Chapter 6

Sebastian blinked his eyes open, greeted by the sterile white light of the hospital room. The steady beeping of machines and the cool touch of wires against his skin brought him back to full consciousness. His head throbbed, but as he rubbed it, he realized something odd—there were no wounds. His last memories flooded back in a rush: the beast, his mother's sacrifice, the lightning strike.

He looked around, disoriented, trying to piece together how he had ended up in this hospital bed. But before he could process any further, a ding echoed softly in his ears, causing him to flinch. A strange black screen appeared in front of his eyes, floating as if it had materialized out of thin air. The screen was adorned with intricate golden and red engravings, a sight that made Sebastian's heart skip a beat.

"[System initialized. Host synchronization complete.]"

The voice was calm, mechanical—detached from any human emotion. Sebastian blinked in confusion, his mind racing. What system? He hadn't even had time to fully process what he was seeing when another message flashed across the screen, the same robotic voice cutting through his thoughts.

"[I am the Mythic Ascension System. I will help you become stronger.]"

Sebastian's confusion only deepened. Mythic Ascension System? He couldn't understand what was happening. His heart was pounding, trying to make sense of this strange new development. And then, almost as if responding to his thoughts, the robotic voice spoke again.

"[Think about opening the system.]"

Sebastian, unsure of what else to do, thought about the system interface. Instantly, as if triggered by his very thoughts, a sleek interface appeared in front of his eyes:

[Mythic Ascension System]

[Status]

[Skillls]

[Quests]

[Shop]

[Inventory]

Status, Quests, inventory and skills were highlighted in green, indicating they were accessible and the Shop icon was greyed out, locked for now. He stared at it, still struggling to comprehend what this system was and how it had appeared inside his head.

As he was about to check the notifications, the door to his hospital room creaked open. Startled, Sebastian's focus broke, and the system interface vanished, disappearing from his view. He looked toward the door and saw a tall, muscular man walking in. His uniform bore the crow emblem and a silver star—Sebastian recognized him immediately. It was Aiden Brown, the captain of the guards who had fought the beast.

Aiden's face was calm, but there was a hint of guilt in his eyes as he approached. "Sebastian," he greeted softly, his voice steady. "How are you feeling?"

Sebastian swallowed, his mind still half-occupied with what had just happened with the system. "I'm... I'm okay," he replied, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "You're the captain of the guards, right? The one who escorted the beast?"

Aiden nodded and stepped closer to the bed. "Yes. Aiden Brown, high rank 5, captain of guard battalion 24."

Sebastian's heart clenched as he remembered the last moments with his mother. He forced himself to ask, even though he feared the answer. "What happened to my mother…?"

Aiden's expression shifted, the weight of his words clear on his face. He lowered his eyes slightly before speaking. "She didn't survive the attack, Sebastian. Your mother died due to our carelessness . We buried her behind your house, in the backyard as we didn't know how long you will asleep. I'm deeply sorry for your loss."

"How long have I been unconscious?" Sebastian asked, his voice rough and tight with emotion.

"About 24 hours," Aiden replied. "You were struck by lightning during the attack. We thought you'd be seriously injured, but when we found you, you were glowing with a strange white aura. We brought you here to make sure you were stable."

Sebastian nodded numbly, his mind trying to process everything—the lightning, the strange aura, the system that had appeared in his head. None of it made sense, but he couldn't focus on that now. There were too many emotions swirling inside him.

Aiden reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object, a simple silver ring. He handed it to Sebastian, who took it without a word. "This is a spatial ring," Aiden explained. "The government has provided some compensation for your loss—inside, you'll find 10 gold coins. There's also the beast core of the Pyro Feline—the creature that... killed your mother. It's yours now."

Sebastian stared at the ring in his hand, the cold metal pressing into his palm. It felt heavy, not physically but emotionally, as if it was a reminder of everything he had lost. "I see," he murmured quietly.

Aiden stepped back slightly, giving Sebastian space. "Do you have any plans for the future? I know it's a lot to take in right now, but you'll need to figure out your next steps."

Sebastian's mind immediately went to the entrance exam for Aetheria Academy. He said "I'm going to prepare for the Aetheria Academy entrance test," he said, his voice more certain now, though the pain was still there.

Aiden nodded approvingly. "That's a good goal. If you're serious about training, I suggest you head to the Mistwood Forest nearby. It's a good place to train, but be careful. Don't go too deep—Mistwood connects to the Amazon Forest, which is home to much stronger beasts. You should be able to find lower-ranked creatures to fight near the edge."

Sebastian nodded, appreciating the advice. His mind was already racing with thoughts of training, of becoming stronger, of figuring out how this strange system in his head worked.

Aiden placed a hand on his shoulder briefly, a sign of support. "Good luck, Sebastian. You've got what it takes. Just be careful out there."

With that, Aiden turned and left the room, leaving Sebastian alone with his thoughts. The door clicked shut softly behind him, and the quiet of the hospital room settled in once more.

Sebastian remained still for a few moments, his emotions swirling in a mix of grief, confusion, and a quiet determination. He had lost his mother, but now he had to face the world without her.