SWNOVELXO Chapter 9: "The Night Before I Become a Big Brother"
The sun was blazing in the Aurealis sky, marking the peak of the harvest season. It had been a month since my birthday, and my peaceful NPC life had already been ruined. Now, I was stuck training under Benward Roseworth, my dad's old guild buddy, learning the "art" of defense.
And by "art," I mean getting smacked around while he laughed like a maniac.
"Alright, kiddo, defense is all about endurance, stability, and not crying when you get hit!" Benward grinned, smacking his wooden shield.
Yeah, sure, easy for you to say. You're built like a mountain, and I'm just a three-year-old potato with legs.
"Now, first lesson! Hold your shield up, brace yourself, and don't move when I attack!"
He swung his wooden sword—more like a club—straight at me. I did as told, raised my tiny shield, and…
BAM!
I was sent rolling across the ground like a dropped fruit cart.
What happened to not moving?! I literally didn't move, and I still got flung away!
Benward rubbed his chin. "Hmm, you're tiny, so we need to work on your balance first. Try planting your feet like a tree."
Great, so now I have to become a tree. What's next? Photosynthesis?
For the next hour, I endured the "tree training," which mostly involved me getting knocked over repeatedly until I could stand my ground. And by that, I mean I barely managed to wobble before getting launched again.
"Good, good! You're improving!" Benward laughed.
I think we have different definitions of 'improving.'
—
After some highly effective training (mostly me getting battered like a festival drum), we finally moved on to blocking techniques.
"This time, I'll come at you faster. Try to redirect the attack instead of taking the full force," Benward instructed.
Oh, cool. Now I just have to learn redirecting while being a three-year-old. No pressure.
As he swung down, I angled my shield slightly—just like he showed me—and…
CLANG!
The attack slid off to the side instead of blasting me to the moon.
"Hah! That's it, Ryuk! You're getting it!"
Oh? I didn't go flying this time? Is this what victory feels like?
For the rest of the day, I kept practicing—blocking, dodging, and occasionally getting clobbered when I messed up. But slowly, I was getting the hang of it.
At least now, my respawn time was getting shorter.
After a long, bruising day, I was supposed to rest. But of course, there was something I couldn't ignore…
Magic.
Now that my training with Benward had started, I barely had time to test out my flying magic. And let's be honest, who wouldn't want to fly?!
So, like any responsible three-year-old (who may or may not have been a former hero), I sneaked out of the house while everyone was asleep.
Alright, Ryuk. Today's the day. No witnesses. No distractions. Just you… and the sky!
I focused, channeling my mana into my body. I felt the energy surge—my body growing lighter as I prepared to take off.
And then…
WHOOSH!
I shot up WAY too fast.
"AHHHHHH—"
Ahh, practicing my mastered magics in this baby body is not as easy as I thought.
I barely stopped myself mid-air before turning into a human shooting star.
Okay, okay, control is key. Let's try again… gently this time.
I focused again, lifting off the ground slowly…
And then I wobbled. And spun. And flipped.
"GAHHHH—" CRASH!
I face-planted into a haystack.
At least I didn't break anything… except my dignity.
After several more crash landings (and maybe a few terrified chickens later), I finally managed to hover properly. I even did a few slow laps around the farm.
This… this is awesome! No more walking for me! I'm officially the laziest adventurer in history!
Then, just as I was celebrating—
"RYUKARD BLACKFYRE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
I turned to see my mother, standing at the doorway with her arms crossed.
"Uhhh… nighttime exercise?"
"GET BACK INSIDE BEFORE YOU FALL AND BREAK SOMETHING!"
With no choice, I get in before she could start lecture mode.
Well… at least I didn't get caught mid-air. Small victories.
As I lay in bed, something just clicked in my mind.
Wait a second… wasn't Asuna born in the eighth month instead of the ninth? And its already Aurealis…
Ahh, wait… doesn't that mean Mom's about to go into labor soon?!
OH NO. OH NO NO NO.
I KNOW this is going to happen! But if I say anything, they'll definitely doubt me!
I shot up in bed, my tiny brain going into overdrive.
Okay, okay, think, Ryuk! You need to get Mom to the hospital without looking suspicious!
Wait… isn't the hospital just a few blocks away? I could just…
NO! I can't just walk up to them and say, "Hey, get admitted right now because I have future knowledge!" They'd lock me up!
I need a perfect excuse… something believable… something that would get her to the hospital right away…
…
AH! I GOT IT!
I'll just hurt myself on the 22nd of Aurealis! That way, they'll have no choice but to rush to the hospital!
…
Wait.
Tomorrow is the 22nd.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!! I NEED A PLAN!!!!"
No, I can't even get myself hurt! The Goddess of Nature already blessed me with infinite vitality—I can't get sick, I can't get injured!
