“Miss Kaxu, we really cannot push any further.”
Gray stopped his pace and looked at the Glimmering Eye Catacomb Corridor ahead, which seemed to lead into the depths of hell.
His tone became more serious than ever before.
“But whether it is potions or Sizhuan Crystals, the Black Crow Squad currently has a large surplus. As the captain, I don’t feel there is a reason sufficient enough for us to stop.”
Kaxu crossed her arms over her chest.
A look of stubbornness, which could only belong to a young girl, appeared on her delicate and fair face.
Gray felt a headache coming on.
‘Is it because I killed the small mobs too hard earlier that this young lady has developed the illusion that a Night Glow Level labyrinth is nothing more than this?’
“Miss Kaxu, I must warn you very seriously.”
Gray deepened his voice.
“Exploring up to this point is basically the limit for a two-person configuration. If we continue, we will likely face the unavoidable —”
“Mr. Gray,” the girl interrupted his long-winded speech.
“I believe I am the captain of the Black Crow Squad, am I not?”
Gray instinctively nodded, but before he could explain, the captain pressed on with her next sentence.
“Based on my judgment, the squad still has the ability to continue exploring forward. This is also my decision as the captain.”
“Since the Sizhuan Crystals haven’t been exhausted yet, it means the path can continue to extend forward. So, don’t stop!”
Looking at the inexplicably impassioned Kaxu, Gray felt a few nonexistent drops of cold sweat trickle down his temple.
‘Is Miss Kaxu… having a bout of chunibyo?’
Just as Gray was pondering whether to forcibly drag her away, Kaxu suddenly reached out and pressed the mute button on the floating livestream drone beside her.
Click.
Gray was stunned for a moment.
In the next second, the “Captain of the Black Crow Squad” who had been talking big just a moment ago suddenly changed her face.
Her eyes turned red as she leaned in.
She reached out her small hand, gently tugging at the young man’s sleeve, and looked up at him.
“Mr. Gray, I beg of you. Actually… actually, this captain is doing this for your own good.”
“For me?”
Gray was baffled.
“Yes.”
The girl sniffled, saying aggrievedly, “Since you want to subjugate this labyrinth with those powerful former teammates of yours, I wanted to take this chance to let you adapt more. That way, when you are with them, you will be safer…”
Looking at the Angel in front of him, who looked like she was about to burst into tears for his sake, the confusion and frustration in Gray’s heart vanished without a trace.
‘I am truly a monster. Miss Kaxu is thinking of me so much, yet I was actually thinking of retreating early. Isn’t that intentionally letting down her kindness!’
He took a deep breath and gripped the girl’s hand in return.
“Then I will listen to you, Captain.”
Miss Kaxu, whose hand was being held, stiffened for a moment.
‘Hand, hand, hand, hand! The fire I finally managed to suppress is about to flare up again!’
Meanwhile, because the livestream was muted, the audience could only see the visuals but could not hear any sound.
From their perspective, the two argued for a few words, then Kaxu pressed mute, followed by her suddenly becoming tearful and pitiful.
Finally, the two gazed deeply into each other’s eyes and even held hands.
[When I have money, I will definitely buy a terminal with sound.]
[Are they actually dating? Didn’t they say couples can’t be in the same team?]
[My heart feels uncomfortable, I can’t breathe, I’m going to die.]
At the Paladin branch, Eve, who was drinking water, sprayed a mouthful out directly, soaking Ingram’s sleeve.
“Wait, are these two really dating?”
Ingram stared at the young man’s slightly flushed face on the screen.
After hesitating for a few seconds, he still chose to believe his old friend.
“I believe Gray isn’t the kind of beast who would lay a hand on an underage girl… probably.”
In the wealthy district, at the home of a certain pink-haired mage who was letting out sharp, explosive screams, the scene was far from harmonious.
Beep.
Kaxu, wearing a satisfied smile, turned the microphone back on.
She gave a sweet smile to the camera.
“Sorry, everyone. We were just discussing some squad business secrets and tactics, so we muted for a bit~”
Leaving behind a screen full of question marks, the Black Crow Squad set out once again on their journey through the Third Labyrinth.
The two walked through an unexpectedly peaceful catacomb passage.
Gray held his twin blades, guarding his surroundings with extreme vigilance.
Meanwhile, Kaxu, who hadn’t sensed the presence of any of her kin and was thus incredibly relaxed, was seriously pondering a major problem concerning life and death:
How could she screw over Mammon without exposing herself?
Strictly speaking, as a Calamity Pillar of the same rank, she could sense where that bastard hid his magic crystal.
But the problem was that her current self — the Great Demon Noctiluca — no longer controlled the 13th Dungeon.
Having lost the protection of the labyrinth, her magic crystal was forced back into her own body.
As for the specific location…
The girl instinctively touched her flat stomach, her cheeks turning slightly red.
If Mammon was pushed into a corner because his magic crystal was discovered and decided to fight like a trapped beast, someone with Gray’s level of ability would 100% fail to stop him.
