GILF Hunter

Chapter 451: 451 Expedition

The expedition set up a temporary camp inside the boss room.

Since they didn’t know what might happen inside, they intended to rest sufficiently and enter the deep layers in perfect condition.

While no major injuries had occurred so far and the knights weren’t significantly exhausted, they wouldn’t be able to rest as fully as this once they were inside the deep layers.

Normally, spending a long time in the Labyrinth isn’t a good thing, but thanks to the support from Lucia and the massive amount of supplies they brought, they were able to prepare thoroughly.

They had swept up Labyrinth-derived materials from the market that were usually hard to find due to their expensive rarity, securing enough erosion purifiers and various potions.

This expedition was likely the most expensive Labyrinth excursion in recent years.

Meanwhile, Ian called the members together to explain the deep layer dungeon they were about to enter.

’There’s something you must be careful of once we go inside. It’s something that must be followed under any circumstances.’

’Something we must follow...?’

The Labyrinth itself was already a special place different from normal environments with many points to be cautious of, but the deep layers were even more demanding places that went one step further.

Designed as higher difficulty versions of normal Labyrinths, the regions themselves had special rules regardless of the strength of the monsters.

Ian taught this to everyone.

’The darkness inside is particularly dangerous, so you must not let the lights go out recklessly.’

’Then... can’t we just keep it bright enough? We’ve been doing that all along.’

’That’s right. But inside there, those holding the light will be attacked. So, not just anyone should be lighting fires haphazardly.’

Since he had explained this to Frenda in advance, she was likely giving similar explanations to the knights by now.

It turned into a rather long and rambling explanation... but to make the members and knights understand, he had to explain using somewhat complicated phrasing.

He couldn’t show them the system messages he could see, nor would they understand them anyway.

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[Deep Layer: Shadow of the Blasphemer]

- Mental power consumption increases when no light source is present

- Mental power of the target possessing a light source continuously decreases

- When a light source is destroyed, the mental power of the target possessing it decreases

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Basically, being in the Labyrinth’s darkness consumes mental power and increases stress.

This area in particular was a region where that penalty was maximized.

It wasn’t something that could be passed just by preparing a strong force. The most important strategy point was how efficiently and thoroughly the mental power of the members was managed.

Since the person holding the light source would have their mental power gradually depleted, they had to move forward by having only the minimum number of people light the way and alternating in turns before that person’s mental power was fully exhausted.

In other words, the time limit for this area was until the moment the mental power of the entire party was depleted.

If the light source was accidentally extinguished, the mental power of the entire party would be consumed, making the explorable time even shorter.

And if there was one more tricky point, it was the penalty for losing the light source.

The monsters here had several special attack patterns targeting the one with the light source. This was to induce them to extinguish the light in connection with terrain effects and suffer the penalty.

...Because of these environmental peculiarities, there was a type of magic that inherently carried a penalty. It was Holy Magic.

Holy magic that emitted light had the characteristic of becoming a light source itself. Most holy magic left behind light for a certain period when used, illuminating the darkness.

Thanks to that additional capability, there were even cases where parties primarily using holy magic didn’t bother bringing torches at all.

The problem was that because of this, when holy magic was used inside here, the caster would receive a mental power reduction penalty the moment the temporarily generated light source disappeared. It was judged as losing a possessed light source.

In short, using holy magic itself inside here was an action that incurred a penalty.

Ian delivered the precautions once more to Frenda, who approached after finishing her talk with the knights.

’So, you must refrain from using holy magic as much as possible except when absolutely necessary.’

’...I know.’

Frenda nodded with a face that showed she wasn’t pleased.

It was a place she had taken note of when studying separately with Ian. To think it would really turn out to be this place.

Of course, there were countermeasures to some extent. Since Frenda knew other spells besides holy magic, she could just use those. Though they wouldn’t exert as much power as holy magic.

’Now... let’s head in once this break is over.’

Frenda nodded. The members were in the middle of resting after finishing their final maintenance. This was enough to be called peak condition.

A moment later, everyone stood before the stairs after finishing their departure preparations.

An ominous energy they didn’t want to approach any further was felt, but they couldn’t back down after coming this far.

’The more time we drag out inside, the more disadvantageous it becomes, so we must finish the expedition as quickly as possible.’

