Abyss Progenitor

"Wade, what do you think of training alongside nobles?" Aron offered, slicing a big chunk of meat from a roasted chicken on the table.

"Is that possible?" Lisa asked. looking surprised.

"Of course, I have worked with Viscount Vale long enough to gain his trust. I even trained his eldest son for a while." Aron stated, as if it were the most mundane thing.

Lisa looked at him with shock while Wade was intrigued by the possibility.

"You already climbed that high up, Dad?" Wade inquired, thinking of the ways he could use this information.

"Naturally, very few people are actually dedicated to teaching. Some do it just for a paycheck, while others teach to feel superior over fresh rankers."

"Plus, the recruits I had trained showcased decent performance on the battlefield, granting me a lot of sway on how the upcoming troops should be handled." Aron explained.

The mother and son felt genuine pride for Aron, even if he himself might not view it as a big accomplishment.

"That's very cool, Dad." Wade beamed a smile and Aron returned in kind.

"So, do you want to train with the younglings of Vermont Noble House?" Aron asked while chewing on a chicken leg.

Wade entered a contemplation. Never in his life had he encountered a noble before. Much less their kids, who were known to be extremely spoiled and oftentimes sadistic. He had heard enough stories about cruel brats during his time on the streets to understand that nobility wasn't as honorable as it was depicted in fairy tales.

"Dear, won't the noble kids bully our son?" Lisa asked with concern.

"Relax, I know who to put him with. Plus, Patriarch Vale is someone who doesn't tolerate pointless squabbles. He is a military man after all." Aron consoled his wife, ruffling her hair.

Meanwhile, Wade thought about the possibility of his side gigs being dug out, fearing that it might scare his mother. However, what his dad said next made him nearly jump out of his seat.

"I know about your little adventures. They do too, and I can tell you nobody gives a damn about that." Aron flashed a knowing smile, making Wade feel doubtful about his privacy.

"What are you talking about?" Lisa inquired curiously.

"Nothing, just something between us, two men." Aron said, patting Wade hard on the shoulder.

'I should watch my back.' Wade felt cold sweat run down his spine.

"Yeah Dad, I would love to." Wade said with a somewhat guilty smile, making Aron laugh uproariously while leaving Lisa wondering about the conversation.

The next morning.

Wade mounted a horse. He tried to get a firm grip on the reins, but the animal refused to obey his commands. However, it soon dropped its head when Aron stepped outside.

"Looks like you have beaten them in submission." Wade chuckled, feeling control over the horse.

"I indeed scared them into obeying, but you managed to mount one while not having experience. That's quite impressive." Aron smirked, jumping onto another horse, which appeared to be more obedient.

"By the way, why do we need to mount ordinary horses? I heard that nobles usually ride their evolved beasts. Plus, rankers are known to be faster than any horse." Wade inquired, feeling curious.

"Do you see a noble here?" Aron scoffed, pulling the reins and galloping off.

Wade was slightly shocked that his father didn't even teach him how to ride the horse. Wade was pulled into an awkward position as he tried to repeat the motion that his father did. Fortunately, his horse seemed to be more obedient than before. It neighed loudly and rushed forward, swiftly catching up to Aron.

"Wade, do you really think rankers are all-powerful beings?" Aron asked, slowing his horse down to ride parallel to his son's.

"I never encountered a ranker except you, Dad. You are powerful, that's what I can tell." Wade answered honestly, as there was no use in masking his ignorance.

Aron smiled upon hearing his son's words.

"Let me tell you, rankers are like any other living being: made out of flesh and blood. It just so happens that espher allows them to grow stronger, exceeding the basic state they are born into. However, nature balances everything out. There are some places in the world where even some of the most powerful rankers can't survive. Be it deep mythical oceans or unreachable divine mountain peaks. Everything has its own counterpart to even the scale."

"Your understanding of freshly awakened rankers is wrong. Imagine them as little bird chicks who just broke out of their shell. Do you think they will have the ability to fly? It takes time to learn to manipulate espher, let alone master it. Only when you master it to a sufficient level can you advance to the next phase or even rank, depending on how capable and how many lucky encounters you had." Aron explained with a heavy tone, as he wanted his son to drop his disillusioned thinking.

"Heck, the horse will not just outrun, it might outright stomp down on a fresh ranker if they are stupid enough." Aron spoke somewhat heatedly; clearly he was reminiscing about some bad memories.

"I understand." Wade replied firmly. He wasn't going to let his dad worry for nothing. Being told only once was enough for him.

"About the nobles, there are some things we can't discuss near your mother. We shouldn't needlessly make her worry about you possibly getting hurt. However, you need hardships to gain a strong character and will. That's why I'm going to put you into social circles so early on. You need to see how the world is actually run and who dictates our fates."

"The greatest gift I can give you in this life is to throw you into a den of wolves." Aron spoke somberly, not sugarcoating anything at all. Only now did Wade understand that things were getting serious. Perhaps, the few coming years would be pivotal in deciding his future.