Appearance of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 95

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 95
* * *
Rustle—
“…!”
Gwi-hon Majun’s eyes snapped up from the book he’d been reading.
Someone had crossed the threshold into the Nest of the Bizarre Bird.
As if to announce this fact, one of the Talismans hanging along the wall flared to life of its own accord.
‘So he truly….’
This Talisman, which signaled someone’s entry into the Nest of the Bizarre Bird, was known only to himself as the family head and a handful of trusted members.
Which meant no one else would know that he was aware of this movement.
Gwi-hon Majun set down his book and hesitated for a moment.
‘Well, what should I do about this?’
His agreement with Hwan-yeong Majun was to turn a blind eye to the child’s entry into the nest for the time being.
That wasn’t a difficult thing to do.
Since the Talisman signaling entry remained unknown to anyone else, he could simply say he hadn’t noticed their arrival.
Besides, wasn’t Cheon-geom Majun standing guard directly at the nest’s entrance?
He couldn’t be blamed for something he hadn’t caught—they couldn’t hold the family responsible for his oversight.
‘For now, it would be best to watch and wait.’
At minimum, one day.
Within a day, this matter would reach its conclusion.
There was no way a mere student could survive more than a day in the Nest of the Bizarre Bird.
* * *
At that same moment, inside the Nest of the Bizarre Bird—
Whoosh—
Yeon-woo stepped into the nest and looked around with wonder in her eyes.
Crunch, crunch—
Just as it had appeared from outside, a lush forest spread before her.
Unlike the Gui Forest, where even the rustling of grass underfoot felt brittle and dry, the plants here overflowed with vitality.
Savoring that aliveness, Yeon-woo ventured deeper into the forest.
What was this place?
What could be here that Un-hyun brought her to see?
‘She said she had something to find.’
Recalling those words, Yeon-woo immediately frowned and stopped in her tracks.
“Fake through and through.”
Why was the mirage so convincing?
Now she just wanted to see more.
Ugh.
Without thinking, she kicked at a stone jutting up beneath her feet, and it flew away easily.
The moment Yeon-woo’s eyes followed the stone idly, they widened.
‘A pheasant?!’
In that instant, a pheasant’s tail disappeared behind a tree where the stone had flown.
It had vanished too quickly to see clearly, but it had definitely been a pheasant’s tail.
Swallow—
She hastily wiped away the saliva that had trickled to her lips and hurried after the bird.
When she reached the tree where the pheasant had disappeared, it was already fleeing behind another one.
Yeon-woo followed with her footfalls as quiet as she could make them.
Rustle, rustle—
The pheasant was fast.
As if it knew Yeon-woo was chasing it, it darted between the trees without pause.
Yeon-woo pursued it with relentless determination.
The pheasant was so swift that she’d nearly lost it more than once, but each time she managed to catch the moment it vanished.
Rustle—! Rustle-rustle-rustle—!
Before long, Yeon-woo found herself running.
No—beyond mere running, she was chasing the bird using her Lightness Technique.
So caught up in pursuit that she was scarcely aware of the pheasant’s impossible speed, at some point—
– Stop chasing me already!
“…!”
Yeon-woo gasped in shock and skidded to an abrupt halt mid-stride.
Unable to shed her momentum, she tumbled forward several times before suddenly planting her palms and landing cleanly on her feet.
For a moment, pride bloomed across her face at the graceful landing.
Yeon-woo blinked.
Before the child’s eyes, a bird stood in a narrow clearing between the trees.
A creature no larger than a six-year-old child, its feathers blazing like crimson flame, its beak gleaming gold.
Sharp eyes glinted red as if holding the sunset itself, and talons as keen as an eagle’s flashed with golden light.
The sun.
As if the sun itself were standing before him.
Yeon-woo’s gaze fixed on the bird’s tail.
That tail—the one he’d been chasing all this time.
– Why so stubborn? You should know when to give up!
“A phoenix…?”
– Don’t compare me to such a lowly creature!
Yeon-woo blinked.
Then—gasping in shock—he clapped his hand over his mouth.
“You’re talking!”
– You’re only realizing that now?!
“Your tone is pretty arrogant for a bird.”
In that instant, a violent surge of energy erupted around the bird with a whoosh.
Yeon-woo blinked.
A sunset-hued aura sent his hair and clothes whipping about.
From within it, the bird’s voice reached him.
– The arrogant one is you.
The bird’s words didn’t enter through his ears—they seeped naturally into his mind like wind brushing against his skin.
– How dare a lowly human set foot in this place? You enjoy your little games and leave, yet you dare to pursue me?
Though the bird appeared to be standing motionless, the fact that Yeon-woo could hear it fascinated him, and he stared intently at the creature.
– Tell me. Why have you been chasing me?
“Because I want to eat you.”
– E-eat…?! You insolent brat!!
