Perfect! Here's Chapter 10: Training with Father, continuing directly after Chapter 9, where Ray summoned his first beast and expanded his Domain.
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Chapter 10: Training with Father
The morning sun spilled through the wooden-framed windows of the Montclair estate, casting warm gold across the polished floorboards. Birds chirped. The scent of dew and bread drifted through the halls. And in the training yard, a boy stood barefoot on cracked stone, a wooden sword in hand, eyes half-lidded with the universal look of someone forced out of bed too early.
"Again," came the gravelly voice of his father—Darian Montclair, war-hardened knight, six feet of muscle, and the most terrifying morning person in the kingdom.
Ray groaned. "You know... in some cultures, hitting children before breakfast is considered abuse."
Darian smirked and stepped forward, sword slashing through the air with the elegance of a dancer and the weight of a warhorse. "Good. Then it'll be educational."
Ray parried the blow—barely—and was rewarded with a jolt running down his arm. System 15's voice echoed in his head.
> [System Message: You have parried a Rank 3 strike. Your bones have taken 0.3% structural damage. Congratulations! You're now 0.3% less attractive. Want to whine about it? Y/N]
"Y." Ray thought, internally.
> [Whine request acknowledged. Begin automated internal screaming… now.]
Ray launched a counterattack, using his nimble frame to duck and lunge, but Darian caught him mid-swing and swept his legs out from under him.
Thunk.
"Ten seconds," his father muttered. "Longer than yesterday. You're improving."
"Was that... a compliment?" Ray asked from the dirt.
Darian chuckled and held out a hand. "Don't let it get to your head. Real battles won't wait for praise."
---
They trained for hours. Sword drills. Footwork. Stamina. Darian didn't hold back. He pushed Ray like he would an adult soldier—and that was the point. Ray wasn't just another noble brat; he had potential, and more importantly, he had secrets.
By midday, they sat beneath the shadow of a tall oak, sweat dripping, breaths even. Ray sipped water and stared at the wooden sword beside him.
"You fought in the Beast Tide War," he said quietly.
Darian nodded. "I did."
"How many did you kill?"
"Too many to count. And not enough to stop what came next."
Ray didn't press. Some answers didn't need to be said aloud. But something shifted in his father's expression—a flicker of pain beneath the steel.
Darian looked at him, eyes sharp. "You'll need to be stronger than me, Ray. This world isn't kind to dreamers or the weak. Our family stands because we earned it. You understand?"
Ray nodded, the sarcasm drained from him for once.
"I'll be strong enough to protect them," he said. "Even you."
Darian smiled faintly. "Then get ready. Tomorrow, we move beyond wooden swords."
---
That evening, Ray returned to his room and collapsed on his bed. His muscles ached. Dirt clung to his clothes. But something else throbbed under the exhaustion—a growing fire in his chest.
> [System Message: Training complete. +2 STR, +1 AGI, +4% respect from Father acquired. Small chance of backhand incoming in future sparring: 74%.]
Ray grinned. "Worth it."
He turned over, glancing out the window. Somewhere out there, beasts were gathering. Portals would open. Wars would come.
But not today.
Today, he had a family. A sword. And tomorrow, he'd train again.
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Would you like to continue to Chapter 11: Know About the World?Great! Here's the continuation.
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Chapter 11: Know About the World
The next morning came with the earthy scent of rain and the soft knock of knuckles on Ray's door.
"Ray, wake up!" his sister called through the wood. "Father said you're free today, but Mother wants you dressed and downstairs. Now."
Ray cracked one eye open. A day off? Is this a trap?
System 15 chirped in, its voice far too excited for this early hour.
> [System Message: Congratu-freaking-lations. It's Lore Dump Day! Time to get hit with the emotional trauma of politics, global warfare, and stupid names for kingdoms. Yay, learning!]
Ray groaned, dragged himself up, washed, dressed in soft cottons, and made his way to the drawing room.
---
The entire family was there—Father sipping tea with his ever-scowling face, Mother humming while knitting something definitely not needed, Sister reading a book on magical theory, and his Junior Brother—chasing a chicken with terrifying enthusiasm.
And then there was Grandfather.
Lord Elric Montclair, former General of the Eastern Front, a man whose mere eyebrow raise could make grown men soil themselves, was seated in a high-backed chair. He gestured for Ray to come closer.
"Sit, boy. Today you learn about Aetherra."
Ray sat.
And the flood began.
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Elric waved a hand, and a magical map shimmered into existence in the air. Six massive continents rotated slowly, glowing with different colors.
