GILF Hunter

Chapter 340 Exploration

In a forest about a day’s journey away from Labyrinth.

A large number of people were moving back and forth across a clearing.

In the middle of the clearing created within the woods, the entrance to a hidden dungeon had been revealed on the ground.

Several tents had been set up around that dungeon entrance. It was the base camp for the investigation team tasked with exploring the dungeon.

Even now, loads of exploration equipment and supplies continued to arrive at the camp.

Inside one of the many tents there.

Ian and his members were waiting for the exploration preparations to be completed inside a tent specifically set up for the mercenary group.

A dungeon exploration.

Rin, who was recalling the details of this request and imagining what the inside of the dungeon would be like, asked Ian.

’Is a dungeon like the place we went to during the promotion exam?’

’That was an abandoned dungeon where all the traps and mechanisms had been deactivated, so it’s a bit different.’

’Then... like the Labyrinth?’

’...It’s not quite to that extent.’

Since they wouldn’t know exactly what the interior was like until they entered, there were only obvious things he could tell her right now.

’You don’t have to worry too much.’

While Ian was pondering the questions from Rin and the other members, Ellen, the client and the leader of the exploration team, entered the tent.

Ellen spoke to the members on his behalf.

’Dungeon exploration is our team’s specialty. We’ll handle the pathfinding and traps. You all only need to step in when monsters or enemies appear.’

’If that’s the case...’

This request wasn’t for dungeon exploration itself, but for escorting the exploration team.

Perhaps because they had never worked with another team like this before, they felt awkward at the suggestion that they could leave the scouting to them, but everyone nodded nonetheless.

Ellen looked out at his team organizing supplies outside the tent and spoke to Ian.

’Have you rested well? The preparations should be finished by tomorrow.’

’We’re ready on our end as well.’

Ian replied after checking the condition of his members.

’Then, I’ll be in your care.’

As Ellen said he’d be in their care, his gaze was fixed on the box of potions placed on one side of the tent... the Crisis Detection Potions.

Honestly, it felt like he would have accepted the request even if Ian had offered to just leave the potions and go.

＊ ＊ ＊

Just as Ellen had said, the exploration preparations were completed the following morning.

After a bit of rest following lunch, the exploration team, porters, and the Ian Mercenary Group gathered together in front of the dungeon entrance.

Several people from the exploration team stepped forward and placed their hands on the entrance.

’We are opening it.’

As Ellen gave the command with a nod, the dungeon entrance soon opened with a thunderous roar.

Although the promotion exam site had been a dungeon, considering that it was an abandoned dungeon with all its functions removed, this was effectively their first real dungeon exploration.

In the pre-arranged order, Ian and his members stood before the dungeon entrance, following behind the exploration team.

’Be careful. There might be traps from this point on.’

’Yes. I know.’

When Ian spoke to the members, they all nodded as if telling him not to worry.

Ellen also approached the Ian Mercenary Group to give them a warning.

Since they were participants joining a dungeon exploration for the first time, there were quite a lot of precautions to explain beforehand.

’Never step out ahead of us.’

’Yes.’

’Getting close to the walls or touching decorations is also forbidden.’

’I’m aware.’

’And as for the floor or the ceiling...’

Ellen’s instructions continued for a long time after that.

’Even if something shiny is dropped on the floor, if you pick it up...’

’...Is there actually anyone who falls for things like that?’

’Every single thing I’ve explained so far are precautions created because someone actually fell for them in the past.’

Mika asked while listening to the endless stream of precautions, but when Ellen answered like that, everyone had no choice but to nod quietly.

After listening to about ten more precautions and giving their consent, they were finally able to set foot inside the dungeon.

’Everyone, drink the potions.’

In Ian’s view as they entered the dungeon, he could see the exploration team that had entered first standing still in the hallway.

As they drank the Crisis Detection Potions he had distributed to everyone beforehand, vivid red lights soon appeared within the dark passage.

’So this is how it works.’

Ellen, who had drunk the potion as well, spoke with interest while looking at the hazardous objects visible in his sight.

The passage was stained with red light.

Devices hidden in the walls, floor tiles, traps that sensed movement, and mechanisms hidden in the ceiling and floor.

