GILF Hunter

The battlefield of Labyrinth, where the monster invasion had begun.

Normally, this would be the time for the North Gate to commence a fierce battle against the swarming monsters, but now was different.

Blinding light and flashes surged, and the sound of thunder echoed continuously. Chains of lightning swept through the battlefield without a moment’s pause.

This was the offensive magic Airi had imbued into her arrow—a side effect of [Echo of Death].

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[Echo of Death]

- [Dark Magic] Trait Spell

- When an enemy is defeated, the excess damage dealt beyond the target’s remaining HP is stored as [Echo of Death] stacks.

- Upon defeating an enemy, [Echo of Death] activates again toward the nearest enemy, dealing chain damage equal to the stored stacks.

- Deactivates if there are no remaining damage stacks or if MP is insufficient.

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A spell with an effect where killing an enemy causes excess damage to chain to nearby monsters.

It was a mode-exclusive skill added through the [Magic Expansion Mode].

If you launch an attack with 100 damage against an enemy with 50 HP, only 50 damage is effective, while the remaining damage is wasted.

[Echo of Death] is a spell that consumes a small amount of MP in such situations to chain that remaining 50 damage to another monster.

As long as MP was sufficient, the leftover damage from killing a monster could be transferred to another monster repeatedly.

While it had the drawback of consuming MP with every chain, the consumption was much lower than area-of-effect spells.

It was a single-target spell that could be utilized flexibly like an AoE spell depending on the situation.

However, the special effect of this magic was chaining the *remaining* damage. With every monster hit, the stacks would gradually decrease until the effect eventually cut off.

Supporting this was the magic arrow commissioned from Elena.

It was the effect of the [High-grade Soulstone Arrow], a special craft item added through the [Crafting Expansion Mode].

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[High-grade Soulstone Arrow]

- [Arrow Power +20]

- Used Skill [Special Effect +120%]

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When [Echo of Death] is used with this magic arrow that amplifies special effects, the number of stacks accumulated upon killing an enemy increases.

If the targets were monsters with very low HP like the Legion Insects...

The stacks would hardly be consumed; instead, due to the arrow’s amplification effect, the remaining stacks would actually *increase* with every chain.

Theoretically, it allowed the chain to continue indefinitely as long as MP was sufficient.

Mode creators usually strive to maintain balance, but that only applies within their own individual mode.

When multiple modes are installed at once, items, equipment, and spells from different modes can combine, resulting in unexpected errors or abnormal synergies.

A spell from [Magic Expansion Mode] with a special effect of chaining excess damage.

An arrow from [Crafting Expansion Mode] that amplifies special effects.

Since both were frequently used modes, it was a fairly well-known and famous combination.

However, it couldn’t be used as easily as it sounded in theory.

There were two major problems with using this technique.

First, no matter how much the magic arrow amplified the stacks, it was difficult to eliminate all monsters in one hit.

If the chain hit a tank-type monster with high health or was blocked by a monster with magic immunity, the stacks would be fully consumed and the chain would stop.

In a monster wave where various types were mixed, the chain would usually break after only a few kills.

However, there was almost one single situation where this effect could be utilized 100%. That was this Legion Insect wave.

In this wave where only Legion Insects with low health and high numbers appeared, there was no risk of the chain breaking due to high-health enemies or magic immunity.

The defense forces waiting on the wall muttered with dazed faces as they watched the scene of incredible destruction below.

’How can such magic...’

’It’s safe here, right?’

’I heard so, but...’

Outside the wall, the situation was hard to discern due to the blinding light.

Thunder continued to roar, and light and lightning surged toward the sky.

The sight was visible even from within the city, so even the residents inside the walls were staring at it blankly.

Rin, waiting behind, asked Ian with a slightly uneasy face.

’Leader. Just how long does this last?’

’Until all the monsters are caught.’

’All of them? Surely not *all* of those many insects...?’

Most of the mercenaries on the wall shared a similar reaction.

The light of [Echo of Death], which grew stronger in proportion to the stacks accumulated with every chain, was now at a level where it was hard to even keep one’s eyes open.

Soldiers and mercenaries on distant walls were also intimidated by the momentum and stepped back slightly.

