NOVEL WEB Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Playing the Game
Chapter 2: Playing the Game
Pain radiated through his body as he pushed himself off the cracked ground. His transformation had worn off, leaving him in his new, disfigured human form. The Saiyan warrior who had blasted him stood a few feet away, arms crossed, eyes sharp with interest.
The other Saiyans remained still, their scouters clicking as they analyzed him. The tension in the air was suffocating. One wrong move, and he was dead.
He needed to think.
Saiyans respected strength above all else. He had just put up a fight against multiple warriors without being outright vaporized—that meant he had their attention. Now, he had to capitalize on it.
He forced a grin, despite the blood trickling from his lip. "That all you got?"
The leader raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Still got some fight in you?"
The Saiyan took a step forward, towering over him. Up close, he could see the deep battle scars across his face, a sign of years of experience. This guy wasn't some random soldier. He was high-ranking.
That made things both better and worse.
Better, because if he gained his favor, he could survive here. Worse, because if he wasn't impressed, he'd be eliminated immediately.
"I could kill you now," the Saiyan said, his voice calm, calculating. "Or you could give me a reason to let you live."
His mind raced.
Think. What would a Saiyan respect?
A crazy idea formed, risky but necessary.
He wiped the blood from his mouth and straightened his posture, meeting the warrior's gaze without fear. He had to act like he belonged here.
"I'm a warrior from a lost world. My people were wiped out," he lied, his voice steady. "I survived. And now, I want to fight."
The Saiyans murmured among themselves. The leader's eyes narrowed.
"A lost world?" He smirked. "And what, you think you can just waltz in and join us?"
"Why not?" He lifted his wrist, tapping the Omnitrix. "I just took on multiple Saiyans alone. With the right training, I could be even stronger. Or…" He let his voice drop slightly. "You could kill me and waste a perfectly good warrior."
Silence.
Then, the Saiyan laughed. It was a deep, amused sound, one that made his stomach twist. He didn't know if that was a good or bad sign.
"You've got guts, I'll give you that." The Saiyan stepped back. "Fine. I'll let you live—for now. But if you want to prove yourself, you'll have to survive Planet Vegeta."
He exhaled quietly. Step one: survive the encounter. Completed.
But now came the hard part.
---
They led him toward the Saiyan city, a sprawling cluster of metal buildings and battle arenas. The streets were filled with warriors, some fighting, others boasting about their latest victories. The entire planet was built around war.
His scouter beeped as they entered the training grounds. Saiyan children, barely older than toddlers, were already fighting in brutal sparring matches. Some were tossed aside like trash, deemed too weak to be worth training. The Saiyan way was ruthless.
"Welcome to hell," one of the warriors chuckled beside him.
He forced a smirk. If only they knew the real hell was coming.
Frieza would destroy this planet soon. If he wanted to live, he needed to play his cards right.
The Saiyan leader turned to him. "What's your name?"
He hesitated. His old name didn't matter anymore.
"Ben."
The Saiyan raised an eyebrow. "Ben? What kind of weak name is that?"
He shrugged. "The name doesn't matter. Strength does."
The Saiyan smirked. "Heh. We'll see about that. You'll be put in the lower ranks for now. If you survive long enough, maybe you'll earn a real name."
Ben clenched his fists. He had expected this. Saiyans didn't respect words. They respected results.
And he would give them results.
---
The first test came fast.
A sparring match in front of a crowd, meant to see if he was even worth training.
His opponent was a younger Saiyan, maybe around 10 years old, but still stronger than most humans. He cracked his knuckles, smirking. "Don't cry when you lose."
Ben let out a slow breath. This wasn't about winning.
This was about surviving long enough to keep moving forward.
The match began.
The Saiyan rushed forward, aiming a punch at his ribs. Ben barely dodged, twisting his body. But the kid was fast. Too fast. A second punch caught him in the gut, sending him skidding backward.
The crowd jeered.
"Pathetic!"
Ben wiped his mouth and grinned. Let them underestimate him.
He tapped the Omnitrix. Time to cheat.
In a flash of green light, his body shifted. His arms elongated, his muscles hardened, his vision sharpened—he had become Wildmutt.
The crowd fell silent. The Saiyan kid hesitated for just a second.
That was all Ben needed.
He lunged, moving on all fours. Speed. Power. Instinct. He tackled the Saiyan, sending him crashing into the ground. Before the kid could react, Ben leaped back, circling him, growling lowly.
The Saiyan snarled and launched a ki blast. Wrong move.
Ben dodged effortlessly, weaving through the attack and slamming into the kid's side, sending him rolling across the arena.
The crowd's laughter turned into murmurs.
The leader from earlier watched closely.
The fight lasted a few more moments, but the outcome was clear. The Saiyan kid was too confused to counter Ben's wild, unpredictable movements.
Then, the Omnitrix beeped. Time's up.
His body flashed, returning him to his ugly, human form.
The Saiyan kid immediately took advantage, launching a punch straight at Ben's jaw.
Ben didn't dodge.
He took the hit, letting his body crash into the ground.
Silence.
The leader of the Saiyans grinned. "That was interesting."
Ben spat blood and forced a smile. He had lost on purpose.
Saiyans didn't respect cowards. If he had dodged at the last second and made the kid look weak, the others would hate him. But by taking the hit and acting like it was close, he made it look like a good fight.
The leader turned. "Put him in the lower ranks. He'll either get stronger or die."
Ben exhaled.
Step two: integrate into Saiyan society. Completed.
Now, he had one goal.
Survive until Frieza arrives.
And then?
He would rewrite history.
---
End of Chapter 2