Trul's breath felt like he was sitting on needles.

Sweat formed on his forehead as he stared at the chessboard. Something sparked within him.

This board… this board…

How were they controlling the direction of a universe? What kind of power must one possess to do this? Was this a glimpse of the Dreadborne Leader's true strength?

Still shaken, Trul looked at his own pieces.

He had only moved a pawn. He still had his rook… his bishops… his queen.

Yet he had a strange feeling, they were all working for this single pawn. His piece had already stepped into the light, while the Leader of Dreadborne's piece remained in the dark.

But this was only the beginning… right?

"Yes, Leader. This is my move," Trul said as he made his play.

Paaahhh

A loud sound echoed as the table trembled.

The pawn he moved stood at the very edge of the chessboard.

****

Calus gritted his teeth.

What was happening? What was going on?

A Tigery had suddenly appeared? Why?

In his last life, he had only faced the boar. But now there was a Tigery. Why? For what reason?

Countless thoughts flooded his mind, but one stood out.

How had he been so certain it was only a boar?

Yes, in his last life, only the boar had chased and killed his sisters. But this time, he wasn't with his sisters, he was with his parents.

Now he could see what they were truly facing.

Seeing the two beasts made fear creep into his heart.

The boar he could handle.

But this Tigery… he couldn't.

His parents…

Calus' gaze wandered behind him. He could hear soft footsteps.

His parents were close.

But he was still just a child. If he ran now, it would be too late.

And even if he carried his parents… what about his sisters?

From his past life, he knew they would never escape. If he wanted to save them all, he would have to grit his teeth and fight.

"I guess… I only have one choice," Calus muttered.

His gaze toward the two beasts turned solemn. Still, he needed his parents to leave. Their deaths would mean nothing.

Calus crouched and released his aura.

For a moment, the beasts who had seen him as prey now sensed him as a dangerous opponent.

That was exactly what he wanted.

Crack

His parents finally appeared.

Calus moved instantly.

This was the moment he had been waiting for.

His father stepping on a twig had created the perfect distraction. Both beasts turned their attention toward them.

But when Calus reached them, his mother's expression was filled with terror.

Why?

Why was her son running toward the beasts?

Had he secretly followed them? What about his sisters?

"Calus!".., his mother called out.

But Calus replied in his childish voice:

"Mom! Dad! Run!" he shouted.

He had already reached the front lines. He knew they wouldn't want to leave but after this, they would have no choice.

BOOM!

A muffled explosion echoed through the forest.

The two adults widened their eyes in horror.

What did they just witness?

BOOM!

The massive boar's body slammed onto the ground, bleeding from its ears, eyes, and mouth.

Did their child just one-shot a fighter-level beast?

How was this possible?

In shock, they forgot even to close their mouths.

"Run!!" Calus shouted again.

He didn't feel relieved only more pressure.

The Tigery was a peak Iron-Level beast.

It was extremely dangerous.

His parents were weak and would only distract him.

"But… Calus… no!" his mother cried, reaching out.

But the small figure was already charging toward the six-meter-tall Tigery.

"No, dear. Let's go. That child… he is a fighter now. Staying here will only hold him back. We must leave," his father said firmly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as his gaze deepened.

He knew this wasn't simple. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

A commoner giving birth to a fighter was unheard of.

You only awakened as a fighter at ten years old.

Yet Calus had just turned five.

His father had known since birth.

This was no ordinary matter.

"My baby…" his mother sobbed as she left with her husband.

As they disappeared, Calus caught sight of them from the corner of his eye and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then his expression hardened.

BOM!

He crossed his arms, blocking a deadly strike.

His body was sent flying, crashing into a tree that barely stopped his momentum.

"Mm—"

"Cough… cough…"

Calus spat blood.

He ignored the pain.

What mattered was winning.

His strength alone wasn't enough.

But his past-life battle experience was still there.

His eyes locked onto the Tigery.

He gritted his teeth.

His sisters' screams.

His parents' deaths.

He would be damned if he allowed it again.

"Not again. Not in this life."

He charged.

The battle was brutal.

Calus was severely injured.

But at last

The Tigery collapsed.

[Congratulations. Host has absorbed the beast's cultivation.]

[Congratulations on breaking through to Iron Level, Seven Stars.]

Calus realized something.

Defeating stronger beings could increase his strength.

But the conversion was small.

It wasn't reliable.

Still… even mosquito meat was meat.

He had changed his parents' fate.

****

Trul breathed a sigh of relief.

A small smile formed on his face.

"Crisis averted," he muttered.

But the Leader spoke softly.

"Changing fate isn't that easy. What must be… will be."

He made his move.

BOOM..

Trul's eyes widened as weakness washed over him.

****

Yes, Calus saved his parents.

But his sisters still died.

In their panic, they had run into the den of a sleeping One-Star Fighter Realm beast.

Even at One Star, it was far beyond what two ordinary girls could handle.

And for the first time, Calus realized something terrifying.

Even if he could change the past…

He couldn't change everything.

Some things were still bound to happen.

But he blamed it on himself.

Insufficient strength.

Insufficient preparation.

****

"Your move."

The Leader's voice echoed.

Trul looked at him with terror in his eyes.

*******

So

important news xd()

Just want to announce that I have been writing

novels based on themes or contest for a while and I don't know i lose interest in them and that's why I leave them but I have

interest

in this new one that I just started

writing

I will start posting it and I can tell you the idea is unique and I love it hehe

As for this am updating constantly

and if I don't

update daily please don't be annoyed , am not balanced I still have to get alot of things like wifi even an extra device cause this is killing me..

But I will try to post two chapters at once or three or four and jf we can reach 100 golden tickets , then damn. I will post 5 chapters

per day for a whole week

Cough cough... shameless

promise

So tell me who or which character you will like to see and this time I won't

leave void. I wilk show him in chapters and also the abyss

Tell me your thoughts about this arc..