(Softly) – relates to the verb "похрустывал."
Unchangeable word. Degree of comparison: positive. Syntactic role: Circumstance of manner (answers "How?"). (Softly) – relates to the verb "похрустывал
(In the distance) – relates to the verb "послышался." 3. Morphological analysis of the adverb "Мягко": Part of speech: Adverb. (Softly) – relates to the verb "похрустывал