GILF Hunter - Chapter 317 Kraken
Ian decided to hear more details from the people who had come looking for the mercenary group.
Quickly setting up some space in the living room, Ian and several others sat together.
’You’re saying monsters have appeared?’
’Yes. A report came in suddenly from the outskirts.’
’I heard this area was a zone where monsters don’t appear.’
’Of course! In all the years I’ve worked here, I’ve never seen a single shark, let alone a monster…. I have no idea what’s going on.’
Since they weren’t supposed to appear but had, everyone seemed quite flustered.
However, Ian somehow felt that this wasn’t a simple monster problem.
There were mercenaries all over this city; if it was urgent, they could hire as many as they wanted.
’So, what kind of monster is it that you came looking for us?’
’That is…’
The conversation suddenly halted, and everyone exchanged glances.
It was as if there was something difficult to answer honestly. After stalling for a while, they answered one by one.
’The report that came into the Guard was of mermen.’
’Our side saw a Dragon Turtle.’
Finally, Ian waited for the response from the person from City Hall.
That person hesitated for a long time, as if debating whether it was okay to say this, before finally opening their mouth.
’…It’s a Kraken.’
’….’
A cold silence hung in the air for a moment.
Ian thought about the answer for a long while before asking.
’…What’s a Kraken?’
’We—we obviously thought it was strange too…. But the number of people who witnessed it isn’t just one or two!’
The person from City Hall quickly added an explanation after seeing Ian’s expression. The others nodded as if to confirm it was the truth.
It didn’t seem like they were playing a prank on Ian.
After considering it for a moment, Ian nodded and replied.
’We can’t take a job like that. Call an A-rank group.’
Seeing Ian’s dissatisfied expression, everyone immediately clung to him.
’Wait a moment! Of course, we aren’t asking you to do something about the Kraken! At the very least, just identify the movements of the monsters or scout the situation…’
’We’ve already sent someone to Labyrinth! Please, just until then!’
Having roughly understood what they were hoping for, Ian let out a small sigh and spoke to the midnight visitors.
’It’s night now, so let’s talk tomorrow after the sun rises.’
He needed time to think, and even if he made a hasty decision, they couldn’t move in this darkness anyway.
Since the situation might change by daylight, he decided to make a final call tomorrow.
In the end, everyone accepted Ian’s proposal and left.
The lodging, which had been noisy for quite some time, finally became quiet.
With the outsiders gone, the members gathered to discuss the matter.
’Are you going to accept this?’
’I’m planning to, but…’
Since the situation was strange no matter how much he thought about it, Ian pondered for a long time.
A Kraken…
He had never heard of such a monster.
Of course, he knew what a Kraken was. What he meant was that he had never seen one while playing this game.
In the first place, the main setting of this game was Labyrinth, and there was no reason for a giant sea monster to appear there.
There had never been a major event like this where a city other than Labyrinth was attacked, either.
’For now, should I look into the Kraken?’
If he could use the library in Labyrinth or the guild’s archive, he might have found some accurate data.
In a place like this, that was impossible.
Ian questioned the person who seemed most likely to know among them.
’Rin. Do you know about the Kraken?’
’I do!’
Rin answered confidently.
She looked especially proud of the fact that Ian didn’t know something and had asked her.
’Basically, a Kraken is from the deep sea…’
The information Rin provided was almost exactly what Ian had guessed.
A giant sea monster. Legend has it that it lives in the deep sea and attacks ships in the middle of the ocean.
Because it’s a legendary monster, there are only baseless sightings and no actual proof of its appearance.
’That’s strange…’
’What is?’
’If it lives in the deep sea, why would it appear on a coastline like this?’
Besides that, the information on various monsters sighted in similar areas was the same.
If you looked at them individually, it wasn’t completely nonsensical, but all in one place?
Ian thought he needed to investigate what exactly had caused this to happen.
When he said he would accept the request, the members agreed and nodded. However, Tanya asked with a slightly anxious face.
’We don’t have many supplies, will we be okay?’
Since it was an escort request that required long-distance travel and their purpose was a vacation, they had all brought minimal equipment, not expecting a major battle.
’We’re going to avoid full-scale combat, so let’s make do with what we have.’
’Yes.’
