NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 1
Chapter 1.
“Ah…, I’m screwed…”
I faintly hear a voice escaping with a sigh.
It must have been from the truck driver who ran into me.
“…”
Indeed.
I’m screwed, alright.
I wish I could respond the same way, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
My body wouldn’t move, and the blood flowing from me soaked the asphalt within my sight.
I was already dying and would soon be gone.
It seemed like a perfectly ordinary day, yet that day was coming to an end.
There’s nothing particularly regrettable about dying, but if I had to pick one thing, it would be the phone still clutched in my hand despite my weakening strength.
The fragmented words gently drifting across the screen.
Ah, that novel.
I haven’t even read half of it yet.
********
The sun is somewhat warm.
A gentle breeze blows.
As I walk along with those things, I hear a voice.
“Ain! I told you not to wander off on your own!”
“…”
It’s the voice of a young woman, panting as she tightly grabs the back of my neck.
“Ugh…, who does this child take after to be so disobedient?”
Well, you see.
“…”
Yes, I’ve revealed that.
“Again! You’re not even responding when Mom is talking!”
“…”
To be frank, it’s probably due to the unpleasant temper of Mrs. Park Bokja and the unnecessary curiosity inherited from Mr. Kim Chunshik, who are still living on Earth.
I keep these thoughts to myself and am dragged along, held firmly in Mom’s grasp.
After all, I couldn’t overcome an adult woman’s strength with this small body.
Five years old and annoying.
That’s my current state.
Of course, I look like a five-year-old on the outside, but inside, I’m someone who has experienced society.
The fact that five years old is beyond mere adulthood does not mean it can control the thoughts and emotions of a child.
What I’m trying to say is.
…
Oh, a butterfly I’ve never seen before.
“Agh…, Son! Please stay by Mom’s side and don’t wander off!”
“…”
Well.
I’m not doing it on purpose.
It’s just the innocent nature of a child, that’s all.
It’s not that I’m particularly curious or bothered, but sudden bursts of curiosity creep up on me nonetheless.
Of course, the genes of Mrs. Park Bokja and Mr. Kim Chunshik may have played a bit of a role…
Oh, a dragonfly.
“Son, please! I want to take a breath!”
Sorry.
So, after being hit by a truck and dying, five years have already passed since I was reborn.
I’ve never believed in the afterlife, reincarnation, or anything of the sort. Yet here I am, reborn and living an ordinary life.
It’s quite a mystical experience.
The fact that a child, just born from the womb, could soon think about something is remarkable.
My tiny fingers are squirming, unwanted tears are flowing, and incomprehensible language flows from the adults around me.
Capturing all these sights within my limited vision while being unable to act was so fascinating.
The experience of being completely vulnerable with no control over my own body was painfully humiliating.
“…”
It was very mystical, but I don’t want to experience it again.
Anyway.
What I felt upon being reborn is that butterflies are quite beautiful.
“Son.”
“…, butterfly.”
“No.”
“…”
And the rat peeking out of the sewer is also quite cute.
“Oh, Son!! That’s really not allowed! Let’s just look at the butterflies, okay?!”
“Why? It’s cute.”
“Please…, I really don’t know who you take after to act like this…”
I grinned at my mom, who sighed deeply.
Teasing Mom is quite fun.
Being reborn is filled with amusing and joyful things.
Thump-
“Don’t tease mom.”
“…”
The bump on my head hurts a little, though.
********
What was I like in my previous life?
An ordinary person wanting to live an ordinary life.
Though I grew up in a family that fell short of ordinary, I had a decent school life.
Even if I hadn’t experienced a typical romance, I worked at an ordinary company.
I didn’t have any particular talent or greed, so I was satisfied living a fairly modest life.
I was just an average person.
And being that, I didn’t have any grand thoughts after dying and being reborn.
If there was one thing I regretted, it was probably not finishing that novel I was reading right up until my last moment.
“…, that’s a bit regrettable.”
“Eh? What does our Son find regrettable?”
Somehow, my small murmur caught my mom’s attention, and she tilted her head, asking me again.
So, since I couldn’t say I wanted to read the novel from my previous life again, I came up with a suitable excuse.
