The Otaku's Odyssey: Reincarnated with a Grand System

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What was the one thing Astrid hated the most about this world?

Training with his old man.

Orion Ethera—legendary swordsman, magic wielder, leader of the Ethera Clan, and father from hell. While Astrid was grateful for the strength he'd built up over the years, the training sessions with this so-called father were less "discipline" and more "child abuse with extra steps."

The old man didn't just train him—he beat him until Astrid cried tears of blood. And the worst part? Astrid had only himself to blame.

He should've acted his age, pretended to be a helpless, fragile little boy. But no. He had to open his dumb reincarnated mouth and show off his mental maturity like some edgy anime protagonist.

Now he was paying the price.

The only upside? Thanks to these beatdowns, he could hold his own against his sisters—each of whom was a walking disaster in their own right. But still, he hated training with his father. It was torture. Literal, unfiltered torture.

And today? Today was no exception.

Astrid was being dragged across the Ethera family's training grounds—by his ear. Orion looked completely unfazed, as though dragging a shrieking ten-year-old across solid ground was part of his morning routine.

"ARGH! Let go of me, you goddamn sadistic monkey! I swear, if I survive this, I'm poisoning your tea!" Astrid yelled.

Orion's face twitched, not in shame or regret, but in annoyance. The man had long since stopped trying to fix his son's vocabulary. At this point, he just accepted the verbal abuse and moved on with his life.

They arrived at the wide-open plain—vast, flat, and covered in soft green grass that stretched for kilometers. This was the same field Astrid had dueled Aria on earlier, and now it was his battlefield of suffering once again.

The field itself was reinforced by layered magic, designed to absorb the destructive power of high-tier mages and swordsmen. It was the kind of place where you could unleash a miniature apocalypse and barely scorch the ground. Typical Ethera stuff.

Swords and Sorcery wasn't just the name of the world—it was a full-blown reality. Aether-based tech coexisted with medieval kingdoms, teleportation circles ran off elemental cores, and the five continents were so massive, Earth looked like a sandbox in comparison.

Thanks to teleportation gates powered by ancient forges and heat-forged metals from Tharros, Aria had already departed for the central continent. Without those gates, she'd be stuck traveling for months.

Orion finally let go of Astrid's ear, who immediately dropped to the ground in exaggerated pain.

"Stand up, Astrid," Orion commanded coldly. "Faking it won't get you out of this."

Astrid groaned, dragging himself upright. "Let's just get this over with, old man. I've got more important things to do—i have a visitor coming over."

With a smirk, Orion summoned two wooden swords from his spatial ring and tossed one to Astrid.

Spatial rings—rare artifacts forged with aether and enhanced by spatial mages—were status symbols. Most nobles couldn't afford even the lowest grade. But for Orion, the wealthiest man across all five continents—second only to the Emperor himself—these rings were practically pocket change.

Astrid caught the sword with a sigh. Orion had already erected a translucent magic barrier around them. Glowing runes flickered to life, casting faint blue light across the ground. The barrier was designed to prevent fatal injuries—but not pain.

Pain, as always, was part of the lesson.

Astrid hated that barrier. Hated it with every fiber of his being. All it did was let him heal right after getting smacked within an inch of his life. The wounds vanished, sure. But the pain? That stayed. Oh, it lingered.

Astrid readied his stance, gripping the sword tightly. He slashed it through the air—once, twice—the sound slicing the wind like a sharpened knife. Then, with a growl, he charged.

He leapt into the air and brought his sword down in a heavy arc, aiming straight for Orion's head.

The old man moved slightly to the left.

Astrid's blade whooshed past him, and before it could hit the ground, Astrid twisted and followed up with a sideways slash to Orion's ribs.

Still no dice.

The old man ducked like some kind of demon gymnast. Astrid's eyes twitched. How was he this flexible at his age!?

Again and again, Astrid attacked. Fast, calculated swings. Each one strong enough to break bones, but they all missed.

His father hadn't even lifted his own sword.

Astrid growled, pushing his speed even higher—until he felt it.

That dreadful instinct.

His hair stood on end.

His father had finally decided to attack.

Astrid tried to dodge, but he was too slow. Way too slow.

WHAM!

The wooden sword slammed into his abdomen.

"ARGH—!"

Astrid doubled over, gasping for air as the pain bloomed across his stomach.

"Too much power in your swings," Orion said flatly. "Let the sword guide your body, not the other way around."

WHAM!

Another blow—this time to the shoulder.

Astrid's knees buckled. What the hell?! Did he just dislocate my arm!?

"Your body's too stiff. You're overthinking it. Use your youth. Be fluid."

WHAM! WHAM!

Two quick strikes to the legs. Astrid collapsed, struggling to breathe. His limbs felt like wet noodles, and his brain was screaming just pass out already.

But he held on.

Barely.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck... I'm dying. This is it. I'm actually dying. Who trains their kid like this? I should've reincarnated as a chicken or something. At least they don't get beaten with sticks.'

Orion stood over him, arms crossed.

"Again," he ordered.

Astrid lifted his head, groaning.

"…Screw you."

And yet, he got back up.

Because even if he hated every second of it—this pain, this brutal training—it was making him stronger. Strong enough to face whatever this world would throw at him.

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AN: Bonus chapter released

Next batch of chapters tommorow

Hope you enjoyed this one