I’m Definitely Taking This Power-Fantasy Protagonist Role! Chapter 65

Blood splattered as the strange bird fell from the branch, crashing heavily to the ground. It never let go of the prey in its mouth, its sharp and hard beak tightly clenched, showing no sign of relaxation even in death.

Jiang Baiyu was brought down with it, landing in a disoriented heap. The rocks below were incredibly hard, with hardly any soft spots. The thorny trees, covered in massive spikes, grew out of the crevices in the rocks, their roots firmly gripping the stone and sprawling outwards.

At such a high place, it was unlikely for seeds to fly up here. It seemed that the strange birds had eaten the fruits, and the seeds sprouted from their droppings, taking root in the barren cracks of the rocks.

Jiang Baiyu gripped the Xiguang Sword and pried open the strange bird's beak, freeing his ankle. A deep circle of wounds marred his skin, blood and flesh a messy blur, and the bone was twisted—indeed, it was broken.

The biting force of this strange bird was astonishing, its feathers comparable to armor, and its claws sharp and powerful. Its combat ability was not to be underestimated; if it weren't for the Xiguang Sword, he might not have been able to deliver a fatal blow.

Just as Jiang Baiyu was about to check the extent of his ankle fracture, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. Without thinking, he rolled to the side. A strange bird pounced on the spot where he had just been sitting, its sharp claws instantly piercing the ground, leaving deep marks.

Failing to deliver a fatal blow, the strange bird became furious, visibly agitated, its bristly feathers standing on end, and it assumed a battle stance, glaring fiercely at Jiang Baiyu.

It opened its mouth and let out a piercing scream: "Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

The shrill and bizarre cry was unsettling, and Jiang Baiyu instantly realized it was calling for its companions. Sure enough, the sound of light wings flapping filled the air, and figures landed on the treetops, all staring intently at him. In just a few seconds, more than a dozen strange birds flew in, surrounding him, and their numbers continued to grow.

The worst-case scenario had occurred; these strange birds did not nest in pairs to raise their young but lived in groups. After he killed one at the entrance of their nest, the entire flock had set their sights on him!

Jiang Baiyu secretly attempted to fly with his sword, but it was futile. Unable to fly and with one leg impaired, his mobility was terrifyingly low, while his opponents were a group of aerial hunters capable of flying and fighting.

Cold sweat began to soak his back, and a danger alarm blared in his mind, making it buzz with noise. Strangely, despite the many strange birds surrounding him, they did not rush him all at once. Instead, they perched on the treetops, coldly watching him, as if they were spectators to his battle with the furious bird.

Before Jiang Baiyu could ponder the meaning of their behavior, his opponent suddenly launched an attack. It flapped its wings and frantically clawed at him with its feet, each claw as sharp as a blade, the assault relentless and frenzied. While it clawed at him, it let out a chilling scream, hysterically, "Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

Jiang Baiyu's robe blocked a few of the attacks as he rolled and jumped with his impaired leg, occasionally using the Xiguang Sword to fend off the strikes, taking cover behind the thorny trees. Relying on his weapon's advantage, he gave the strange birds a manicure, trimming their claws down to stubs.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah!!"

The same chilling and bizarre cry sounded, but it felt different. The surrounding strange birds let out clear boos and laughter.

The bird, mocked by its companions, grew even angrier, its feathers fluffed up, visually doubling in size. It lowered its body slightly, gathering strength, like a bowstring pulled taut.

Jiang Baiyu couldn't help but tense up, knowing that the enraged opponent was about to unleash a full-force attack. He gripped the Xiguang Sword and locked eyes with the strange bird targeting him, showing no signs of retreat.

If there weren't so many strange birds watching, if this weren't their nest, if… In short, Jiang Baiyu had no idea how the flock would react if he killed another one in front of them.

So far, he hadn't seen any bird that clearly stood out as a leader. Did they simply enjoy living together without a leader, or was the leader indifferent to such trivial matters?

Drip—

Drip—

Warm liquid fell from above, landing on Jiang Baiyu's forehead and slowly sliding down.

Fully on guard and ready to face the strange birds, Jiang Baiyu suddenly froze, realizing something, and looked up.

It was a disciple of the Yuheng Sect, his body pierced by a massive spike, warm blood oozing from the wound and sliding down the branch. He was battered and bruised, covered in the marks of battle, his clothes tattered, and his hair disheveled. His limbs were unnaturally bent, likely broken, especially the fingers exposed to the air, which were visibly twisted, as if someone had grabbed his hands and twisted them one by one.

Just imagining it in his mind made him feel the cruelty and brutality of it all. Such a thing could not have been done by the strange birds; they were large but incapable of such delicate work.

It was humans; only humans could commit such cruel acts, deriving pleasure from torturing their own kind.

Every drop of blood that fell still held warmth.

The moment Jiang Baiyu looked up, the poised strange bird seized the opportunity and launched an attack without hesitation, its sharp and hard beak aimed straight at him.

If it hit, it could create a bloody hole and pierce him through.

