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Chapter 11: Mana Farts, Skeleton Pride, and Big Sis Returns
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The morning sun beamed through the window like it had a personal grudge against Ray's eyeballs.
He groaned.
Loudly.
Which came out as a high-pitched baby whimper.
[System Alert: Mana Core Stabilization – 13.2%]
[Progress toward Mana Sense: 7.4%]
"Ugh," Ray mumbled. "I just want five more minutes without dripping snot or learning arcane secrets through my mom's boobs."
15's voice popped up with its usual sass. "Be grateful. You're being breastfed mana-infused protein shakes. Most necromancers have to eat dirt and rob graves to level up."
"…I'd trade places right now if it meant I got to sleep."
"Nope. Welcome to baby hell."
---
Inside the Domain
Ray's mental form appeared with a yawn, plopping into the newly placed Domain throne. It was cobbled together from bones and crystalized frostwood—ugly but cozy.
Snowball was chasing spectral rabbits like a demon on espresso.
Bonehead?
Bonehead was flexing in front of a mirror.
A mirror he clearly stole from Ray's mother's wardrobe.
The skeleton admired his nonexistent abs, occasionally striking dumb poses like:
The Sword Saint Squat
The Flaming Bone Thrust
The Broken Back Arch (not on purpose)
Ray stared.
"…Did you install an ego module in him?"
"No," 15 replied. "That's just Bonehead being a proud little idiot. He leveled up."
Ray blinked. "Wait, really?"
[Unit: Bonehead – Basic Skeleton Soldier]
Level: 2
Skills: Sword Swing (Basic), Bone Grip (Weak), Pride (??? Passive)
Ray raised a brow. "Pride is a passive?"
"Apparently it gives him bonus morale when being watched."
"Oh, great. He's a skeleton influencer."
---
Weapon Tree Update:
Sword Tree had spat out its first iron short sword.
Bow Tree was halfway grown—vines twisting in the shape of a training bow.
Ray picked up the sword, handed it to Bonehead.
Bonehead immediately dropped it.
Then picked it up upside down.
Then tried to bite it.
Then got stabbed in the skull by his own grip.
Ray facepalmed. "We're all gonna die, aren't we?"
15 answered cheerfully, "Most likely. But it'll be funny."
---
Back in the Real World
Ray's crib was parked by the window. His mother hummed nearby while folding laundry.
Every now and then, she sent a faint mana pulse into his chest.
[System Alert: Maternal Mana Pulse Detected]
[Stamina Recovery Boost – Passive (Minor)]
Ray blinked. I'm being buffed like a raid boss every nap.
He tested his mana sense again.
Closed his eyes.
Focused on the core inside him—like a second heartbeat.
Let the energy gather…
"Pffrrrrrrrrrrt."
And promptly farted loud enough to wake the cat.
His mother paused mid-fold.
"Ray?"
Ray stared blankly.
Dead inside.
15 wheezed. "Congratulations. You channeled mana into your digestive track."
"I hate everything."
---
Later That Day – Trouble Brews
Ray was napping when the front door slammed open.
"I'M HOME, YOU LOSERS!"
The voice was loud. Sharp. Female.
And way too familiar.
Ray's eyes snapped open.
"Oh no."
15 chuckled. "Your sister's home. Let the sibling abuse begin."
Awen Stormborn, the family's firstborn daughter, strutted into the living room like she owned the continent. Which, to be fair, she almost did—she was a prodigy in Pangaria's elite academy.
Tall, with violet eyes, braided black hair, and a cold smirk that could freeze lava.
She wore her academy uniform and carried a glowing blade strapped to her back.
"Mom!" she shouted, before spotting the crib.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…That's the brat?"
Seris peeked in from the kitchen. "Ray, say hi to your big sister!"
Ray cooed, waving a chubby hand.
Awen stared at him like he was a pest.
"…He smells like rotten socks."
15 whispered, "I like her already."
Ray scowled mentally.
Awen walked over, poked him with the tip of her finger.
"Bet you're spoiled already," she muttered. "Little necromancer runt."
Ray's eyes widened.
Wait—she knew?
"Mom said you awakened with a weird dark affinity. Great. Just what this family needed. A baby cultist."
Seris called out, "He's very sweet! He already summoned a little skeleton!"
Awen rolled her eyes. "Hope it trips on a rock."
In the Domain, Bonehead tripped on a rock.
---
Family Dinner – Awkward As Hell
That night, the entire family sat around the dinner table.
Father. Mother. Ray in a floating chair. Awen with her smug smirk.
