From there, he watched as the knights slammed into the tower, their weapons carving through the stone like it was nothing. He had to think fast.
Drawing more of the dark energy into his body, Shubhu raised his hands, summoning a storm of black lightning. The bolts crashed down on the knights, but they barely slowed. Their armor absorbed the energy, redirecting it back at him. Shubhu teleported away just in time, narrowly avoiding being hit by his own attack.
This wasn't going to be easy.
He had to be smarter. Faster. The dark power was strong, but it wasn't enough to brute force his way through. He needed to use his mind. With a deep breath, Shubhu focused, calling upon his knowledge of space and time. Though his divine powers were gone, his knowledge of how the universe worked remained.
Teleporting again, Shubhu reappeared behind the knights, his movements precise and calculated. He struck at their weak points, dodging their heavy blows and using the environment to his advantage. One by one, the knights fell, their armor collapsing into piles of ash.
The second pawn was defeated.
But there were more to come. Each pawn transported Shubhu to a new battlefield, each one more difficult than the last. He fought armies, knights, sorcerers, and beasts, each challenge pushing him to his limits. The dark power within him grew stronger, but so did the toll it took on his body and mind.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Shubhu stood on the chessboard once more. He had defeated all eight pawns. His body ached, his breath was ragged, but he was still standing. And now, only the major pieces remained.
He looked up at Karan, who sat on his throne, watching the battle with a cold, calculating gaze. The real fight was about to begin.
Shubhu steeled himself. The darkness inside him whispered promises of power, but he knew the cost. He would have to tread carefully. The next moves would decide everything.
And in this twisted game, there could be no mistakes.
[15:28, 08/11/2024] sb200032: Chapter 36: The Game of Shadows
Shubhu's footsteps echoed through the narrow, twisting tunnel as he descended deeper into the Dark King's lair. The air around him was thick, heavy with the oppressive power of the dark dimension. His divine powers had long since faded, stripped from him as soon as he crossed into this forsaken realm. He could feel the weight of mortality pressing down on him, but his determination remained unshaken. He had no choice but to push forward—this was his path.
After what seemed like hours of walking, the tunnel finally opened up into a massive chamber. Unlike the dark, oppressive corridors he had traversed earlier, this room was eerily quiet and strangely pristine. In the center of the chamber, a large black and white floor stretched out like a chessboard. The tiles shimmered in the dim light, and surrounding the board, looming like shadowy sentinels, stood massive stone statues of demonic figures, their eyes hollow yet watching.
Shubhu's breath caught in his throat as he realized where he stood. It wasn't just a board—it was a battlefield, a twisted arena created by the Dark King to test his enemies.
At the far end of the room, seated on a dark throne, was Karan. His presence sent a chill down Shubhu's spine. Dressed in black, his eyes gleamed with malevolence, his form towering and imposing, the very air around him pulsing with dark energy. But this wasn't the Karan Shubhu remembered—something had changed in him. He wasn't just a man anymore. He was something far more dangerous.
"I see you made it, Shubhu," Karan's voice echoed, calm yet dripping with menace. "But this is where your journey ends."
Shubhu said nothing, his gaze fixed on the figure before him. But as his eyes scanned the room, he noticed the others—eight dark figures emerging from the shadows. Pawns. Their bodies were hunched, their faces hidden beneath dark cloaks. But they radiated power, a twisted, corrupt energy that pulsed through the chamber.
Behind the pawns stood two more figures—Rooks. One of them was Karan himself, and beside him stood another—a dark warrior, clad in armor black as night. Their towering forms radiated an aura of invincibility, like unmovable guardians of the Dark King's will.
To the sides, two Knights—swift, agile figures—paced restlessly, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. And then, in the back corners, stood two Bishops, cloaked in dark magic, their faces obscured by shadows, ready to strike from afar.
Shubhu's heart pounded in his chest. He was alone. No Satya to back him up this time. No divine powers to call upon. Just him, surrounded by enemies, in a twisted game where the odds were stacked against him. And worse yet—he could feel the darkness seeping into his very being, calling to him, whispering temptations of power and destruction.
