Chapter 48:*
The Long Way
Part 3
(Aden's Point of View)
Emperor Haider didn't slow down, and none of us dared to question him. His steps were firm, confident, each stride calculated even as the ground shook beneath us. Behind him, Captain Murad moved in perfect rhythm — his expression calm, his eyes scanning every direction. Ajbadan's heavy boots thudded beside me, the man's broad shoulders tense, his eyes fixed ahead.
When we finally got much closer to the village and what was going on now, the smell of smoke filled my lungs before I even came close to the flames. It was thick and bitter, burning the inside of my throat as we came closer to entering the village. The screams became even louder and louder with each step we took and had already started to fade into something worse.
The village was burning. Flames devoured houses, leaping from one rooftop to another. The sky glowed red, and the air itself shimmered with heat. The sound of crackling wood mixed with the cries of women clutching their children, and men dragging the wounded across the dirt. Every direction I looked was filled with terror.
"Murad, secure the eastern side! Evacuate the villagers and direct them to the edge of the forest where we came from!" Emperor Haider shouted, his voice carrying over the roar of the fire. "Ajbadan, with me! Aden — help the villagers! Get them away from the flames, help everyone that you can!"
I didn't argue. The whole idea was to help and save the villagers as soon as possible. I didn't think of anything else; it was a miracle by itself that I was able to stand and walk in this situation.
As soon as I entered the village, the first scene that greeted me was a house collapsing just a few meters away, sending a wave of embers into the air. A woman screaming grabbed my attention, so I ran toward the sound. I didn't think of my safety or anything else — then I noticed the woman lying on the ground, half-buried under some debris. Luckily, most of her body was outside. I pulled the woman free from the wreckage, her face covered in soot, her voice hoarse from screaming. "Run to the forest!" I yelled, pointing through the smoke in the direction she should go. "Go, now!"
More villagers followed, some half-carrying others who could barely walk. Children cried for their parents. I collected myself and told them, "Follow that woman and run to the forest!" The ground was hot under my boots. I could feel the tremors beneath my feet — not from the fires, but from something heavier, something moving.
A roar shook the air. That monster was getting close to where I was. Not thinking about it, I concentrated on the next patch of people who were running from and to everywhere without a destination in mind. I started sending everyone I encountered toward the same location. The roar once more shook my body from how loud it was, and now it was much closer to me than before.
I turned toward the sound, and my stomach twisted. Out of the smoke came a shape — huge, dark, and covered in coarse gray fur. A monster stepped forward, five meters tall at least, standing upright like a man but built like a nightmare. Its arms hung low, each hand gripping a jagged weapon that looked like a piece of a tree torn apart and sharpened.
The creature's eyes glowed a deep, unnatural red. Its chest expanded as it let out another thunderous roar, and for a second, the flames around it bent backward from the force of the sound.
Then I saw the second one — it was on the opposite side from where I was standing at the moment. It was busy demolishing the side it was on, and it was faster, tearing through what remained of the far houses. Its claws flashed, scattering wooden debris like paper. And behind them, at the far end of the main road, stood a third monster, motionless, still guarding the portal.
It pulsed with white light, surrounded by a swirling black frame, the air around it rippling like heat waves. I could feel the energy from it even here — alive, vibrating, humming through the ground. I didn't even notice when the Emperor and the others came beside me; I only noticed when I heard the Emperor saying, "Ajbadan, take the right flank!" the Emperor commanded sharply. "Murad, hold the left! Aden, you have to stay mobile! Defend anyone who's still moving!"
I could barely breathe from the tension. Still, I forced my body forward. The villagers were almost all out. Now, it was our turn to stand and do something about this monster. It was closer to us now than before and getting closer with each step it took toward us.
The Emperor's eyes glowed faintly gold for a moment. Then, suddenly— "Aden, step back!" he shouted.
I didn't think. I jumped back instinctively. A second later, a burning roof beam came flying down — I couldn't even tell from where — and crashed exactly where I'd been standing. My heart skipped a beat. He had known.
Was that his ability?
Before I could think more, the world froze for a moment. A voice, mechanical and calm, echoed inside my mind:
"Skill Acquired: Analyze."
My breath was caught instantly. And without thinking, I turned toward Ajbadan. My vision shimmered for less than a second, and suddenly glowing blue text appeared in front of him on the same virtual reality screen I saw when I looked at my profile, only the color was a little bit different and, instead of appearing in front of me, it appeared in front of him, still with big writing that I could read from my place.