"This is your world," Elric said. "Aetherra. Humanity's cradle, and potentially its tomb."
He pointed to a darkened continent in the northeast.
"Araskel. Captured five years ago. Tier 2 Portal opened—Insect World flooded it. Queen nested in its heart. Our armies were slaughtered."
Ray narrowed his eyes. "And we just let them keep it?"
Elric scowled. "We fight. Every year. Every day. But Tier 2 means their Champions walk freely there. Even Rank 8s can die."
Another continent glowed green.
"Velmor. Survived. Barely. Joint effort of all five human kingdoms pushed the bugs back. But the damage was catastrophic."
Then he pointed to a third.
"Solvar. The next gate opens here. Five years. Maybe less. If our barriers weaken further, it could be tomorrow."
Ray frowned. "And the other three?"
"Still safe. But their barriers flicker. If they fall, the war comes again."
He gestured to the glowing dots scattered across the map.
"Humanity has 8 known Rank 8s. Two in the Government. The rest? Each heads a Royal Family. They rule with power, not blood."
Ray's mother spoke next, her voice gentle but firm. "There are also 22 Rank 7s. Guild masters, academy leaders, and noble heads. Some protect us. Others... play their own games."
Ray leaned back. "So, 30 titans walking among sheep."
His sister looked up. "And one of them is a traitor. The Lost Family. They want the insect land back."
Ray's interest peaked. "Back?"
"They were the rulers of Araskel before it fell. They blame the Government for abandoning them. They now attack border forces, demanding their land returned."
"Even if it's infested?"
"They don't care."
> [System Note: Plot device acquired! Cue dramatic betrayal later.]
Ray rubbed his chin. "So, six continents, bugs, politics, betrayal, dying barriers, and only 30 real monsters on our side."
Father added quietly, "And now you know what you must one day stand against."
---
That night, Ray lay in his bed, eyes on the ceiling.
Thirty giants. One system. One Domain. One No-Bark Tree. One necromancer who hasn't even hit puberty yet.
He grinned.
"Time to start punching above my weight."
> [System Message: You're damn right.]
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Shall we continue to Chapter 12: Power Ranks, Royal Families, Beast Ranks?Absolutely! Here's the continuation.
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Chapter 12: Power Ranks, Royal Families, Beast Ranks
By noon, Ray had managed to sneak a cup of coffee—yes, coffee existed here, though it tasted like it lost a bar fight with a tree bark—and dragged himself back to the study, where his grandfather had promised to "complete the lesson."
Ray wasn't sure if it was a lesson or an info-dump from hell, but curiosity won.
Lord Elric stood at the head of the long oak table, a magical tome open and humming with energy. A thin blue glow hovered over the pages, forming images in the air—ranked towers, bloodlines, and beast forms flickering like ghosts.
"Listen closely, Ray," Elric said without turning. "This is the knowledge they teach only nobles. And the foolish nobles forget it too easily."
Ray leaned forward. "I'm listening."
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[Human Power Rankings]
Elric raised his hand, and a golden pillar appeared, split into eight tiers. Ray's eyes locked onto it.
Tier 1: Mortal.
90% of humans. Farmers, merchants, soldiers. No mana. No spark.
Tier 2: Awakened.
Mana veins open. Body strengthens. Can lift twice their weight, react faster, heal slightly.
Tier 3: Enhanced.
Mana manipulation. Basic spells, elemental control, body hardening. Most common among low-tier guild members.
Tier 4: Disciple.
Specialized paths form. Elemental, martial, spiritual. Can create Mana Circles.
15x physical strength. Able to kill beasts up to Level 4 solo.
Tier 5: Master.
Create Domains. Can fight mid-tier beasts. Military leaders, elite knights, academy professors.
Tier 6: Grandmaster.
Rare. Only a few hundred in the world. Known as "City Killers." Each capable of large-scale destruction.
Tier 7: Saint.
22 known. Commanders of guilds, noble families, academies. Each could solo a battlefield. Elemental Laws begin forming.
Tier 8: Sovereign.
8 in total. Control laws, manipulate Domains across miles. Some can stop time briefly, others bend gravity.
These are the Kings of the battlefield.
> [System Note: Translation—don't piss off anyone who breathes funny or glows.]
Ray chuckled. "Alright. I'm guessing I'm... what, Tier 1.5 right now?"
Elric raised an eyebrow. "Barely Tier 2, maybe. But your System makes you unpredictable."