Since it was a spell that automatically tracked enemies, there was no chance of allies getting caught in it, and it had been explained before the invasion that it would be safe, but seeing the sight before their eyes made it unavoidable.

And this was the second problem that occurred when using this combination.

The biggest issue that arose when using this technique...

It was lag.

Using this technique during a Legion Insect wave, which already had a massive quantity of units, caused the game to freeze almost once every two times due to the immense repeated damage calculations and effects of the chains.

Because of that, Ian had hesitated slightly before deciding to use this technique.

...Surely. Lag won’t cause it to freeze in this situation, right?

’...It’ll be okay, right?’

’Pardon?’

Rin’s expression hardened upon hearing Ian mutter to himself without certainty.

...Fortunately, the universe did not briefly turn off or anything of the sort.

The light of the lightning that had been flashing endlessly began to gradually fade.

Feeling the flash weaken, people who had turned their heads away began to look out beyond the wall one by one.

The plains that had been filled with monsters were now left with only black ashes. Everyone stared at the scene in silence.

Just when they thought the long history of this city was about to come to an end, that massive monster army had vanished without a single trace left.

People’s gazes naturally turned back toward Airi, who had used that incredible magic.

The protagonist, Airi... was collapsed on the floor.

Mika, who was supporting her from behind, hurriedly asked,

’Airi! Are you okay?’

’Uweegh...’

As the spellcasting ended, an immense dizziness washed over her.

Because she had used items to massively increase her maximum MP beyond what her level allowed, a mana exhaustion after-effect several times more severe than usual hit her.

’Ah, what. It’s just exhaustion.’

’Ugh... this is, really bad... ugh.’

Mika, who had worried some kind of side effect had occurred, stopped caring once she realized it was just simple mana exhaustion.

’Everyone, snap out of it! They’re coming again!’

Hearing someone’s shout, everyone hurriedly turned their heads back outside the wall.

New Legion Insects were crawling out of the Labyrinth entrance.

This was because the chain effect of the magic couldn’t travel into the Labyrinth, which was a different space.

The monsters on the surface were annihilated, but within the Labyrinth, an immense number likely still remained.

Soldiers and mercenaries who had been dazed for a moment by the sight they had never seen before hurriedly retook their positions.

However, the fear from before had vanished from everyone. The enemy numbers were still immense, but they no longer felt they couldn’t be stopped.

’What was that just now!’

Ian turned his head after hearing a voice that seemed to be calling him. It was a familiar voice.

Rebecca, a guild mercenary in charge of commanding the adjacent sector, ran over and stopped beside Ian.

She had heard Ian was going to do something during the invasion, but she never imagined he would pull off something this incredible.

There was much she wanted to ask, but since the monsters were swarming again, that was more important for now.

Rebecca asked Airi, who was crouched on the floor,

’How much more can you use that?’

’Im...’

’Im?’

’Impossible...’

Ian answered instead of Airi, who was barely shaking her head while clutching her dizzy skull.

’Probably about three more times.’

’I-Im... Impossible.’

’She’ll be able to use the next spell in about 30 minutes.’

’Got it! Tell me when you’re ready!’

’Im-im-im-impossible...!’

Airi tried to shake her head vigorously as if it were absolutely impossible, but the dizziness worsened because of it, and she slumped onto the floor.

’This way!’

’Get closer!’

Suddenly, soldiers swarmed around Airi. They seemed to be the soldiers sent up by Leona, who had hurriedly gone back down.

The soldiers surrounded Airi and raised their shields to create a wall.

To block the ongoing waves of Legion Insects, protecting Airi was essential, so it was a natural measure.

However, for some reason, it also looked as though they were surrounding her not to protect her, but to prevent her from running away.

Ian helped Airi up, who was lying like a corpse on the floor, and fed her a recovery potion.

’Now. Pull yourself together and drink this quickly.’

’Uuub...’

The mages who had been assisting Airi’s ritual now prepared a magic circle to accelerate MP recovery.

Mika quietly held Airi’s hand from behind and assisted in her recovery using [Mana Infusion], a spell that recovers MP.

’It’s faster than I thought... At this rate, 20 minutes should do it.’

’Pl-please make it 30 minutes...’

The collapsed Airi muttered.