Everyone nodded and scattered to check their equipment for tomorrow.
＊ ＊ ＊
The next day.
Ian set out to the scene, guided by people from City Hall and the Guard who had arrived even before sunrise.
It was an area on the outskirts, far away from the beaches where many people gathered.
It seemed like a place where people wouldn’t normally go, but perhaps because the news of the monsters had spread, not a single person was in sight now.
’Is it this way?’
’Yes, synthesizing the testimonies, everyone saw the monsters in this direction.’
’…Understood. We’ll signal if we find something.’
Ian sent back the people who had followed for guidance and first looked around the area.
’See anything?’
’Nothing special to see from here.’
At Ian’s question, everyone replied while keeping a lookout.
The scene was peaceful, with no sign of monsters anywhere.
Ian first walked down along the path.
His intention was to look for traces of monsters near the coast.
There had been so many sighting reports, yet not a single one was visible now.
The city’s mercenaries were on standby to prevent a potential monster attack.
In the meantime, Ian’s request was to confirm where the disappeared monsters had gone.
’…I don’t see anything at all?’
’Are we sure the monsters really appeared?’
They traveled along the path for quite some time, but there wasn’t even a trace of a monster.
If that many monsters had appeared, there should be something like footprints. The idea that they suddenly appeared and then returned to the sea without a trace was excessively strange.
’…Oh.’
As they moved a bit closer to the shore, fog suddenly began to roll in.
Everyone felt the strange atmosphere and stopped in their tracks.
’It was clear until just a moment ago…?’
’The atmosphere is weird.’
The fog soon completely enveloped the surroundings to the point where it was difficult to tell directions.
Since it was a clear anomaly, everyone drew their weapons and guarded their surroundings.
──!
The cry of a strange creature.
Simultaneously, a giant tentacle rose from beyond the fog.
’….’
’….’
A shadow so massive it was clearly visible even through the thick fog.
Everyone lost their words and stared blankly at the sight of the Kraken’s tentacle moving in the distance.
’It really appeared!’
’…Is that thing for real?’
Ian felt something was off and calmly observed the tentacle.
Because he had doubted the existence of a Kraken from the start, he was able to immediately notice the discrepancy.
’…The water depth clearly doesn’t match.’
This area was a shallow beach.
Even the deepest parts were only a few meters deep.
It was shallow water that couldn’t possibly fit the body of a Kraken, which would probably be hundreds of meters long.
Where in such a shallow sea could a giant Kraken be hiding, with only a single tentacle poking out of the water?
’In front! Monsters!’
Lia’s shout, who was guarding the front, was heard.
It was a monster that also had sighting reports. Mermen were slowly approaching with weapons in hand.
A merman approaching through the fog pointed his weapon this way.
With the battle imminent, Tanya hurriedly called the fairies.
’Throw this at the enemy!’
Tanya made her request while thinking of the combat items in her bag.
– …?
’Wh-what’s wrong?’
The fairies didn’t move and tilted their heads.
’…This has never happened before?!’
When the fairies didn’t grant her request, Tanya hurriedly shouted.
’What do you mean ’where’s the enemy’? Right there! In front of Lia!’
A fairy finally nodded and took a potion to the place Tanya requested.
However, the potion bottle flew way past the enemy and landed in a completely wrong spot.
’Ah, what are you doing! It’s not there!’
Watching the panicked Tanya, the fairies also looked flustered and troubled.
The fairies clinging to Tanya suddenly began pulling on her cheeks.
’Ueeeh…. Wh-what are you doing! In this situation!’
While Tanya was struggling, surrounded by fairies.
A single light flew in front of Ian and hovered around.
It was a fairy.
Since Ian couldn’t see the detailed form of the fairies like Tanya could, it just looked like a faint light to him.
The light flying in front of Ian flitted about before pointing toward Tanya.
’…Are they asking me to do something about Tanya?’
Ian watched it silently, thought for a moment, then opened the members’ status windows.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
– Rin: [Hallucination]
– Mika: [Hallucination]
– Tanya: [Hallucination]
– Lia: [Hallucination]
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Of course, Ian himself was also in a state of hallucination.
Fog… and hallucinations?
’Ah…’
Ian, who hadn’t understood the sudden underwater monster invasion, finally realized.