---
[Royal Families of the Six Continents]
Next, Elric waved again, showing six crests.
1. Aurelis Family (North) - Masters of light and holy arts. Rule with divine mandates. Self-righteous pricks.
2. Drakengarde Family (West) - Dragon bloodline. Physical monsters. Use beast companions.
3. Obsidian Rose (East) - Shadow magic. Assassins and spies. Known for being subtle and deadly.
4. Verdant Fang (South) - Nature-based. Druids, beast tamers, poisoners. Peaceful but dangerous.
5. Stormheart Dominion (Center) - Lightning users. Aggressive, militant, and currently leading the global defense efforts.
6. Ashveil House (Floating Isles) - Air and illusion magic. Aloof, powerful, and possibly insane.
Each of these families housed a Rank 8 Sovereign and at least one Rank 7 descendant.
"They don't like each other," Elric added, sipping his tea. "But they hate the Insects more. For now."
---
[Beast Ranks]
Elric shifted the tome, showing diagrams of monstrous creatures—each worse than the last.
Level 1–3: Basic Beasts.
Wolves, bears, minor mana-affected predators.
Level 4–5: Mutated Beasts.
Elemental affinity. Razorback Tigers, Fire-Fanged Boars, etc.
Capable of small-scale destruction.
Level 6: King Beasts.
Each rules a territory. Think smart. Plan.
Their corpses are worth gold, literally.
Level 7–8: Disaster Beasts.
Rare. Kill cities if left alone. Tier 6 humans run from them.
Required whole squads of Tier 7+ to put down.
Level 9: Ancient Class.
Myth. No confirmed sightings since the Second Gate War.
Said to warp space and time.
"...and if you ever see a Level 10, run. You're not the protagonist of a children's bedtime story."
Ray blinked. "What the hell is a Level 10 beast?"
Elric stared coldly. "It's the kind of thing even gods hesitate to fight."
> [System Note: Foreshadowing detected. Prepare pants for future soiling.]
---
As the magical images faded, Ray sat back, mind buzzing.
So many layers. So many monsters. So much bullshit politics.
And he was a six-year-old necromancer with a chaotic system, a dead tree in his Domain, and a sense of sarcasm sharper than any sword.
He smiled.
"Good. I like long odds."
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Ready to continue to Chapter 13: Spend Time with Family and Villagers?Absolutely! Here's the continuation.
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Chapter 13: Moments of Peace, Whispers of War
The morning air was crisp, laced with the scent of dew, wild herbs, and the faint smokiness of breakfast being made in the village below.
Ray sat on the fencepost, boots swinging lazily, watching a pair of goats attempt to murder each other over a half-eaten carrot.
"Is this what peace looks like?" he muttered, chewing on a roasted nut his sister had handed him.
> [System 15]: Peace? No, this is what boredom tastes like. Like licking stale wood. Wait, you've done that before, haven't you?
"No comment," Ray replied, eyes narrowing at a goat that just did a spin kick. "I see why this place raises warriors."
The village of Narthfall was quaint—stone houses with mossy roofs, dirt paths hardened from generations of footsteps, and old people who looked at Ray like he was a walking paradox: too quiet, too smart, and too... cursed.
But they smiled, and that counted.
---
Spending Time with the Family
That afternoon, Ray's mother dragged him to the orchard. Her hands were calloused, her magic subtle—she used Earth Affinity not to fight, but to guide roots, to calm trees, to make the soil listen.
They sat together, just the two of them, as she helped him understand what listening to the land meant.
"It remembers us," she whispered. "When you walk with intent, the roots shift to avoid you. When you walk with anger... it watches."
Ray placed his hand on the dirt. It was warm. Alive. Still learning to trust him.
> [System 15]: Dirt is just earth with gossip. Listen close, and it'll spill its secrets.
---
In the evening, he trained with his father.
They sparred in silence, his father's massive axe always a breath away from cleaving Ray in two—but never touching.
Sweat poured. Muscles ached. But Ray was smiling.
"Too slow," his father grunted.
"I'm six!" Ray snapped, dodging another swing.
"Excuses are for people who die early."
Harsh? Yes. But also loving, in the way only warriors knew how to show.
Afterward, they sat on the porch drinking goat milk, breathing hard.
"You'll surpass me one day," his father said.
Ray looked at the stars. "I plan to. By a lot."
---
Village Life
Ray helped the butcher salt boar meat. Helped the healer organize herbs. Played tag with the village kids, most of whom learned that Ray was dangerous when he actually tried.
