MYSTERY WINDOW CH 6

After Alaric regained consciousness, the captain left him in his room, reassuring him, "I will tell the crew to bring you some food. You take rest." Alaric, feeling disoriented, began to take in his surroundings. As he looked around the room, one thing caught his eye: a badge on the door with the emblem of the Z-Yang continent. Realization struck him—this ship was heading toward the Z-Yang continent.

He recognized the emblem as belonging to a prominent free company in Z-Yang, a region known for its unique political landscape, comprising seven kingdoms and five countries. The Z-Yang continent was incredibly far from his homeland. Traveling by plane would take three days, while a journey by ship would span nearly three months. This realization added to the weight of his situation—he was far from home, in unfamiliar territory.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Alaric couldn't shake the memories of his execution day. He vividly recalled the moment when he received a mysterious status window, something referred to as the "Emperor's Will." The words "True Emperor" and "Emperor's Will" were prominently displayed on this window, stirring a mixture of confusion and curiosity within him.

Alaric wondered what this "Emperor's Will" entailed. The rapid healing of his wounds was already beyond normal, hinting at something extraordinary. As he pondered over this, a crew member entered the room, bringing food as promised. The aroma of the meal reminded him of how hungry he was. Despite the turmoil in his mind, he managed to eat, grateful for the sustenance.

The captain's words echoed in his head, "Rest now." But rest was elusive. The execution, the escape, and now this strange new power—everything was overwhelming. He knew he had to understand this "Emperor's Will" if he was to survive and make sense of what had happened. Determined, he decided to focus on learning more about this ability while also figuring out his next steps in this new and distant land.

After the crew left and Alaric finished his meal, he whispered, "Status window," and to his astonishment, a window popped up in front of him. "What is this? Am I dreaming or something?" he wondered aloud. The window was crimson, a deep, blood-red hue. Alaric's knowledge of ranker windows flooded his mind. He knew there were only four types of windows among the rankers—those who had achieved psychic and spiritual powers and were known as the guardians of humanity.

Rankers played a crucial role in protecting the world from the endless monsters that still existed, despite being largely suppressed a thousand years ago. These monsters had been captured and confined in a special void space, a realm with random biomes and environments. Humanity had managed to secure this void, ensuring the monsters were contained.

The four types of ranker windows were color-coded based on power levels. The silver window, the most common, belonged to ordinary people. Those with blue windows were the extraordinary ones, destined for greatness beyond the ordinary. The golden windows were the mark of grandmasters, the pinnacle of psychic and spiritual power. Then, there was the enigmatic white window, possessed by only one hundred and twenty individuals, shrouded in mystery. The true nature of their powers was unknown, but these people were considered incredibly important.

Alaric knew of another, more ominous window—the black window, also known as the curse or devil's window. Those cursed with this window became monstrously powerful, far surpassing ordinary rankers, but at a terrible cost. They lost control of their minds, becoming chaotic beings who preyed on other rankers, driven by the window's influence.

However, this blood-red window was unlike any he had ever heard of. It wasn't blue, silver, golden, white, or even the dreaded black. "I've never seen or heard of a crimson window," Alaric thought. "What does this mean?" His mind raced with questions. This new development, combined with his rapid healing and mysterious powers, hinted at something beyond his understanding.

Alaric knew he had to explore this further. The journey ahead was filled with uncertainties, but one thing was clear—he was no ordinary boy. The blood-red window signified something extraordinary, perhaps even unprecedented.