CHAPTER 166: ROAD TO VEDANGIRI

Aamir kept moving toward Vedan Giri, the ancient, forest-covered mountain range now echoing with strange whispers. The wind carried with it the scent of damp earth and distant blood. His pace was steady, yet his thoughts were storming.

"Hai Luman," Aamir said softly, voice low as he stared ahead. "I have a problem... I don’t know why, but every time I activate my Chimera form... I lose control. I go berserk—like a mindless monster."

There was a brief pause.

Luman, the AI embedded in Aamir’s soul system, responded with its usual calm, slightly synthetic tone:

"Host, you received your Chimera form from beast lineage. Beasts do not possess clear reasoning or self-control until they reach extremely high evolutionary stages. You, currently, are a beastkin... and your level of control is insufficient."

Aamir frowned. "So you’re saying... because I’m not strong enough, I can’t control it?"

"Not just that," Luman replied. "Your emotional regulation is weak. Beasts are driven by instinct. Rage, pain, fear—these dominate their minds. Unless you learn to control your emotions, your Chimera form will always control you."

Aamir clenched his fists. "Tch... emotions, huh."

Luman continued:

"Also, there’s something else. Your bloodline purity... has increased unnaturally. It’s grown beyond the current limits of your body and mind. That imbalance is fueling the chaos inside you."

"So now I have to train my emotions like a monk too," Aamir muttered, half annoyed, half amused.

A few minutes later, Aamir suddenly stopped, eyes narrowing.

"Hai Luman, run the global scan again. I need to know... is my mother still alive?"

The AI went silent for a moment. Then:

"Confirmed. Vital signs stable. She is alive and safe, though her exact location is shielded by a mana barrier."

Aamir let out a shaky breath, shoulders sagging with relief. "Thank God... If anything had happened to her, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive myself."

He suddenly noticed something odd and chuckled. "Wait... why the hell am I running? I can just teleport."

"Technically yes, host," Luman said, "but I strongly advise against it. Zorwath may still be able to detect sudden surges in your teleportation energy. It could expose your presence."

"You’re right," Aamir said. "I have to stay hidden for now."

Just as he took another step forward, he heard a scream. A girl’s scream.

It echoed through the valley—sharp, panicked, and laced with pain.

Aamir’s eyes widened. Without a word, he activated his Pran Energy Sense, a golden ripple spreading out from his body like a sonar wave. Within seconds, he locked onto the presence of three men and two girls not far from his location.

He sprinted toward the energy signature, then slowed as he approached. He crouched behind a large rock, his eyes peeking out.

Three armed men—hunters, by the look of them—stood menacingly over two tied-up girls.

One of the girls had a mark on her arm... Aamir’s eyes froze.

"No way... That’s... the logo Riya and I made when we were kids..." he whispered.

Luman chimed in.

"Confirmed. That is the Mark of the Revolutionary Army. It seems someone you know has ties to them."

"She actually used that mark?" Aamir whispered, eyes full of disbelief. "That means one of these girls... might be connected to her..."

But he shook his head. "No time to get lost in the past. I need to save them."

He activated Energy Eye, reading their Pran levels and adrenaline levels instantly.

"Hmm... two of them are D-Rank hunters. The third one’s C-Rank. Probably the leader," Aamir muttered. "Piece of cake."

And in the blink of an eye—he vanished.

Before the C-Rank hunter could blink, Aamir appeared before him and slammed a fist into his chest.

BOOM!

The man flew backward like a broken doll, crashing into a rocky cliff with a sickening crunch. His body collapsed, lifeless.

The other two hunters froze, their mouths open in terror.

"He was just here—and now he’s... dead?" one of them whispered.

Their eyes widened, trembling in fear. Aamir appeared again—right in front of them.

"Sorry guys, but you don’t seem like the good kind. So..." he smirked, "I’ll be taking you down."

One of the hunters immediately dropped his weapon. "No sir, please! Don’t kill me! I—I was forced into this. I can sense threats. That’s my ability. They made me join them or they would have killed me!"

"Coward," the other hunter spat, drawing his blade and lunging at him. "I’ll kill—!"

THUD!

Aamir caught his arm mid-air and effortlessly threw him aside like trash.

"You fool," Aamir said. "I told you not to move... Oh wait—I didn’t. My bad." He laughed.

