When the system first mentioned the healing had something to do with the Golden Crow, Levi had immediately assumed it was a curse.

Being afflicted by curses wasn't strange in this world, so the idea fit.

But now, seeing it for himself, he knew it wasn't a curse at all.

Inside his soul canvas, Levi stared at a golden scar. It was oval-shaped, and if not for the faint golden rim, he would have missed it entirely.

"So the reason my soul essence managed to heal the damage was because this scar fixed a major part of the damage?". He asked.

[ Affirmative. ]

When the Golden Crow escaped, it had left behind this nasty scar on his soul. And just now when he was severely injured, the golden-rimmed mark acted like a source of healing power.

According to the System, tiny golden motes of light drifted from the scar, combining with his leaking soul essence and flowing into his body to instantly repair the damage.

Not only that, the system also detected another source healing powers that nestled in his cells, tissues, and organs.

This meant his entire body, which was rebuilt from the creature's ashes, carried a small piece of rebirth power.

Even without tapping into his soul essence or the scar, he would have eventually healed. The process just would have taken much, much longer.

But the rebirth power wasn't overwhelming, it was limited to healing him. But Levi already had an idea in how to put it to use.

"Well, that's it for an adventure". Levi sighed, his thoughts drifting to the leech he had abandoned, he wasn't truly sorry for sacrificing it.

He was certain that given the chance, the leech would have done the exact same thing to him, he nodded to himself, accepting the ruthless logic of his decision.

He turned his gaze back to his chessboard, see and his expression instantly froze, then twisted into an ugly mask of shock and frustration.

On the board, among the many empty slots, two new figures had appeared, one was a miniature of the creature that had almost killed him— the stitched-up face and multiple arms unmistakable.

The other, judging by its shape, was one of the skeletons that had been lying on the hall floor.

"Damn it."

He knew the creature must have already figured out that the pieces were related to its resurrection. But he had held a faint hope that after the leech was abandoned, the pawn piece it inhabited would at least return to his control.

Not only did it not return, but two new figures now occupied the board.

'Wait a minute... They aren't in the pawn piece'. He realized.

True to his observation, they weren't inhabiting one of the eight pawns. They were inhabiting the two Knights pieces.

'When did this happen?'.

[ Apparently, the power of the creature is returning, meaning it's only a matter of time before it regains its entire strength ] the System stated flatly.

[ On the other hand, it seems its progression of power made it advance from a pawn piece to the knight piece. ]

The revelation was a hammer blow, previously the creature wasn't a simple servant he could control.

Now it was a rising power that was not only claiming his pieces but also improving its rank on his board.

All without Levi's permission.

"W-what happened to my a-authority, my pi-eces needs my pe-permission to advance th-rough ranks, now w-wh-why". Levi was so mad he started to stutter.

Levi took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down before exiting his soul canvas. He knelt by the river and stared at his reflection in the flowing water.

Frustration twisted his face, the intense lavender light emanating from his eyes was a giveaway— it was the raw light of his damaged soul essence. Worse, his eyes now held a glassy, dead quality, a mirror of his internal decay.

"Damn it". He cursed, the sound loud in the chirping forest.

He stood up and immediately started moving, he couldn't risk the creature following the river. So instead of heading south— downstream.

He turned and plunged toward the east, away from the water and deeper into the dense foliage.

After walking for a while, his internal "ranting fuel" ran out, and he started to think clearly. He had to figure out how to escape this forest. He had no idea if he was headed toward the outskirts of the forest or deeper into the wild.

'I need another sacri—pawn'. He corrected himself mentally. He desperately needed a companion to serve as a scout, a vanguard, and a scapegoat. The unmistakable sounds of life in the forest told him he wouldn't have to wait long.

True to his thought, after scaling an uphill slope, he arrived at a wide, open plain. It was mildly populated with various animals— antelope, goats, and rabbits.

In this new world, the division between prey and predator remained. Predators, now known as feral animals, had gained new, potent abilities.

Prey however on the other hand, rarely gained offensive power, their skills focused instead on protection and evasion.

A conflicted emotion flashed through Levi's eyes. On one hand, attacking the animals would solve two problems— he would have food, and he would have a surplus of potential pawns.

But apart of the glasses that somehow managed to dampen the light of his eyes, he was weaponless.

Just as he was contemplating his next move, his eyes caught a subtle movement in his far left. He focused, and a cold dread seized him.

The creature was massive, easily the size of a car, yet its movements were fluid and silent. It was covered in thick, dense orange-red fur with pale, cream, and white underparts.

Long, coarse hair sprouted from its chin and cheeks, and its massive body was crisscrossed with black stripes.

This was no ordinary animal. This was a Siberian Tiger, amplified by the constellation's power and given a monstrous size.

And as Levi stared, the giant feline shimmered and vanished. It had turned completely invisible.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.