GILF Hunter

Chapter 459: 459 The Final Room

’There is something strange up ahead.’

The report came from the knight tasked with scouting the front.

In the Labyrinth, ’strange’ meant ’dangerous.’ Upon hearing those words, the entire expedition halted immediately.

First, the Knight Commander called out toward the front.

’What is it?’

’It’s lit up... and I can see something like a chest.’

In this place where only darkness existed, the fact that it was lit was strange in itself.

The Knight Commander, listening to the explanation passed back, nodded and spoke to Frenda, who was standing right beside him.

’It seems there is a trap room.’

’Then... will it be very dangerous?’

’Depending on the type, we might be able to just pass by if we don’t touch anything. We should go and take a look first....’

After first confirming there were no other monsters, Ian, Frenda, and the Knight Commander stepped to the very front.

Since they didn’t know what kind of device might be in the room, the members gathered at the entrance and waited instead of entering.

Peering into the room from there, Frenda could see a small chest emitting a faint light next to a torch.

Frenda could easily guess the identity of that object. In fact, there was no need to guess; its appearance was such that anyone would think the same thing upon seeing it.

’Is that... a treasure chest?’

’It appears so.’

’T-Then... could there be treasure?’

Frenda’s eyes sparkled slightly.

While researching information related to the Labyrinth to come here, Frenda had also looked into many rumors circulating among the public.

The most common rumors were, unsurprisingly, about the treasures of the Labyrinth.

It was natural, as that was the information both the spreaders and listeners were most interested in.

About half of the Labyrinth-related rumors explained how dangerous and horrific it was, while the other half were stories about the incredible treasures found there.

Frenda knew that most of them were exaggerated nonsense... but she couldn’t help but feel a slight sense of anticipation.

’The things called ’treasures of the Labyrinth’ that we occasionally see... I suppose they come from places like this?’

’...Priestess. I understand your interest, but it’s best not to touch it. Most of those things are traps.’

The Knight Commander explained to Frenda, shaking his head as if telling her to give up.

Traps linked to treasure chests weren’t unique to the Labyrinth. They were a common occurrence in dungeons.

Even creatures like goblins sometimes used paralysis needles as traps. Occasionally, foolish rookie knights would get caught by them.

Frenda, hearing the various examples provided by the Knight Commander, wore an expression of resignation.

’In that case... it’s best to ignore it.’

’Yes. If it were a more leisurely expedition, it might be worth taking the time to disarm it... but here, the risk is too great.’

’True, the success of the expedition is far more important.’

Frenda nodded in agreement.

It wasn’t that she had lost interest in treasure, but if the Knight Commander was this opposed to it, there was nothing she could do. His reasoning was perfectly logical to Frenda.

Seeing that Ian remained silent, he seemed to agree as well.

’...Oh? Where is Leader Ian?’

’Pardon? He’s over there...’

When Frenda realized that Ian, who had been standing beside her, was gone and asked, several nearby knights pointed toward where Ian was.

She thought he might have gone to speak with the members in the back.

...Or so she thought, but the knights’ fingers were pointing toward the front instead.

Ian was standing in front of the chest.

Because his movement was so natural, the knights had assumed it was an action previously agreed upon by the commanders and just watched him enter.

Belatedly realizing this, the panicked gazes of Frenda and the Knight Commander whipped toward him.

’What...?’

’Leader Ian! Be careful! They say it’s a trap!’

’Ah, yes. I’ve already solved it.’

’Pardon?’

With a clicking sound, the noise of a locking mechanism being released was heard.

A few knights with extensive dungeon experience recognized that sound. It was the sound made when a trap was neutralized.

’T-The trap?’

’It’s a system where the chest’s opening mechanism is linked to a trap. Since I’ve unlocked it, the trap won’t trigger either. You may come in.’

When Ian went close to examine it, it was, as expected, a simple puzzle where one had to move torches to light them in a designated pattern.

If you made a mistake, you had to start over, and since you had to extinguish the fire first, it was a structure where mental power was drained with each re-attempt.

However, the puzzle’s structure wasn’t very diverse, so Ian had no trouble solving it. Even without consciously thinking, his hands remembered the method.

Seeing Ian’s bold action, Frenda asked with a slightly worried face.

’Is it really alright to handle a locked chest so freely? It looks dangerous....’