When the time came to save the day, she would be forced to reveal her strength, and then Gray would discover her identity, and then…
The image of that “Violent Hero” again surfaced in Kaxu’s mind.
‘No! No matter what, it’s impossible for me to become his pet!’
“Miss Kaxu.”
Just as she was agonizing, Gray, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped.
“Are you hiding something from me?”
“Huh?”
Kaxu’s heart skipped a beat.
‘It’s over! Is he doubting my true identity? Or did he see that I was thinking about something awful?’
Gray lowered his eyelids.
The firelight cast shadows across his face, making it impossible for Kaxu to see his gaze.
She couldn’t read his current thoughts from the face of this person she had defeated over 100 times.
‘Damn it, what should I do? Is this guy doubting my true identity? Or did he just ask a random question?’
‘Think fast, Noctiluca, think fast…’
‘If you don’t want to be turned into a prisoner and a tool belonging only to this small-fry Hero in front of you, then use your brain!’
“…I’m sorry, Mr. Gray. I indeed have something I’ve been hiding from you.”
Gray looked up in surprise.
He hadn’t expected that the angry words he had blurted out due to Kaxu’s recklessness would actually cause the usually calm girl to react.
In his gaze, the little blonde Priest smiled, showing what could be called a bleak smile.
“Mr. Gray, I know that saying this must sound like a pipe dream to you.”
“But actually, during that miracle, the Goddess didn’t just bestow the Crown of Thorns upon me.”
As if to add credibility to her words, the crown made of light elements reappeared on her head.
“She also gave me an Oracle: The mortal world is suffering, and the greedy Demon Race is secretly plotting a comeback… She hopes that I can provide direction for the slaying of those immortal Great Demons.”
The girl looked up, her blue eyes flickering with a sense of conviction Gray had never seen before.
Of course, for Kaxu, there had to be a sense of conviction at this moment.
Because it was all something she had made up to trick Gray!
“In that revelation where I received the Crown of Thorns, the Goddess gave me guidance. She said the mortal world is full of hardships and that the demons are plotting a return. She hopes I can contribute to the slaying of those immortal Great Demons.”
“An Oracle?”
Gray was stunned.
If anyone else had given this reason, he would have definitely slapped them.
But looking at Kaxu’s sincere eyes combined with his own internal filter, he actually believed her.
“Yes.”
Kaxu lowered her voice even more, as if afraid of disturbing some indescribable existence.
“Actually, just as we entered the labyrinth, the Goddess’s voice rang in my head again, telling me the True Name of the Great Demon guarding this labyrinth.”
“True Name?!”
Gray’s pupils shrank.
If they could master a demon’s True Name, the difficulty of the conquest would drop significantly.
Moreover, they only needed to shout it loudly in front of the demon.
There was a reward for shouting it correctly, and no penalty for getting it wrong.
Kaxu enunciated each word, clearly spitting out that name:
“Mammon, the demon in charge of greed.”
Gray nodded, memorizing the name with a solemn expression.
Although the idea of a dream-sent Oracle sounded like a fairy tale… this was Miss Kaxu!
She was an Angel personally blessed by the Goddess!
So, wasn’t it perfectly reasonable for the Goddess to give her a “backdoor” and reveal the answers?
If Eve were present, she would surely tease Gray with a wicked smile, saying he was now so blind that if Kaxu told him the Goddess’s will was to fight monsters with a knife and fork, he would do it.
The young man looked at the girl’s confident expression and tightened his grip on his sword hilt.
“If this truly is that demon’s True Name… then we have a chance of winning!”
***
Deep within the Third Labyrinth, the Hall of Greed.
Mammon looked at the warrior and priest continuing to advance on the monitor, feeling half of his face twitching.
‘Excellent, double blessings!’
Mammon felt that ever since the last time he had been “warned” by the Demon Lord with precognitive magic, his loyal faith must have moved the heavens.
Fate actually managed to deliver such a bizarre combination: the Calamity Pillar he hated most and a member of that damned human team called the Dawn Blade!
The ecstatic Demon of Greed decided to bring these two directly to the core area of the Third Labyrinth so they could fully experience the despair here.
Even if these two carried mysterious human inventions like the Sizhuan Crystals, Mammon was confident he could make them experience a sufficient level of despair before they were forcibly sent back to the labyrinth entrance.
After all, this was what he, as a Great Demon in charge of greed, was best at.
Making humans go mad because of their own desires, and then leading them toward death in a chaotic internal struggle — this was his favorite play.
As for Noctiluca?
Demons who publicly embarrassed him never had a good end.
Except for the Demon Lord himself, Mammon naturally would not treat her as a comrade.
With a command from the master of the labyrinth, the catacomb passage that originally led to the next wave of monster hordes was redirected toward the deepest part of the Wailing Corridor.
What neither Gray nor Kaxu could imagine was that after the next door opened, they would face the core of the Third Labyrinth, a super mechanism that maintained a high threat to all Hero squads — the Trial of Greed and Envy.