As a villain, I really don't want to be pursued by the heroine.

"why not?"

"Of course I'll get what I want... on my own."

Chapter 65: Scout Nia

The next morning, Roy and Nia arrived at the Adventurer's Guild.

The guild was packed with students who came to take the test like them. Some were excited because it was their first time, while others were nervous because they were worried about not getting good grades. However, most of the adventurers leading the teams had sour faces, as if they had seen dog shit and looked disgusted.

Only Roy and his partner had an impatient look on Red's face, but he still honestly gave them a lot of precautions.

"Listen carefully, adventure is not just playing house. Even though this mission is just to explore a ruin, it is far more dangerous than your training in the academy!"

"If you just behave yourself and don't get in the way, I'll naturally give you high scores. Got it?"

"I know~" Nia responded nonchalantly, which made Red's eye twitch.

After Red left, Nia immediately became excited and ready to go, like a wound-up spring.

"We're finally setting off. Our legend begins right here!" Nia looked out the guild's gate, as excited as a general heading off to war.

"Speaking of vampire ruins, there must be ferocious blood-sucking creatures and treasures passed down from the First Age! I can't wait!"

Nia's delusion amused Red's men, causing a burst of laughter and scolding.

"Little girl, stop dreaming!"

"Someone has investigated it before. It's just an abandoned castle. There's no danger, and there's no treasure. Otherwise, why would the academy be so confident in sending you for the practical test?"

Some people even murmured in frustration: "If only there was a treasure..."

Nia wasn't annoyed. Instead, she was infected by the dejected atmosphere, and her spirits also waned. "...It's become so boring all of a sudden."

"However, for the first adventure, it's not bad to be a little plain." The girl turned her head, curved her eyes, smiled elegantly, and sparkled with brilliant anticipation.

Facing the girl's warm smile, Roy's eyes flashed with the scene in the original work where the girl was covered in wounds and bleeding in front of the guild.

"Hmm?" Nia keenly noticed something was wrong and came over to ask with concern, "Are you nervous?"

"Nothing." Roy avoided the concerned gaze and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I just think it's good to be a little plain."

Unfortunately, this adventure is not destined to be dull.

The location of each group's practical test was different, so as soon as they left the city, several teams rushed in different directions.

The group rode on in a carriage and arrived near the Dark Swamp. Beyond that was a large, wooded swamp. The ground was too muddy, so they had to continue on foot.

Their practical test officially begins from this moment.

Red led a team of ten people, and including Roy and Nia, there were twelve people in total, which could be considered a squadron. Aside from Roy, Nia, and Red, the rest were Sequence 9 Beyonders.

This kind of team is considered a mid-to-high-level pursuit in the Academy City, and can even fight against a Sequence 7 monster.

However, Red did not act rashly. Instead, he repeatedly warned the two: "You little brats, don't think that just because your bloodline level is high enough, you can do whatever you want."

"The swamp is dim, visibility is poor, and it's full of mud. Just walking is difficult. Forget about monster attacks. Just walking into the center of the swamp would make it difficult for you to come out alive. If you rush too far, I can't save you... Hey!"

Before she could finish her words, Nia dove headfirst into the barren wood, causing Red's blood pressure to rise instantly.

That's why he hates these brats!

"Didn't I tell you not to run too fast..."

"Are you sure you need to worry about her?"

Roy suddenly smiled and interrupted Red's scolding.

Red looked in his direction suspiciously, but was surprised to find that the green-haired girl was walking on the muddy path as if it were flat ground.

She could tell at a glance where to make a good move, and with the magic wind around her, her light body was even more agile and nimble, avoiding the intertwined bushes without getting hurt.

[Forest Elves] are natural scouts and guides, [Wind Hermits] can use wind magic to reduce weight and increase speed, while [Eye of the Wind] can observe the direction of the wind and find the most suitable route in low light conditions.

Nia, who was in the distance, turned around and waved to everyone: "Don't worry, we know what to do!"

"Just a little kid, but he's quite capable." Red curled his lips, somewhat surprised.

