They passed through the door.
"It's Wizard's Chess," Ron's voice rang out, a mix of surprise and delight. "Giant Wizard's Chess."
It was an enormous chamber. The floor was a checkered board of black and white squares, and facing them stood stone chess pieces taller than a real person.
But in Rove's eyes, the room transformed into a dim, vast ancient battlefield. The ground was paved with massive black and white stones, and on the far side of the battlefield stood two rows of giants towering into the clouds. They were clad in heavy granite armor, wielding gigantic stone swords and flails capable of cutting a man in half.
> [WARNING: Entering Raid Dungeon]
> [Loading Scenario: Pelennor Fields - Simulation]
> [Enemy Unit: Gargoyle Legion]
"We have to play across the board," Ron said, looking at the faceless statues. "But it's not just playing chess... we have to be the pieces."
Harry gulped. "We have to join in?"
"Yes," Ron began to take command. "Harry, you take the place of that Bishop. Hermione, you stand next to him as the Castle (Rook). As for me..."
Ron walked up to a black Knight and patted the stone horse.
"I'm going to be a Knight," Ron said, mounting the horse.
Then he looked at Rove: "Rove, you take the other Knight's place."
Rove nodded and strode toward the empty spot. The black stone horse prepared to let him mount, but Rove pushed its head away.
"Get down, old horse," Rove said. "At this range, cavalry are just sitting ducks."
"Rove! You have to ride it!" Ron shouted from across the board. "That's the rule!"
"Rules?"
"In my hometown, infantry is the core of the line."
He stood in the square, feet apart, center of gravity low, assuming a standard defensive stance.
Ron opened his mouth to argue but finally gave up. "Fine... as long as you stay in the square. White moves first."
The war began.
With a dull rumble, a White Pawn (infantry) on the opposite side advanced two squares.
"Harry, move diagonally four squares to the right!" Ron shouted the order.
On the board, the giant statues began to move.
Whenever a piece was taken, the White pieces would ruthlessly smash it to bits, stone chips flying like severed limbs.
In Rove's System filter, it was a hellish scene.
> [Friendly Infantry K.I.A.]
> [Enemy Heavy Troll Breaching Defense Line]
"Rove! Move two squares forward and one to the left to take that Bishop!" Ron roared.
Rove didn't hesitate. He sprinted out like a cheetah. In his vision, the "Bishop" was a staff-wielding cultist of Saruman wearing a tall hat.
He rushed to the target and kicked the statue's base hard—luckily, his boot soles were tough enough.
The heavy statue wobbled, forced back by Rove's impact, then was judged by the rules as "captured" and automatically dragged its broken body off the board.
"Nice one!" Harry shouted.
However, the battle soon turned brutal.
The White Queen, wielding a massive stone scepter, began to rampage across the battlefield. She mercilessly crushed the Black defense, smashing statues into dust one by one.
> [WARNING: Boss Unit 'Witch-king of Angmar' Approaching]
When the White Queen turned toward Rove, a massive shadow engulfed him.
"Rove! Run... no, you can't run!" Hermione screamed. "That's the rule for Knights!"
The White Queen raised her stone scepter high and swung it down toward Rove's head with a whistling sound.
If this hit landed, not just a human, but even a block of iron would be flattened.
"Rove!" Harry shouted in despair.
In the nick of time, Rove didn't close his eyes and wait for death.
He jerked his left hand up, his black frying pan meeting the blow like a Vibranium shield, while his right hand gripped his wand, pressing it firmly against the back of the pan for support as he curled into a ball.
CLANG—!!!
The deafening sound of metal striking stone echoed through the hall.
Rove felt like he had been hit head-on by a speeding, fully loaded truck. The massive impact traveled down his arm and through his entire body; his bones seemed to scream in protest.
But he blocked it.
Although he was knocked sliding backward three meters, his boots leaving two scorched trails on the board, he was still standing.
The White Queen froze for a moment, as if even the magical logic hadn't processed this situation—a chess piece tanking a fatal blow?
"Bloody hell..." Ron was stunned. "You... you actually blocked it? That's a chess piece! You can't fight the pieces!"
Rove shook his numb left hand and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. "In my hometown, chess pieces kill too! If you don't want to die, win this game, Commander!"
Ron was jolted awake by the shout. He looked at the devastated board, and at Rove, who was bleeding from the mouth but still standing tall. His eyes changed.
He was no longer a child playing a game, but a true commander.
"I get it," Ron whispered.
He quickly assessed the situation, and then his face went pale.
"Harry, step back," Ron's voice trembled. "Get ready... once I move, you go for the checkmate."
"What?" Harry realized something. "No, Ron! That's suicide!"
"It's the only way!" Ron turned his head to look at the terrifying White Queen. "I have to be taken so you can checkmate the King."
"No!" Hermione screamed.
"This is war!" Ron roared back, determination on his face. "Listen, Rove was right. To win, someone has to make a sacrifice. Do you want to protect everyone or not?"
Harry bit his lip, tears swirling in his eyes.
Ron took a deep breath and patted the stone horse beneath him.
"Knight to H3."
In the System's vision, Rove saw the red-haired boy—the Ron Weasley who usually only cared about eating chicken legs and copying homework—glowing with a golden light.
> [Friendly Hero Unit: Ron Weasley]
> [Status: Death Charge]
Ron charged forward and stopped in front of the White Queen.
The White Queen turned and raised her scepter.
"Ron!"
The scepter crashed down.
Ron was hit and flew off his horse like a rag doll, slamming heavily onto the floor, motionless.
"Now!" Although his heart was breaking, Harry knew he couldn't waste this chance. He sprinted toward the King, shouting, "Checkmate!"
The White King's sword fell to the ground with a clang.
They had won.
System notifications exploded in Rove's ears:
> [Battle Victory]
> [Achievement Unlocked: The Meaning of Sacrifice]
> [Attribute Increase: Constitution +2]
Rove ignored the notifications; he was the first to rush to Ron.
"Ron!" Hermione also ran over, falling to her knees.
Rove quickly checked Ron's breathing and pulse.
"He's alive," Rove let out a breath of relief, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Just knocked out. Typical concussion."
"We can't leave him." Hermione wiped her tears, looking at Ron lying in the corner of the chessboard.
"He's fine, he just needs rest," Rove stood up, hooking the frying pan back onto his belt, his eyes firm. "But he has completed his mission. Now, it's our turn."
He looked up at Harry. The small, thin boy was staring intently at the door ahead.
"Harry," Rove said in a low voice.
Harry turned back, his face streaked with tears, his eyes filled with hesitation and fear.
"Don't be afraid." Rove patted Harry's shoulder and glanced at Hermione. "We go together."
"But Ron..."
"He's safest left here. The pieces won't move anymore," Rove pointed to the scattered debris of chess pieces. "Besides, the road ahead needs us."
"Right." Hermione stood up. Though still sobbing, her gaze grew steely. "We have to stop that person. For Ron."
Harry nodded and wiped his face.
"Let's go," Rove pushed Harry gently. "Don't let the Commander's sacrifice be in vain."
The three crossed the chessboard and walked toward the door leading to darkness.
Watching Harry and Hermione's backs, Rove glanced at the glaring red bar on his System interface.
> [Rove Baggins Status]
> [HP: 70% (Minor Internal Injury)]
> [Party: Harry, Hermione (Ron: Critically Injured, Left Party)]
"What a mess of a battle," Rove pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket and stuffed it into his mouth.
He took one last look at Ron lying on the floor and whispered, "Sleep well, Sam. We'll walk the rest of the road for you."