The Difference Between Check and Checkmate

Earth, 2031.

Somewhere in Pangea.

Five years after the emergence of a substance called mana.

In a room lit only by two candles sat a man.

The man possessed a thick, white beard that fell to his chest.

The same was the case with his hair, which was as tangled as it could be.

He wore a white robe and sat on a stool, scrutinizing the piece of ore which had been discovered during a dungeon raid performed by the strongest people on Earth…

The Seven Heroes.

The ore that sat on the table had an unorthodox appearance, almost like an…

"Egg. It is an egg."

The man muttered.

He was named Antariksha Subramanian, later known as the Scientist of Heaven, due to his interests in Mythology, whether it be Judaism, Greek, or even Nordic.

He was also the man renowned for having discovered mana for the first time…

In 2026.

As Antariksha touched the ore that seemed to be an egg, his fingers suddenly turned red, radiating heat incompatible and fatal for the human body.

He flinched, quickly pulling his hand away from the egg.

"An egg, huh?"

A voice entered Antariksha's ears, causing a bright smile to appear on his previously thoughtful face.

As he turned around, a man and a woman entered his vision.

"Two of the Seven Heroes, Lori Hernandez and Ivan Edwards. It's a pleasure meeting you two."

"Cut the crap, dad."

The man uttered, hugging Antariksha, who had an affectionate smile.

Antariksha then hugged the woman, who embraced him in her arms.

"Is it really an egg, dad? What kind?"

The woman, also known as Lori Hernandez, asked.

She was arguably the strongest person in the squad, Seven Heroes, unable to be matched by anyone except Levi Kadz.

She was also the ancestor of Grace Hernandez, a member of the Hernandez Family who became famous around 500 years in the future.

"Indeed, it is an egg. I presume it is the egg of a creature who has a stature of around ten meters… maybe even more."

Lori and Ivan's eyes widened as they directed their surprised gazes towards the egg.

"The world really has changed since mana appeared, hasn't it?"

"Indeed it has, little Ivan."

Ivan chuckled bitterly, not daring to retort at the adjective Antariksha had addressed him with.

"Ah, dad. I wanted to tell you about the recent development of organizations and factions."

Lori began explaining the structure of what was to come in the near future.

"Also, Jorge Musk and Andrew Simmons have began establishing their factions. They plan to name them the Conscientious Faction and Iniquitous Faction respectively."

Antariksha chuckled, shaking his head due to the irony of the situation.

"Even the names of their future factions are contradictory."

"Ah, dad. The other five heroes will also be arriving at your lab in a couple of hours."

"Why? What happened?"

Antariksha asked, showing concern due to their sudden decision.

Moreover, he hadn't cleaned his lab in months due to his work in the department of mana research.

"We're entering a dungeon called the Dragon's Lair soon, so we needed a place to assemble. Moreover, those guys just wanna be with you."

Ivan explained, causing Antariksha to raise an eyebrow.

"Be with me? You know, I'm not homosexual."

Lori let out a chuckle, which soon developed into hysterical laughing.

Ivan smiled bitterly, sighing in defeat.

"I think you know that we all admire you. You raised us, so why wouldn't they want to be with you? It doesn't have anything to do with being homosexual now, does it?"

"I know, I know. I'm just messing with you."

Antariksha said with a smile that indicated, you can't take a joke, can you?

Ivan shuddered due to the cold glint that had appeared in Antariksha's eyes.

The former had always been curious as to how Antariksha seemed so powerful despite only being at the F+ Rank.

Ivan was now at the A Rank, and despite his strength that rivaled the top dogs of Earth, he could never escape his fear of his adoptive father.

He even had children now… All of the Seven Heroes did.

Despite that, Antariksha always treated them the same… as his children.

"What rank are you now, Lori?"

Antariksha asked, his eyes filled with excitement.

"I just caught up with Levi, who is at the S- Rank."

"The S- Rank! You guys have discovered skills up to the SS Rank, right? I wonder how many ranks there are and what you can do at the pinnacle of all."

Lori smiled at the question, which seemed almost like a child's imagination.

That was always how her adoptive father had been… imaginative and akin to a child.

His wonders sometimes exceeded those of artists. However, his intellect often exceeded those of being considered supernatural by humans.

Antariksha perfectly represented his name, which meant 'outer space' in Sanskrit.

Lori thought this was why she always admired and loved her father more than anything in the entire world.

"What are the details of the new dungeon you guys are going to be conquering?"

"Conquering is a strong word."

"It describes the Seven Heroes perfectly, doesn't it?"

Antariksha smiled, walking over to the item he had been investigating alongside the egg.

"Like this. You guys conquered the Dungeon of Nature and received this in return."

He said as he pointed to an artifact.

The artifact glistened in the dim room, illuminating the parts previously covered in darkness.

It was a brown flute encompassed in vines.

"[The Flute of Pan]."

Ivan said, walking over to the artifact.

"Named after the minor god of wilderness, Pan. In some iterations of the myth, the flute was also called the 'Syrinx' due to the nymph that transferred into reeds."

