GILF Hunter

Chapter 375 COCONUT

After dealing with all the Harpies using the altar, Ian took a long rest of about a day there.

Everyone was exhausted from the long exploration, but the biggest reason was Mika, who had used up all her mana.

She had to recover her mana at least to a level where she could escape the penalty of mana exhaustion to function properly.

Since the most problematic Harpies had been dealt with, it was safe to assume that no more dangerous battles would occur here.

As it was now a place without monsters, everyone rested comfortably.

’I’ve gathered everything useful!’

Tanya, who had returned from a lap around the burrow, spoke to Ian.

The first task after finishing the rest was to recover the loot dropped by the Harpies.

Materials that burned easily, like feathers, would have mostly vanished, but many intact materials dropped by the monsters, including mana crystals, remained inside the burrow.

Given the sheer number of Harpies, the loot was quite substantial in volume.

Since there were no more monsters to hinder their search, everyone moved around the interior with peace of mind, each returning with loot that looked expensive.

’There were so many...’

’Can we really carry all of this out?’

The members who had gathered loot while circling the burrow muttered.

Even though they had skipped items with low value or excessive bulk and focused on expensive-looking ones, it was still a mountain of goods.

Seeing it all gathered in one place, they belatedly realized just how immense the number of Harpies had been. It was a situation where they might have had to fight them all directly if things had gone slightly wrong.

At the time, they thought it was a reckless plan, but seeing the numbers, they realized in hindsight that this was a much better method.

When Ian explained the plan, he had said that if things didn’t go well, about half of the Harpies might survive and come out. It was a huge relief that it went according to plan.

’Now, let’s head to the other side. We need to visit the nest.’

’Once we see the nest, it’s truly the end, right? Phew...’

Hearing Ian’s words, everyone let out an inward sigh.

It was only now they felt that the time to escape this tedious place was near.

After gathering the collected loot in a suitable spot, Ian and the members moved to check the most important location.

It was the path leading up to the Harpy nest they had discovered before.

- Skreeee!

As they stepped outside the cliff, the cries of a few Harpies were heard from the sky.

’Ah, there are still Harpies left!’

’There are only a few left, so just do as we did before.’

Airi shouted upon hearing the Harpy cries from a distance.

It seemed a few that hadn’t been caught in the lure plan were still remaining near the nest.

’That one... its color looks a bit different from the other Harpies, doesn’t it?’

’It’s likely a slightly stronger Harpy than the others.’

’Then does that mean it’s the leader?’

’It’s not that big of a difference... just a bit.’

Rin, who was observing the flying Harpies, pointed at one and asked. It was an elite monster with a slightly different appearance from the others.

In this type of region, while there was no separate boss, the scale of monsters was massive, and occasionally such monsters would appear to raise the difficulty of battle like a mini-boss.

Of course, its strength wasn’t at a level comparable to actual bosses.

’It would be easier if they came down a bit lower like before.’

Rin muttered while waiting for the Harpies to approach.

The Harpies, who were circling nearby and staying wary of Ian’s party, soon lunged all at once with a shriek.

A sudden battle with the Harpies broke out, but the members were quite composed.

The number of enemies was small, and the location was the top of the cliff. Unlike the narrow and unstable terrain they had fought in so far, it was flat ground with plenty of room to move.

At this point, a few Harpies lunging at them posed no threat at all.

Most of them fell to Airi and Tanya’s attacks, and the Harpies that approached closely were struck down by Rin’s counterattacks.

Dealing with the occasionally lunging Harpies like that, Ian and the members arrived at the Harpy nest.

’Ugh...’

The members who climbed into the nest groaned as they looked around. A massive pile of bones was scattered inside the nest.

Most were animal bones, but there were quite a few that looked like human bones among them.

Amidst them, old items that looked like equipment used by mercenaries or shiny objects caught their eyes from time to time.

’Shall we look for anything useful?’

’Let’s do that.’

Everyone scattered to find useful items within the nest.

Once they actually climbed up, it turned out to be a fairly wide area. Everyone slowly circled the interior of the nest and surveyed the vicinity.

While the members investigated eye-catching things starting from nearby, Ian first walked toward the center of the nest. In places like this, important things were usually placed right in the center.

