My Power to Ignore Enemy Abilities Lets Me Rule Another World

In the desolate marshlands, as barren and lifeless as the abandoned village, a slender man named Avik Banerjee trudged resolutely toward the swamp's depths.

He had one goal.

To reclaim the "power" hidden in that place—the power that rightfully belonged to him.

Thick clouds loomed over the swamp, their twisted shapes forming the eerie visage of a demon glaring at the ground below. In the distance, several massive, withered trees stood like skeletal sentinels, radiating an ominous aura of death. The swamp exuded an unbearable stench, a vile smell that permeated the air.

The muddy terrain made progress difficult; stepping too heavily could cause one to sink. Navigating the quagmire required precise control over both pressure and speed.

But for the lightweight Avik, this presented little challenge. He now raced across the swamp with a calm, expressionless face, his movements swift and precise like a predatory cheetah locked onto its prey.

"I hope I make it in time..."

Avik was determined to complete his mission undisturbed but couldn't shake the worry that, should complications arise, the two others might not arrive in time to help. The conflicting thoughts gnawed at him as he moved swiftly through the marsh.

In truth, none of this would have been necessary if not for his past mistake—a blunder that had reduced him to assisting mortal nations with their trivial conflicts. This regret simmered in his heart, a bitter reminder of his own failure.

From what Dazni had demonstrated so far, it wouldn't take him long to finish searching the ruined village. He would likely arrive to regroup in just a few minutes.

If Avik were to involve them in retrieving "that thing" and they learned the truth about who he really was, it would undoubtedly cause chaos within the Empire.

Interrogation from Imperial authorities would be inevitable.

Only Krizz knew the full extent of the truth. Many critical steps had only been possible with Krizz's covert assistance, and if everything were exposed, it would drag Krizz into trouble as well.

No—this was a matter that only Avik could resolve. Involving the other two would bring nothing but unnecessary complications.

With this thought, Avik increased his pace further.

The surrounding scenery blurred into streaks as his urgency intensified.

Search the island? That had never been part of the plan. Unless they intended to set up a temporary base here, such a task was meaningless.

It had merely been an excuse—a ploy to separate Dazni from himself, even briefly.

Avik's earlier display of reluctance toward the mission had also been a ruse, a calculated deception to mask his true intentions.

Even the mission route itself had been meticulously designed by Avik and submitted to the Empire's upper echelons.

What surprised him was how easily the Empire had approved the plan. He had assumed that, as a newcomer, his suggestion would be dismissed outright.

Had it been rejected, he had backup plans prepared. But they weren't necessary anymore.

Everything seemed to be proceeding exactly as Avik had planned.

But could the plan remain flawless until the end? A faint unease stirred within Avik's heart.