The last hunter dropped to his knees. "Please, sir... I beg you. I had no choice. This mark..." he lifted his sleeve, revealing a glowing seal. "The RamanKshetra Hunter Guild

gave me this. It causes pain if I disobey. I swear I never wanted to do this."

Aamir narrowed his eyes. "So this guild uses forced branding now?"

Luman whispered in his mind:

"Host, your authority allows you to override that mark. You can place your own on him—convert him into your ally. Once branded by your system, he cannot disobey you, even if he tries."

Aamir smirked. "Interesting. Well, I guess I don’t have a choice."

He stepped forward. "Turn around," he ordered.

The man hesitated.

"I said... turn around. I won’t kill you—but do exactly as I say."

The man slowly turned. Aamir placed his hand on his back. "Luman—do it."

A burst of energy erupted. A new mark appeared on the man’s back, glowing deep red with fangs and serpent-like eyes forming a circle.

Aamir blinked. "Whoa... that’s new."

Luman replied:

"The mark has evolved due to your increased bloodline purity. Its functions may have expanded."

Aamir raised an eyebrow. "I don’t know what that means yet—but whatever. Right now, I have captives to rescue... and maybe a connection to Riya to investigate."

Aamir turned back to the two girls, their hands still bound with rough rope. He untied them without a word, and stepped back.

"Go. You’re free now," he said calmly.

The girls didn’t move. Instead, they looked at each other, confused and uncertain. One of them finally spoke up.

"Um... good sir," she said timidly, "we have no food, no weapons... and nowhere to go. If we just wander off like this, someone might catch us again. We’re from the Revolutionary Army... that alone makes us targets."

Aamir let out a deep sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ahh, man... what a pain," he muttered.

He looked at them for a moment, then nodded.

"Fine. Come with me. After I finish my business, I’ll head to the Revolutionary Army anyway. I’ve got a friend there."

He stepped forward and placed one hand on each of their shoulders. A soft golden light pulsed from his palms as he released a stream of Pran into them. The girls winced slightly, then breathed easier as the energy flowed through them, healing some of their pain and fatigue.

"This should help for now," Aamir said.

He reached into his pouch and pulled out two fruits, handing one to each girl.

"Eat. It’ll give you strength."

After that, he walked over to the unconscious enemies and pulled off their hunter badges, studying them briefly.

"These might help me gather information later," he said to himself. Then he turned to the one man he had spared earlier.

"Time to move."

The man hesitated, then asked,

"Um, sir... where exactly are we heading?"

"Vedangiri," Aamir replied without looking back.

The man’s face went pale.

"To reach there, you’ll need to pass through the Salbar Market... and the territory of the Ramankshetra Hunters Guild. If you’re not registered with them, they’ll cause trouble. You might need to register or they’ll block the way—or worse."

Aamir blinked in surprise.

"That tiny guild from last year? It’s grown that much?"

The man nodded.

"They’ve expanded quickly. Lots of foreign guests pass through them now. They’re well connected."

Aamir’s eyes narrowed, but a half-smile formed on his lips.

"Well... we’ll see what we can do when we get there."

He looked at the group and motioned forward.

"Let’s go. Vedangiri won’t come to us."

And with that, they resumed their journey—each step bringing them closer to new challenges, and deeper into the heart of a rising power.

As they walked, Aamir glanced at the girls trailing behind. Their clothes were worn, eyes hollow, but there was something else—determination.

He slowed his pace. "You said you’re from the Revolutionary Army. What’s your reason for joining them?"

The older girl, maybe seventeen, looked down. "They took everything from us. Our home, our family... all gone. We weren’t warriors at first. Just villagers. But we had no choice."

The younger one added, "My brother was taken for some ’experiment.’ We never saw him again. The Revolution was the only thing left."

Aamir exhaled sharply. "This world... it never stops taking, does it?"

Luman’s voice echoed in his mind. "You’re growing, Aamir. You care more now than you let on."

He ignored Luman and focused on the girls. "Listen. I won’t let anything happen to you as long as you’re with me. But the road ahead isn’t safe. Monsters, corrupted guilds, bounty hunters... you name it."

"We’re not afraid," the older girl said. "We’d rather die free than live in chains."

Aamir smiled faintly. "Good. You’ll need that fire where we’re going."

He tightened the strap on his weapon. "Let’s keep moving. Vedangiri won’t wait forever."