The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness

Chapter 18, The Method to Win a Heart

“Indeed, the essence of this move is shock, isn’t it?”

In a devastated corridor, Mu En sat on a piece of shattered wall debris, observing the movements of his palm.

His fingers sometimes curled, sometimes stretched, simulating various forms of beast claws, yet the movements, though varied, remained true to their nature, as the air around him slightly trembled in response to the motion of his hand.

Thunder LV2!

Looking at the records in the black book, Mu En couldn’t help but show a smile.

After being tormented by Eluka’s husband, that powerful adventurer, hundreds of times, this move could finally be considered as having been mastered.

Compared to the Shadow Step, which could only be used for displacement, and the dagger combat technique that was more of a skill than a martial art, this move clearly had a much broader applicability.

It could also be said to be the first offensive martial art that Mu En had learned.

Moreover, with such impressive power at just LV2, Mu En couldn’t even imagine how terrifying it would be when its proficiency reached a higher level.

However, it was precisely because of this that the difficulty of learning this move had been raised by more than one level compared to the previous Shadow Step.

“But as long as I’ve mastered the basics, subsequent progress will be much easier.”

Learning martial arts through combat, due to the lack of a teacher’s explanations, the hardest part is always the initial mastery.

But once the basics are mastered, high-intensity training will make subsequent improvements much easier.

For example, Mu En had already reached LV8 in dagger combat.

In terms of manipulating the dagger, Mu En prided himself on being no weaker than that maid assassin from back then.

Of course, in the duel within the black book, there was still no hope of winning against her, as the gap in realm and overall quality was still an insurmountable chasm for Mu En at present.

“I still need to keep working hard.”

Mu En retracted his gaze and looked to the side.

Rein lay on the ground, covered in blood, his body trembling slightly, letting out a low moan from his throat.

Rein opened his eyes, filled with confusion.

“Are you awake, Rein?”

“What is this…?”

Rein felt the excruciating pain tearing at his reason from his body, and he struggled to turn his head to look at his own body.

His right hand was pinned to the ground by an ordinary fruit knife, the blade embedded deep into his palm, all the way to the handle, while the rest of his limbs had twisted in various degrees of strange angles. Rein tried to move but found that aside from the increasing pain tearing at his nerves, there was no response at all.

“Sorry, you were too scary just now, so I temporarily deprived you of your ability to move,” Mu En said softly.

“Do you remember what happened just now?”

“I…”

Rein’s expression was dazed, his lips, cracked from excessive blood loss, stammered.

Of course, he remembered what had just happened.

He had invited the wolves into the den, bringing a group of heretics into the dormitory to find Mu En.

He had fought with Mu En Campbell and ended up in this state.

And also…

Before that, he had been continuously stealing boys’ underwear from other dormitories, collecting them as if they were precious items, even going so far as to put a dozen locks on an ordinary wardrobe.

But the problem was…

Why did he do that?

Why did he hurt his classmates?

Why did he become one of those evil cultists?

And…

Why did he do such perverse things?

He had always longed for a pretty girl to be his girlfriend.

He was not gay!

“It seems you’ve finally woken up.”

Mu En stared intently into Ryan’s eyes, noticing that the previous rage and ferocity had faded from his gaze, and he couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief:

“But I’m sorry, I can’t let you go free just yet, because I can’t be sure if the evil god’s influence on you is still there.”

“I’m sorry… Mu En.”

After understanding everything that had happened, Ryan trembled and began to cry.

Endless regret filled his heart; although he didn’t know why he had done those things, he knew they were all wrong.

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“It’s okay, I didn’t mind.”

Mu En smiled, his handsome face perfectly proportioned, shimmering under the outer light as if it sparkled with a bright glow.

“Do you remember when you became like this?”

“When?”

Ryan fell into recollection.

“Probably… before the school started…

I was wandering the streets when I encountered someone handing out flyers…

The flyer said it could make you popular and help you find your true love…

So… I went… I don’t remember exactly where.

After I went, there was that high priest; he said something to me…

Then… then I felt… since I couldn’t find a girlfriend anyway… liking men… wasn’t so bad?

Then when I came to my senses, I was already back at the academy.

Usually, I didn’t feel anything was wrong, thinking it was just a boring dream, but every night, I couldn’t control myself and ended up doing those things…

And before that… when those people appeared in front of me, I always felt dazed… as if… I had become someone else.

Even when I fought with Mu En, it felt like the anger in my chest was about to burst out, as if what Mu En said to me… tainted my love.”

“Is that so?”

Mu En sighed lightly upon hearing this, but couldn’t help but smile with relief:

“Fortunately, in misfortune, you are merely controlled in some way and have not truly been tainted by the evil god, or rather, the extent of the taint is not deep.”

Like Eluka and the previous high priest, a significant characteristic of those tainted by the god of love is that when they lose control of their emotions or find themselves at the end of their rope, they transform into those disgusting, grotesque monsters.

That is the external manifestation of their completely twisted inner selves, a sign that the power of the evil god has penetrated to the very marrow of their bones.

But Rain is different; his previous transformation in size resembles more of a martial skill or perhaps a talent of his own.

Moreover, he is able to regain his clarity, which indicates that he is not beyond saving.

“I’m really sorry, I just… I just wanted a lovely girlfriend.”

Rain continues to apologize, tears and snot streaming down his face, mingling with blood, making him appear quite pitiful.

After the influence of the evil god fades, his true nature finally reveals itself before Mu En.

He is not a violent, twisted monster, nor is he a psychologically warped male.

He is simply an ordinary boy, troubled by his desire for the affection of a lovely girl.

“I see, then as the academy’s renowned playboy, let me teach you how to win the heart of a lovely girl,” Mu En suddenly says.

“Eh?”

Before Rain can grasp the meaning of Mu En’s words, he sees him suddenly rise and look out the window into the corridor.

Under the glaring beams of many searchlights, below the dormitory building, a gigantic and twisted monster is roaring incessantly.

That is the high priest.

Cornered by Ariel and other elite student council members who rushed to support, the high priest, like Eluka before him, has devoured other muscular men, transforming into this massive and repulsive creature.

But unlike the previous situation with Eluka, this time it is at the renowned magical St. Maria Academy.

Such a gigantic size is practically a living target.

Thus, under the fierce barrage of magical attacks, even if the high priest’s recovery speed is fast, he is soon torn apart, exposing his vulnerabilities.

The source of the taint, that heavy tome of doctrine, is floating amidst the flesh and blood.

As if it has a consciousness of its own, it dodges the magical attacks.

But since the source is revealed, there is no reason to let it go.

Mu En bends down, picks up the enormous broadsword from the ground, and walks toward the already shattered window.

“Ah, right.”

Just before leaping down, Mu En seems to remember something, turning back to Rain and gesturing to his own ear:

“Your ear, the cut is very smooth. I think if we use magic in time, it can still be saved, so you don’t need to worry about your appearance affecting your popularity in the future.”

“Mu En…”

“So, just watch closely from here on out.”

Mu En smiles, then turns around and, without hesitation, leaps from this floor, plunging toward the monster.

“How to Win the Heart of a Lovely Girl Rule No. 1.

——Never miss any opportunity to show off!”