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

Nia had already flown up with the wind and reached the top of the tree demon.

The twin mithril swords glowed with cold light at this moment. The blades were sharp enough to cut through dragon scales, and with the extremely fast wind surrounding them, they were extremely sharp.

The thick giant hand failed to save the tree monster. Instead, it was cut off neatly like tofu, causing the huge monster to wail and twist ugly.

Seeing that the monster that almost wiped out their entire group was no longer arrogant, the adventurers couldn't help but cheer.

"Miss Nia, well done!"

"Seize the opportunity and kill it!"

Nia didn't hate people supporting her. Rather, she liked the lively atmosphere the most when the Adventurer's Guild fought in the past.

But compared to the cheers of Red and others, she cared more about the gaze of a certain young man.

What's so great about simply killing the dryad?

This opportunity is rare, so you should do it in a cool way and perform as well as possible!

【Turning wind into shadow】.

That ability, acquired upon reaching Sequence 5, allowed Nia to instantly transform her form into pure wind elemental energy, dodging attacks. With this ability, even powerful Sequence 5 foes known for their speed wouldn't be able to gain any advantage.

But what does that mean?

With this in mind, Nia did not use the ability of [Turning Wind into Shadow] as she did before, but relied purely on her agility to twist and turn among the vines, dodging the blows that were powerful enough to shatter boulders again and again at a dangerous distance.

No matter how angry the giant tree demon was, no matter how hard it attacked, it could not hit the graceful figure dancing in the forest. Instead, its vines were cut off by the sword again and again. It was completely treated like a monkey and could only rage helplessly.

Compared to Red who could only passively take the beating, such dazzling movements stunned every adventurer present.

Show, so showy!

This is not a fight of life and death at all, but a show of skills!

A Sequence 6 was more than capable of defeating a thousand enemies alone. A monster like the Giant Dryad sometimes required the local lord to muster an army to counter it. Yet, that elven girl was able to manipulate it with such ease. Red and the others had no doubt that, given her abilities, she would be as comfortable as she was now, even amidst a torrent of cavalry!

However, seeing the girl's heroic figure, Roy in the corner sighed slightly and stood up.

This girl is too cocky.

The next second, just as Nia continued to tease her opponent, something strange happened.

A crack appeared in the ground, and a wooden splinter emerged from underneath.

In shock, Nia hurriedly stopped and leaned back to avoid the despicable sneak attack, but this also exposed a flaw.

With a swing of the vine, Nia's ankles were tied and she was hung in the air like a fish.

"Alas!!!"

Giant dryads are not stupid.

It knew that it couldn't kill its opponent with one blow, so it took Nia a turn to do a big spin in the air, successfully making her experience the feeling of flying, and making her see stars.

This is not good, this is not good, this is embarrassing!

Although she wouldn't be exposed during the battle if she wore shorts, Nia was going crazy when she thought about herself lying upside down like a carrot.

However, before Nia could draw her sword again, the fire flame was still lit.

Accompanied by a dragon roar that seemed a little illusory but was shocking enough, the sword blade flowing with red flames suddenly rose up.

【Ashes of Destruction】!

A terrifying stream of flames gushed out and gathered into a straight line.

The adventurers had no time to react before they saw a thick flaming slash pierce through the thick tree hand and engulf the entire giant tree demon.

Afterwards, all that remained was the pungent smell of burning and debris all over the sky, proving the existence and defeat of the giant tree demon.

The monster in the forest that was enough to threaten an army of a thousand people was burned to ashes before it could even let out a wail.

The girl in mid-air fell down.

Nia subconsciously closed her eyes, but what followed was a solid pain, and a solid embrace.

Roy arrived in time and held Nia steadily in his arms like a princess.

Nia was delighted at first, but then she grumbled a little dissatisfiedly: "Actually, we can handle it by ourselves!"

"I know, Sequence 6 versus Sequence 5, the advantage is yours." Roy did not deny it.

"But why didn't you just go for it? If you had gone all out from the start, you would have killed that thing long ago."

Facing Roy's complaints, Nia shrank her head and couldn't raise it. Even her long, pointed ears drooped listlessly.

Damn it! Is there anything more embarrassing than failing to act cool in front of your sweetheart?! Nia really wanted to find a hole to crawl into right now.

But that was not realistic, so she had to continue to shrink her body and burrow into Roy's arms.

"We, we just want to show off..."

"That's not a reason for you to be careless and underestimate the enemy." Roy complained mercilessly, pinching her ear as a punishment.

Elves have particularly sensitive ears.

Nia, who was about to make some excuses, suddenly softened. The crimson blush spread not only to the tips of her ears but also to the depths of her neck. She hummed pitifully, "Wuwu, I know."

The soft tip of the ear is inexplicably addictive to the touch, and the tearful look on the other person's face is especially adorable.

Normally, if he did this, Nia would definitely bully him back. It was rare for him to be in the right. With the mentality of "a fool would be a fool not to take advantage of an opportunity", Roy played with the tip of the girl's ear while continuing to lecture her like a mantra: "I know you want to show off, but safety comes first. There are thousands of ways to go, but safety comes first. Risking too much will bring tears to your loved ones. Underestimating Warcraft will bring great losses. Overturning and losing composure is not advisable..."

"I've already told you, I know, please stop pinching my ears!" Nia couldn't help but flutter in his arms, wanting to cry but having no tears.

That night.

Roy and his men set up camp on the spot, just in time to pair up with Red and his men to provide support.

Red and the others were seriously injured and could not continue the mission without a short rest.

Anyway, Nia's mission was not urgent, and [Mist Mantis] would not run around everywhere, so Roy didn't mind taking care of a few old acquaintances.

