Chapter 52: The Moment the Mask Was Torn Away

“Wow! Anya is so cool!”

“Wow! Anya knows so much…”

“Wow! Can Anya even use Immoral Magic like this? That’s really amazing…”

The Protagonist was frantically cheering Anya on from the side.

Inspired by Joey’s encouragement, Anya fought the Beasts even harder.

Watching this scene, Joey let out a sigh of admiration.

I really should have been a Sage…

I can play these little Chef Girls like dogs without even using Magic…

Heehee…

So easy to fool…

Stare…

In just an instant, Joey felt a cold gaze again.

The Protagonist turned his head and saw Aiki looking elsewhere.

She’s staring at me with that murderous gaze from behind again…

How annoying…

“Hmph!”

Joey also turned his face away and ignored Aiki.

The time spent on the Labyrinth Adventure was quickly nearing its end, with a battle against a Magic Dog on the left and a Magic Ox on the right.

Joey and Aiki barely intervened, acting as if they were mere ornaments the whole time.

Only Anya was hacking away frantically, while the Priestess healed her just as desperately.

This was because every time Joey was about to take action, he was stopped by Anya.

She said she could handle such small matters on her own.

Although the Priestess also thought Joey was fake and useless, since they were in a temporary party, she had no complaints about Anya’s leadership.

The Protagonist also looked at the Priestess’s disdainful gaze with indifference.

Whatever…

If I acted, every Beast would vanish in an instant, and Anya and the Priestess wouldn’t have a chance to gain Experience.

This girl really doesn’t know what’s good for her, looking at me with that kind of gaze.

Although Lesser Demon Beasts had “Demon” in their name, they did not belong to the Demon Race.

Because the beasts in this Otherworld possessed Magic just like Humans, all wild animals were called Lesser Demon Beasts.

However, they were more ridiculous than the beasts Joey had encountered in his previous life.

For instance, the Landsharks they met earlier had some absurd abilities…

But a Beast’s core wasn’t like a Human’s, which relied on the heart to obtain Magic…

It was a Magic Core…

Actually, it was similar to a heart; calling it a Magic Core just made it easier to distinguish.

However, Magic Cores were diverse; some could move around the body like a Slime.

Or like the Landsharks, it was stored in a hard brain…

Or else…

Joey’s party of four reached the deepest part of the labyrinth and encountered a Three-headed Snake.

Each of its snake heads contained a separate Magic Core.

“Hiss!”

The Three-headed Snake shared a single body, with only its upper torso separated.

Its lower body was coiled, supporting an upper body that was about three meters tall.

From a first-person perspective, this boss at the deepest part of the labyrinth looked quite intimidating.

At least, it intimidated the Priestess and Anya.

“A Three-headed Snake…”

Anya murmured.

“In a Bronze Grade labyrinth… are there actually rare species like this?”

Huh? Rare?

Joey frowned as he looked at Anya from the side.

I stepped on one under my bed when I went back to the Demon King’s Castle the other day…

You clearly just didn’t finish reading your books…

The Protagonist curled his lip and complained in his heart.

On the surface, however, Joey still put on a frightened expression, clinging to Anya’s side and asking with a mockingly terrified tone.

“Even though… we don’t have much information… there will definitely be a way.”

Anya comforted Joey, saying:

“Let’s just take this opportunity to gather intelligence.”

With that, Anya raised her Enchanted Longsword and stepped into the Three-headed Snake’s attack range.

“Hiss!”

Having three heads and six eyes, the Three-headed Snake was extremely vigilant.

As Anya stepped slightly into its range, one of the heads sensed danger and quickly turned toward her.

“Hiss!”

The leftmost head of the Three-headed Snake flicked its tongue, then opened its mouth and spat a Fireball at Anya.

“Bang!”

Anya dodged it.

The training of the past half-month, combined with the Experience she had just gained in the labyrinth, had significantly increased Anya’s courage and skill.

