"With this, my chances of surviving on the battlefield will increase dramatically. If I play my cards right, I might even earn some achievements," Ash thought as he began formulating strategies for potential challenges.
He grabbed a pen and some paper, mapping out plans and countermeasures for various situations. His talent gave him countless possibilities, allowing him to construct a coherent strategy that covered all aspects—at least partially—after a few hours.
By the time he finished, the afternoon had passed. Walking to the window, he pulled back the curtains and saw the darkened sky. It was around Midnight.
"I should get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll assess my surroundings, my memories can benefit from a little tour to refresh them" he muttered, climbing into bed. Sleep claimed him quickly.
---
Morning – 8:00 AM
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking pulled Ash from his sleep. He sat up, yawning, still groggy.
"Come in."
The door opened, revealing two unfamiliar maids. They stepped inside and bowed.
"Good morning, Mr. Ash."
Ash frowned. "Who are you? What happened to my previous maid?"
He had only ever had one personal maid for the past year, her survice time still had one more year so the sudden change puzzled him.
"We were assigned to you by the head of servants after last night's events," the maid on the left explained. "We will serve you to the best of our abilities and fulfill any requests related to your cultivation."
Ash's eyes narrowed slightly. If the head of servants had taken such measures, something significant must have happened.
Because the head of servants wasn't just a lowly person he had a lot of authority in the family and was an old friend of the patriach
"What are your cultivation levels?" he asked, knowing that high-ranking servants in the main family often possessed formidable strength and since they were sent by the head of servants personally they should have a decent cultivation.
"We are both at the peak of Nascent Soul," the maid on the right responded.
Ash raised an eyebrow. " Zero code servants huh " he muttered
Normally, heirs were only assigned a Core Formation servant—and even those were often untalented. These maids, however, were powerful.
For the family to invest such high-level cultivators in his service meant they were being groomed for something beyond mere servitude. Normally, warriors of their caliber were trained in secret, reserved for elite missions—not assigned to heirs.
He hadn't expected this level of treatment, but he wouldn't reject it. If they were offering resources, he would take them.
"What are your codes?" he asked.
In the family, every servant had a code—a designation that determined their rank. The first digit indicated importance, ranging from 0 (the highest) to 5 (the lowest).
"I'm 09," said the maid on the left.
"I'm 010," said the one on the right.
Ash nodded. He had already expected them to be high-ranking. He said while passing Nine a paper he wrote last night
"Good. I'll call you Nine and you, Ten, to simplify communication. Nine, fetch these resources for me. On your way, inform the kitchen to bring my breakfast in an hour. Ten will accompany me on a tour of the family territory."
Nine knelt briefly before leaving.
With Ten's help, Ash changed into fresh clothes and stepped out into the castle corridors. As he walked, the hierarchy of his family played through his mind.
---
Thoughts of the family structure passed in his mind as he wandered in the corridor of the castle
The family was divided into the main branch and several side branches.
The side branches managed the family's business across different cities and towns. Meanwhile, the main branch resided in the northernmost city—a fortress near the kingdom's borders.
It was one of the richest and safest cities in the entire kingdom, protected by natural resources and exceptional defenses. Because of this, merchants and mercenaries from across the realm flocked to it, seeking opportunity.
The main branch controlled four castles:
The Main Castle—home of the Patriarch.
Three secondary castles, belonging to the Patriarch's two brothers and one sister.
However, the title of the Main Castle wasn't fixed. Each generation, the family chose its leader based on power, not bloodline.
The strongest among the younger generation would become the heir. If no clear candidate emerged, a competition determined the successor.
That said, blood still held some weight—until an heir was officially chosen, the Patriarch's eldest son automatically held the title.
That was Ash.
But he knew better. Strength was the only thing that mattered in his family. Tradition and rules meant nothing in the face of absolute power. If you were strong enough, you could ignore them all and take whatever resources you wanted.
For centuries, his family had been the kingdom's shield, defending against hostile races. This bred a culture where strength was sacred and emotions were a weaknessand some dark tendencies grow in their minds—except for a few individuals, such as his uncle.
As for Ash despite his mediocre cultivation talent, being the Patriarch's eldest son had granted Ash ample resources over the years.
His younger twin sisters and brother were far more gifted—likely inheriting their talent from their mother. Ash's own mother had died giving birth to him, and his father remarried a noblewoman from the south three years later.
He had no real memories of his birth mother—just a faint impression shaped by his uncle's stories.
His stepmother treated him neutrally. They exchanged pleasantries at family gatherings but never spoke beyond that.
His siblings were a more complicated matter. As children, they had been close, but as the years passed, they grew distant. Even so, they still shared a relatively decent relationship.
Thinking about his siblings, Ash felt a dull ache in his chest.
Elena.
His sister, the one who had died protecting him.
But this time, he wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past.
Today marked the first real step in changing fate.
Ash stood at the entrance of the training grounds given to is sisters—territory controlled by his stepmother and designated for only the usage ofhis sisters.
Normally, he wouldn't be allowed inside without an invitation. But today, he didn't care about rules.
He was here to save his sister.
Because if things unfolded as they had before—
She would lose her sight today.