“Mouse.”
“…”
It probably wasn’t a suitable excuse for Mom, though.
Still, her expression of disgust towards her son felt a bit much.
I thought that as I smiled at Mom and sank back into thought.
I wonder what happened next.
Did the Hero and the Holy Girl survive, get married, and live happily ever after, or did the final boss turn out to be incredibly strong, leading to a tragic end of world destruction?
“…, Son. I’ve been thinking deeply, and you need to take an interest in other things besides that!”
Truth be told, those kinds of stories would likely lead into a predictable flow, so it wasn’t that important, but honestly, that grand setting and lore needed more elaboration.
The vast Empire, Ephrin.
The first Republic, Shillon.
“For example, a fairy tale about this Ephrin Empire we live in…, and also stories about the Republic of Shillon beyond the Empire were quite interesting to me…”
Beyond that, there were Eastern regions, the forest of Elves, the dwarves’ mines, the Dragon’s lair, and the Demon King would be in the Demon Realm.
“Wouldn’t it be better to read a fairy tale rather than a mouse… type of story…? Elves and Dwarves! Don’t you want to know about them? The Dragon’s treasure! The World Tree of the Elves! Huh? Huh?!”
The Hero Pris and the Holy Girl Lua, who strive to save the world while traversing such a world.
“And this time, there’s a revelation coming down where the Hero and Holy Girl will be decided. Don’t you want to see that, Son?”
That novel encompassing all of those had always been the number one ranked masterpiece…
“…?”
“Why is that, Son?”
Did I mishear?
“…?”
“…?”
So Mom and I were tilting our heads at each other until the carriage arrived at home.
Indeed.
The precious experience of being reborn in this world was within the world of the novel I was reading.
Titled 【3,500 Heroes and the Holy Girl】…
Hmmm.
The title does sound a bit lame, but compared to that, the content was incredibly detailed and intricate.
I had been reborn as a character in that novel.
But how come I didn’t realize it was a novel’s world until I turned five?
Well, the name Ain I remembered had never appeared once in the story.
In short, I was an extra among extras who had not been assigned any role at all.
Meaning I was merely background filler, blending in with the crowd during scene transitions.
Hmm.
“…”
That point was quite….
“I like it, you know.”
I couldn’t help but smile widely.
Who cares about being an important character in the novel?
I don’t need such a role.
The Hero and the Holy Girl will take care of the Demon King and get married after copulating and giving birth to three children, living happily ever after; I don’t need to be concerned with their story.
My interest in this novel leaned more towards the vast world and settings and the various characters briefly showcased.
So, upon realizing this world is from a novel, I thought about wanting to travel across the world apart from the story’s center.
I pressed that determination deep within me and spoke.
“Mom.”
“Yeah, what is it, our Son? Do you want more to eat?”
It would be a sad story for Mom, who gazed at me with loving eyes, but it was still something I had to say.
“…, I’m going on a journey.”
To explore the Empire, the Republic, the Elven forest, the Dwarven mines.
I declared I would set off far to explore this vast world, including the Demon King’s realm and the Dragon’s lair.
And in response to my solemn declaration, Mom smiled and nodded.
“Alright, alright, just eat your carrots and peppers on the plate before you talk.”
“…”
First things first, I should deal with what lies right in front of me.
“Good boy, you’re eating well! If our Son wants to travel, you need to eat up and grow up quickly~ Don’t worry, there are more peppers here!”
“…”
Why is it?
Why am I, an adult, being treated like a child who can’t eat just peppers and carrots because I’ve turned small?
And why does the prospect of eating something I genuinely dislike make me tremble as I lift my fork?
I have no clue.
I thought about that as I shot a sly glance at my mischievous mom and stuffed a handful of peppers into my mouth.
“Wow~ Our Son can go on a journey! Oh, well done!”
“…”
Please stop.
You’re acting like you were playing with a mouse at the market right now.
I wanted to yell that but couldn’t bring myself to express my true feelings and forced myself to swallow.
It would be ridiculous for a child who can’t eat peppers and carrots to declare they would go on a journey.
So.
This is pride as an adult.
Ah.
It’s extremely tasteless, truly.