’No. On the contrary, these are safer. You should avoid the ones that aren’t locked at all.’

Chests that could be opened immediately without any locking mechanism were the worst. Even Ian couldn’t predict what would happen when those were opened, or how intense the trap would be.

Conversely, chests with conditions like this were easy to predict.

Satisfy the condition and it opens; fail and it’s a trap. Looking at the difficulty of the condition, one can estimate the level of reward inside and the level of the trap. Since the requirements and risks were clear, there was no reason to be anxious.

Listening to Ian’s explanation and understanding that the trap was disarmed, Frenda belatedly realized that it meant the treasure chest was now open.

Frenda’s eyes began to sparkle again.

’Then the chest is open? W-What kind of treasure is it?’

’Treasure doesn’t come out that easily. This was an ordinary chest... and what was inside are just gems.’

’...!’

Since it was a puzzle chest with relatively low risk... he had already expected a low-tier reward.

As Ian predicted, the items from the chest were several types of mana stones and gem crystals. They were better than regular gems due to additional effects, but at this point, they weren’t particularly useful materials.

Since he brought them so often, even Elena had been giving them a subtle look lately.

’These are common in Labyrinth chests, so take them if you need them.’

Ian handed one of the crystals to Frenda. Since he opened the chest personally, he had the distribution authority to hand over this much.

’T-Thank you....’

By Ian’s personal standards, it was a common material.

However, since he usually didn’t sell these materials and kept them all in storage, Ian didn’t know their exact market value.

Moreover, there was no way Ian could know how valuable these would be once they left the Labyrinth. It wasn’t as if he was going to take them outside to start a business.

Ian gifted it to Frenda, who showed interest, without much thought.

Whatever Frenda interpreted from that, she clutched the gem crystal and her face turned bright red.

...Should I step in and stop this somehow even now?

Only the Knight Commander let out a small sigh and watched the scene with a strange look.

＊ ＊ ＊

The expedition moved forward, pushing through the thick darkness.

Soon, a suspicious passage revealed itself before the expedition.

It was a narrow passage stretching downward so long that the end couldn’t be gauged. An ominous energy was flowing out from within.

It was a slightly different type of passage compared to the Labyrinth passages they had explored so far.

Everyone seemed to feel that something was there, and they slowly approached and stopped before it with even more guarded faces.

’Shall we search first?’

’No. We should set up camp here.’

’...This isn’t exactly good terrain for resting.’

’Beyond this, there won’t be any more places to rest.’

The Knight Commander and Frenda guessed the meaning behind Ian’s expression.

’The final room?’

’...Yes.’

They had already heard Ian mention during yesterday’s brief meeting that it seemed like a day or two remained until they reached the end.

Although they had prepared themselves to some extent, an unavoidable tension bloomed upon discovering the passage leading there.

At the end of the passage, the source of this ’Depths’ would be found. And the monster guarding it.

’Set up camp and put down all your luggage. There won’t be any more monsters on the way.’

Everyone gathered in the room, put down their packs, and began to reorganize their supplies.

Most of the weight in the luggage brought by the members consisted of items for resting, eating, and other essential survival activities within the Labyrinth.

From this point on, they were no longer necessary.

Leaving all those things behind, everyone began to select the materials needed for battle and arm themselves. It was preparation for the final fight.

’...Preparation is complete.’

’Then... let’s go. Once we go down, just do as we’ve practiced beforehand.’

The expedition, forming the formation in the pre-determined order, set off toward the passage.

Though the passage felt as if it would never end, the members reached its conclusion shortly thereafter.

...Since their sense of time was distorted, perhaps they had been descending for quite a while.

What blocked their path was a massive door.

Since they had already come prepared, there was no need to stall in front of it.

As soon as the Knight Commander’s fingertips, who was at the very front, touched it, the door opened on its own as if it had been waiting.

Amidst the thick darkness, a pitch blackness that looked like it was carved from obsidian.

The silhouette of a small beast turned its head toward the expedition as they entered the room.

It lifted its head and opened its mouth toward the intruders.

It was a silent roar that made no sound.

The sight lacked so much impact that one might wonder if it was truly the monster of the final room in a dungeon like this.

’Torches, rotate immediately!’

Ian’s urgent shout prodded the members.

The knights who were holding the first torches were backing away with faces frozen as if terrified.