"Indeed, Ivan. The reeds were played by Pan and produced a melody capable of striking the hearts of everyone listening."

Antariksha expanded on Ivan's knowledge, much to the latter's surprise.

"It seems Greek Gods are severely messed up, aren't they?"

"Indeed, but only partially. Some iterations view them as nasty creatures known to be absolute beings, while some view them as half-decent people. However, we can't confirm it if we can't see it for ourselves."

Antariksha's knowledge ran deep, to the point where the two Heroes wondered how he was still a human.

His knowledge surpassed many scientists.

The best part was that he wasn't frugal with his knowledge and liked to reveal his works.

Some may call it attention-seeking behavior, but Ivan, Lori, and the Seven Heroes always viewed it as goodwill.

It was hard to describe why they felt that way, but they believed that if Antariksha hadn't revealed all his works to the public, society wouldn't be as advanced as it currently was.

Knock Knock!

"It seems they've arrived."

Ivan said before walking over to the door, behind which he found his five colleagues, the other members of the Seven Heroes.

Levi Kadz, Polly Yearning, Keely Smith, Bryce Holton, and Oswald VanHarmelon.

"Hey, guys."

Ivan greeted, following the other five giving a slight nod in return.

Entering the shabby lab while taking off their shoes, they greeted Antariksha before sitting down on chairs near the table.

"Did you find out what that piece of rock was, dad?"

Levi asked, following all eyes to land on Antariksha, who only smiled faintly.

"Indeed. I believe it is the egg of a giant reptile; possibly a lizard."

Ivan and Lori raised their eyebrows, not having heard of such a detail before the arrival of the other five heroes.

"A reptile…"

Stroking his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face, Levi pondered over the possibilities.

"An anaconda?"

Polly chimed in, crossing her arms.

"It's possible, but we can't make any assumptions without any evidence."

"That's true."

"But there's no source of evidence since the dungeon was destroyed after being cleared,"

Bryce said, causing the entire room to fall silent.

As everyone pondered ways to find information about the mysterious egg that seemed to have appeared inside a dungeon, Antariksha proposed a new topic.

"I summarized the entirety of the emergence of mana incident, and am planning to reveal it to the world."

Several perplexed gazes were immediately directed towards him as he uttered those words.

"What do you mean?"

"The emergence of mana incident?"

"Summarization?"

"What, is it like a book?"

Watching the puzzled expressions on his children's faces, Antariksha slowly stood up, revealing a smug grin.

"Do you guys remember the time I and a couple of my colleagues housed a few particles of mana inside our lab?"

When the Seven Heroes nodded, Antariksha continued.

"At the time, I recorded everything piece of information I observed, whether it was a change in hue or temperature. I continued recording the information even after the outbreak, in which mana was revealed to the world, causing in such a… 'catastrophe' to occur."

"Yes, but how does that relate to anything?"

Levi asked, causing Polly to slap him on the head.

The former then let out a shrill scream that pierced the eardrums of everyone in the room.

"Polly, would you mind explaining to that knucklehead?"

Antariksha asked, directing a somewhat mocking smile towards the blonde-haired individual, Levi Kadz.

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Antariksha sat down as Polly soon replaced him on the non-existent stage.

"Since he recorded everything from the beginning of the incident to the end, dad has intel on all that has occurred ever since the emergence of mana. And I'm guessing there are pieces of information you can't tell us?"

Anariksha nodded solemnly at her question while staring at the floor.

"So, since he has all the information, he believes revealing it to the world would help the technology advance at a quicker pace than normal, resulting in people adjusting to the situation at a rapid speed."

Finishing her explanation, Polly walked towards the table and sat down on her chair, next to Levi.

The latter nodded in understanding, understandably disheartened by their dad not being able to reveal the information he was 'hiding'.

Despite the Seven Heroes being a factor that helped keep society itself in function, they could be a little childish due to their upbringing, which was performed by a former 'mad scientist' who is now an important part of the world.

Well, they could afford to be childish due to the sheer worth their name, face, and actions carried throughout the world itself.

"How do you plan on publicizing it?"

Oswald, who hadn't talked ever since arriving at the lab, asked.

All eyes were directed towards Antariksha, who paced around the room, stroking his chin rapidly.

The Seven Heroes were well-known, but a platform or organization was necessary to fully advertise a product, or in this this case, a form of 'book'.

"What about Jorge Musk or Andrew Simmons, dad?"

Keely asked, earning stares that suggested, That's a viable plan.

Adding to her suggestion, Ivan said…

"The Conscientious and Iniquitous Faction could be a great source of advertisement, since the factions involve almost the entire world as a whole. Their objectives can't be denied by anyone, if you think about it."

That earned him nods of approval, much to his glee.

"That's true, but isn't their 'faction' too unstable for now?"

Lori countered, narrowing her eyes at the others' suggestions.

"That's the best chance dad has, though. The other organizations, companies, and factions either have a bad reputation or aren't experienced enough to advertise information of such classification."