’I have no intention of staying inside here for long either.’

Frenda replied while signaling toward the knights.

Two knights lit new torches. The rest of the knights extinguished theirs and put away any other equipment acting as light sources into their bags after dismantling them.

’We are heading out.’

The expedition stepped into the seemingly bottomless abyss.

＊ ＊ ＊

The expedition moved forward very slowly.

A very thick darkness lay over the passage, making it difficult to properly check what was ahead. They could only vaguely see up to the very small space touched by the torchlight.

Before entering, Frenda had cast a spell to allow them to see through the dark in advance, but it wasn’t particularly helpful.

It was as if a pitch-black curtain was spread out, blocking their view.

’Haa...’

The knight holding the torch let out a deep sigh.

He felt a strange chill. The knight kept looking around with an anxious face.

’What’s wrong?’

’I feel like... someone is watching...’

It was the same for the other person holding a torch in the rear.

It was merely a dark passage.

They had explored dungeons many times before, and their experiences of going on night scouts or into forests where light didn’t reach were countless.

Yet, while on such missions, they had never once felt fear just because of the darkness.

The knight holding the torch was gripped by the anxiety that something might jump out of the darkness right now and attack him.

Ian said, looking back at the knights.

’Tell me immediately if you feel anything seriously wrong.’

’For now... I am fine.’

The knight shook his head with a face turned pale.

He just felt a great deal of anxiety, but it wasn’t at an unbearable level. He had volunteered for the Labyrinth exploration, so how could he not have expected this much hardship?

The knight hardened his expression and gripped the torch tightly.

A moment later, Airi, who was in the lead, stopped her steps and signaled urgently.

’There’s something ahead.’

Beyond the faint light, shadows could be seen flickering in the darkness.

Those shadows could be distinguished with strange clarity even in the darkness. It was as if they were separate entities from the dark itself.

Frenda saw it and immediately shouted.

’Battle!’

As the knights took their positions, beasts made of shadows appeared.

Forms whose clear shapes were hard to recognize. They were truly shapes that looked as if shadows had risen up.

’They will attack the people holding the light!’

’Yes! I know! Everyone, protect the ones with torches!’

If they had entered without knowing anything about this place, they would have had to return after suffering great damage, but everyone had heard sufficient explanations and finished thorough preparations.

Knights with shields surrounded the knight in charge of the torch.

Shadows named Shades immediately pounced.

The monsters tried to pass or bypass the knights blocking the front to attack the one holding the torch, but since they were prepared in advance, they could easily block those attacks.

’...As expected, normal attacks don’t work properly.’

’Should we use magic?’

’No, let’s wait a little longer.’

The weapons the knights swung toward the Shades sliced through the air as if passing through actual shadows.

They knew about the characteristics of these monsters from what they had heard, but facing them directly made them feel even more at a loss.

Of course, they could deal with them if they used mana infusion or magic.

The problem was that since they were all knights belonging to the temple, most of their countermeasures were holy-attributed techniques.

The knights first waited for the decision of Ian and Frenda.

Since they couldn’t set up countermeasures for every situation individually, they had decided to first grasp the characteristics of the monsters and then make decisions on the spot for the rest.

However, at that moment, before the talk could even finish, Rin stepped forward.

Since all battles until now had been handled by the knights, this was Rin’s first time directly entering battle in the Labyrinth.

The confrontation between the shadows and the knights. Rin boldly dashed between them.

’Wait, it’s dangerous alone...!’

Frenda shouted toward Rin, who had jumped into the darkness.

Rin’s sword was sucked into the gloom.

The knights, who frowned at the incomprehensible phenomenon, only realized much later that it was a mana infusion.

It was mana dyed as black as the gloom. A pitch-black darkness that could be seen clearly even within the dark. It looked as if that part of space had been blackly erased.

Rin’s sword was swung toward the nearest shadow.

The shadows, which no attacks had worked against, were sliced apart as if paper were being torn.

It was a time equivalent to blinking one’s eyes a few times at most.

The shadows were fragmented in an instant like that and melted away into the darkness.

As Rin returned after simply finishing the battle, the knights, who felt an ominous energy suddenly rushing from her, reflexively took a step back.

To the knights who had not yet become accustomed to the Labyrinth, it was truly a torrent of erosion that felt as if it would cause tremors.