Numerous traps were lined up in the corridor as if waiting for intruders.

Seeing that, Lia muttered with a fed-up expression.

’...Are there really this many traps?’

’The owner here must have really liked traps...’

If he had encountered a dungeon like this while playing the game and fell for three consecutive traps, he definitely would have cursed, given up on the expedition, and left the dungeon.

...Then again, if you think about it as a way to stop intruders, I guess this is normal.

Compared to the casual impressions of Ian’s party who were new to dungeons, the ones most surprised were the exploration team, including Ellen.

Of course, they had obtained and used a few potions in advance for testing purposes, but for most of the personnel, this was their first time drinking it.

It was the first time they were using it in a real situation inside an actual dungeon.

Everyone examined the traps in the corridor that were clearly visible with curious eyes.

’It’s a marvelous item.’

’If such a thing had existed sooner, our exploration time until now would have been cut in half.’

The exploration team, each sharing a word of their impressions, immediately began disarming the revealed traps in the passage one by one.

Since they didn’t need to spend time figuring out where the traps were, the work was carried out in an instant.

’Be careful. This reacts to creatures or objects with hostile intent, so it can’t detect aged terrain or natural rockfalls.’

’It’s an interesting item. To identify traps in such a manner.’

This was the explanation he had heard from Louise after the potions were completed.

To be honest, Ian only remembered the recipe; he didn’t know exactly how it worked.

It was a simple explanation, but it seemed quite interesting to Ellen.

’There have been quite a few attempts to make something like this until now, but they all failed. They used methods like reading movement with search magic or sensing mechanical devices with mana... but most performed poorly.’

A potion that reveals traps.

Naturally, it wasn’t an item that originally existed, but one added through a mod.

It was a potion that essentially rendered the element of traps completely useless.

One could say it was an item that broke the balance, but traps were just as much of a major stress factor.

If a monster appeared, you could at least gain experience points and materials. Traps just caused sudden damage, and disarming them well didn’t grant any reward.

It was also nonsensical to have to prepare a trap-specialist member just for dungeons, so in the end, most people chose to pass through using potions like this.

However, this potion surprisingly wasn’t all that useful in the Labyrinth.

Rather than hiding to launch a surprise attack, most traps in the Labyrinth were placed in a way that you had to walk into them purposefully in plain sight for a reward.

’Would it be possible to receive regular deliveries of this?’

’It’s difficult right now because the defense forces have placed reservations on all of them... but it should be possible later when there’s more leeway.’

While Ian and Ellen were conversing, the exploration team slowly advanced along the passage while disarming traps.

Securing safe zones, scouting ahead before advancing, and recording the map.

Watching that process from a fair distance away was quite a tedious task.

If the potion hadn’t existed, it would have taken a much longer time just to check for the presence of traps.

’By the way, are there no monsters here?’

Lia, who had been quietly following behind the exploration team, asked.

She thought there would be some monsters since it was an escort, but it had been nothing but traps and corridors for a while now.

Moreover, since the exploration team were much greater experts when it came to traps, there was nothing Lia could step in and help with.

Ultimately, she hadn’t been able to do anything except walk quietly from the moment they entered until now.

One of the members of the exploration team answered Lia.

’It’s a Mage’s Dungeon, after all. Usually, they dislike monsters entering.’

A place created by a mage to safely store treasures or research materials.

When people thought of a dungeon, they usually had an image of monsters wandering around, but that was a case where monsters entered an old dungeon late and settled down.

Generally, it would be normal to take measures to prevent monsters from entering one’s own storage.

Since it would be a nuisance if they messed with the facilities or traps that were painstakingly built, the mage likely took steps to keep monsters out.

’What... I thought I’d be able to show off my skills.’

Lia was disappointed, muttering in a quiet voice.

Based on what she heard, the possibility of monsters being present seemed almost zero.

’I was nervous because it was a dungeon, but with this potion, it’s just simple.’

Mika, who was walking beside her with a slightly bored face, also spoke quietly in a lowered voice.

And almost at the same time, the voice of the exploration team scouting ahead was heard.

’A room has appeared!’

Hearing the signal, the exploration team hurriedly headed in that direction.

Soon, at the end of the passage, a large space and a massive door revealed themselves.