The Celestial Chess Piece: Reborn for the Apocalypse

Chapter 7

Little White sat cross-legged on Caleb's shoulder, swinging her tiny legs and humming a tune that sounded like wind chimes.

Her green eyes darted around the portable space with the restless energy of a child who had just woken up from the longest nap in history.

"Tell me everything!" She tugged on his collar and leaned forward. "Who has the black piece? Is it a girl? Is she nice?"

"Her name is Ava." Caleb kept his voice steady, but a hint of warmth crept into it. "She's wearing the black pendant right now, although she doesn't know what it is yet."

"Ava." Little White repeated the name slowly, as if tasting each syllable. "That's a pretty name! And Little Black is sleeping inside her piece, waiting to wake up."

A massive grin spread across her tiny face, scrunching up her nose.

"That means I woke up first! I finally beat him! He always bragged about being faster and smarter than me, but look who woke up first this time!"

She jumped off Caleb's shoulder and flew around his head three times, leaving trails of green sparks behind her.

"You two have a rivalry?" Caleb asked, watching her with amusement as he tilted his head to follow her movements.

"It's not a rivalry!"

Little White landed back on his shoulder and crossed her arms with exaggerated dignity.

"It's a proven fact that I'm better than him in every way. He just refuses to accept it."

Caleb laughed.

Actually laughed.

The sound surprised him. It felt strange in his chest, like a muscle he had forgotten how to use.

For so long, his life had been filled with pain, betrayal, and the constant struggle to survive. He had almost forgotten what it felt like to laugh without worrying about what might happen next.

"Master, I need to ask you something important."

Little White's playful expression disappeared. Her ancient eyes became serious as she studied him.

"When you entered this space, I sensed something living inside your body. It looked like a bright white light attached to your soul. Do you know what it is?"

"That's System 077." Caleb nodded. "It's an Apocalypse Trading System. It bound itself to me just before I died in my previous life."

"It tried to follow you inside, but I blocked it."

Little White puffed out her cheeks.

"I don't let strangers into my space!"

"Can you let it in?" Caleb asked. "077 is helping me prepare for the apocalypse. Having it here could make things easier."

Little White narrowed her eyes and considered his request for a moment.

Then she sighed dramatically and raised both hands, pressing her palms together.

A soft green light pulsed between her fingers.

"Fine! But if it causes any trouble, I'm kicking it out!"

She performed a quick series of hand seals, her tiny fingers moving with the precision of someone who had practiced the movements for centuries.

The air rippled.

A small white orb appeared and floated through the spatial barrier.

"What just happened?" System 077's voice came from the orb. It sounded confused. "Something pulled me through the barrier. Where am I?"

"You're inside the portable space," Caleb explained, gesturing around him. "Little White allowed you to enter."

"Master!"

Little White tugged on his sleeve and pointed at the floating orb.

"This thing doesn't even have a body. That's sad. Does it want one?"

Caleb raised an eyebrow.

"Can you give it a body?"

"Of course I can!"

Little White looked almost offended by the question.

"What kind of animal does Master like?"

"Cats." Caleb smiled. "Ragdoll cats."

"Wait a minute. What is happening right now?"

077's orb flickered nervously.

"Are you two making decisions about my physical form without consulting me?"

"Trust me," Caleb said. "You'll like it."

Before the system could protest again, Little White clapped her hands.

Green energy wrapped around the white orb like a cocoon. The light twisted and stretched, gradually changing shape.

Four legs formed beneath it.

A tail grew behind it.

Soft fur spread across its surface.

When the light finally faded, a beautiful white Ragdoll cat sat on the ground.

It had fluffy fur, bright blue eyes, and a tiny pink nose.

The cat looked up at Caleb in complete bewilderment.

"I have paws."

077's voice came from the cat's mouth, trembling slightly.

"Why do I have paws?"

"Because you're a cat now." Caleb crouched down and held out his hand. "How does it feel?"

The cat cautiously took one step, then another.

Its tail swished from side to side without its permission.

"I can feel the ground," 077 said, its voice filled with wonder. "I can feel the temperature. I can even feel the air moving across my fur."

It paused for a moment.

"I've never experienced physical sensations before."

Caleb reached out and gently scratched behind its ears.

077 froze.

For a moment, the cat didn't move at all.

Then it leaned into Caleb's hand so enthusiastically that it nearly lost its balance.

A deep, rumbling purr vibrated through its entire body.

"That..."

077 closed its eyes.

"Do that again."

Caleb chuckled and scratched behind its ears once more.

Little White floated down and began stroking the cat's back.

That was all it took.

077 rolled onto its side, completely surrendering to the attention. Its paws curled slightly as it purred like a tiny motor.

Caleb stared at the scene in amusement.

Who would have thought that an advanced trading system could be so easily defeated by a little affection?

After a while, 077 finally regained some of its dignity and stood up.

Little White, however, had already moved on to something else.

She flew toward the stone warehouse and pushed open its heavy door.

"Come on, Master! There's something else you need to see!"

Caleb followed her inside.

"This is the preservation vault!" Little White announced proudly, spreading her arms wide. "Anything you store in here will remain exactly as it was when you put it inside. Nothing will rot, spoil, or expire. It will stay that way forever!"

"Forever?"

