Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 446

Chapter 446: War XIX

Aiden pushed himself upright, his muscles still tingling from whatever force had just surged through him. His team was watching him intently—Myne’s expression was one of concern, Rick’s was wary, and Dren… well, Dren just looked impatient.

“You gonna explain, or do we just assume you had some divine revelation?” Rick asked, crossing his arms.

Aiden exhaled slowly. “I saw something. A vision… of a war that happened long before us.” His fingers unconsciously traced the glowing mark on his chest. “And someone who looked just like me—no, someone who was me.”

Dren whistled. “So what, you’re some kind of reincarnated war god?”

“It’s not that simple,” Aiden muttered. But deep down, he knew—this wasn’t just some trick of the monolith. This was real. His past was resurfacing, whether he wanted it to or not.

Myne stepped closer. “Did the vision tell you anything useful? Anything that can help us now?”

Aiden met her gaze. “Maybe. The monolith awakened something inside me. I don’t know how much I can control it, but—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

His senses screamed a warning.

A pulse of abyssal energy rippled through the ruins.

Rick drew his weapons instantly. “We’ve got company.”

From the shadows of the crumbling structures, dozens of Abyssal wraiths emerged, their bodies shifting like liquid darkness. At their center, a single figure strode forward—a new General.

This one was different. Its form was less monstrous than the last, more humanoid, yet its presence was just as suffocating. Midnight-black armor covered its body, and in its grasp was a long obsidian spear, its surface flickering with crimson runes.

Its voice was cold and precise.

“The Abyss does not take kindly to your interference, Harbinger.”

Aiden’s blood ran cold. Harbinger.

It knew.

It knew what he was.

He had no time to process it. The Abyssal forces charged.

Aiden reacted on instinct.

His sword ignited with radiant energy as he met the first wraith head-on, cleaving it in two. The creature barely had time to screech before it was disintegrated by the light.

Rick opened fire from behind him, his energy blasts punching through the advancing enemies with pinpoint accuracy.

Dren slammed his fists together, his body surging with raw power. “Alright, let’s see how many I can drop before you finish playing hero!” He dashed forward, his strikes sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Myne melted into the shadows, reappearing behind the General in an attempt to strike—but before her blade could land, the General spun with unnatural speed, blocking her attack effortlessly.

“Predictable.”

With a flick of its spear, a pulse of crimson energy exploded outward, forcing Myne to retreat.

Aiden gritted his teeth. This wasn’t like the last fight. This General was stronger—more aware.

And it was targeting him.

The General’s spear lunged.

Aiden dodged at the last moment, the tip grazing his cheek. He countered with a vertical slash, his sword flaring with divine energy.

The General blocked it—but not entirely.

A crack formed in its armor where Aiden’s blade had struck.

For the first time, the Abyssal being hesitated.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. The mark… the power from the monolith…

This wasn’t just an awakening.

It was a weapon.

Aiden exhaled and let go of restraint. The mark on his chest pulsed brighter, sending a wave of golden energy through his body. His sword responded, its light shifting into something sharper, purer.

He could feel it. The same power that warrior—his past self—had wielded.

The General sensed the shift, its grip on the spear tightening.

“So, you are awakening.”

It vanished.

Aiden’s instincts screamed. He turned—just in time to parry the spear as it reappeared behind him. The impact sent a shockwave through the ruins.

Rick and Dren were busy holding off the wraiths, while Myne circled for another attack.

Aiden had to end this. Now.

He surged forward, his sword becoming a streak of blinding light. The General twisted, barely avoiding the first slash—but Aiden wasn’t done.

He pivoted mid-air, channeling the energy from his mark into his next strike.

“Sundering Light.”

The air split.

A horizontal arc of golden light carved through the battlefield, hitting the General square in the chest. The impact sent it hurtling backwards, slamming into the ruins with a deafening boom.

Silence followed.

Then—a shriek of agony.

The General staggered forward, its armor cracked wide open, abyssal energy spilling out like mist.

It raised its spear weakly, but it was too late.

Aiden was already upon it.

With one final thrust, his sword pierced its core.

