Going back a few moments...
---
"Hmm, a four-person group, huh? An axe, sword, dagger, and... a staff? Shit, I totally forgot about magic users."
Axel leaned back, watching the group through the observer's mirror.
"Ugh, they're being way too cautious."
"Yes! That's my void crawler—one down."
"A flash spell? Damn, that girl's going to be a problem."
"And detection magic too? Great, now my traps are basically useless."
Axel grumbled as he continued to watch the adventurers.
"Open the chest, open the chest... Yes! Two down, two to go."
"Aaaand a fire spell, of course. Ugh, this girl is going to be the bane of my existence."
It finally dawned on Axel that he had completely underestimated the adventurers' capabilities—particularly the mage. Coming from a modern, scientifically advanced world, magic was still something he hadn't fully wrapped his head around. Now, even with only two intruders left, the possibility of the mage girl reaching the end of the labyrinth, while slim, was very real.
'Siiiil! Siiil!'
"Hm? What is it, Sylva?" Axel asked, absentmindedly stroking the little blob sitting on his legs.
'Sil siiil,' Sylva wriggled and pointed her face at the mage girl in the mirror.
"What about her? Hmm... Are you saying you want to take care of her?" Axel tilted his head, trying to piece together Sylva's intentions.
'Sil!' Sylva nodded enthusiastically. Seeing Axel darken his expression whenever the mage girl cast another spell, Sylva shared his frustrations. She wanted to fight for him, she wanted to protect their home, she will drive out the bad people.
After all, she was Axel's loyal blob.
"Haha, sure, go for it! Just don't go too hard on them, okay?" Axel was all smiles when he heard Sylva volunteering to face the intruders. She could kill those adventurers a million times over with her raw power alone. It would be amusing to see the expression on their faces when they realized just how deep in shit they are after facing off against Sylva, hehe.
"Well, this just got interesting. Let's see what you'll do now, little mage." Axel leaned back in his chair after sending off Sylva to the labyrinth with his portal ring, setting his sights on the redheaded girl. As for the other adventurer? Based on his performance so far, Axel had already written him off as a dead weight.
---
Meanwhile...
"For the love of Aether, would you PLEASE JUST SHUT UP!"
Rika snapped, her patience worn thin by the youth's endless whining. They have currently progressed to the third room. Thanks to the labyrinth offering nothing new at the moment, she managed just fine with her flash and detection spells. As for the youth, ever since the bald fighter had been swallowed by the mimic, the boy had been a walking bundle of fear, muttering things like, "They're dead," "We're gonna die too," and "I don't want to die."
"Look, if you're going to keep acting like this, you might as well just let yourself die! Whining like a baby won't do us any good!" she scolded, her voice cutting through the dimly lit labyrinth.
"I-I..." The youth stammered, visibly shaken by Rika's outburst. Though still terrified, he managed to stay quiet, following her closely out of fear of being left behind.
By the time they reached the fourth room, Rika noticed something unusual. In the center of the room stood a small, gelatinous creature. Curious, she moved closer to get a better look, and what she saw made her heart skip a beat.
'Awwww, it's soooo cute!'
That's right, it was Sylva holding the fort in the fourth room. Though it seems her appearance had an unexpected effect on the mage girl. After all, Sylva is the cutest little blob.
"Hey there, little cutie~ Are you all alone? Can I pet you? Do you want to come home with me?" Rika cooed, her eyes sparkling with an unnerving level of affection. She was inching closer and closer, acting very much like a creepy ojisan.
'!!!' Sylva froze. Every part of her gooey body tingled with discomfort, like worms crawling under her surface. She couldn't stand the look in Rika's eyes—a mix of obsession and creepy adoration.
In one swift motion, Sylva lunged forward, tackling Rika in the face and sending her out of the labyrinth instantly. The mage disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Sylva to handle the last remaining intruder.
With Rika gone, Sylva made quick work of the youth, who barely had the chance to scream before he too was transported out of the labyrinth.
'Sil! Sil! Siiil!'
As soon as Axel opened the portal, Sylva bolted through, launching herself into his arms and wiggling furiously against his chest. Her gooey form vibrated as she ranted to Axel about how weird and uncomfortable the mage girl had made her feel.
"There, there, you're okay now..." Axel consoled her, trying to stifle his laughter. "Seriously, I didn't see that coming at all. Though, I can't say I blame her. You are pretty adorable."
Sylva continued to squirm in his embrace, determined to rid herself of the lingering discomfort from the encounter. Axel, meanwhile, couldn't stop grinning. While the situation hadn't gone exactly as planned, seeing Sylva so flustered made it all worthwhile.