What do I do?! What do I do?!
Wait… if only someone else gets hurt—
NO! WHAT AM I THINKING?! I can't just hurt someone! I need to get to heaven this time, I can't afford any more sins in this life!
So what now?!!
Just as my brain was about to explode, Astraia appeared out of nowhere, giggling as she floated in the air.
"Hehe~ Ryuk, you seem waaay too tense for a three-year-old baby!"
"Please stop. It's not the time for jokes! And NEITHER am I three, nor am I a baby! You and I both know I'm over 300 years old!" I groaned, rubbing my temples.
"Aww, but you look so cute when you're panicking~" she teased, twirling in the air.
"NOT HELPING! I need to get Mom to the hospital tomorrow before she starts having labor pains—without making her suspicious!"
Astraia simply chuckled and waved a hand. "You don't have to worry, Ryuk. Tomorrow is a big day! Maybe no one told you in your last life—because, of course, it wasn't recorded in the history of your kingdom—but trust me, your mom will be in the hospital even before she feels any pain."
"Eh? Wait, what?! That wasn't in my past life's spoilers! What's gonna happen?? Tell me—"
She winked playfully and started fading away. "Hehehe, you'll find out soon, Ryuk. It's about to start~!"
And then—she was gone.
…
Huh? What the heck was that supposed to mean?!
GONG! GONG! GONG!
The royal warning bell rang loudly, shaking the ground beneath us. A deep, ominous tremor ran through the air, rattling the windows and doors.
Suddenly, chaos erupted outside—panicked voices, hurried footsteps, and shouts filled the night!
"What in the—?!" My father bolted upright, his warrior instincts kicking in instantly.
"Aldren, what's happening?! That's the royal bell!" Mom gasped, gripping the bed sheets.
My blood ran cold.
The royal bell… the one that rings only when the kingdom is in grave danger?!
What the hell is going on at this hour?!
Has another empire attacked us?!
Or… wait.
No. No way.
Don't tell me… it's him?!
Void Emperor Zephyroth.
He's here?!
No… wait… Zephyroth never harmed anyone. I know that for a fact. So what the hell is happening?!
BOOM!
The ground trembled again as the royal bells kept ringing. Panic spread through the streets.
Mom clutched me tightly, her breathing unsteady.
"Aldren! What's happening?!" she cried.
Dad was already strapping on his armor, his sword gleaming in the dim light. His expression was calm but sharp, ready for battle.
"Take care of your mother, Ryuk. I'll be back!" He gave me a reassuring smile before dashing out of the house.
I gulped.
Something feels off… really off. This magic aura—it's disgusting, overwhelming…
I felt suffocated by the sheer intensity of it.
Where the hell is it coming from?! Who could have this much ominous magic?!
A bad feeling twisted in my gut.
Then—
CRASH!
The entire roof was blown away in a split second.
Wind howled as a massive shadow loomed above us.
A huge dragon soared overhead, its enormous wings blocking out the moon.
My blood ran ice-cold.
Mom trembled, clutching her belly.
"No… No…" she whispered.
Damn it! Dad left her to me! She can't even move properly with Asuna in her womb!
I clenched my fists.
I have to protect Mom.
Without hesitation, I grabbed her hand and marked her with my spell.
"Mom, trust me!" I flashed her a confident smile.
Mom looked at me, confused and afraid.
"Huh? Ryuk…?"
No time to explain!
"Here we go!"
I cast teleportation magic, and in an instant—
WHOOSH!
We appeared inside Dad's guild office.
"Hehe, you wait here, Mom!" I said, dusting myself off.
Mom grabbed my arm.
"Ryuk, wait! Where did you learn this?! Where are you going?!"
Before I could answer, the door burst open and Mei rushed in.
"Oh! Great timing, Mei!" I grinned.
"Huh?! Young Master?! Why are you here?!" she asked in shock.
"No time, Mei! Please take care of Mom!"
"Wait—where are you going?!" she called after me as I dashed out of the guild.
I stepped outside, looking up at the sky—
Where the huge dragon still hovered, its terrifying gaze scanning the city below.
This... this is no normal dragon.
Even in my last life, I never faced a monster like this.
He wasn't just a dragon—he was beyond a dragon.
His sheer size alone was absurd—as big as twenty full-grown male dragons combined!
The air around him was heavy, pressing down like an invisible force, making it hard to even breathe.
What the hell is this thing?!
My gaze darted to the battlefield.
There they stood.
Dad.
Benward.
Meiroth.
Standing proudly in front of the entire royal army.
The scene was straight out of a mythical, godly event.
Magic surged in the air, the tension was unbearable, yet—
THEY WERE SMILING.
ENJOYING THIS?!
Benward cracked his knuckles. Meiroth spun his spear with ease.