Caleb walked farther into the warehouse, running his hand along one of the shelves.

"Are you saying food stored here will never go bad?"

"Never!"

Little White shook her head firmly.

"Not even after a thousand years. Time cannot affect anything stored inside this vault."

Caleb's eyes lit up.

This was incredible.

He could stockpile meat, vegetables, medicine, bottled water, and countless other supplies without worrying about refrigeration or electricity.

Even if the outside world collapsed completely, he would still have access to fresh food and essential resources.

The preservation vault alone could solve one of the biggest problems survivors would face during the apocalypse.

"Little White, you've just become my favorite person in any dimension!"

Caleb reached out and gently patted her head.

Little White beamed with happiness, and her entire body glowed green.

"Of course I have! I'm the best spirit in the universe!"

Caleb laughed again.

For the first time since returning from his previous life, he felt that he might actually have a chance to change his fate.

With the Celestial White Chess Piece, System 077, and Little White's help, he could prepare for the apocalypse in ways he had never imagined.

But he couldn't afford to become careless.

He still had a great deal of work to do.

After spending some more time exploring the portable space, Caleb decided to return to his apartment.

He focused his thoughts.

Exit.

The next instant, he was back in his bedroom.

He took out his phone and checked the time.

When he had first entered the portable space, it had been nine fifteen in the morning.

He had spent what felt like nearly an hour inside.

Yet his phone now read nine thirty-two.

Only seventeen minutes had passed.

Caleb frowned slightly.

"077, did you notice the time difference?"

"Confirmed. The portable space operates at a one-to-three time dilation ratio. For every minute that passes in the outside world, approximately three minutes pass inside the portable space."

Caleb's eyes brightened.

Three times the amount of time.

That meant he could train for three hours inside the space while only one hour passed outside.

He could grow crops, organize supplies, develop strategies, and even rest without losing too much time in the real world.

It was another enormous advantage.

With everything he had discovered, he was beginning to feel more confident about the future.

However, surviving the apocalypse required more than a mysterious artifact and a powerful trading system.

He needed money.

He needed supplies.

And he needed reliable people who could help him prepare without asking too many questions.

Caleb picked up his phone and dialed a number.

It rang twice before someone answered.

"Mr. Lane. I wasn't expecting your call."

Cole Park's voice sounded sharp and alert, like a man who was always prepared for anything.

"Is everything all right? I heard about the engagement party."

"Everything is fine, Cole. Better than fine."

Caleb settled into his desk chair.

"I need a status report on Lane Industries. Start with Mason."

Cole's voice immediately became more serious.

"I was hoping you'd ask about that. Over the past six months, your brother has funneled approximately twelve million dollars through fraudulent supplier contracts. He used shell companies, fake invoices, and several other methods to hide the transactions."

Caleb's expression remained calm.

"And?"

"I intercepted every cent."

Cole allowed a hint of satisfaction into his voice.

"I built a mirror-routing system that redirected the funds into your private offshore accounts. Mason believes the money is still sitting in his shell companies, but all he has now are digital records pointing to empty wallets."

Caleb leaned back in his chair.

"Cole, you're worth every dollar I've ever paid you."

He meant every word.

"What would you like me to do next?" Cole asked.

"Start acquiring small supermarket chains around Westbrook. Pharmacies too. Nothing flashy, and nothing that will attract media attention. Use holding companies and spread the purchases across different businesses."

"May I ask why?"

Cole sounded cautious but curious.

"I'm diversifying my investments. Food and medical supplies are undervalued, and I want to control as much of the supply chain as possible before anyone realizes how valuable it is."

There was a brief pause.

"Understood," Cole replied. "I'll prepare a list of potential acquisitions by tomorrow evening."

"Good. Keep everything confidential. I'll explain more when the time is right."

"Of course, Mr. Lane."

Caleb ended the call and opened his banking application.

He began reviewing every account, investment, and share certificate connected to his name.

His personal savings.

The twelve million dollars Cole had recovered from Mason.

His forty percent stake in Slade Enterprises, a company he had helped build with his own money, intelligence, and hard work.

Once he liquidated his shares, his total available capital would approach two hundred million dollars.

That was more than enough to begin preparing.

Caleb put down his phone and walked toward his closet.

He selected a tailored navy suit and dressed carefully before returning to his desk to collect his car keys.

His Ferrari was waiting outside.

As he looked at the keys in his hand, a memory from his previous life surfaced.

He remembered the endless traffic jams, abandoned roads, and broken vehicles that had made transportation a nightmare after the apocalypse began.

Many survivors had died simply because they couldn't find a reliable way to travel.

Others had been trapped in cities when the roads became blocked by abandoned cars and hordes of zombies.

Caleb wasn't going to make the same mistake.

This time, he would prepare in advance.

He needed high-performance vehicles for speed, off-road automobiles for rough terrain, and heavily reinforced vehicles for situations where ordinary cars would fail.

He would also need fuel, spare parts, repair tools, and enough essential supplies to support himself and the people he intended to protect.

Most importantly, he needed to secure Ava's safety.

Caleb slipped his phone into his pocket and headed for the door.

The apocalypse was coming.

But unlike his previous life, he wouldn't be caught unprepared.

This time, he would have the resources, the knowledge, and the power to fight back.

And he would do whatever it took to ensure that the people he loved survived.