A torrent of energy exploded outward—
The force grew fiercer still, and the dirt around them swirled up in its current.
Struggling to keep his eyes open, Yeon-woo shielded his face with his arm while still watching the bird.
– Do you have any idea what you’re coveting…!
“But hey—are you hurt?”
– !!
The bird’s sharp eyes flew wide open.
Then it fell silent, staring at Yeon-woo for a long moment.
Whisper, whisper…
Gradually, the bird’s aura subsided.
– How did you know?
“I don’t know. You just looked like you were in pain.”
– Yes.
The bird sighed, a long, weary breath.
Then, impossibly, it simply collapsed right there.
Truly, sitting down with its legs stretched out in front.
– Actually, that’s why I went to the border looking for something in the first place. I never expected to run into someone like you.
The bird swept at its rump with a wing, once, twice, as if exhausted.
– All this running around was for nothing. You chasing me just spread the poison further.
“What did you eat?”
– A fruit. Turns out it was poisoned. Mother told me not to eat anything I find lying around.
Then it boasted that it wouldn’t die from something like this anyway.
Yeon-woo frowned.
Mother?
– Anyway, I need to purge the poison before Mother finds out, so don’t get in my way. You chased me all the way back here, didn’t you? I’m running out of time.
“I can help you.”
The bird’s eyes narrowed slightly.
– You?
Yeon-woo’s frown deepened sharply.
He was sick of watching the bird strut about like it was so superior.
Yeon-woo untied the bundle at his chest and spread out the medicinal herbs he’d brought, laying them in a line.
Then, raising his eyebrows halfway, he looked at the bird.
“Is what you’re looking for in here?”
there might be—?
And just as Yeon-woo had anticipated, the bird’s eyes widened rapidly at the sight of the medicinal herbs laid out.
– You, you, that…! Hand it over! That thing!
It sprang up with such force it nearly tumbled, fluttering and hopping forward.
And just before the bird’s talons could snatch away the medicinal herbs Yeon-woo had been thinking of—
Snap!
Yeon-woo grabbed the fabric of his robe and wrapped the herbs away again.
The bird’s eyes went perfectly round as it stared at Yeon-woo.
– What are you doing? I said hand it over!
“Bow to me first.”
– What?
“Bow to me, and then I’ll give it to you.”
– You wretched creature, have you gone mad! How dare a mere human—!
“Sir Yeon-woo. Bow to me.”
– You really do wish to die—!
“Sir Yeon-woo, bow to me. Do it with your head pressed to the ground.”
– You’ve clearly lost your mind—!
“Sir Yeon-woo, bow to me. Press your head down and wiggle your backside.”
– …!
The bird’s beak fell open.
What—what kind of mad human was this?
The bird had never encountered anything like it.
Never before had it met someone with such an innocent face who was so utterly devilish.
The devilish human grinned wickedly and continued.
“There’s more after that too. Won’t you do the rest?”
– …No.
I don’t even want to imagine what comes next….
Watching the human swagger about, the bird found itself unconsciously taking a step backward.
The human’s wicked smile grew wider, his eyebrows twitching mischievously.
As though he were urging the bird forward, the bird found itself instinctively looking away.
Even without the human’s medicinal herbs, it could find enough herbs on its own with its own strength.
But.
‘Mother will be back soon….’
Better to endure this brief humiliation than face Mother’s scolding later.
In that moment, an image of Mother’s stern expression flashed through the bird’s mind.
The bird snapped to attention.
No. Suffering a moment of shame was a hundred times better than being scolded by Mother.
The bird turned back to look at the wickedly grinning human.
Their eyes met, and Yeon-woo’s eyebrows twitched upward again.
The bird’s beak trembled slightly for a moment.
Click.
The golden beak tapped against the ground.
– Y-yes, sir Yeon-woo….
Its brilliant sunset-colored tail began to sway and flutter back and forth.
– I-I’ll bow….
But before those words could even finish—
Whoooosh—
A massive shadow swept across the ground where Yeon-woo and the bird stood in an instant.
– !
The eyes of the bird, still pressing its head to the ground with backside raised, widened suddenly.
The bird’s head snapped up.
Yeon-woo, who had just produced the medicinal herbs to offer them, also lifted his gaze toward the sky.
Whoooosh— flutter— whooooooosh—
The blue sky that had been visible moments before was gone.
All that could be seen was a crimson form.
The body of a beast, cradling the blazing light of the sun itself.
[You—]
Krooooaaaw—
The heavens themselves cried out.
A deafening roar as if thunder itself had struck.
Who are you?
Whoosh—
A violent wind swept through the forest, whirling as though it would devour everything in its path.
Thud!
Yeon-woo drove his Axe down into the ground, barely managing to keep himself upright.
Then.
Whoooosh—
A massive shadow descended upon Yeon-woo’s head.
There was nowhere to flee.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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