Hero Route 2

Time rewound a few minutes. Anyi and Layton charged towards the Skeleton Executioner and the Bull Demon together. 

They had only gone halfway when a shriek came from behind! 

Layton suddenly turned his head and saw Ariana and Karen covering their ears, paralyzed and lying on the ground. 

「Go back and help them!」 

This thought echoed instantly in Layton's mind. 

"Anyi! Let's go back!" Layton shouted, ready to retreat. 

"No, we continue." Anyi stopped him. 

"Why?! They're in danger!" Layton stood firm, looking at Anyi in confusion. 

"No, they're not in danger. 

Trust Miss Miruku. 

Her Strength is now 9 points, and her Agility is 49 points. As long as she wants to protect them, they will be perfectly safe. 

Or do you think she would abandon her teammates out of fear?" Anyi said seriously. 

Layton's heart trembled. 

That's right, if Miruku wants to save them, no monster could stop her. 

Even the Howling Succubus, with 30 Agility, was nearly 20 points lower than her. 

Why hadn't he considered Miruku's abilities? 

Did he really not trust her? 

Regardless, a trace of worry lingered in Layton's heart. 

"Clang!" 

Suddenly, he heard the sound of metal colliding. 

From a distance, he saw the small figure of the girl wielding twin daggers, blocking in front of Ariana and Karen, deflecting the Howling Succubus's claws. 

Her hands trembled slightly, unable to withstand the opponent's Strength, but she didn't show any fear. 

"Go." Anyi said softly. 

"Thump! Thump!" 

Footsteps approached. 

Layton suddenly turned his head and saw a huge axe swinging towards him— 

"Bang!!" 

He quickly raised his shield, receiving the blow head-on. The immense force shook his hands violently! 

「Impossible?!」 

Layton's Strength and Durability were both 30+, and the Skeleton Executioner's Strength was only 30. 

He hadn't felt his hands tremble when facing a 35 Strength Goblin Centurion! 

Something's not right! 

[Sword Hero: I'll deal with the Bull Demon first, you keep an eye on the Skeleton Executioner.] 

On the other side, Anyi had already retreated far away, drawing the Bull Demon to another area. 

The Bull Demon was only a Class 3 monster, and Anyi could easily handle it with his current attributes. 

But he had to make sure it was a 1v1 situation, if it became a 2v2 brawl, it would affect his judgment and disrupt the rhythm. 

Kill the Bull Demon first, then it would be a fair 2v1. 

"Moo…ooo…——!!" 

A deafening moo came from the gray-white bull skull, and it often made this sound in the game, pure spiritual pollution. 

The Bull Demon planted its hind leg, then charged towards Anyi with a thunderous roar— 

"Bang!" 

The sound of hooves hitting the ground echoed, the Bull Demon's speed far exceeding its 10 points in Agility, like an unstoppable cannonball! 

「Collider.」 

Anyi muttered inwardly, taking a few steps back and easily dodging the charge. 

"Bang!" 

The Bull Demon stopped, dust rising from the ground. It immediately charged towards Anyi again, using its horns to attack! 

「After the collision ends, the hero will use its horns for three consecutive attacks within a certain range.」 

Anyi deliberately didn't retreat too far, because if he retreated too far, it would charge again. 

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!" 

Three consecutive attacks, one forward, one sideways, and finally a downward strike. Anyi easily dodged them all. 

In the Bull Demon's eyes, the opponent's speed wasn't particularly fast, but it was as if he predicted every move, always reacting at the perfect moment! 

However, with only 1 point in Intelligence, the Bull Demon couldn't ponder deeply. It roared furiously and charged again. 

"Moo…ooo…——!!" 

Its bellow echoed like thunder as it lunged forward, lowering its horns and swiping suddenly at Anyi!

「The horn attack is a feint, meant to bait the hero into dodging backward. The next attack is a grab, lifting the hero to impale them with its horns, inflicting massive damage.」 

"Bang!" 

The moment the horns swung upward, its unused hand lashed out suddenly! 

If the human dodged backward, he would fall into its grasp… 

That was the plan. 

But the human in front of it stepped forward instead, boldly moving into the space between its hands! 

Audacious! 

The Bull Demon immediately clapped its arms inward, aiming to trap the human in a crushing embrace. 

Yet before its arms closed, Anyi leapt with speed it couldn't fathom, stepping onto its shoulder and launching himself into the air— 

「Skill: Chop Down, Multiple Release: Cleave the Earth, Mana Cost: 50.」 

[Condition Met: Leaping from a monster. 

Condition Met: Using Chop Down in mid-air. 

Special Skill Activated: Skyfall.] 

A white light flared from Anyi's Hero's Sword as he raised it high above his head. His gaze locked on the Bull Demon's nape, unwavering as he brought the blade down with devastating force— 

"Boom!!" 

The impact echoed violently, the Bull Demon staggering as its body crumpled, hands bracing against the ground. 

But the blow hadn't severed its neck! 

For a fleeting moment, relief coursed through the Bull Demon as it prepared to counterattack. 

"Creak." 

A sharp, chilling sound cut through the air. 

"Creak, creak, crack crack crack creak—Bang!" 

The bones in its neck fractured, one after another, before collapsing entirely. The immense bull skull toppled to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. 

Head… gone? 

If the Skeleton Mage had witnessed this, he would have screamed, "Impossible!" 

The Bull Demon's defense relied on its formidable bones, granting it a Durability of 30. 

Thirty Durability! 

The same Durability as the Class 4 Skeleton Executioner! 

Yet a single strike shattered its neck. 

Possible. 

This was pure skill! 

Anyi landed softly, grasping the fallen bull head. Reaching beneath the skull, he extinguished the flickering soul fire within. 

Casually tossing it aside, he turned and sprinted toward Layton. 

Layton was barely holding his ground against the Skeleton Executioner. The monster's strikes were heavy, swift, and unpredictable. 

Though Layton's attributes were no lower than his foe's, each clash tested his limits! 

"Bang! Bang! Bang!!" 

The reverberations of the giant axe slamming into Layton's shield echoed. Both weapons—a Class 4 monster's axe and the Goblin Centurion Bone Shield—bore the toll of each brutal collision. 

Suddenly— 

"Fire Dragon." 

"Boom——!!" 

A pillar of flame erupted from the side, striking the Skeleton Executioner squarely in the head, disrupting its rhythm. 

Seizing the moment, Layton stumbled back, taking deep breaths to recover. 

Anyi appeared beside him. 

"Is the Bull Demon dealt with?" Layton asked, his voice tense. 

"Yes, I killed it," Anyi replied casually, glancing at Layton's serious expression. "The Skeleton Executioner is giving you trouble." 

"That's right…!" Layton admitted, his lips pressed into a thin line. "This guy is something else! 

Anyi, be careful!"