Having an excellent scout will undoubtedly make the exploration more efficient.

A group of adventurers followed Nia's footsteps obediently, walking through the dim swamp and forest.

However, looking at the beautiful figure walking alone in the distance, Red was still a little worried.

Is that girl really reliable?

It seems that they have a very strong bloodline, but in the past, many students relied on their bloodline and were careless, and died suddenly in the wild.

Red was afraid that something unexpected would happen and catch Nia off guard.

He glanced at Roy again.

This guy is quite well-behaved. Judging from the information, he seems to be a Lionheart noble. Lionheart people are martial, and the children of nobles are all good at fighting.

But, after all, it's just a little kid.

I don’t know whether Brother Sword Ghost followed us or not. Now that I think about it, what’s the secret protection?

Maybe he just found an excuse to get away!

What if this guy I've never heard of is really an A-level adventure?

The more Red thought about it, the more irritated and uneasy he became.

He himself was not afraid of danger, but he was afraid that something might go wrong with these two little kids.

Red couldn't help but yelled to Nia, "Kid, slow down."

Unexpectedly, Nia suddenly stopped and slightly raised her right hand.

This is a common gesture among adventurers, meaning there is a suspected enemy nearby.

Red's team was composed of veterans. After seeing Nia's gesture, they immediately stopped, took up stance, and kept alert to their surroundings.

But after waiting for a long time, there was no movement in the bushes, and everyone began to get impatient.

Reid was also unsure and questioned, "Are you sure there are enemies?!"

"Hey, kid, I'm asking you a question!"

Just as Red was about to walk forward, Roy stopped him and raised his finger: "Keep your voice down. Just trust her."

Roy noticed that the tips of the girl's ears twitched slightly, indicating that she was activating [Listen to the Wind], using the magic of wind to amplify nearby sounds and search for enemies.

Being too noisy at this time will seriously affect Nia's performance.

Nia caught the boy's words and the corners of her mouth curled up.

However, there is something wrong with this forest.

She always felt that there was something subtly strange about the direction of the wind, as if someone was nearby, but she just couldn't detect any movement.

Faced with the serious young man, Red had to suppress his disdain and be patient.

However, after waiting for a few more seconds, there was still no movement. The other adventurers' attention was somewhat distracted, and Red's patience finally reached its limit.

We just entered the forest, how could there be any enemy attack?!

Tsk, I was such a fool, I was really intimidated by this black-haired brat. After all, I was an experienced adventurer, so why did I need to rely on a little girl to scout the way?

"Alright, alright! If there's no danger, just move on..."

"Enemy attack! Behind us!"

While shouting loudly, Nia suddenly turned around, drew her sword, and swung out a sharp wind blade.

The figure who was about to launch a sneak attack on the end of the team had his neck cut off on the spot.

Then, countless ferocious figures with sharp teeth and fangs rushed out from behind. "It's a ghoul!"

"Fight back! Fight back!"

Red raised his hand and shot out a dazzling bolt of lightning, piercing through the body of a zombie.

However, nearly a hundred zombies surged in like a dark cloud, not caring about the damage at all.

Looking at the nearly ten times greater number of enemies, the adventurers felt their scalps tingle, and they were just thankful that they had not interrupted Nia's search for the enemy.

Otherwise, if you are ambushed by these monsters, you will have to pay a heavy price just for a single encounter.

Chapter 66: Quite a lot

"fight back!"

After the initial panic, the adventurers quickly stabilized their position under the leadership of Red.

Faced with the surrounding horde of zombies, the adventurers met the enemy on both sides, taking advantage of each other's gaps, brandishing swords and guns, and casting spells.

The ghouls, thirsting for flesh and blood, showed no fear. They ignored the swords and guns that pierced their bodies, and the bombardment of magic. They would withstand the swords that pierced their bodies, and before dying, they would bar their yellow-brown fangs and tear off a piece of flesh and blood.