Ray was trying to eat mashed potatoes while channeling mana into his bones, which looked suspiciously like him pooping himself.
"Big day tomorrow," Seris said. "We're visiting the temple."
Awen groaned. "Ugh. Another priest poking baby Ray's mana core?"
"Standard procedure," Father said. "We need to verify if his System's stable."
Ray tensed.
15 whispered, "They might detect me."
"You gonna hide?"
"Oh, hell yeah. I'll be your imaginary friend for a day."
Ray rolled his baby eyes.
Awen stabbed a carrot violently.
"If that brat gets a God-rank Class and I got stuck with Sword Saint lineage, I'm gonna puke."
Ray smirked.
15 added, "Want me to send Bonehead to smack her?"
"Not yet. Let her underestimate me."
15 sounded excited. "Ah yes, the Petty Revenge Arc. My favorite."
---
Midnight – In the Domain
Snowball had evolved.
Kinda.
Now she wore a tiny frost crown.
Still couldn't bite anything properly, but looked 30% more majestic.
Ray fed her a spectral fruit grown from the newly sprouted Beast Tree: Frostline.
[Daily Frost Wolf Unit (Tier 1) Ready for Harvest.]
Snowball's tail wagged like crazy.
Bonehead stood behind her, now holding the iron sword in the right direction.
Ray surveyed his army.
1 Skull idiot
1 Frost puppy princess
1 Weapon tree
1 Domain on mana life support
It wasn't much.
But it was his.
15 whispered in the darkness, "A Gate's forming. South of the city."
Ray stiffened.
[Tier 1 Gate – Forming: 2 Days Remaining]
"So it begins," Ray muttered.
He looked out across the glowing hills of his Domain.
Tomorrow was a new test.
He'd face it.
As a baby.
With a skeleton.
And a dog.
God help them all.
---
EndChapter 11: Awakening Flames and Bone
The day had arrived. Ray stood before the small altar inside his room—barefoot, dressed in ceremonial white, his hair slightly messy, eyes holding an unnatural calmness for a boy his age.
He was twelve now.
The Awakening Day.
But unlike others, Ray had already seen more, felt more. He wasn't just some hopeful brat waiting for a random class. He had 15—a system that was half assistant, half sarcastic older sibling, and all-powerful guide.
> [DING]
[System Message: User Ray, prepare for Class Awakening. Body, mind, and soul compatibility: 99.6%. Class Override Active.]
[Necromancer Class – True Variant (Bound).]
"Congratulations, you creepy bastard," 15's voice chuckled inside his head. "You're now officially a skeleton enthusiast."
Ray exhaled. The room suddenly turned cold. He could feel his veins tighten, his skin prickle, and a burning chill race down his spine. It wasn't pain—it was... awakening.
He fell to his knees.
Bones cracked—not his own—but something inside reality. A soft, green flame lit up in the center of the room as an ethereal circle formed beneath him. Black runes, curling like vines, climbed up his arms, slowly disappearing under his skin.
His Domain stirred.
It responded to the awakening, and in the distant corners of his mental world, he could hear them—low growls, whispering winds, the howling of a lone wolf in the frost-covered part of the Domain.
A connection formed.
His first summon… no, his first companion was coming.
> [DING]
[Beast Tree: Frost Wolf – Tier 1 Activated.]
[Summoning First Beast: Frostborn Pup...]
The circle burst with pale-blue mist.
Out came a cub—not much bigger than a large cat—but its silver fur glowed under the flickering green flames. Icy-blue eyes stared at Ray as it took one shaky step forward.
Ray's hands trembled slightly—not in fear, but in awe. He reached forward, brushing its fur. Cold. Soft. Real.
"Hey there…" he whispered. "You're mine now, huh?"
The pup licked his hand. It was stupidly cute. But 15, being himself, ruined the moment.
> "And thus begins the mighty journey of the baby necromancer and his adorable walking freezer."
Ray rolled his eyes. "Shut up, 15."
—
Outside his room, Ray's father stood waiting. The moment Ray emerged, now wearing a black robe marked with faint bone motifs, the old man raised an eyebrow.
"You done dancing with death?"
Ray smirked. "I didn't dance. I dominated."
His father barked a laugh and slapped his back hard enough to make him stumble. "Good. You'll need that attitude when the real shit starts."
Behind them, Awen leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Her sharp eyes softened when they met his.
"So you awakened... a Necromancer?" she asked, voice unreadable.
Ray nodded.
