Chapter 92: Doors [2]
Ethan's words pierced the air, loaded with regret and anger—"Alaric Cross, that man. I don't trust him....him or the Central Union."
"I deduced that much myself about the involvement of the Central Union. But why do you feel that way about Alaric, uncle?" I asked.
Ethan's gaze met mine, filled with a hint of remorse. "After your father's mysterious disappearance, or as they labeled it—'death's, Alaric Cross never once came to see you."
Ethan clenched his fists tightly. "But your father used to speak of Alaric as his friend. Why would a friend not even bother to pay a single visit to Aurelius's only son after his death?" Ethan let out in a disdainful voice.
His nails dug in his flesh and an undeniable emanation of potent mana surrounded him, causing the ground beneath us to shake in response.
"Uncle..."— I warned gently, reaching out to place a calming hand on his shoulder.
The tension in the air swiftly dissipited
Ethan took a deep breath, visibly exerting control over his emotions—"I am sorry", he exhaled.
"At what point did you begin to doubt that.. central union was... involved? "—I asked.
I knew that this was a touchy topic for him.
But, I couldn't afford to concern myself with his emotions at the moment.
What I needed were answers.
I was overwhelmed with numerous hypotheses, but without any concrete evidence to solidify them into theories, it felt like my mind would erupt like an exploding volcano.
A moment of silence passed before Ethan began to speak again—"After your father's death, Alaric did come to see me once", he divulged.
"At that time, he was far from being recognized as the strongest human. But mysteriously, after your father's passing..." His voice trailed off, leaving the rest unspoken.
My mind raced to connect the dots, completing Ethan's unfinished sentence—"He grew exponentially stronger within just a couple of years and eventually ascended to become the head of the Central Union", I completed the sentence for him.
In this world, Alaric Cross assumed leadership of the Central Union in year 2006, a mere three years after the tragic death of Noah's parents.
"You mentioned that he visited you once after my father's death. Why? "
"He came to check if your father had left anything behind before his death. And as I was his close friend, he thought maybe there would be something intended for me", Ethan explained.
"Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for me, your father left nothing behind. Once Alaric discovered this, he never bothered to check on us again. Not even once... and we used to believe he was a friend. Then, just three years later, he was suddenly declared as the new head of the Central Union."
"What bothered me was how did Alaric, who was only A rank, before the death of your father, ascend to an SSS+ rank? That also in just two years?"
"...." ,only silence escaped me.
The puzzle pieces were beginning to fall into place, providing glimpses of what might have transpired. Yet, at the back of my mind, an alternate hypothesis lingered—a connection between my transmigration and...
"It's true that your father left nothing behind for me"— Ethan reiterated, causing me to stop my train of thoughts and look at him.
He continued, "But he did leave something behind. Not for me, but for you."
"For me? "—I asked a little puzzled.
"Your father possessed qualities that people like Alaric could never have, Noah. He was more than just a man—he was a visionary. I believe he had glimpsed into the future long before any events unfolded. He knew that if the day ever came when he no longer walked this world, someone would come searching for the remnants he left behind. And so, he devised a safeguard to protect his cherished possessions from the prying eyes of the greedy", Ethan proclaimed, his voice filled with admiration.
With a sense of solemnity, he continued, "He entrusted me with something to pass on to you—a precious gift, and also a message he left behind."
He shrugged his shoulder, "Even I had a hard time believing it. I don't just call your father a genius for nothing"
"What's inside it?"
Ethan shook his head, "I don't know. I've never tried to open the ring. The ring is specially enchanted, designed in a way that only you can open it."
I instinctively attempted to infuse the ring with mana, intending to unlock it.
"Don't try to open it now. It won't work"—Ethan let out.
"What? Why? "—I asked.
"Your father enchanted in such a way that only after you reach 18 years of age, only then can you can open it."—Saying so Ethan stood up from the bench.
"Let's head home. Your sisters will be coming back soon"
***
[1 day later, in the outskirts of Vyoma forest.]
"James, dodge!"— a coarse, weathered voice urgently warned, as a steel flamite lunged at James Reeves, its intentions sinister and deadly.
The steel flamite, a sleek black cheetah-like creature with piercing blue eyes, was a D ranked monster.
Its maw could unleash silvery white flames, capable of obliterating anything in their path, with an unstoppable fervor once ignited.
Moreover, with age, a steel flamite could grow to possess the strength equivalent to a formidable B ranked monster.
And now, in this moment, a steel flamite soared towards James, causing the earth to tremble with its leap.
Reacting with lightning speed, James instinctively grabbed hold of the creature's neck, its jaws menacingly open just inches away from his face.
However, his temporary respite was short-lived, as a swirling white sphere of fire manifested within the beast's mouth, ready to reduce James to mere charcoal in an instant.
James's eyes quickly changed from their ordinary brown color to a vivid glowing green as the fireball in the monster's mouth, disappeared from existence. It was as if the energy of the fireball was sucked out.
Gone was the cheerful demeanor James typically carried, replaced with an air of indifference and an icy coldness that seemed to seep from his very being.
Had this always been James's true nature?
Or was this newfound demeanor a facade, concealing his hidden depths?
His vibrant, glowing green eyes scanned the monstrous creature before him,unimpressed, uninterested.
Looking at the monster James uttered a single word, dripping with disdain, "Insect."
And as if in response to his mere disdainful proclamation, a peculiar green aura enveloped the creature, reducing it to nothing more than fine dust.
A once mighty beast eradicated as if it were a mere insignificant bug.
Witnessing this spectacle, the old man beside him couldn't help but exclaim, "You've grown stronger."
Seemingly unperturbed by his newfound power, James casually inquired, his voice stripped of any emotion, "How much longer until we arrive there?"
***
A/N: Hey everyone! So, I received this unexpected free membership card, but honestly, I have no clue who gave it to me. At the time, I didn't even realize what it was, so I just accepted it without much thought. But then it hit me later that it was actually a membership card. So, I'm curious, did any of you, my dear readers, gift me this? I'm genuinely interested to know.
I want to be transparent here - receiving gifts like this feels a bit strange and expensive. I want to emphasize that I'm writing this story not for gifts or money, but solely for my own satisfaction. If you really want to support me, I'd much rather have your comments on my chapters. Your thoughts and ideas are invaluable to me in shaping this world I'm creating. So please, feel free to share your insights and contribute to the journey in that way. Thank you!