Summoned to Save, Chosen to Rebel: The Rise of the Dark Sovereign

"Five hundred and ninety-nine... six hundred..." he muttered, collapsing onto the floor in exhaustion.

Xender paused, sweat dripping from his brow as he finished his push-ups. The room was quiet, only the sound of his breath filling the air.

His muscles burned from the effort, but it was a good kind of pain—the kind that reminded him just how far he'd come.

When he'd first been summoned to this world, he could barely do ten push-ups. Now, after days of training, he was pushing his limits every day. Physical strength, he thought. It's essential. But that wasn't enough. He needed more.

He glanced over at his bed, where his sword lay resting. Magic was powerful, but it couldn't always be relied on to save him. He needed to be good in close combat, too.

With a groan, he pushed himself into a sitting position and knocked out six hundred sit-ups. His body was screaming in protest, but he ignored it. This was the price of power.

"Being a hero isn't a bad gig," he thought, staring at the ceiling.

Everyone loved them, admired their strength and courage. But deep down, Xender knew he didn't want to be a hero. He craved ultimate freedom, power, and the thrill of instilling fear.

In stories, heroes always came out on top, but this time would be different. This time, he'd turn the tables.

"I don't want to be a hero. I want to be something more... something they fear," Xender thought as he finished his sit-ups.

Tomorrow, he would venture deeper into the Dark Forest. His goal was simple: unlock new powerful spell. The journey ahead would be dangerous, but he didn't care. He would get stronger, use the heroes around him to his advantage, and then... he would crush them.

Sliding under the covers, his thoughts lingered on the plan. Freedom, power, and the ability to crush heroes awaited him. Tomorrow, he would take one step closer to making it all a reality. For now, he would play the hero. But deep down, he knew his true path lay elsewhere.

The heroes were well-cared for by the servants in the grand mansion, thanks to the king of Alderoth. Each hero had their own room, yet they were free to roam the palace as they liked. Since they were new to this world, the king provided them with a place to stay and ensured they received the royal treatment.

However, due to the urgent summons and the pressing need for the heroes to strengthen their skills, they had yet to meet the king. Instead, their days were spent battling monsters in the dark forest, returning late each night.

But today was different. The princess had set aside time to meet the heroes early in the morning before they headed off to the forest. Gathering around the dining table in the palace, the heroes were caught off guard when she walked in.

"Brave heroes…" she greeted, her voice as warm as her smile.

The heroes fell silent, captivated by her radiant presence. The princess was the embodiment of beauty: a glowing face, striking blue eyes, and long, shiny blue hair adorned in a flowing white dress embellished with sparkling blue ribbons.

Leo, unable to look away, blinked repeatedly, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red.

"Stop gaping at her like that, you perv!" Mia teased, elbowing Leo.

One of the princess's guards stepped forward to introduce her.

"You are in the presence of a princess."

"PRINCESS!" the heroes exclaimed in unison, realizing they were standing before royalty.

Flustered, they quickly rose to their feet but struggled to find words to say. It was a moment of awe.

"My name is Princess Violet, and I believe you are the heroes," she said with a gentle smile.

"Yes, Princess," they replied, still in disbelief.

The princess noticed something wasn't quite right. There were supposed to be five heroes, but only four stood before her.

"Where is the other hero?" she inquired.

"Oh, that lazy guy? I bet he's still snoozing," Max said, rolling his eyes.

Xender was indeed missing—he often brushed off the others, pretending to be weak and lazy, leading them to believe he was useless despite being a hero.

"I'm sorry, Princess. I think he's already dead. That guy is the weakest," Leo joked, referring to Xender.

"What is his name?" asked the princess, her curiosity piqued.

"Xender…. I guess," said Mei with a shrug.

"He doesn't talk much with us."

Meanwhile, Xender was already on his way to meet up with his party members, eager to venture into the dark forest. He had woken up early, slipping out before anyone noticed.

As the princess spoke with the remaining heroes, she expressed her gratitude for their bravery. She encouraged them to do their best and promised to see them again soon. With her gentle words, she instilled hope in their hearts, igniting their determination to grow stronger and fight for their new home.

"Sir Xender!" shouted his party members, rushing toward him, all eager to dive into the dark forest and hunt some monsters.

Xender, however, stood silently, his thoughts dark.

"These fools kept me waiting. I'll make them regret it,"

His face betraying nothing as he waved back at them.

For the past few days, he'd played the role of the dependable, powerful leader. But today, he had something different planned.

As they entered the dark forest, they encountered the usual weak monsters—a few goblins, some werewolves, and giant snakes.

Xender used his magic skillfully, binding the creatures with shadow spells while his party members took them down.

"So weak! At this rate, leveling up will be a joke. But I know exactly what to do..."

"Let's go deeper into the forest," Xender suggested, his voice steady.

His party, trusting him completely, nodded and followed without hesitation. They thought today would be just like the others.

The deeper they ventured, the heavier the air became, thick with an unsettling tension. The trees grew denser, their twisted branches intertwining like the fingers of some ancient, slumbering beast.

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath them, a deep, resonating rumble that reverberated in their bones. A warning—something colossal was charging toward them.

The earth itself seemed to shake in terror. Trees groaned and cracked as their roots tore from the soil, and the distant screech of birds echoed as they fled in panic.

Before they could react, a massive tree was hurled at them with terrifying force. It whistled through the air, crashing to the ground with a deafening

*thud* that left the earth vibrating beneath their feet.

The group barely managed to dodge in time, the jagged edges of the fallen trunk grazing the air where they had been moments before. Scrambling to their feet, they turned to face the source of the threat—and froze in disbelief.

From the shadows of the towering trees emerged a creature that seemed to be born from the forest itself. Its legs were first to come into view—massive, tree-trunk-thick, and covered in dark, gnarly skin that looked like bark. They were each as wide as a house, and each step it took cracked the earth beneath it like a thunderclap. As it lumbered forward, the air grew heavy with the stench of damp earth and decay.

Then, they saw its body—a hulking, grotesque form, towering at least thirty feet high. Its skin was mottled with patches of green and brown, like the moss that clung to ancient stone. Dark veins pulsed beneath its skin, thick and grotesque. Its arms were like twisted, massive branches, ending in hands with claws as long as daggers.

The creature's head, enormous and grotesque, sat atop its shoulders, its face a twisted mask of fury. Deep-set, bloodshot eyes glowed with an eerie, red intensity, and its mouth hung open, revealing rows of jagged teeth, each one like broken shards of stone.

A guttural growl rumbled from its throat, the sound vibrating through the air like the roar of thunder. The ground quaked as it took another step, shaking the very trees in its wake. The noise was deafening—branches snapped, leaves rustled in a frenzy, and the air itself seemed to tremble.

Xender's party recoiled in shock.

Dara, the mage, took a step back, her eyes wide with fear. She muttered a quiet incantation under her breath, her hands shaking as she prepared a spell, though the sheer size of the creature left her uncertain of its effectiveness.

Korr, the warrior, gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles white, his stance defensive. His eyes narrowed with determination, but his voice was tight with a mix of awe and dread.

"That... That's no mere beast. It's a force of nature."

Lira, the rogue, darted behind a nearby tree, her breath shallow as she tried to make herself as invisible as possible. Her hands were poised, ready for the slightest movement, but her heart raced in panic.

"We need to move. Now!"

The ogre's monstrous feet stomped the ground again, and with each step, the earth seemed to bend beneath its weight. The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and danger, and the party knew one thing for sure: this wasn't just a fight.

It was survival.