One kid, Mira, tried to punch him during hide-and-seek. Ray let her. Barely felt it.
The next day, she brought him a flower crown.
He didn't say anything, but he wore it the whole afternoon.
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Domain Update: No-Bark Tree
Late at night, Ray entered his Domain. The air felt... different.
The No-Bark Tree had grown a few inches taller, its pale trunk glowing faintly.
And at its roots—a single black mushroom had appeared.
Ray knelt. Touched it.
> [System 15]: Hmm. That's either a baby Spore Demon... or an undead truffle. Either way, name it. You're its dad now.
Ray stared. "I'll call you... Steve."
The mushroom wiggled.
He stepped back and sighed. "Of course Steve's alive."
---
Foreshadowing: Whispers of War
That night, the wind howled.
Ray stood on the roof, staring toward the southern horizon. A dull, green glow flickered at the edge of the world.
He knew what it meant. So did the crows that fled toward the mountains.
A Tier 5 Gate was stirring.
And the peaceful days in Narthfall were numbered.
Ray clenched his fist.
"Let them come. I've got a tree, a mushroom, a sword, and a system with daddy issues."
> [System 15]: I'm not broken. I'm chaotic. Big difference.
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Ready to continue to Chapter 14: First Undead Summon?Perfect! Let's continue.
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Chapter 14: The First Undead Summon
The night was unnaturally quiet. The kind of silence that made every heartbeat feel like thunder, every breath a betrayal. Moonlight filtered through Ray's window in his family home, painting silver lines across the wooden floor.
His eyes snapped open.
> [System 15]: You ready, corpse-boy? Tonight's the night. Let's raise some moral concerns.
Ray smirked, rolled out of bed, and tiptoed out the house. His sister muttered in her sleep, curled up under a thick fur blanket, unaware that her brother was about to desecrate nature in a legally gray way.
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The Ritual Site – Edge of the Domain
Inside his Domain, the No-Bark Tree pulsed with energy. Its leaves were still absent, but its branches twisted ever so slightly as Ray approached. The black mushroom—Steve—was asleep, emitting faint snores like a wet squeaky toy.
Ray stood in a clearing where the earth was unnaturally still.
He took out the bones he'd prepared—scavenged from a dead forest wolf that had attacked the village days earlier.
They were clean, brittle, and lightly etched with runes, thanks to System 15's "Necro-For-Dummies" tutorial.
> [System 15]: All right, champ. Time to mix a little fear, a dash of illegal magic, and just a sprinkle of 'please don't explode.' Repeat after me.
Ray's eyes glowed with faint violet light.
He began to chant, his voice low and steady.
A rune circle lit up beneath him, pulsing with life... or rather, un-life.
> "From dust to bone, from silence to moan,
Rise with my will, and serve to atone."
The bones jerked.
Then rattled.
Then snapped together with sickening cracks, forming a malformed wolf-shaped figure. Its eyes ignited with ghostly blue flames.
It stood. Wobbled. Then sat like a happy dog—except it was very much dead and very much leaking spectral mist from its joints.
Ray's lips twitched.
"I shall name you... Stitches."
The wolf barked. A wheezy, hollow sound like someone blowing through a broken flute.
> [System 15]: Congratulations. You've just summoned your first Undead! Now please note: it might eat children. Yours or someone else's. Doesn't matter.
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Testing Stitches
Ray pointed at a tree.
"Attack."
Stitches sprinted. More accurately, it clattered, bones clanking like a xylophone during an earthquake. It pounced, tore bark, and knocked the tree halfway over.
Ray raised a brow.
"Strength above average. Movement... like a drunk skeleton. Intelligence—pending."
Stitches turned and ran headfirst into a boulder.
> [System 15]: Intelligence confirmed. Rock enthusiast.
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Emotional Weight
Ray sat beside the No-Bark Tree after, staring at his new minion.
"It's not just power. This... this changes things. If I can raise one, I can raise many. I can protect my family."
He clenched his fists.
"The world won't take them from me. Not again."
For a second, the wind around the Domain felt... reverent. Like it, too, knew what he meant.
---
The No-Bark Tree stirred. A second mushroom sprouted. Steve now had a brother. Ray sighed.
> [System 15]: Gonna need a bigger mushroom nursery. Also, teach Stitches not to piss on the sacred roots. He did it. I saw.
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End of Chapter 14
Ready for Chapter 15: The Awakening Ceremony? This is where things go public—and dangerous.