The combat power of these low-level ghouls individually was far inferior to that of Sequence 9, but they were all ferocious by nature. They attacked like a pack of mad dogs and were very difficult to deal with.

But it's not impossible to deal with.

Red swung his spear as fast as lightning. With a golden thunderclap, he pierced the head of a flying zombie.

The name of [Thunder Gun] is well-deserved. Red, holding a gun, moves in front of the team like a Hot Wheels. Every time the tip of the gun swings, a zombie is killed on the spot, which greatly relieves the pressure on the adventurers.

Feeling the monster's life slipping away under his hands and the foul-smelling blood flying in the air, Red felt a surge of satisfaction and a great pleasure in the kill!

But he didn't dwell on it.

"Protect those two little devils!"

What adventurers value most is not bravery, but the completion of the mission. Good professional ethics and respect for gold coins make Red worry about the safety of Roy and Nia even in the fierce battle.

However, his teammate's answer made him terrified on the spot.

"Boss! Those two rushed out!"

Red was stunned and nearly got bitten on the neck by a ghoul. He blocked the monster's attack while cursing, "Fuck?! Why the hell weren't you watching out?!"

"Uh, it looks like they don't need our care! Look over there!"

Red looked in the direction his subordinate pointed with a puzzled look on his face, and his eyes widened on the spot.

I saw that Roy and Nia had rushed into the enemy camp without knowing when!

The green-haired girl was as light as a swallow, nimble and graceful, moving among the filthy zombies without getting hurt by a single leaf. Her pair of daggers were like a deadly gust of wind, each time they passed by, they either cut the throat or pierced the head. In between, she also mixed in knee strikes, throwing knives, and back-and-forth roundhouse kicks, which were precise and deadly.

The Mithril Dagger is just as its name [Wind Shadow] suggests. With the blessing of [Wind Hermit], it is attached with a layer of sharp wind blade, and its weight is further reduced. Nia has brought it to its full potential.

On the other hand, it looks plain and unpretentious.

The black-haired youth wielded a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. With a clang of his shield, the ghoul was stunned. Then, with a powerful thrust, he fiercely pierced the opponent's heart. The ghouls tore and bit at him in a ferocious attack, but Roy remained as steady as an unshakable mountain. His literal "iron bones" caused many ghouls to break their teeth.

Roy repeated the shield and sword move, which was extremely simple, yet unstoppable in its killing.

If Nia's hunting is like a show of art, Roy is like a mature and experienced knight who emphasizes efficiency.

But it wasn't just their strength that amazed Red, it was also their attitude.

The reason why adventurers are reluctant to take students for tests is because these people are either too excited to think or too reckless, or too scared to see blood and too cowardly.

To put it bluntly, they simply lack experience. When faced with a real problem, even Sequence 8 or 7 would be overwhelmed and make matters worse.

However, these two people, one is excited but not impatient, the other is calm but not timid, they are skilled to the extreme!

Red even felt that they were more like two experienced adventurers!

This is no wonder. Nia, who carries the golden bloodline of [Forest Elves], has regarded adventurers as entertainment since she was a child. She likes to kill a few monsters for fun whenever she has time, and has perfectly utilized the strengths of her bloodline.

On Roy's side, he possessed the dance proficiency of [Not Diing with Bare Hands], had received personal training from [Iron Blood] Marquis Carl, and had experienced a confrontation with the [Evil Dragon Society]. A few zombies were at most an unsatisfying warm-up.

After fighting for a while, corpses fell one after another near the two of them.

Thanks to the contributions of these two people, the tough battle that Red had anticipated almost became a one-sided situation.

Roy stabbed the water ghost with his sword again, but accidentally used too much force and broke the blade.

Seeing a water ghost attacking from the side with its claws, Roy was about to turn around and punch it head-on, but unexpectedly, a blade flashed, and the mithril dagger with emerald green patterns rotated and pierced the water ghost's head.

Nia pointed at the water ghost's body and grinned, "That's the 28th one! You owe me one!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Roy raised his hand and threw a flying shield, which made Nia dumbfounded.