Chapter 3 –
Clack—!
A wooden sword hit the dirt.
So did the boy holding it.
"Argh—!"
Kaden groaned as he hit the ground, clutching his hand, now flushed red from the impact.
"Get up."
The voice was cold. Unforgiving.
A girl stood over him—tall, graceful, deadly. Seventeen, with long black hair and eyes like molten blood.
Daela Warborn. His older sister.
A true Warborn through and through.
She stood still, wooden sword in hand, eyes sharp and emotionless.
"I said get up, Kaden."
Kaden, just ten years old, grit his teeth and forced himself up. His legs wobbled. His grip shook. But he picked up the sword anyway.
Daela frowned.
"Why's your body still this weak?"
It wasn't the first time she asked.
The Warborn bloodline was built different—made for war, molded by battle. Their bodies were born strong and adapted fast. Garros. Dain. Even Daela. All of them were monsters in human skin.
But Kaden?
To them, he was fragile.
Still above average by normal standards—but average was a curse in this family.
The Warborn didn't raise average.
They raised elites.
"Leave him."
A voice sliced through the tension.
Both siblings turned.
Their mother stood nearby, robed in black and red silk, her presence regal and cold as a blade. Her black eyes shimmered, unreadable.
Sarena Warborn.
"I told you to go easy on him, Daela."
"Easy? Mother, I was going easy," Daela shot back.
"Then go easier."
The words were calm, almost bored—but they carried weight.
Daela scowled. "He's a Warborn. There is no easy for us. His body is already weak. He has to work twice as hard as anyone."
"I am working harder." Kaden's voice was low—but sharp.
His red eyes glinted with a quiet fury.
"Just because it doesn't meet your expectations doesn't mean I'm not giving it everything I've got."
"Oh? You're talking back now?" Daela stepped forward.
But—
"Daela."
Shiver—!
She froze.
Her gaze snapped to Sarena.
Their mother's eyes were voids. Deep, dark, terrifying.
"Do you miss my training, Daela?" Sarena asked, voice soft. "Is that what this is?"
Daela clicked her tongue and turned away.
"Tch. I'm going to train."
As she walked, two black swords materialized on her hips. She disappeared without another word.
'Tsk being weak will only get you killed in this world.' Daela thought silently. Her red eyes cold.
All she wanted was to make her brother strong.
Sarena let out a quiet sigh and looked back to Kaden, still standing in the dirt.
She wasn't soft. Never had been. But Kaden was different.
Born during war, during chaos. Born in blood.
She blamed herself for his weakness—she thought something had gone wrong during that violent birth. And though the rest of the family knew it, no one said a word.
Still... this was the Warborn line. And weakness had no place here.
"Kaden," she said. "Go rest. Tomorrow is your tenth birthday. You'll awaken your Origin then."
She turned to leave.
'Please,' she thought. Let it be a strong one.
Because no matter how much she protected him... the world wouldn't. Not if the rumored Child of Blood turned out to be a disappointment.
Kaden watched her walk away.
"I won't let you down," he whispered.
...
Back in his room, Kaden stood by the massive window, arms crossed.
The room was huge—black floors, crimson walls, and not much else. A large bed. A simple desk. Stark. Empty.
"Ten years already..."
Ten years since his reincarnation. Since the day he was reborn in this brutal, blood-soaked world.
And this world?
It Terrified him.
"Fuck..."
He ran a hand through his dark hair, jaw clenched.
This world—Darklore—was split in two.
Humans.
Beasts.
Humans lived in strongholds, ruled by powerful clans and war-driven factions. Beasts roamed the wilds, claiming territory of their own.
They clashed. Constantly.
Humans wanted expansion and the beasts wanted the same.
The result?
Endless war.
"Bullshit," Kaden muttered.
But what intrigued him most—what made this world terrifying and exhilarating—was its power system.
A world of magic.
A world where being can cause spatial rupture or even elemental manipulation. And Legendary weapons.
At age ten, every being awakened something called an Origin.
That Origin determined everything. Not only would it determine his path to power—it also unlocked access to another realm:"
Fokay.
A world beneath this one.
A place where power truly bloomed.
Tomorrow, Kaden would awaken his Origin. And he couldn't wait.
"System," he called out.
[Yes, Host?]
"You've been pretty damn useless since I got here. Aren't you supposed to be some kind of cheat? A broken system?"
[Host's access to system functions is locked until Origin Awakening.]
He scoffed. "Better not disappoint me tomorrow."
He clenched his fists. His crimson eyes flared with intensity.
"This time... I'm not backing down."
No more hiding. No more waiting for others to help.
No more fear.
This time—he'd have power.
This time—he'd be the strong one.
This time...
He'd crush anyone standing in his way.
—End of Chapter 3—