Name: Ajbadan
Role: Vanguard — frontline heavy hitter / crowd-control anchor
Title: High Guard (Mystic Village Chief Security Guard)
Age: ~25
Rank: A (Vanguard)
Status: Healthy
Grade: 2
Phase: 2
Points: 05
Attributes
Strength: 120 / 200
Intelligence: 60 / 200
Endurance: 170 / 200
Agility: 90 / 200
Perception: 60 / 200
Gifts:
Innate abilities gained through inheritance and developed by practice and experience.
Titan's Endurance: Natural damage resistance and much higher stamina. Makes him keep fighting when others tire.
Iron Will: Strong resistance to fear and mental effects (so Emperor's Fear Eyes have less effect on him).
Skills:
1. Earthbreaker (Elemental Skill — Earth)
Strike the ground to create a shockwave that knocks back and stuns enemies in front of him for 4–8 seconds.
Instant burst. Cooldown moderate. Great for breaking monster charges or opening space.
2. Bulwark Stance (Defensive Skill)
Brace and form a defensive wall — reduces incoming damage to nearby allies by 40% for 8–12 seconds. Works best when Ajbadan plants his feet.
Protects civilians and the party during retreats or when forming a shield line.
3. Momentum Strike (Offensive Skill)
A charging two-handed strike that pierces defenses and knocks an enemy down. If it hits a downed enemy, damage increases further.
Follow-up to Earthbreaker or when breaking elite enemy guards.
4. Anchor Root (Crowd-Control)
Root one or several enemies to the ground for a short time (3–6 seconds) — prevents teleport/dash moves briefly.
Stops quick monsters or prevents flankers from escaping.
5. War Cry (Party Buff)
Short shout that raises nearby allies' attack power and morale (+15–25% attack for 10 seconds). Also reduces chance to panic. Use before a coordinated assault
I blinked in disbelief. His power was… terrifying. And I didn't have time to read all the details. I just went through it as fast as I could, but for some reason, I could recall all the information I read, like I already knew it for a long time.
Then I turned toward Captain Murad. I was really curious to find out what his skills were — at least now I knew that I wasn't the only one with unique powers.
Name: Murad
Age: 29
Race: Human
Rank: Captain — intelligence and security officer
Status: Healthy
Skills:
1. Ranger
2. Swordsman
3. I-Sight
Gifts:
1. Blade Dance (Rapid multiple slashes in a confined radius)
2. Mirage Step (Short-distance illusion dash)
3. Iron Will (Temporarily boosts resistance and focus)
4. Piercing Wind (Mana-infused long-range attack)
Attributes:
Strength: 130 / 200
Intelligence: 80 / 200
Endurance: 170 / 200
Agility: 70 / 200
Perception: 60 / 200
Grade: 1
Phase: 1
Points: 0
Remarks: Officer assigned to guard Ozak.
Their strength was on a completely different level and totally overpowered. If this was a game like the ones I used to play, I was totally sure they would have been top players and demolished any records I ever had.
And then, at the center of it all — Emperor Haider. I hesitated to even focus on him, but curiosity overpowered any fear.
Name: Emperor Haider
Age: 29
Race: Human
Rank: Emperor (Ruler of the Manuhunter Empire)
Status: Injured
Skills:
1. Judgment
2. Light Sword
3. Fear Eyes
4. Predict (Predicts movements up to 6 seconds ahead)
Attributes:
Strength: 100 / 200
Intelligence: 100 / 200
Endurance: 80 / 200
Agility: 60 / 200
Perception: 90 / 200
Gifts:
1. Peace Making (Gifted with negotiating — if it's toward peace, he's the one who can make it happen)
2. Blade of Radiance (Condenses light into a cutting edge)
3. Divine Command (Amplifies ally coordination and reaction time)
4. Light Resonance (Boosts nearby allies' attack power)
Grade: 2
Phase: 1
Points: 0
Remarks: Emperor Haider rules the Manuhunter Empire and is currently on a secret mission, being pursued by an unknown enemy.
A/N
* The number of chapters doesn't align with the previous ones but it was a mistake of mine so this is the correct chapter number
Only 2 more chapters to go to the end of the volume, and we begin Volume 3. Please share your comments and reviews. If you have any suggestions, I will consider them.