Karan stood, his hand raised, and with a single motion, the game began.
The first pawn's challenge had begun.
Shubhu took a deep breath, his muscles tensing as the soldiers began to charge. But as he prepared to fight, he realized just how weak he had become. Without his divine powers, his movements were sluggish, his strength lacking. The first few soldiers that reached him slammed into him with brutal force, knocking him to the ground.
He fought back, struggling to block their strikes, but there were too many. Each blow hit harder than the last, and before long, Shubhu was overwhelmed, his body bruised and battered, his breath ragged. The pain was unbearable, his strength fading fast as more soldiers surged toward him.
He couldn't win like this. Not without his divine powers.
A voice echoed in his mind—cold, seductive, and all too familiar.
Use the darkness.
Shubhu hesitated, feeling the dark energy swirling around him, beckoning him to tap into it. He had resisted for so long, afraid of what it might do to him, but now… now it was his only option. If he didn't use it, he would die here, defeated by mere pawns.
With a final, desperate breath, Shubhu gave in.
Suddenly, the dark power surged through him, flooding his body with a terrible strength. His vision darkened, and he felt a cold, burning energy course through his veins. The pain in his body faded, replaced by an overwhelming sensation of power. His movements became quicker, sharper, and as the soldiers charged again, he struck back with ferocity.
Dark energy crackled around his fists as he tore through the soldiers, each strike amplified by the corrupt force now coursing through him. The once overwhelming army was now no match for him. With every punch, every swing of his arm, soldiers fell by the dozens. His eyes burned with a dark fire as he unleashed waves of black energy, obliterating the shadowy figures before him.
The battlefield trembled beneath his feet as he continued to decimate the army. And then, with one final, earth-shattering blast, the last of the soldiers crumbled to dust.
The battlefield faded away, and Shubhu found himself back on the chessboard. He stood, panting heavily, his body aching from the battle, but the dark power still pulsed within him. The first pawn had been defeated, but it had taken everything he had—and more. He could feel the darkness gnawing at his mind, whispering promises of greater strength, urging him to use it more.
But he knew the cost.
The second pawn stepped forward, and once again, Shubhu was teleported to a new battlefield. This time, he found himself in a fortress, surrounded by ten thousand armored soldiers—an entire army standing between him and his next challenge. The sheer number of enemies made his heart race, but there was no turning back now.
Drawing on the dark power once more, Shubhu leaped into the fray. His movements were swift, almost inhuman, as he cut through the ranks of soldiers. The dark energy wrapped around him like a shroud, enhancing his every strike, making him faster, stronger, deadlier.
But the more he fought, the more the darkness consumed him. His thoughts became hazy, his vision clouded by the corrupt energy. He was no longer fighting with strategy or precision—he was a force of destruction, tearing through the enemy with reckless abandon.
The army fell before him like wheat before a scythe, but with each victory, Shubhu could feel his control slipping. The darkness was taking hold, and with every use of its power, it dug deeper into his soul.
By the time the second pawn was defeated and Shubhu returned to the chessboard, he was barely himself. The weight of the dark power pressed down on him, threatening to consume him completely.
He looked up at Karan, who watched with a cruel smile on his face. The game was far from over, and Shubhu knew that the worst was yet to come. But now, as the remaining pawns prepared to move, Shubhu had become something else—something darker, more dangerous.
And as the next challenge approached, he knew that there was no going back.
After again all this things happened
Then shubhu say "Does Samy feel that something is wrong, and then realizes that this is a loop?"
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
Shubu_Bhatt
Shubu_Bhatt "How can he use dark powers? Is there a reason behind that allows him to bear dark powers?"
- "What drives Shubham to tap into dark powers?"
- "How does Shubham's past trauma connect to his ability to wield dark powers?"
- "What ancient secret or legacy allows Shubham to access dark magic?"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone