Shadows of Ascension

69. The Five Ancient Abilities

The fire crackled softly as Mr. Yun leaned back in his chair, his expression solemn. He folded his arms, looking at Aiden with a gaze that felt as though it could pierce through his very soul. 

"Well," Mr. Yun finally said, his voice steady. "You have an ancient special skill." 

Aiden blinked. "Ancient? What do you mean?" 

"We all know the five basic skills that every hunter possesses," Mr. Yun continued. "The skill of enhanced strength, speed, healing, magic manipulation, and endurance. These are the foundation of every hunter’s power." 

Aiden, Luca, and Riona nodded. This was common knowledge. 

"But," Mr. Yun went on, "each hunter type also has their own special skills that separate them from others." 

He raised a single finger. "For Assassin types, there are two common special skills: Stealth and, in some rare cases, Shapeshifting." 

Luca nodded. "I’ve met a few shapeshifters before, but they’re incredibly rare." 

"Exactly," Mr. Yun confirmed. "Then, we have the Mage type hunters. They possess Spellcasting as their primary skill, but… some also gain the ability to use Curses." 

Riona’s eyes widened slightly. "Curses? You mean Curse Magic? That’s insanely rare! There are only a few known hunters in the world who can use it!" 

Mr. Yun nodded. "Correct. And finally, we have the Archer type hunters. Their two special skills are Sensory Enhancement—which allows them to perceive things beyond normal human capabilities—and Precision Enhancement, which grants them godlike accuracy in combat." 

He let out a slow breath, as if allowing the information to settle in their minds. "Every hunter must unlock their latent skills over time, but these are the abilities that define their paths." 

Aiden crossed his arms. "Alright… But what does that have to do with me?" 

Mr. Yun’s gaze darkened. "Because every century, there is only one single hunter born with a certain ability. These abilities are so rare that they do not belong to any hunter type. There are five of them in total." 

Silence filled the hut. 

"The first," Mr. Yun said, "is the Necromancer ability—the power to revive and manipulate the dead." 

Aiden’s eyes widened. "That’s Shadowbane’s ability!" 

"Correct." Mr. Yun’s voice remained steady. "Shadowbane was born with this power, making him one of the five rare hunters of this century." 

He continued. "The second ability is Ancient Black Magic. It is far more powerful than normal magic, bordering on godlike power. Those who possessed it… were feared across the world." 

Riona’s fists clenched. "Ancient Black Magic… That sounds terrifying." 

"It is," Mr. Yun confirmed. "The third ability is the Monster Transformation ability—the power to turn into a monster and take on its strengths, while being able to use hunter skills." 

Luca furrowed his brows. "Turning into a monster? That’s insane… but I guess it makes sense that something like that would exist." 

Mr. Yun nodded. "The fourth ability is Bloodthirstiness. A terrifying ability, as little is known about it...all I can say is that it increases your power infinitely."

Riona shuddered. "That sounds like something straight out of a nightmare…" 

Mr. Yun’s gaze darkened, and he turned his full attention back to Aiden. 

"And the fifth and final ability…" He paused. 

Aiden tensed. "And?" 

Mr. Yun exhaled slowly, his voice steady. 

"Shadow Manipulation." 

Aiden felt his chest tighten. 

Mr. Yun leaned forward. "Aiden… you are the Shadow Manipulator of this generation."