I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 492

Chapter 39: Unexpected Arrival, Just in Time

The river meanders deep within the mountain gully.

At the intersection of a small stream and dense forest, there lies a nest constructed from rocks and trees, propped up by the ruins of ancient structures.

This nest isn’t very hidden; in fact, its design is quite exquisite, and its owner stands out dramatically in the dense greenery.

With deep red feathers and a dazzling glow, it boasts a long frame, broad wings, and a large but not cumbersome body. The blazing sunbird perches elegantly in the valley, resembling the sunset of the gorge—both graceful and stunning.

Just from its appearance, one can understand why it’s known as a descendant of the legendary phoenix.

As a Sequence 6 blazing sunbird, it ranks among the strongest magical beasts of the “Blazing Sun Ruins.” With virtually no natural enemies, it understandably shows no fear of outsiders.

Despite having chicks in the nest, as long as it is present, no other magical beasts dare to approach.

But unfortunately, this time it encountered crafty bipedal creatures.

An arrow shot through the air, bursting into a spray of azure light above the blazing sunbird’s head.

Startled from its nap, the sunbird let out a sharp scream, unfurling its wings and soaring into the sky like a magnificent sun.

Once the shrieking bird had departed, Roy strolled out from the bushes, swaggering toward the nest.

A Sequence 6 magical beast against three Sequence 7 students and one Sequence 8 student was a bit of a stretch.

However, this wasn’t a fight to the death.

If they aimed to steal the chicks or eggs, there was no need to confront the blazing sunbird head-on.

Roy could earn full marks; his theoretical knowledge was solid.

He knew well that this magnificent bird had grown too comfortable, leading to a bit of a dull mind. It was easily distracted.

As long as he could draw the mother bird away, the little chicks would be sitting ducks.

The only thing to be cautious of was that the blazing sunbird’s chicks were very sensitive to hostility. If disturbed, they’d emit a scream loud enough to reach the heavens, calling their mother back.

Thus, Roy volunteered for the critical task of snatching the chicks.

<Taking a Deep Breath>.

The merfolk’s unique breathing technique allowed one to suppress heartbeat, pulse, and extraordinary aura to absolute extremes, effectively vanishing from the opponent’s subconscious.

This wasn’t invisibility or illusion, yet one could be seen by others’ eyes yet remain completely undetectable.

Unless faced with extraordinary beings like Forest Elves, who possess tremendously keen hunting abilities and sixth senses, even a foe ranked one or two sequences higher might not see through this trick.

Roy learned from previous tutoring that the merfolk were not particularly strong; this technique was originally devised to evade the giant deep-sea creatures.

Thanks to <Taking a Deep Breath>, Roy strolled leisurely into the enormous nest.

Things were going even smoother than he anticipated.

However, the scene inside the nest was far from what Roy had expected.

Staring at this chilling sight, he realized it wasn’t that he was hiding too well.

“What the hell…?”

The chicks, which should have been beautifully feathered and chirping for food, had all turned into skeletal remains. The unhatched eggs had shattered, oozing coagulated black blood. Hollowed eyes filled with endless resentment and despair stared back at him.

Most importantly, this sinister and terrifying aura was far too familiar to Roy.

It was from the Necromancy school; only those lunatics dealing with corpses could conjure up such a sanity-crushing spectacle.

Could it be…

Recalling Enwei’s unnaturally pale face, Roy immediately signaled for help with a flare.

But the signal flare didn’t go off; it remained silent despite his efforts.

Roy glanced at the hovering mechanical bird familiar overhead.

Under normal circumstances, if there were an emergency during the exam, the supervising teacher would issue commands through the familiar. Yet, in light of the earlier scene, the familiar remained motionless…

Without caring about breaking the rules, Roy snatched the bird down and found the magical array inscribed on it had also been tampered with.

Clearly, this was premeditated.

Furthermore, with such a significant setup, it was likely directed at him…

At that moment, a chilling and ominous presence emerged from the distance, as a pale pillar of fire shot into the sky.

Without time to think, the serious-faced boy immediately took action, but the corners of his mouth subtly turned up.

Just in time.

The enemy lurking in the shadows was terrifying, but if you dared to make a move, I wouldn’t mind dragging you out!

——————————

“Yikes! No, they said the blazing sunbird was gentle and wouldn’t use full force against weaker creatures! This feels all kinds of wrong?!”

Jaiyika, squatting behind a boulder while holding her head, let out a cry thick with panic.

“How the heck am I supposed to know?!” Mark, similarly hiding on the other side, shouted back.

Facing the firebird circling above, only White among the three could retaliate with a bow and arrow.

White gazed up solemnly, declaring, “That thing is definitely not right!”

“I don’t need you to tell me; anyone can see that!” Mark was starting to lose it.

Even without Roy’s solid theoretical knowledge, the three could tell the blazing sunbird was clearly off.

Its once vibrant red chest and belly feathers were now shedding, exposing eerie white bones. The golden-red flames that should have erupted from the sunbird were now smeared with a pallid, ominous aura. Wherever it passed, vegetation withered, and beasts rotted—far more terrifying than mere flames.

The signal flare was inexplicably ineffective. Meanwhile, the sunbird displayed an agility beyond that of typical magical beasts, eliminating their flying familiar right off the bat.

This situation far surpassed what was common knowledge in exams, leaving the three somewhat bewildered.

“N-no more exams! I want to go home! Why hasn’t the teacher come to save us yet?!”

In response to Jaiyika’s cries, Mark shouted angrily, “Shut up!”

“If the teacher isn’t coming, we only have ourselves to rely on!”

“Exactly! As extraordinary beings, we can’t just sit and wait for death?!”

The two boys exchanged a look, both eyes radiating determination, igniting an endless courage within them.

Simultaneously, they sprang up and charged at the aerial beast.

In that moment, the boys’ heroic figures deeply imprinted in Jaiyika’s eyes and brought her hope.

Mark leaped, his fiery punch exploding mid-air.

White pulled back his bowstring, flowing like water, executing a flawless shot.

However, the blazing sunbird merely soared slightly above, dodging Mark’s attack as if playing with a mouse.

White’s attack, although it hit, merely splattered like a water gun, failing to make any impact on the feathers now engulfed in a pale flame.

The two fell silent for a moment, then abruptly turned to flee.

“This thing is not something we can beat, right?!”

“You’ve got that right! So why did you rush out to die?!”

“I just wanted to try… Ah♂!”

With a flap of its wings, the blazing sunbird unleashed a rain of fire, tossing the two boys through the air. Mark was the worst off, struck in the backside by the fiery rain, spinning through the air like a rocket.

Jaiyika quietly shrank back, tears falling.

It’s over! There’s no way out of this!

The blazing sunbird also recognized the trio as no threat and dove toward them.

As the terrifying creature descended like a meteor, all three turned pale.

But just then, a sharp spear, swirling with pure water, shot forth like a shooting star, piercing the beast’s body and halting it mid-air.

Looking at the timely arriving Black-Haired Boy, Jaiyika felt a rush of relief mixed with tears and couldn’t help but cry out excitedly, “It’s Roy! Roy has come! We’re saved!”