Awen walked up, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "Don't make me kill you if you turn creepy."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Ray grinned. "But you might have to fight my skeletons."
Awen scoffed. "I'll burn your whole graveyard."
—
Later that night, alone in his bed, Ray lay awake with the Frost Pup curled up at his feet, softly breathing.
For the first time, he felt something new: the weight of responsibility.
These weren't just stats and powers. These were lives—beasts, bones, blood, and pain. And if he wanted to protect the ones he loved, he had to become more than just a boy with a system.
He had to become a King of the Dead.
> [System Message: Congratulations. First Awakening complete. Domain expansion unlocked. Access to Beast Tree: Tier 1 – Frost Wolf, and Weapon Tree: Tier 1 – Bone Sword.]
[Daily Beast Summon: 1 Frost Pup every 24 hours.]
Ray closed his eyes, a grin forming.
"Let's build an army."
---
Would you like to continue to Chapter 12?-
Chapter 12: First Step Toward an Army
Morning hit Ray's small room like a hammer. The sun blasted through the curtains, the Frost Pup snored like a drunk mosquito, and 15's voice immediately ruined the peace.
> "Rise and shine, bone-boy! Time to do necromancer things and be awkward around people!"
Ray groaned, dragging himself out of bed. His new black robe clung to his skin like a second layer, cool and light. A look in the cracked mirror showed a kid who looked mostly harmless—if you ignored the black runes faintly tracing his neck like a cursed tattoo.
And the wild grin that was starting to form.
Today wasn't just another day.
Today, he would start building his army.
---
After breakfast — which involved dodging his mother's suspicious questions ("What's with the glowing puppy?" "Why do you smell like death?") — Ray headed for the edge of the city.
A small, hidden graveyard rested there. Old tombstones, cracked statues, and overgrown weeds covered the area like a forgotten wound. The perfect playground for a budding necromancer.
He knelt at the first grave, feeling the chill of magic hum in the ground.
15's voice hummed along with it.
> "Alright, champ. First summoning attempt. No pressure. You'll probably just rip a grandma's skeleton out of the dirt."
Ray muttered, "Shut up and watch greatness."
Stretching his hands forward, he called upon the dark mana inside him, weaving it through the summoning rune 15 had taught him.
A black circle appeared beneath him, thin tendrils of mist rising up.
> [DING]
[Skill: Raise Skeleton – Basic Tier 1 Activated.]
The ground trembled.
Something clawed upward, slow at first… then faster.
Bones snapped together, reforming a half-broken body — skinny, awkward, with a cracked skull grinning madly.
It wasn't impressive.
It was a stick-figure made of misery and regret.
Ray blinked at it. "...That's it?"
15 cackled.
> "Congrats! You summoned Fred the Anemic Skeleton. A proud day for all necromancers everywhere."
The skeleton stumbled forward, tripped over a rock, and faceplanted into the mud.
Ray sighed. "I'm going to die poor and alone."
Still... he couldn't help but grin.
It was his. His first summon. His first soldier.
And just like that, the first brick of his army was placed.
---
Later that day
Back in his Domain, Ray noticed new changes.
The land was expanding.
Patches of frozen grass stretched farther, and near the center, two Trees stood proudly:
Frost Wolf Tree: A glowing blue tree surrounded by howling mist.
Bone Sword Tree: A rough, blackened tree where dozens of crude swords hung from its branches like rotten fruit.
Ray approached the Bone Sword Tree and plucked a sword.
It was ugly.
It was crooked.
It was perfect.
He handed it to Fred the Skeleton, who immediately grabbed it — then promptly dropped it on his own foot.
Ray facepalmed.
> "Baby steps, Master of Death," 15 teased.
> "You mean baby falls," Ray muttered.
Still, the feeling in Ray's chest was clear.
Slowly, painfully, his army was starting to take shape.
---
That evening, at dinner
His family sat around the worn-out table, talking, laughing, arguing—mostly about useless things.
His younger brother, still waiting for his awakening in a few years, was busy throwing mashed potatoes at the wall.
His mother was nagging his father about fixing the city water pipes.
His father was pretending to listen while secretly drinking from a hidden flask.
In the middle of it all, Ray sat quietly, a small smile on his face.
This was why he was building his army.
Not for glory.
Not for power.
For them.
To protect these stupid, loud, messy idiots he called family.
> "One day," Ray thought, "I'll be strong enough to protect it all."
In the corner, the Frost Pup tried to steal a roasted chicken leg.
Ray watched him and whispered under his breath:
"First rule of being in my army: always steal food first."
The pup wagged his tail in agreement.
