Chapter 632: More Than Just A Mentor
[Because you are one?] The system notification answered, and Ryuk’s brows furrowed.
[That’s a harmless joke. But previously, you always tried to predict actions mid-battle, you know.]
“Really?”
[Yes. Remember your fight with Ignatius? You needed to outsmart him because you knew he was stronger and faster. Back then, you used your head more to fight.]
[You even upset that guy you fought before Ignatius—the shield guy—by telling him his only source of power was useless against your scythe, and that he was therefore doomed to fail.]
[He grew frantic afterward, and that signed his own loss.]
[But once your strength started growing—becoming powerful enough to overwhelm most enemies—you deviated from using your head and focused solely on your new weapons:
[Overwhelming strength and speed—forgetting the tool you once relied on most.] The system said that, but Ryuk defended himself.
“Strength and speed get the job done, right?” He unconsciously muttered out loud enough for MadWhite’s hearing as he nodded.
“It does. They’re quite reliable determiners of a battle’s outcome, just like the one we had previously,” he replied, pausing for a moment before continuing.
“But there’s also an ancient human quote that goes:
“Whatever you stop using stops growing. But it doesn’t just stop—it starts to deteriorate.”
“You can use your strength and speed, Ryuk. But the second you stop using your brain to fight, it begins to wither.”
“And one day, you’ll come across an opponent who matches your strength and speed. He’ll beat you easily—if he never stopped using his mind.”
“A thinking fighter never gets touched at all. So with equal speed and might, you wouldn’t even leave a scratch on him. You understand?” he asked.
A sharp gleam crossed Ryuk’s eyes, and he nodded, sitting upright.
“I do now.”
“Good.”
__________________
11 hours later…
CLICK.
A faint sound echoed as the handle turned, followed by the smooth hiss of glass sliding along its track.
STEP.
The soft sound of footsteps—barely audible—rippled through the room.
CLICK.
A lamp was switched on, suddenly casting a warm glow through the space.
It revealed a cozy-looking bedroom. Sitting on the bed was a golden-haired lady, her brow arched at the one who had just entered.
“Sneaking in…” she said aloud to Ryuk, who smiled helplessly as he shut the glass door—this time letting it close with a normal, slightly louder sound.
He stepped into the room and soon crawled onto the bed.
“And where have you been all day?” she asked as she clicked the lamp off, leaving only the soft moonlight streaming through the glass panel.
“Someone’s worried?” Ryuk teased, getting under the mattress while kissing her forehead.
She smiled sweetly, but replied, “No, I’m not. I just want to know why…”
“You remember my mentor, MadWhite?” he asked, and her brows knit together as the image of the white-haired man came to mind.
“Yes, I do.”
“I went to say goodbye—since we’ll be leaving soon,” Ryuk replied.
She looked into his blue eyes before responding.
“When you say that, you make it sound like you two were really close. Like he was more than a school mentor.”
Ryuk smiled, turning his gaze to the emerald-painted ceiling.
“He was more than just a mentor. He might not have taught me much in terms of school lessons, but he was the teacher I needed.”
“Made me go through all those risks which I never would have gone through on my own, and that shaped who I am now. I’d argue he was like an elder brother…”
“Sure, you both have snow-white hair, after all,” Morgaine said with a faint giggle as Ryuk rolled his eyes.
“That’s just pure coincidence.”
“So, I’m curious… how’s Morgaine doing?” Ryuk asked as Morgaine’s eyes turned to him with an expression that says, ‘What do you mean?’
“Graduated from the Ascension Academy, returned home to be Queen-to-be. But then the Knulls were defeated, everyone returning to their true world…”
“And I finally don’t get to fit into my mother’s shoes…” Morgaine added.
Ryuk turned to look at her, but noticed her smiling.
It was a smile of relief… one he didn’t fully understand.
“You… never wanted to be Queen?”
“No one ever wants to be Queen,” Morgaine replied.
Ryuk raised an eyebrow.
“But your mum is?”
“Yes, but she never really wanted to be. If she had a choice, she wouldn’t have.”
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown, remember, but then, hard times demand hard decisions, and she had to be the one to bear that burden,” she said, and Ryuk finally hummed in understanding.
“And now that we’re returning to Ammamora, I never have to worry about the crown anymore…” she added, exhaling deeply.
‘Ammamora, huh? So that’s what their true world is called…’ He silently thought before asking
“So… what do you plan on doing then?”
Morgaine’s eyes glinted with a devious light at his question.
Ryuk watched as she wrapped around him like a snake, climbing on top of him.
“And what are—” he started to ask, but was cut off as her lips met his, silencing him for five seconds.
She finally pulled back and whispered:
“I want to have your kids.”
She yelped a second later as Ryuk turned his waist, flipping her back to where she had been.
“Stop playing around, Morgaine.” He said with his mind still reeling from her previous words.
He feared he could have had a heart attack right then and there if she had continued teasing him.
“But I’m not playing.” She replied.
“I want us to get married and have kids. Like… live a normal family life,” she concluded, but was met with an eye roll.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not a plan. At least… I’ve never heard of one like that before.”
“You’re right, Ryuk. It’s not a plan—it’s a life decision,” she whispered softly as her hand moved to his neck, brushing her fingers against the soft skin.
Ryuk looked into her golden eyes and couldn’t help but ask:
“But what happened to that Morgaine—the one who loved to train, who loved to fight, and who dominated Calidor Wail?”
“That brutish Morgaine… Why can’t I see her anymore?” he whispered.
Her fingers, brushing over his neck, paused briefly as her golden eyes locked onto his blue irises.
Unconsciously, a faint pressure suddenly descended in the room.
Ryuk’s heart skipped a beat.
“Are you saying I’ve gotten softer, Ryuk?”