But it was the strange bird that fell.

Jiang Baiyu's mind went blank, and when he came to, the Xiguang Sword had already pierced through the strange bird's eye, exploding its head in the same manner, sending it to its demise.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!"

The surrounding strange birds flapped their wings in unison, letting out sharp and chilling cries, filled with anger, urgency, and alertness.

Some charged in, while others fled.

A chaotic battle erupted on the spot.

He had to thank his master for the Xiguang Sword; a good weapon provided a significant advantage.

The strange birds were large, and moving through the thorny forest was not easy, hindering their combat. Meanwhile, Jiang Baiyu could use the thorny trees for cover, rolling and jumping with agility, and with the sharpness of the Xiguang Sword, he was unstoppable, turning the tables and hunting the strange birds instead.

One bird's cry was unpleasant, but a group of them crying had a dizzying and numbing effect. No matter how they screamed, Jiang Baiyu remained steadfast, his mind clear.

As the bodies of their companions piled up, the strange birds finally grew fearful.

At that moment, two even larger strange birds appeared, spreading their massive wings, casting shadows on the ground. The birds that had already been feeling timid let out a scream and flapped their wings, fleeing the scene in a panic, clearing space.

In the next second, the giant birds let out a chilling scream at Jiang Baiyu: "Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!"

The demonic sound penetrated his mind, shaking his soul, and his insides felt as if they were being injured in an instant, blood dripping from his nostrils, falling drop by drop.

The enormous shadows circled above, their wings stirring up strong winds. They didn't even land, using their cries to injure the little bugs hiding under the thorny trees.

Jiang Baiyu kept a serious face, wiped his nosebleed, but his throat felt scratchy, and he spat out a mouthful of metallic-tasting blood.

His body swayed, and he finally couldn't hold on any longer, collapsing face down to the ground with a dull thud, no longer moving.

The two giant birds circling in the sky did not immediately lower their guard, letting out chilling screams again, "Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

Jiang Baiyu remained motionless.

After a while, the giant birds finally made another move. They landed on the treetops, folding their wings, their heavy bodies causing the branches to sag, and the entire tree felt it. One of them let out a call, and soon after, several strange birds flew in.

Another call followed, and one of the strange birds jumped down, cautiously landing beside Jiang Baiyu, reaching out a foot to scratch him, its sharp claws leaving marks.

The person lying on the ground did not move, showing no reaction.

The strange bird pecked at him with its beak, poking a bloody hole.

Still no response.

Finally reassured, the strange bird picked up Jiang Baiyu and flew up to the treetops, respectfully delivering its prey to the leader's mouth.

In that instant, Jiang Baiyu suddenly opened his eyes wide, the sword light flashing. At such a close distance, there was no way to miss. The giant bird's eye burst with blood, its head exploded. The other giant bird, right next to it, was horrified, reflexively opening its mouth but unable to make a sound, meeting the same fate.

The strange bird holding Jiang Baiyu was taken aback, and before it could escape, the world suddenly faded away, turning into darkness.

The surrounding flock immediately scattered, the strange birds flapping their wings, fleeing in panic while letting out chilling screams.

In no time, they had all fled, leaving the nest empty.

At this moment, Jiang Baiyu was utterly exhausted. The Xiguang Sword was effective, but it had consumed its share of energy, leaving him with only fifty percent of his spiritual power. With the consumption doubled, he had taken a desperate gamble to take down the leader of the strange birds, using the remaining inertia of the flying sword to deal with the bird that had been carrying him.

If the strange birds had rushed him at that moment, he would have been torn to shreds, with no power to resist. Fortunately, the saying "capture the leader first" was indeed very reasonable, a profound truth.

Witnessing the sudden deaths of two leaders had a tremendous shock on the strange birds, causing them to flee for their lives, not realizing that the one responsible for it all was merely a paper tiger, ready to fall with just a gentle push.

Jiang Baiyu looked towards the Yuheng Sect disciple impaled on the massive spike, his vision blurred and shaking. He wanted to go over and rescue him, but his body felt unbearably heavy.

Finally, he could no longer hold on, tumbling down from the treetop and landing heavily on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He grasped the ground, struggling to crawl forward, using the last of his strength to move slowly.

Finally, he reached the base of the thorny tree, a drop of blood falling onto his head, cold and chilling, causing Jiang Baiyu to freeze in place.

A hallucination appeared before his eyes.

A familiar ethereal voice emerged, soft and pleasant, like a spring breeze blowing away fatigue and pain. His body felt like an empty shell, his soul still inside, but his perception was dulled.

"Your consciousness is too immersed; you have unknowingly taken all of this as reality."

A hazy and illusory figure coalesced before him, with long hair and a blurred face, impossible to look at directly.

"This is his tribulation; as long as you give up, you can escape all of this and return to peace."

"Child, you should wake up."

Jiang Baiyu stared blankly at it, remaining silent for a long time.

Finally, he moved his lips and asked, "Is all of this really just an illusion?"