Chapter 7

After being discharged from the hospital, Sebastian walked home alone. The afternoon sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the familiar road. His head was still buzzing with the whirlwind of events, but the steady rhythm of his footsteps offered some relief from the overwhelming thoughts. The hospital bill had been taken care of, and the short walk home meant there was no need for a taxi, but even so, the weight of his predicament sat heavily on his shoulders.

Alone. Unemployed. And with only the money the government had given him for his mother's death. He clenched his fists at the thought. Everything had changed so fast.

As he walked, he couldn't escape the various glances thrown his way. Some people cast looks of pity, while others seemed to radiate anger, perhaps upset over the death of a Rank 3 MANA user like his mother. A few glanced at him with disdain, no doubt remembering his dismal score at the Earth Academy entrance exam. Then there were those who eyed him with greed, no doubt thinking about the compensation the government had provided him.

Sebastian sighed, his breath escaping like a quiet gust in the wind. He ignored the stares, keeping his head down as he trudged home. It wasn't long before he reached his house—a modest structure that had always been a place of comfort, but now it felt cold, empty. His mother's absence weighed on the atmosphere, turning the home into a hollow shell of what it had been.

He opened the door, and the silence welcomed him like an old companion. Without much thought, Sebastian collapsed onto the couch, sinking into the cushions. He stared at the ceiling, the events of the last few days swirling in his mind like a storm. The hospital, the beast, the lightning, and... the system.

The system.

Was it real? Or was it just some hallucination brought on by the lightning strike?

Sebastian frowned, rubbing his temples. "Maybe I was just imagining it," he muttered under his breath. The idea of a mystical system helping him grow stronger seemed ridiculous. Why him? Of all people, why would something like that appear in his life?

Suddenly, a familiar ding echoed in his ears, followed by the same calm, robotic voice that had spoken to him in the hospital.

"I am real."

Sebastian sat up straight, his heart skipping a beat. The screen he had seen before materialized in front of him, hovering just above his lap. He blinked, shaking his head in disbelief. "What… what are you?"

"I am the Mythic Ascension System, built by The Lord to help you become stronger."

"Lord?" Sebastian furrowed his brow. "Who is your Lord?"

There was a brief pause before the voice responded, emotionless as always. "That information is classified."

Sebastian stared at the screen, feeling a flicker of frustration. "Why me? Why did you choose me?"

"It was just a coincidence."

His eyes narrowed, suspicion growing in his chest. "There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. What does your Lord want?"

"I do not have that information."

The calmness of the voice, the certainty in its tone, only deepened Sebastian's doubt. Something about the system didn't sit right with him, but he also knew there wasn't much he could do about it. Whether he liked it or not, the system was real. And if it could make him stronger, maybe it was worth keeping around—for now.

Sighing, Sebastian leaned back against the couch and allowed his mind to focus on more pressing matters. The system could wait. There were bigger problems to deal with. He pulled out the spatial ring Aiden had given him and examined it, thinking about the resources inside. The beast core, the 10 gold coins—it was a substantial amount for someone in Eclipsia, but it wasn't enough to make a real impact in the grand scheme of things. Especially when he thought about Aetheria Academy and the expectations of students there.

Sebastian's gaze drifted toward his mother's room. With a heavy heart, he stood and walked inside. The familiar scent of her presence still lingered, but the warmth that had once filled the space was gone. He found her purse on the dresser and emptied its contents onto the table. Among the small items, he found her account information.

He checked her balance—75,000 global coins. It was a decent amount, but combined with the 10,000 global coins in his own account, it still felt inadequate for what was to come. Eclipsia was a small town, and to most here, he was probably rich. But for the standards of Aetheria Academy, where talent and resources were everything, this would barely get him through the first phase.

One gold coin equals 100 silver coins. One silver equals 100 bronze or global coins. Sebastian did the math quickly. It wasn't bad. But it wasn't enough either.

Sighing again, he left his mother's room and sat back on the couch, pondering his next steps. The entrance exam for Aetheria Academy was scheduled for next week. He had little time to prepare, and without a solid plan, he would likely fail again. And that wasn't an option. Not anymore.

He pulled out his phone and opened the online forums, scrolling through the latest news. He needed to know what was happening in the world, what he was up against. The headlines flashed before his eyes:

[Top Trending News – March 15, 3024]

[Discovery of a Vampire spy family in Radiant Ridge city – they committed suicide after exposure.]

[Aetheria Academy's entrance exam is slated for March 29, 3024.]

[Mason Hertz has attained the coveted position of core disciple at Earth Academy's main branch.]

[Earth's Government dispatches a formidable team to trace the home solar system of vampires.]

Sebastian frowned, his thoughts racing. Mason Hertz? The name sounded familiar. Mason scored highest score during the Earth Academy exams. And now, he was a core disciple at the Earth Academy's main branch—a position that carried immense prestige.

Sebastian's fingers tightened around his phone. The gap between him and someone like Mason felt like an insurmountable chasm. But it didn't matter. He had to find a way to close that gap, and quickly.