A pulse of light erupted from the wound. The General convulsed, then let out a final, shuddering breath—before disintegrating.

Aftermath

As soon as the General fell, the remaining Abyssal wraiths collapsed into nothingness.

Rick lowered his weapons. “I really hope that was the last one.”

Dren cracked his knuckles, exhaling. “If it’s not, I say we just burn this whole ruin down and call it a day.”

Myne approached Aiden, her sharp eyes studying him. “That power you used… it was different, wasn’t it?”

Aiden looked at his hands. The golden energy was already fading, retreating back into the mark on his chest.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “And I think this is just the beginning.”

Rick huffed. “Great. More ancient warlord baggage. Just what we needed.”

Aiden smirked, despite himself. “Come on. Let’s move before the Abyss sends something worse.”

As they regrouped, Aiden couldn’t shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching him.

He turned his gaze to the ruined monolith.

The whispers were gone.

But he knew this wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

The air remained heavy with the remnants of Abyssal energy as Aiden and his team pressed forward. Though the battle was over, the unease in his chest only grew stronger. The power he had just wielded—it felt natural, as if it had always been a part of him. Yet, it also felt foreign, like he was borrowing something from a past that wasn’t entirely his.

Rick nudged him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Well, another ghost, considering all the creepy whispers earlier.”

Aiden exhaled. “It’s nothing.”

Myne wasn’t convinced. She narrowed her eyes but didn’t press the issue. “We should leave. That fight wasn’t exactly subtle. If the Abyss had a General here, there could be more.”

“Agreed,” Dren said. “Besides, I don’t feel like fighting a second wave when I’m already this tired.”

But just as they turned to leave—

A presence stirred.

Aiden stopped mid-step, his instincts roaring a warning.

Then—

A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the ruins.

The team spun around, weapons at the ready.

A figure stood atop a broken column, bathed in the eerie glow of the shattered monolith.

“Impressive,” a voice drawled, smooth and laced with amusement. “I expected you to struggle, but you handled that rather well, Harbinger.”

Aiden’s grip on his sword tightened. This person… was different from the Abyssal creatures. He looked human—or at least, close enough.

Tall and clad in flowing black robes embroidered with silver sigils, the stranger’s presence was both calm and unsettling. His face was obscured by a porcelain mask, painted with an emotionless expression.

“Who the hell are you?” Rick demanded, leveling his rifle.

The masked man tilted his head. “You may call me… Vael.”

Something about that name sent a chill down Aiden’s spine.

Vael slowly descended from the column, his movements almost too smooth. “No need for hostility. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t be standing here having a conversation.”

Dren scoffed. “That’s exactly what someone who wants us dead would say.”

Vael chuckled. “Fair point.” His gaze flickered to Aiden, and for the first time, there was a shift in his tone—one of genuine interest.

“You’ve awakened his power. How fascinating.”

Aiden took a step forward. “You know what this is?”

Vael nodded. “Of course. That mark on your chest—it’s proof of your connection to the First Harbinger. The one who led the charge against the Abyss in the ancient war.”

Silence.

Aiden’s heart pounded. He had suspected as much, but to hear it confirmed…

Rick frowned. “Okay, and why do you care?”

Vael sighed. “Because history is repeating itself. And whether you realize it or not, Aiden… you’re going to play a very important role.”

Aiden narrowed his eyes. “And you? Which side are you on?”

Vael smiled beneath his mask. “Now that… is a question for another time.”

Before anyone could react, his form flickered—

—and then he was gone.

Aiden clenched his fists.

The past was catching up to him.

And he wasn’t sure he was ready.

The silence left behind by Vael’s departure felt heavier than the battlefield itself. Aiden’s team exchanged wary glances, processing the cryptic words left hanging in the air.

Rick exhaled sharply. “Well, that wasn’t ominous at all.”

Dren cracked his knuckles. “I don’t like this. If that guy knew about Aiden’s connection to the First Harbinger, then who else does?”

“More importantly,” Myne added, her voice unusually quiet, “why did he call it awakening? What exactly have you unlocked, Aiden?”