However, Red and the others became reserved.

In front of the campfire, the usually noisy adventurers now stood up straight like good kids in front of their teacher, which made Roy feel awkward.

Holding the expensive holy water given by Roy, Red, whose injuries had been treated, acted very reserved.

"Miss Nia, and Lord Roy... thank you so much for helping us this time. Otherwise, we would be finished."

Chapter 13 Why Don't You Sleep With Me?

Reid smiled awkwardly, and his usual entourage was no longer with him.

If I still admire and feel emotion towards Nia, I feel more awe towards Roy.

No wonder.

Adventurers are free and undisciplined, yet they also have their own hierarchy. They may disrespect the nobility and the powerful, but they cannot disrespect strength.

Saint Guard, the number one prodigy in the Western Continent, the Lion-hearted Dragon Slayer, beneath these titles, the most important thing is the young man's undeniable strength.

Sequence 4, high-level transcendent.

There are only three or two such people in the Adventurer's Guild, and they can be said to be worshipped by all adventurers.

The young man who needed their examination and care not long ago has leaped to such a height in just one year. It is difficult for Red and others to adapt.

The skewers of meat placed on the simple barbecue grill gave off bursts of burnt aroma, but in front of a high-level transcendent, people did not dare to eat as heartily as usual. Several grown men sat upright like well-educated girls, which made Roy laugh.

Nia picked the best piece of roasted meat without any hesitation and started eating it.

"It's just a small favor, thank you. By the way, I also have something I want to ask Mr. Reid."

"Please, please."

Looking at the anxious Reid in front of him, Roy pretended to be hesitant: "So what's under your bed?"

Confusion replaced uneasiness, and Red suddenly opened his mouth speechless.

The other adventurers didn't dare to laugh at first, but when the elf girl's laughter emerged like a silver bell, they finally couldn't help laughing.

"Smile like a hammer!"

Just because I don't dare to offend them, can't I deal with you?

After everyone had a blow, the laughter around the campfire subsided. Red's face was still embarrassed, but the atmosphere was no longer as heavy as before.

Roy didn't hate the feeling of being admired.

But that depends on the situation.

Even if he is just an acquaintance, if he becomes too unfamiliar and too distant, he will feel uncomfortable.

Roy suddenly understood why Charlotte and the others were so tired after a busy day. King Robert the Lionheart was probably the same.

It is not easy to maintain the attitude of a superior. Unless necessary, Roy prefers to get along with friends on a more equal footing.

"Although I have achieved some success now, I am still the same person as before. There is no need for you to be restrained." As he spoke, Roy took the half-eaten barbecue from Nia and took a big bite.

Nia: “?”

I have to say that Nia has a great eye for food. This skewer of meat is fat and lean, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and it is really delicious.

"A little achievement... Oh, you're such a joke. Slaying a dragon is something every adventurer dreams of accomplishing."

Although they didn't let go completely, Red and the others relaxed their trust a little and also picked up the barbecue, with less restraint and more admiration.

"Unlike you, we little adventurers can only make a living here in the Citadel. We almost got into trouble, but it was only thanks to you that we were able to save our lives this time."

Roy asked curiously, "What is your mission?"

"Hunting the [Mist Mantis]." Red smiled bitterly.

Occasionally, different teams will encounter the same adventure commission.

But [Mist Mantis] is a powerful Sequence 5 monster, and it is obviously not something that Red and others can deal with.

They were also experienced adventurers and had a clear understanding of their own abilities. They should not have gone deep into the forest to deal with enemies they could not defeat.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. There's nothing we can do."

"The Emerald Council has been recruiting adventurers on a large scale lately, apparently to explore a secret realm or something, leading to a shortage of manpower here at the Citadel." Red swallowed a large piece of meat before saying, "If the Mist Mantis is left alone, it will expand its territory and pose a threat to the surrounding suburbs."

"We were just planning to scout the route first. Who could have imagined we'd overturn just as we entered the forest?"

The secret realm of the Emerald Court? What kind of secret realm would attract so many adventurers that the Citadel was already short-staffed?

Roy wanted to ask Nia about it, but when he saw her biting the piece of meat with a clear and stupid look in her eyes, he shut his mouth.

"What's wrong?"

"It's okay, just eat it." Roy replied in a tone that showed care for the little animals.

If Nia really knew the details, she would have been unable to concentrate and joined the discussion.

"By the way, aren't you guys here for the [Mist Mantis]?"

Roy nodded: "Really."

"But the academy hasn't had any assessments recently, and you're not short of money..."

Looking at the boy and girl sitting intimately with their shoulders touching, Red suddenly guessed the answer and showed an expression that showed he understood everything.

It might be hard for others to understand, but this is how dates between adventurers work.

Go out on adventures and seek romance in thrills and excitement. Not to mention Red, every adventurer has a similar delusion, but not every adventurer is lucky enough to meet his or her other half.

"In that case, we won't bother you two any longer. We'll be on guard tonight, so you two should go and get some rest."

"Boss, don't be ridiculous. Why would a high-level transcendent need us to keep watch... Ugh!"

"Shut up, you idiot! They saved us, and we still have to trouble them to keep watch? You better be more careful!"

Finally, Red made a "come on" expression to Roy, leaving the latter confused.

So, after a hectic dinner, Roy and Nia were driven together.

The adventurers' tents were set up a little further away, and the faint glow of fire could be seen.

Originally, Roy had planned to rely on the protection of the vampires to keep watch on his own, but after Red and the others did this, he was left at a loss.

Nia was more open-minded. She kicked off her boots first and dived into the tent.

After a few seconds, he popped his head out again: "What are you standing there for? Come in?"