Fed up with the ongoing ideas that seemed to be endless, Antariksha said…

"Let's do a vote. Raise your hand if you believe I should consult the Conscientious Faction."

As he uttered those words, four hands immediately shot up.

Ivan, Keely, Polly, and Levi.

"It's unnecessary, but raise your hand if you believe I should consult the Iniquitous Faction."

Three hands shot up, and they were of…

Bryce, Lori, and Oswald.

Despite their opinions being contradictory, none held the other responsible for his/her choices, since it would only cause a stir in their relationship.

"I believe it's final, then. I'll meet with Jorge Musk tomorrow, while you guys attempt the Dragon's Lair."

Antariksha finalized, to which the Seven Heroes nodded solemnly.

*

*

*

"This way, sir."

An employee dressed in an expensive black suit, dress-shirt, and tie, escorted a seemingly old man towards an office located atop a building visible from anywhere on Earth.

As Antariksha walked alongside the employee towards Jorge's Musk's office, he was greeted by several others who seemed to have enjoyed his work.

He nodded, blinked, and shook hands with those he acknowledged while ignoring those he believed were involved in corruption.

Despite the faction being reasonably new, there were already people who seemed to want to take advantage of it solely due to the head, who was a former businessman involved in dealings unbeknownst to any average citizen.

"We have arrived, sir."

The employee said with a tone almost completely emotionless before bowling and walking away.

Antariksha also bowed slightly, facing the office door after the employee's departure.

He raised an eyebrow in admiration at the decorations and modern look that radiated off the building itself, causing it to look majestic in this day and age.

"Come in, Antariksha."

A soft voice entered the ears of the scientist, who held a suit in his hand containing the scriptures he had written.

Antariksha hadn't even knocked, but Jorge Musk had known he was outside the door.

Creak!

The former pushed the door open and walked inside, only to see a blonde-haired man with a receding hairline sipping on coffee.

His face was decent, and he displayed a very alluring smile. He wore a formal suit and tie and sat on an office chair, staring at the man who had just entered his office.

"Mr. Subramanian, what a pleasant surprise."

"Oh, stop it, Mr. Musk. I know you're not a fan of petty pleasantries."

Antariksha smiled outwardly but sighed on the inside. He had always hated talking so formally and offering pleasantries to those who didn't deserve his respect.

Of course, he believed that Jorge Musk did deserve his respect. However, it didn't change the fact that he thought it was a chore to be so polite.

"What brings you here? I wasn't expecting a visit at such short notice from someone so punctuate."

Jorge asked, flicking his wrist to motion an employee to replace his coffee with another one.

He also motioned for a glass of water to be brought for the man that sat in front of him.

"I wasn't expecting a visit either, until yesterday. I have discussed this with the Seven Heroes, and have decided to publicize my works during the initial emergence of mana."

"The Initial Emergence of Mana?"

"At the time, you were a businessman instead of a leader, like you are now, but you might remember who was in-charge of the safekeeping of the mysterious substance found by industries on the west coast of South America."

Jorge stroked his chin with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Near the coast of Chile, right?"

"Indeed."

"Hmm. The substance was then shipped to the United States for review, and the person managing it was… an old man with white hair."

"And who do you see sitting in front of you?"

Jorge's eyes widened as he finally realized Antariksha had been in contact with mana the entire time it was being researched, which meant he possessed information of all the tests ever performed on the substance.

"And after it spread into the atmosphere, the continents began coming together at a rapid pace, initiating the era of mana wielders. Now, how many secrets do you think the initial research of mana could have revealed? The amount of intel is practically insurmountable by any research facility in the entire world."

Jorge let out a sigh, his eyes directed towards the ground.

If Antariksha was telling the truth, his intel could push society into another era, succeeding the one that had begun five years ago.

However, the person who monopolized that information would sit at the top.

"What do you plan on doing with the information?"

"Publicizing it, of course. I want to reveal it to the public so that the world can advance and adjust to the current situation, which seems to be chaotic."

Jorge groaned softly, contemplating his options.

"Where is this information you have been taking about?"

Antariksha lifted his suitcase, pointing at it knowingly.

"Drink your water while I discuss this with my colleagues and business partners."

Jorge said as he bowed slightly, and then stood up, heading towards the door.

Antariksha tilted his head in confusion, not understanding why Jorge would leave instead of him, because it was the latter's office.

However, paying it no mind, he leaned in to lift his glass of water.

As he lifted the glass, the water touched his lips.

And that's when it happened.

Gulp!

Antariksha's eyes widened, his body numbing instantly. His eyes became bloodshot while his body stiffened, his bones breaking internally.

He tried screaming in pain, but no voice came out. The poison in the water had torn his vocal cords.

Jorge, who had already left the room, stared at the ground, his eyes filled with ecstasy.

"Check."

*

*

*

Inside of Antariksha's lab sat a man that went by the name Andrew Simmons.

Frantically searching his belongings for the records that were currently supposed to be in Jorge Musk's office, his eyes met with a certain scripture.

Andrew's eyes widened as he held the scriptures, his eyes quivering uncontrollably.

"Checkmate."