Dad… Dad just stood there, calm and unshaken, sword in hand.
No wonder they're the kingdom's strongest warriors…
The dragon's wings flapped once—
JUST ONCE—
And an immense gust of wind surged forward, forcing the entire royal army back by several inches!
Yet—
Dad, Benward, and Meiroth stood their ground.
Like immovable mountains amidst a storm.
The pressure in the air thickened, the dragon's eyes burned with raw power, and then—
BOOM!
The ground shook violently as the dragon slammed its massive claws down, cracking the earth beneath it!
But instead of flinching—
Benward grinned.
"Oh? Finally, something interesting after all these years."
Meiroth twirled his spear.
"Let's see if this big guy is worthy of a legendary tale."
Dad... just cracked his neck.
"I'll handle the front. You two, don't fall behind."
And with that—
THE BATTLE BEGAN.
---
The dragon roared, shaking the very sky.
Its mouth glowed with crimson energy, charging up what was clearly a breath attack capable of wiping out the entire battlefield.
But—
Dad was already moving.
Like a lightning bolt, he dashed forward, his blade gleaming with fire and wind magic, slicing straight through the charging energy in the dragon's mouth!
BOOOOM!!!
The unstable energy exploded inside the dragon's mouth, causing it to stagger back in pain!
Holy hell, Dad's insane!
But the dragon wasn't done.
Even injured, it lashed its massive tail at Benward with insane speed.
The impact was enough to flatten mountains—
But Benward just smirked.
CRACK!
He caught the tail.
WITH.
HIS.
BARE. HANDS.
The ground beneath him shattered, but he didn't even budge.
"Not bad. But not enough."
And then—
Benward LIFTED THE DRAGON BY ITS TAIL—
AND SLAMMED IT INTO THE GROUND!!!
BOOOOOOM!!!!
The earth shook violently, debris flying everywhere!
But before the dust could even settle—
Meiroth appeared above the dragon's head.
His spear glowed with golden light as he spun it rapidly.
"Let's see how tough your scales really are."
Then, in a flash—
HE DROVE THE SPEAR DOWN.
BANG!!!
The force of the attack cratered the dragon's head into the ground!
The battlefield fell silent.
Did they… did they actually—
"ROAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!"
The dragon burst out of the crater, its body now engulfed in raging black flames.
Wait… those flames…
That's not normal dragon fire.
That's void magic.
The entire battlefield trembled as the dragon's void flames surged forth, black tendrils of destruction twisting in the air like living nightmares. The soldiers trembled, shields raised, yet they all knew—this wasn't something mere mortals could block.
Benward clicked his tongue. "Tch, this is bad. Meiroth, blast this thing to hell!"
Meiroth grinned, spinning his spear. "Finally! My time to shine! To show my art of EXPLOSION!"
His entire body surged with energy, sparks crackling around him as his spear pulsed with overwhelming magic.
BOOOOOM!
A massive explosion erupted around the battlefield, the sheer heat causing the ground to glow red-hot.
But before he could launch it—
"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Dad roared, smacking the back of Meiroth's head. "You'll blow up the whole kingdom!"
Meiroth rubbed his head, grinning. "Worth it."
Dad clenched his teeth. "If only we had a strong light magic caster to counter that damn void magic!"
Meiroth sighed dramatically. "Yeah, if only your wife wasn't pregnant—"
"It's NO TIME FOR IFs, YOU IDIOT!"
I stood frozen, my mind racing.
What do I do? Should I get involved? No, no… I wanted a quiet life! A peaceful NPC life! I shouldn't—
And then—
Before I could even act—
Mom had already moved.
She walked right past me.
Straight toward the dragon.
The battlefield fell dead silent.
Dad's face turned pale. "MARIA?! NO!"
But Mom…
She just smiled.
The dragon, confused, let out another roar, its mouth brimming with chaotic void flames—
Until—
"Holy Aqua: Divine Reflection."
A surge of radiant light exploded outward. Holy energy, laced with Mom's signature water magic, with lightning rippled through the battlefield, forming a brilliant mirror-like barrier.
The dragon's void flames collided with it—
And—
BOOOOOOM!!!!
The reflection magic redirected the attack straight back into the dragon's mouth!
The explosion that followed shook the heavens.
When the dust settled—
The dragon's lower jaw was completely gone.
Everyone stared, frozen in awe.
But Mom—
Her body wobbled.
And she collapsed.
Dad dashed forward, catching her before she hit the ground.
"Maria! Stay with me!"
But she was already unconscious.
Without hesitation, Dad scooped her up and sprinted toward the hospital.
Meiroth and Benward, unfazed by the drama, lunged at the now-weakened dragon.
And me?
I just stood there. Watching.
I had done nothing.
...Huh.