I’m Really Not Trying to Be Chased by the Heroine as the Villainous Playboy! – Chapter 517

Chapter 64: The Teacher’s Promise

Xue Nuo caught up and firmly grabbed his hand.

“Teacher Xue Nuo?”

“Promise. I will protect you.”

Not one for words, Xue Nuo couldn’t articulate the inner conflict, so she put her most genuine impulse into words.

Gazing into the boy’s somewhat surprised eyes, Xue Nuo promised each word: “There’s nothing to fear. As your mentor, I will definitely keep you safe.”

The boy paused for a moment.

The cool touch of her hand contrasted sharply with the warmth in his heart.

Roy returned a smile: “I believe you.”

“If something really happens, I’ll be counting on you, Teacher Xue Nuo!”

In response to the boy’s playful joke, the silver-haired girl’s expression turned solemn, her demeanor as cold as frost: “Just leave it to me.”

The girl took the lead, guiding the boy deeper into the valley.

The two humans and their beasts followed the trail left by the mage academy, quickly finding the entrance to the underground ruins.

Inside the ruins, a forward team had already lit everlasting magical candles, illuminating the way ahead.

However, as soon as they stepped in, Roy couldn’t help but be startled.

Ruins with wall paintings weren’t rare.

In the First and Second Eras, mythological beings and mages frequently held rituals and ceremonies, which required a dedicated location. Wall paintings were a more reliable way to preserve history than paper and ink.

Yet, the wall paintings here were preserved almost too perfectly.

Unlike the damaged and weathered state of the Sunblaze Ruins, these wall paintings looked almost brand new, and the ground was spotless.

“It seems there was a barrier protecting this place,” Roy voiced his speculation.

Xue Nuo scanned the wall paintings on either side and nodded slightly: “Agreed.”

“Perhaps the barrier failed, allowing these ruins to be seen again.”

This was the usual assumption. Many ruins had been discovered in this manner. As a member of the mage academy, Xue Nuo had seen such cases before.

But Roy thought differently.

The power of a demigod was beyond imagination. The ancient castle of the last Blood Clan even had the capability to set up a defense powerful enough to stop legendary spirits.

With demigod power, it was sufficient to establish a barrier that would last through multiple eras.

So, the question remained: why did the barrier suddenly vanish?

Roy looked up, hoping to find answers on the wall paintings.

He shouldn’t have looked; once he did, both teacher and student wore strange expressions.

The relief wall paintings were unusually grand, depicting events far grander than the rise and fall of a race.

It was more like… a reflection of the First Era.

In ancient times, the gods reigned, each race prospered, sharing in flourishing peace and tranquility.

Until the evil beings descended, tainting the land.

Countless races betrayed the instinctual laws of life under the corruption of wicked gods, turning into

mad monsters.

Even the mythological beings who once ruled the sky and land gradually weakened under the endless slaughter of the evil gods, cornered to the brink of extinction.

To survive, the major races had to set aside their grievances and join forces against the enemy, forming a powerful alliance.

However, the invasion of the evil gods never ceased. The alliance crumbled from within, beset by external threats and internal turmoil, fear spreading among the people.

The gods had no choice but to wager everything in an unprecedented battle against the wicked gods on the other side of the firmament.

This battle claimed countless lives, even leading to the demise of many demigods. But after paying a heavy price, they finally achieved victory.

Even though the mythological beings were slaughtered and could no longer preserve their reputation, the hope of life was still passed on.

All of this was recorded from the perspective of the Phoenix Princess, known as the Phoenix.

Born in prosperous times, she witnessed the best eras, traveling across the continent, spreading the flame of hope to those weaker or stronger races.

Yet her growth was accompanied by blood and slaughter. She witnessed the invasion of the wicked gods, the sacrifice of companions, and the gradual decline of that world—but she also witnessed and participated in the astonishing counterattack of the gods.

In the end, at the brink of death, she left the final ember of hope for the inheritors of life, blessing these weaker outcasts to continue onward in a cruel world.

And those outcasts were humanity.

Staring at the figure resembling himself on the wall painting, both Roy and Xue Nuo widened their eyes, deeply shocked.

“Stunned. The mystery of a thousand years, the past of the gods and mythological beings, the truth of the First Era’s history—it’s all like this.” Xue Nuo held her throbbing forehead, momentarily overwhelmed by the enormous volume of information.

What she had seen in a few minutes exceeded what she had learned in over a decade.

After all, the records of the First Era were severely lacking, mostly consisting of dubious poems.

Except for the part where humanity received the blessing of the gods and stepped into the extraordinary world, every segment shattered Xue Nuo’s understanding.

In contrast, Roy appeared much calmer, considering it a supplement to the setting that wasn’t addressed in Angel’s Rondo.

However, more questions soon followed.

The good news was that this place most likely was the ruins of the Phoenix Princess.

But the problem was, how did the principal know about this? Let alone the lack of historical records from the First Era; how did he know this was the spot of the immortal bird’s fall, and how did he know the entity possessed powerful soul energy that suited his needs?

At the same time, Roy harbored a terrifying suspicion.

A demigod’s death, with their soul enduring for several eras.

Could a wicked god, one capable of nearly destroying the world and slaughtering countless demigods, die that easily?

Especially the fact that they had fallen into madness due to tainted power, losing their sanity—Roy couldn’t help but think of certain old enemies.

There was also another point of contention.

This history seemed to have forgotten an important character!

The Holy Light Goddess? Where in the world was the Holy Light Goddess? According to the church, that being has existed since the First Era, a true protector of humanity.

But how come she didn’t get a single line in the story?

Either the paintings were not comprehensive enough, or the church had issues!

Theoretically speaking, Roy was more inclined to believe the wall paintings. But the power of the Holy Light was undeniably real, and in the original work, when Alice became a saintess, it clearly showed a divine miracle.

The principal, the immortal bird, the wicked god’s life and death, and the unmentioned Holy Light Goddess.

So many unanswered questions made Roy’s CPU overheat.

However, as they passed through the corridor decorated with wall paintings and reached the deepest part of the ruins, Roy immediately pushed these thoughts aside.

He wasn’t a historian.

Regardless, the urgent matter at hand was still the Certificate of Kingship.

In the suddenly clear view, in an open-air altar, the morning light spilled down, and the flames gleamed brilliantly.

A wisp of golden flame burned fiercely, radiating a warm and wondrous rhythm.

【Warning! Ancient demigod artifact detected!】