As Ian expected, something suddenly appeared in the air when he reached roughly the middle of the nest.

’It was here.’

A pitch-black sphere that looked like condensed darkness. Dark energy was flowing out of it as if a hole had been punctured in the air.

It was the Source of the Labyrinth that created monsters.

’I’ll do it this time! I just have to attack it, right?’

Rin, who was walking behind Ian, stepped forward with a determined expression.

Lia had broken it last time. It didn’t seem like much, but it was something she wanted to try doing herself at least once.

Rin, after preparing her heart for a moment in front of the Source, swung her sword. The Source shattered easily without any resistance, like a piece of glassware.

...Is it over? It’s simpler than I thought.

Rin, who broke the Source, muttered so to herself.

Its appearance looked like she’d be cursed if she touched it, but there really wasn’t much to it.

To think something like this creates monsters...

Rin, who was staring at the shattering Source while thinking for a moment, asked Ian.

’Flying monsters had quite a high bounty, didn’t they?’

’Yeah. It’s almost double or triple.’

It was a conversation about the bounty for the Labyrinth Source.

Since flying monsters were troublesome opponents during an invasion regardless of their type, the bounty for a flying-type monster Source was also very high.

Because even if just one type of flying monster wave mixed in during an invasion was removed, it created a lot of breathing room for the defense.

For Ian, he was no longer at a level where he had to worry about expedition costs, but such bounties were a major source of income that covered most of the increasingly expensive expedition costs by normal party standards.

’Ah, Captain! Over here!’

Meanwhile, Mika, who was searching nearby, shouted while waving her hand toward Ian as if she had discovered something.

’That thing from last time! There’s an identical one here!’

The seal leading to the place Ian had called the ’Abyss.’

The same pattern as the mural in the boss room during their first Labyrinth expedition was engraved on the floor of the nest.

Since there was no place here that could be called a wall, it seemed to be engraved on the floor.

Everyone gathered at that spot upon hearing Mika’s voice.

’It’s just like back then... or is it slightly different?’

’This part seems to look a little different too...’

Everyone shared their thoughts while looking at it, but they couldn’t perfectly remember the shape of the seal they had seen only once.

To be precise, it was slightly different. The previous one was for the 1st Stratum, and this one was the seal for the next, the 2nd Stratum.

...What on earth is this?

While everyone was talking, Airi, who didn’t know the identity of the object, alone stood back with a puzzled face.

She thought about asking what it was, but Airi sensed a vibe that a very long-winded story was about to start and quietly kept her mouth shut.

Meanwhile, Ian, who had approached the seal, cautiously placed his hand on it.

The seal, which began to glow gradually as Ian’s hand touched it, moved after a while while making a large vibration and sound.

Plant roots stretched out from the ground to create a door, and as the pile of soil on the floor collapsed inward, a hidden staircase was revealed.

’Hiek, wha... what’s this? A secret door?’

’Hm? Ah... Does Airi not know?’

’Ah...’

Because Airi alone was startled and let out a loud voice, everyone’s gaze turned toward her.

Airi felt the ominous stares of the members.

Expressions that wanted to brag about what had happened. It was clearly an atmosphere where they would be talking all night in bed after returning.

Airi shook her head vigorously to mean she wasn’t curious, but to the members, it looked like she wanted them to tell her because she didn’t know what was going on.

The vibration subsided before long. The newly opened entrance to the Abyss quietly scattered darkness.

’You’re just going to check it and not go in this time too, right?’

’That would be best.’

Ian stood before it and cautiously observed the inside.

However, there was no need to look inside in detail. Things so peculiar that even the other members could recognize them were visible.

’What is this...? Eggs?’

Things like large insect eggs were lined up inside the passage.

An atmosphere diametrically opposed to the previous Labyrinth. Rather than a Labyrinth, it looked as if they were looking into a giant ant hill.

’...’

Ian also looked at it and could immediately tell what the opponent was this time.

It had to be Legion Insects...

Ian, who muttered so, was about to grab his head due to the appearance of a troublesome opponent, but then a certain thought occurred to him and he turned his gaze toward Airi.

Facing a serious situation she didn’t understand, Airi, who had been quietly backing away into a corner, flinched as she suddenly received Ian’s gaze.

It was a coconut.