GILF Hunter - Chapter 294 Preparations for Departure
’Did you pack the oil?’
’Wait… it’s right here.’
’Next, the rope?’
Numerous items were lined up on the floor of the lounge, which was covered with a large cloth.
Tanya carefully looked through the list, checking off the supplies.
’Next, smoke bombs.’
’Smoke bombs? Is it this one?’
’That’s a noise bomb. Be careful; it’ll go off if you set it down too hard.’
’Ugh….’
Anne, who was helping organize the items in front, cautiously set the sphere down.
While these were items Tanya was gradually becoming accustomed to, for Anne’s party, the floor was filled with nameless combat supplies they were seeing for the first time.
When the work kept stalling because Anne couldn’t find the items Tanya was calling out, Mika, unable to watch any longer, came over to help.
Lin and Lia were checking their personal gear on the side, but Mika had no special equipment to maintain, so she was free.
Mika picked up two similar-looking orbs from the floor.
’Here, this is the Orb of Slow. This one is the Orb of Weakness.’
’I-I can’t tell the difference at all….’
’Look here, if you see this part, the mana flows through the circuit like a whirlpool, but the direction is….’
’….’
As they listened to Mika’s explanation, the expressions of Anne, Karen, and Seria grew increasingly dark.
’Wait, Mika. Who distinguishes them like that? There’s a label on the bottom, so look at that to sort them.’
’What? The names are written on them.’
’Who has time to read names? Looking at the circuits is faster.’
’I’m telling you, people who aren’t mages won’t know!’
…Though Mika had come to help, it didn’t seem like she particularly improved the speed of the task.
Regardless, after such twists and turns, Tanya, who had finished checking all the supplies, finally stood up and spoke to Ian.
’Captain. The check is finished.’
’Nothing missing?’
’Yes. Everything on the list is here.’
’Good job. Let’s pack them tomorrow morning.’
Ian set aside the book he had been reading.
Numerous books, notebooks, and documents were piled up on the desk.
It was a collection of all the data related to the Labyrinth that Ian could obtain at this moment.
Most of the information was content he already knew, but he was in the middle of a final check to see if there were any differences from reality or details he might have missed.
As Ian looked up, he saw the members who had finished their respective preparations gathered quietly in the lounge.
Everyone was naturally looking at him.
Ian addressed the members gathered in the lounge.
’Once we return from this expedition, we will be promoted to C-rank.’
C-rank.
It was a rank treated completely differently from E-rank or D-rank, which were tagged as beginners or rookies.
Countless mercenary groups were unable to promote beyond D-rank.
As long as one accumulated enough experience, from C-rank onward, they would be called a veteran mercenary group.
It was news worth celebrating, but since they could somewhat guess what would follow, everyone waited for Ian’s words with serious expressions.
’After that, as I mentioned before… we are going into the Labyrinth.’
Everyone nodded quietly.
They had already been told that they would challenge the Labyrinth once they reached C-rank.
Labyrinth exploration.
Among those who come to the Labyrinth to become mercenaries, there isn’t a single person who hasn’t thought about it.
Adventure, fame, and treasure.
How could one ignore and overlook that name, which seemed to gather everything a greenhorn mercenary with high hopes desired into one place?
It was just that as they experienced actual mercenary life, they realized how dangerous and unrealistic that imagination was and quietly let go of the idea.
They say that among the mercenary groups that challenge the Labyrinth, not even half return safely from their first expedition.
It’s said that not even one in ten Labyrinth explorers has a career spanning more than a year.
Entering such a Labyrinth was something difficult to do with ordinary resolve.
Seeing the expressions of the members, Ian asked one last time.
’Has anyone changed their mind?’
’No.’
Everyone nodded at Ian’s question.
Since Ian had first brought up the Labyrinth, everyone had agonized over it.
They had pondered seriously on their own every night before bed.
They had looked up materials themselves to see what kind of place the Labyrinth was.
They had talked to each other about what they thought.
It was a conclusion reached after such deliberation.
’We’ve all decided to go. Because we can trust you, Captain.’
If this were an ordinary mercenary group, they would have certainly resigned rather than participate.
It was because it was Ian’s proposal that their hearts were moved.
At the very least, he wasn’t the type of person who would be blinded by greed for money and put the mercenary group in danger, or cause the deaths of members through stupid judgment.
At the moment everyone was nodding with trust in Ian.
Tanya suddenly glanced at the seats next to her and asked with a puzzled face.
’…Why are you guys nodding? It’s not like you’re going in.’
