Previous Chapter Reminder
In the previous chapter, we saw that Manu and Darius accidentally provoked a pack of Howling Wolves. During the chaos, Manu discovered a mysterious Inventory Pouch hidden inside a cave. Later that night, while sitting on top of a tree, Manu noticed a large group of people approaching their location.
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NOW NEXT...
NARRATOR VOICE
Manu quickly returned to his team.
Sweat covered his face. His breathing was heavy, and for the first time in a while, he actually looked panicked.
The moment he arrived, he started waking everyone up.
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Manu:
"Wake up! Everyone, wake up!"
"We don't have time to sleep!"
"Hurry up! Trouble is coming!"
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Lyra:
"What trouble?"
"There aren't any monsters nearby."
"We already checked this entire area before setting up camp."
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Manu:
"Yeah, yeah... monsters?"
"Monsters are nothing compared to humans."
"The real monsters are humans."
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Darius:
"What does that even mean?"
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Manu:
"It means people are coming."
"And they're coming fast."
"A lot of people."
"I can't clearly see their faces from that distance."
"But I know one thing."
"There are way too many of them."
"So hurry up."
"We need to leave right now."
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Elira Windmark:
"Maybe they're coming to form an alliance."
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Manu:
"Maybe."
"But that's a gamble using our lives."
"Let's move."
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NARRATOR VOICE
Manu tried to leave.
Unfortunately...
It was already too late.
The approaching group had already reached their camp.
As they got closer, Manu noticed torches burning in the darkness.
The firelight slowly illuminated the faces of the people standing ahead.
And the moment their faces became visible...
The entire Falcon Team froze.
Standing at the front was a woman.
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Darius:
"No..."
"This can't be happening."
"Is that a ghost?"
"How is she here?"
---
NARRATOR VOICE
Just like Darius, Manu was also stunned.
For a few seconds...
Absolute silence covered the camp.
It felt like seeing someone who had died years ago casually shopping for vegetables in a village market.
Of course...
Manu was an expert at ruining serious moments.
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Manu:
"Wait..."
"Is she actually alive?"
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NARRATOR VOICE
Manu walked toward the woman.
First he poked her cheek.
Then her arm.
Then her leg.
The woman didn't react at all.
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Manu:
"Now I have to take a difficult step."
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Elira Windmark:
"What are you planning to do now?"
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Manu:
"An experiment."
---
NARRATOR VOICE
Manu slowly moved two fingers toward the woman's chest.
Just before touching her...
The woman suddenly stepped backward.
Only then did everyone realize the truth.
She wasn't a ghost.
She was alive.
And the woman standing before them was...
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NARRATOR VOICE
Eira.
Her hair flowed gently in the night wind.
She stood calmly as if she had already expected every single reaction.
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Darius:
"WHAT?!"
"This has to be a joke!"
"I saw you die with my own eyes!"
"How are you alive?!"
"And if you're alive..."
"Then who exactly did we fight?!"
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Eira:
"How I survived..."
"And how I entered this round..."
"For that, we'll need to go a little into the past."
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Scene Shift — Past
NARRATOR VOICE
This was the moment when Eira was preparing her plan against Manu's team.
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Subordinate:
"Boss."
"Shouldn't we take some precautions?"
"What if something goes wrong?"
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Eira:
"No."
"We already won."
"We don't need to do anything extra."
"We'll simply follow the plan."
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NARRATOR VOICE
The scene shifts back to the present.
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Eira:
"After that..."
"I created my own clone."
"And I sent that clone to fight you."
"Meanwhile..."
"The real me left the round and stayed outside."
"I watched everything."
"Every battle."
"Every mistake."
"Every move."
"And all of you..."
"Were celebrating after defeating my clone."
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Eira:
"You honestly believed you defeated me?"
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Darius:
"A clone...?"
"Just a clone kept us busy for that long?!"
"We risked our lives fighting!"
"And you were sitting outside watching the entire show?!"
"Damn it!"
"I can't believe we got fooled this badly!"
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Eira:
"The real Eira isn't that easy to defeat."
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Manu:
"Are you sure you're not the one misunderstanding something?"
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Eira:
"What?"