------
Chapter 13: A Father's Lesson, A Son's Shadow
"Get up."
The voice came like thunder cracking across Ray's dreams. He jolted awake, drool sticking to his cheek and blanket half on the floor.
In the doorway stood his father—barefoot, shirtless, and holding a wooden training sword.
Muscles rippled under faded scars, his eyes cold and sharp like steel under moonlight. Ray blinked. Was it dawn? Midnight?
Did it matter?
> "Outside. Now."
Ray groaned, rolled over… and fell off the bed. Thud.
> "I hate my life," he muttered.
From his inner soul, 15 purred with delight.
> "Ohhh training arc? Daddy issues and violence? My favorite combo."
---
Outside the city – training field (or torture yard, depending who you asked)
The air was cold. Not the nice kind of cold, like Frost Pup cuddles. This was sword-up-your-ass kind of cold.
His father didn't speak. Just tossed a wooden blade at Ray, who caught it awkwardly. He could still feel the buzz of mana in his bones from yesterday's skeleton summon, but his body was weak.
Not untrained — his father had taught him the basics — but untested.
> "Attack me."
Ray hesitated. "Uh. I don't wanna die before puberty, thanks."
> "Attack."
Ray tried. His swing was decent. He put his shoulder into it. Stepped forward, just like the manual said.
Smack.
His father moved like a ghost, side-stepping, swatting Ray's blade aside, and giving him a firm tap to the ribs.
Not enough to break anything.
Just enough to hurt.
> "Pain is memory," his father grunted. "Now again."
---
It continued for hours. Swing. Dodge. Smack. Fall. Get up. Swing again.
Ray was covered in dirt, bruises, sweat, and shame. The Frost Pup lay in the grass, tail wagging, enjoying the show.
> "Oh, you're doing great," 15 cackled. "Almost looked like a warrior that time—until you faceplanted into your dad's knee."
By the end, Ray could barely breathe.
His father finally stopped, staring down at him with unreadable eyes.
> "You're weak," he said.
Ray flinched.
> "But you're getting better."
Ray blinked.
> "Your swing's less shit. Your stance, still trash. But I've seen worse. Mostly in bar fights."
And with that, he turned and walked away.
Ray just lay there, flat on his back in the dirt, staring up at the sky. His chest heaved. His ribs ached. His soul was tired.
But deep inside...
He smiled.
Because for the first time in years, his father acknowledged him.
Even if it came wrapped in insults and bruises.
---
Later – In Ray's Domain
Ray sat near the Frost Wolf Tree, watching a new pup form from icy mana, crawling into existence like mist turning solid.
It yawned. Sneezed. Immediately began gnawing on his boot.
> "That's three pups now," 15 announced. "Soon we'll have enough to stage a coup against your brother's birthday party."
The Skeleton—Fred—was now wearing a helmet made from a broken pot. He had learned how to walk without falling every three steps. Progress.
Ray checked his Domain status:
---
[Domain Summary]
Frost Wolf Tree: 1 Pup per day (3 active)
Bone Sword Tree: Producing 3–5 low-tier weapons per day
Summoned Undead: 1 (Fred – "mentally unstable")
Domain Size: 250 meters radius
Expansion available at Level 2
---
He stretched his sore limbs, dragging himself to a small patch of land where another tree had started to sprout. A dull red glow pulsed from its trunk.
> "Weapon Tree: Bow Variant growing. ETA: 2 days," 15 narrated, humming like a game show host.
Ray whispered, "We're getting there."
15 responded softer than usual.
> "Yeah. You are. It's slow. But real. Just don't let anyone take it from you, bone-boy."
Ray leaned back on the soft dirt, surrounded by undead, wolves, and dream-trees of weaponry.
He wasn't strong yet.
He didn't have armies or kingdoms or crowns.
But for the first time… he had a goal.
And a path.
Even if that path was muddy, painful, and full of sarcastic system commentary.
---
Back home that night
His mother patched up his bruises with gentle hands and a disappointed sigh. "Your father pushes too hard."
Ray didn't say much. He just nodded. Her warmth made the aches fade more than any potion could.
His little brother climbed into his lap, poking Ray's cheek. "When I awaken, can I fight skeletons too?"
Ray grinned. "Sure. I'll save one just for you."
In the quiet, as the fire crackled, Ray felt it again.
That strange feeling in his chest.
Not power.
Not glory.
But family. Even if they were messed up, sarcastic, greedy, or drunk — they were his.
And he would burn the worlds before he let anyone take them.
---
[END