’It means we trust the Captain just as much!’
Swept up in the atmosphere, the members of Anne’s party, who had been nodding with serious faces on the side, spoke up.
As dialogue was exchanged, the serious mood broke and became a bit noisy.
Ian smiled slightly at the sight, while quietly sighing internally.
Whew.
In fact, if possible, Ian didn’t particularly want to enter the Labyrinth either.
The Labyrinth was a place filled with numerous variables and irrational situations, so no matter how much one prepared, safety could not be guaranteed.
If there were no time limit, Ian wouldn’t have set foot in the Labyrinth until every mercenary, including himself, had reached the maximum level.
However, unfortunately.
Ian did not have an infinite amount of time left.
Ian picked up the documents he had set aside from the Labyrinth data he was reviewing.
’By the way, before that.’
There was one last task left to finish before entering the Labyrinth.
’First, we have to finish this expedition. I’ll explain that first.’
Entering the Labyrinth was possible from C-rank. To do that, they had to successfully complete this promotion mission first.
Ian unfolded the map he was holding.
The map, which simply outlined the area surrounding the Labyrinth, showed their destination for this mission.
The members all gathered around to peer at the map.
’I specifically requested this place for the promotion exam.’
’What kind of place is it?’
’It’s a dungeon.’
The marked spot was a location in a region slightly distant from the Labyrinth.
A place commonly referred to as a dungeon.
’The exploration there is already completely finished, so there won’t be anything dangerous. It’ll take about three days to go in and come back.’
It wasn’t a place chosen because rewards were hidden there or because a special request was tied to it.
It was a place chosen to build dungeon exploration experience for the members, including Ian.
This expedition was a promotion exam, but at the same time, it was an exam to obtain entry permission for the Labyrinth.
It was also a preparation to help the members adapt to Labyrinth exploration.
’If exploration is finished, isn’t there nothing left?’
’It’s the place near here that’s most similar to the Labyrinth. We’re going to test things here before we enter the real Labyrinth.’
In terms of simple difficulty, it was between C-rank and D-rank.
Because of the special environment of being a dungeon, it was ultimately classified as a C-rank location.
Ian glanced at the numerous pieces of equipment he had prepared today.
While it wasn’t a place that required this much preparation, Ian intentionally prepared exactly as if they were entering the Labyrinth.
He intended to make the exploration methods and combat as identical as possible.
The combat difficulty would be more relaxed than the actual Labyrinth, but at the very least, it would be better practice than just entering the Labyrinth blindly.
’So everyone, let’s go thinking of it as the Labyrinth. We need to practice sufficiently now so we don’t make mistakes in the Labyrinth.’
’Yes. Understood.’
Hearing Ian’s explanation, everyone nodded with tense faces.
That was all that needed to be explained for now.
Ian folded the map and stood up first.
’It’s late, so let’s get some sleep. Everyone, rest well until departure.’
’Yes. Good ni—.’
Everyone stood up following Ian, but then hesitated at an odd sound.
—Thump, thump, thump.
Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on the door was heard.
’….’
It was already close to dawn.
It was far too late at night for a guest to come calling.
’I’ll go check.’
Lia stood up first, picking up her sword.
’Wait, let’s go together. It might be from someone I know.’
Ian stood up along with Lia.
Approaching the entrance, Lia cautiously opened the door.
Standing outside the door was a soldier wearing a coat.
’What is the matter?’
Lia asked, but the visitor gave no answer and merely glanced past her toward the back.
Ian, standing behind, met his gaze.
The soldier, confirming Ian’s presence, silently handed a wooden box to Lia.
Lia, receiving it with some confusion, watched the back of the soldier as he walked away without a word as if his business were concluded, then turned her head toward Ian.
’…This is?’
’I think I know what it is, so let’s go inside first.’
A suspicious box delivered by a soldier in the middle of the night.
Ian set the box down on the table.
’It doesn’t even say who sent it.’
’Could it be something dangerous?’
While everyone was sharing opinions looking at the suspicious box, Lia, who had a suspicion because it was a soldier, met Ian’s eyes.
Ian nodded to Lia as if to say she was right.
The wooden box was opened in front of everyone’s watchful eyes.
Contained in the wooden box was an old lantern.
And three small glass bottles filled with a transparent liquid.
It was the answer Leona had sent to Ian.
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[Holy Flame]
– Brightness 15
– Does not consume oil
– When special ability is activated, consumes 1 Holy Oil to protect allies within the brightness range from status ailments
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