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Manu:
"You came here."
"You're the King."
"And if we kill you..."
"Your entire team gets eliminated."
"So who's actually in danger right now?"
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Eira:
"You really think so little of me?"
"I'm not losing that easily."
"Especially not to you."
"A useless person like Manu."
"Someone with no power."
"No special abilities."
"And yet somehow..."
"You keep acting confident."
"Winning a few mind games doesn't make you special."
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Manu:
"Arre..."
"What exactly is wrong with me?"
"This is just a game."
"Games are supposed to be fun."
"You don't take them this seriously."
"Life is basically a game too."
"Sometimes you're winning."
"Sometimes you're losing."
"Maybe in this timeline you defeat me."
"And in another timeline I defeat you."
---
Manu:
"By the way..."
"I love studying time."
"It twists your brain."
"Just like a tongue twister twists your tongue."
---
Lyra:
"This isn't a game, Leader."
"You shouldn't lower your guard."
"This is Eira."
"She definitely has a plan."
---
Manu:
"Oh no..."
---
NARRATOR VOICE
Before their argument could continue...
Both Manu and Eira suddenly felt something strange.
Their eyelids became heavy.
As if winter snow had settled on them.
Or as if they had been locked inside a refrigerator.
A small metal sphere rolled into the middle of the camp.
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Darius:
"What is that—?!"
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Lyra:
"Everyone move back!"
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NARRATOR VOICE
But it was already too late.
The sphere burst open.
Dense smoke exploded into the air.
Within seconds...
The entire area was covered.
This wasn't ordinary smoke.
It was sleeping gas.
A powerful one.
---
NARRATOR VOICE
One by one, everyone's vision started fading.
Manu tried to hold his breath.
Eira immediately jumped backward.
Trying to escape.
But the gas spread too quickly.
---
Darius collapsed to his knees.
Lyra's sword slipped from her hand.
Eira looked toward Manu one last time.
---
Eira:
"This wasn't..."
"You..."
---
NARRATOR VOICE
Manu wanted to answer.
But his tongue refused to move.
His vision blurred.
The world became darker and darker.
And then...
Everything disappeared.
---
NARRATOR VOICE
Silence.
A few moments later...
Heavy footsteps echoed through the darkness.
Someone had been watching from the beginning.
A shadow slowly approached the unconscious Manu.
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???
"Welcome back, Manu."
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???
"You've completely disrupted the balance of this game."
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NARRATOR VOICE
The mysterious figure knelt beside him.
Its eyes focused on the Inventory Pouch hanging around Manu's neck.
A slow smile appeared.
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???
"Finally..."
---
???
"I found it."
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NARRATOR VOICE
The figure reached toward Manu.
But just before its fingers touched him...
A strange blue light exploded from inside the Inventory Pouch.
The entire area shook violently.
For the first time...
The smile disappeared from the stranger's face.
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???
"Wait..."
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???
"How did this activate...?"
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NARRATOR VOICE
The next second...
A terrifying explosion shook the battlefield.
And after that...
Only screams remained.
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COMING SOON...
Hello everyone!
How are you all doing?
By the way, a festival season is coming here soon.
What festival is coming in your area?
And if you're celebrating something special, let me know what happens there.
Maybe chapter uploads will slow down a little during the festival period...
But manage kar lena, okay?
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Which part did you find the most interesting?
Comment and tell me!
Keep commenting because your comments give me motivation to continue writing.
And bhai log...
If you're enjoying the story...
Don't forget to throw a Power Stone.
You know...
The red one. Hey everyone,
Thank you for spending your time reading my story. Whether you've been here since Chapter 1 or just discovered it today, I truly appreciate every reader who decides to give my work a chance.
I started writing because I love stories, imagination, and the feeling of getting lost in another world. Seeing people read, enjoy, discuss, and react to the characters makes the journey even more meaningful.
If you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts. I read reader feedback whenever I can, and it's always interesting to see different theories, favorite moments, and reactions to the story.
Every view, comment, review, and bit of support helps more than you might think. Thank you for being part of this journey with me.
Take care of yourselves, stay safe, and I'll see you in the next chapter.
— Manu