"Dared…"

Trul's expression was filled with fear. And why wouldn't it be?

Among the first batch of characters, there were some who simply could not be offended in Dreadborne. Among the top ten… was Dared.

He was extremely ruthless.

Trul's breath hitched.

[I told you, Host… you just doomed us.]

A mechanical voice filled with regret echoed in his mind. Trul narrowed his eyes.

What did the System mean by that?

Doomed us?

Isn't he just Rank 3? Even if he dies, doesn't he still have that secret method of rebirth? Why is the System reacting like this?

"Impressive. You destroyed a galaxy cluster," Dared said with a smile as he looked at the surrounding nothingness.

"But do you know what else you did, you fool? Do you know how many planetary cores you destroyed?" Dared asked, his smile fading into a frown.

Trul laughed bitterly at himself.

Maybe he rushed it. Maybe it was too early. But he couldn't keep waiting.

He was afraid… afraid that he would truly become like them. So he had to act now.

And now, he was facing Dared , a Rank 3 being. A multiversal-level existence.

"Just kill me if you have to," Trul said coldly. "But I won't keep following your orders. Not yours. Not Dreadborne's."

He frowned. In his mind, the System kept beeping warnings, but he ignored them and stared at Dared.

"Fearless, huh?" Dared chuckled.

"I wonder how long that will last. Let's go meet Jake."

Trul's face twisted in fear.

Jake.

Even in Dreadborne, he was a terrifying figure. His strength was rumored to rival the leaders themselves. No one knew if it was true, but the mere rumor showed how frightening he was.

And more than that , he was cold and ruthless.

[Host…]

"I know… I was rash," Trul thought as he sighed.

Darkness swallowed him.

The next moment, he found himself floating beside a massive black hole.

Dared stood nearby. They had already moved.

In front of the black hole, a figure sat cross-legged, meditating.

Trul's face drained of color.

Even without releasing his aura, the mere sight of this being filled Trul with overwhelming terror. Death… death would be the easy way out compared to facing this person.

And Trul had no idea his terror had only just begun.

"Commander Jake. Here is one of the rebels," Dared said, bowing slightly.

Trul's heart skipped.

Commander?

So Jake had reached that position , below only the leaders, yet above tens of thousands.

That meant Jake controlled everything beneath the leaders.

Upon hearing Dared, the seated figure finally reacted. A cold voice echoed out.

"Good work, Dared. You may leave. He will face his punishment."

Dared nodded and disappeared.

The moment he was gone, Trul felt his body lose strength. It felt as though he had stepped into a pit he would never escape.

"Tsk… another fool," Jake muttered as he stood up and turned around.

He looked at Trul.

"Peak Rank 2…"

"You are the strongest among the rebels. But I understand. No Rank 3 would betray Dreadborne after seeing the benefits," Jake said with a faint smirk.

Trul gave a tired smile.

"I will accept my death now," he said, closing his eyes.

He wouldn't lie ,

at this moment he hoped Jake would simply end him. He didn't want to experience the so-called punishment.

"Oh, no. Not from me," Jake said calmly. "But from the Leader… especially the one who needs planetary cores."

Shock and fear flooded Trul's eyes.

The Leaders?

They barely ever appeared, let alone spoke.

Who knew what they were like?

Before Trul could speak, space distorted again.

They reappeared instantly.

The moment they did, Trul's knees buckled and he dropped to the ground.

He couldn't even stand upright. It felt as though he had become an ordinary human again.

"He is here, Leader," Jake said, bowing deeply.

A terrifying presence descended.

If Dared had felt like a massive river to Trul

and Jake like a blazing star

then this being…

It was as if all existence rested upon him.

"Another rebel…"

A voice echoed , a strange blend of biological and mechanical tones.

Trul's heart pounded violently.

Suddenly, his body was lifted into the air.

And finally, he saw the being.

A terrifying creature stood before him. Metallic scales shimmered across its body. It had horns. One crimson eye. One glowing green eye. Its massive wings stretched outward, and Trul felt as though chaos and order themselves were controlled by this being.

And yet…

It was seated at a table.

Playing a game that sent chills down Trul's spine.

"You may leave," the being said.

Jake bowed and vanished.

Left alone, Trul felt the pressure intensify.

"Hmm. Come. Sit," the being said casually.

The overwhelming pressure disappeared instantly, allowing Trul to move. His feet touched the ground, but his legs trembled weakly.

Even without the aura suppressing him, the psychological pressure remained crushing.

After all, the being before him was one of the Leaders of Dreadborne.

Who wouldn't tremble?

Yet the being never looked at Trul. Its gaze remained fixed on the game in front of it.

Even without seeing it clearly, Trul felt an ominous danger emanating from the board.

Finally, gathering his courage, Trul stepped forward and sat down.

"The game before you is called chess," the being said calmly. "There are two sets of pieces , white and black. The white pieces move first."

It paused.

"As I finish this brief explanation, I am sure all necessary knowledge has already been imparted to you… correct?"

Trul's eyes slowly closed in terror.

Yes, the being was right.

The moment it began speaking, Trul felt new knowledge unlocking within his mind. The information flowed naturally, as if it had always been there.

That was what shocked him.

He knew the being was responsible but how?

It hadn't moved. It had only spoken.

Yet knowledge had been directly implanted into his consciousness.

Now, when Trul looked at the table, he fully understood the game.

And that understanding filled him with intense fear.

"Let's play a little game of chess," the being said calmly. "Afterward, we will discuss your punishment. I will take black. You will take white. Your move."

Trul gulped.

To an ordinary observer, they were just pieces.

But to Trul, white represented Order.

Black represented Chaos.

This was not just a game.

He could feel it.

This was something far greater.

[Host, you must play seriously. This concerns your life and death

and more than that, the lives of countless beings. And please, Host, do not attempt to scan him. He will notice. He is far more terrifying than you can comprehend.]

Hearing the System's warning, Trul felt weak.

Even with his Peak Rank 2 aura, he felt no different from an ant as he stared at the black and white pieces.

"Ah… yes. I will make my move now," Trul muttered.

He pushed a pawn forward.

Instantly—

In a distant universe, a creature was born.

[Congratulations. Host has been reborn and has obtained the Strength System. As long as the Host breathes, his strength will increase by 1 every second.]

Suddenly, the child opened his eyes.

A smile appeared on his tiny face.

"Damn… I'm finally reborn. In this life, I will take revenge on them," the baby thought, anger burning deep within.