However, the Three-headed Snake gave Anya no room to breathe.

The middle head then turned and spat a water ball at Anya.

Then, seeing Anya dodge, the third head followed up by spitting a wind blast at the location where she was dodging.

“Bang!!”

“Ugh!”

Anya could not dodge in time and was hit squarely by the wind blast.

The Priestess beside her hurriedly treated Anya.

Though it was only a few scrapes, Joey continued to play his manipulative role…

“Anya!”

Joey took a few steps forward and reached Anya’s side.

“Are you okay…”

“I’m fine, it’s just a superficial wound,” Anya said with a resolute smile.

Ah…

The Three-headed Snake…

Honestly, after being in the labyrinth for so long and not being allowed to act by Anya, Joey was truly getting bored.

Now, the Protagonist only hoped to finish the Labyrinth Adventure quickly and return for a good meal of Magic Ox roast.

“Anya, you don’t force yourself. Let me handle this one.”

With that, Joey took the Enchanted Longsword in his hand and looked at Anya with a determined gaze.

“How could I? You’re a boy! If I, a woman, am protected by a boy…”

“Hey! I’m a Warrior just like you…”

The Protagonist shook his head and said.

It’s just fighting a Three-headed Snake…

Why make it a tragic parting…

I could finish it in two hits…

Sigh… what a pain…

I’m tired of acting…

“From here on, just leave it to me.”

Despite his thoughts, Joey’s face still bore an expression of tragic determination.

“Joey…”

Anya looked at Joey with concern.

Even the Priestess beside them nodded, her gaze toward the Protagonist now carrying a hint of respect.

“Then come on… Three-headed Snake!!!”

Joey drew the Enchanted Longsword from its scabbard.

Just as he was about to turn and point it at the Three-headed Snake…

“Water Blade.”

“Swish!”

“Boom!!!”

Aiki, standing by the side, simply threw out a Water Blade, severing the Three-headed Snake at its base with a single strike.

“Hiss!!!!!”

After the three heads were separated, they began to twitch frantically.

Following a moment of squirming… they lost all signs of life.

“Unexpectedly easy to handle… there was no need for the Young Master to intervene after all.”

Aiki said coldly as she looked at the Protagonist.

Tsk…

This Little Servant…

Joey glared at Aiki resentfully with his large eyes.

Aiki returned the look with her own cold eyes.

“Since… it’s like this, then let’s just head back…”

Joey turned to Anya and the Priestess.

“Look like the Labyrinth Adventure has ended quite unexpectedly…”

Aiki’s single-hit kill left Anya and the Priestess stunned.

But… it was somewhat reasonable for a Noble Little Master’s servant to be strong.

“So… Miss Aiki is this powerful…”

Anya said, looking at Aiki.

Aiki’s face remained cold as she bowed.

“You overpraise me, Miss Anya. I am merely a house servant…”

“Um… can the compliments wait until we’re outside…?”

The Priestess said, looking at the snake heads rolled on the ground.

“Chatting here feels a bit creepy…”

“Ah… true…”

Anya nodded.

“Then let’s go out. The exam can be considered a successful finish…ed…”

But at that point…

Anya suddenly froze…

“Everyone… is that… also a Beast from the labyrinth?”

Anya’s expression was blank as she pointed at a massive, moving Snake Skull in front of them…

“Roar!!!”

“!!!”

Just as Joey turned around to investigate, the massive Snake Skull actually knocked Anya and the Priestess aside and charged straight at him.

How could such speed threaten Joey?

He stepped to the side and easily dodged the Snake Skull’s attack.

Anya and the Priestess lay unconscious to the side.

Then, from behind the Snake Skull, a familiar voice rang out…

“Colluding with the Demon Race, and possessing such powerful Magic within your body…”

“Joey, what else are you hiding from me…”

Joey looked at the newcomer…

It was a spirited woman with short hair and sharp, murderous eyes.

There were some freckles on her face, and her gaze was full of aggression as she looked at him…