GILF Hunter

Chapter 368 Switch

’Rin. Let’s switch.’

’Ah, okay.’

Lia, who had stood up, approached Rin, who was keeping watch further inside the passage.

Rin, who had been on guard for monsters approaching from the deepest part, stood up and swapped places with Lia.

After discovering the hole opening to the cliffside, the group had moved slightly inward to avoid being spotted by the Harpies and were taking a brief rest there.

Since they hadn’t found a suitable room to rest in yet, Ian and the members had to rest in the corridor.

The narrow, uneven floor was uncomfortable to sit on, and a chilly dampness rose from it, but there was no helping it for now.

Moreover, these monsters called Molers scurried through the burrows constantly, so even while resting, Rin and Lia had to take turns guarding the passage.

’What do we do now?’

’First, we have to find a way to go up.’

In response to Tanya’s question, Ian answered while glancing out toward the cliff.

’And there should be rooms further inside this place as well. It would be good if we can find those.’

Everyone recalled the appearance of the cliff they had checked when looking outside earlier.

In this complex and bizarrely shaped canyon terrain, there were quite a few protruding parts that looked like they might lead outside.

Among them were structures that seemed to connect to other burrows or allow passage to the opposite cliff.

Recalling this, Rin asked Ian just in case.

’You don’t mean we have to cross over to the other side, do you?’

’If there’s no path on this side, we’ll have to cross over and check the other side.’

’Won’t the Harpies attack us while we’re crossing?’

’They probably will.’

’....’

It was an obvious answer, but she had asked just in case. Of course, it didn’t put her mind at ease; rather, it only made her more uncomfortable.

’Who on earth thought a place like this was easy...’

Everyone gripped their heads as if a headache was coming on, lost in their own thoughts.

Ian spoke to the members.

’The appearance is a bit different, but the goal is the same as any other Labyrinth. First, let’s move around and confirm the path.’

’Yes...’

After a short break, Ian approached the cliffside again and looked out.

’Please be careful.’

Since a Harpy could approach at any moment, Mika spoke while preparing a barrier from behind.

Ian poked his head slightly out of the cliff to survey the surrounding terrain.

Since the passage ended here, there was nothing he could do at this spot, but he could at least survey the exterior.

A path to cross to the other side... there wasn’t one near here. Instead, there was a large protrusion not too far away.

Having confirmed the nearest structure, Ian returned inside the burrow.

Ian then briefly recorded the terrain he had just observed in his log.

Unlike his usual maps, it was a messy, tangled form, but it couldn’t be helped right now.

Since the terrain here wasn’t divided into clear floors, it was difficult to draw an accurate map.

He had to move by checking the cliff terrain around where they arrived, then going back and adjusting the route, just as he was doing now.

Befitting a burrow dug by beasts, the directions of the paths were erratic, so he had to grasp their location by intuition.

’There’s a place nearby where we can head out.’

Ian told the members after returning from checking the terrain.

Once the goal was set, everyone nodded and prepared to move.

Ian’s first objective was the nearest protrusion of the cliff. It was a place that functioned as a room in this region.

Returning inside the beast’s burrow, Ian retraced the path they had come from, passing several forks before arriving at the target location.

’Is it just ahead?’

’Yeah. We don’t know what might appear, so let’s get ready.’

Everyone silently finished their combat preparations.

Though nothing was visible right now, it was easier to assume monsters would appear whenever a new room was found in the Labyrinth.

The narrow path gradually widened and led outside.

It was terrain created as a portion of the cliff protruded outward. It was a spacious area, incomparable to the cramped burrows they had been passing through.

Everyone slowly emerged from the beast’s burrow and stepped onto it.

Coming out into the middle of the canyon allowed them to inspect the terrain more closely. On the opposite side of the canyon, countless caves were pierced like a honeycomb, just like on this side.

How on earth were they supposed to find the way in a place like this? Everyone’s mind went blank at the thought.

’It seems like there’s nothing here for now.’

’...Is it an empty spot?’

Rin and Lia spoke after cautiously surveying the surroundings.

There were no pillars or walls for monsters to hide behind, nor was it a place where mechanical devices would likely be.

To the naked eye, it was just an ordinary, empty place.

In the Labyrinth, there were often empty rooms like this with nothing in them. Such rooms were usually used as places to rest or camp.

’...It looks perfect for sleeping, though.’

Mika muttered that. At a glance, the space was quite wide, the air wasn’t stuffy since it wasn’t deep inside a burrow, and the ground was flat.

Of course, that was only how it appeared on the surface.

-Kyaaaak!

The cry of a beast, sounding almost like a scream, echoed from the sky.

’If those things weren’t there, that is...’

Seeing Harpies approaching from afar, Rin hurriedly turned her body and pointed toward the burrow.

’Let’s head back inside first... Eek.’

Everyone tried to duck back into the burrow in a hurry, but Molers were already swarming out from within the tunnel.

The Molers, blocking their path back, lunged at them, baring their teeth.

Harpies were swooping down from the sky, and their retreat was blocked by monsters.

...It was a trap!

Realizing this, everyone hurriedly picked up their weapons again.

Since it was a place with no noticeable devices or terrain features, it was a spot where it was difficult to detect the trap before it directly activated.

Ian also confirmed it was a trap room and barked out orders.

’Lia, block the passage first!’

It was difficult for Lia to block the attacks of Harpies diving from the sky with her shield on behalf of everyone.

Ian sent Lia toward the burrow to stop the monsters from swarming out of there.

Since the passage was narrow, only one monster could attack at a time, so Lia alone was sufficient to hold that spot.

In the meantime, Mika deployed the barrier she had prepared in advance.

The Harpies diving from the sky were blocked by the barrier and soared back up, circling nearby as if looking for an opening.

’Airi!’

’Ye-yes!’

Airi, who had been preparing her arrows, fired one into the sky.

Inside the burrows, she hadn’t had any chance to fire her bow because the passages were so narrow, but in a place like this and against enemies like these, Airi was the optimal person to handle them.

The arrow Airi sent into the sky soared vertically before diving toward a nearby Harpy.

The Harpy tried to dodge the incoming arrow, but the arrow followed it without missing, wounding the Harpy’s wing.

-Kyaaaaak!

One Harpy, with an arrow lodged in its wing, let out a shriek and plummeted down the cliff.

Since it was a cliff where the bottom couldn’t be seen, they couldn’t confirm what happened to the end. Regardless, they wouldn’t have to worry about it coming back.

Airi pulled out another arrow.

’You have to aim well. Got it?’

In the meantime, Tanya, who had relayed instructions to her fairy, looked up at the sky and signaled when the Harpies’ movements slowed down.

Leaving Tanya’s hand, an orb flew high into the sky, activating with a glow and emitting an icy chill.

Several Harpies nearby were caught in that chill, and their wings momentarily frozen, they fell downward.

One plummeted down the cliff, but the other Harpies that luckily landed on nearby ground immediately staggered to their feet.

-Kyat!

The Harpies that had fallen to the ground rose and lunged forward, running on foot with a shriek.

However, compared to when they were flying in the sky, their movements were incredibly slow and clumsy.

Rin, who had been waiting for an opening against the approaching Harpies, dashed forward.

’Take this!’

Because they had landed on the ground and could no longer attack with their talons, all the Harpies could do was flap their wings or try to bite with their beaks.

They were simple attacks that could be dodged even with eyes closed.

Rin simply cut down the approaching Harpies one by one.

Meanwhile, Airi’s arrows knocked several more Harpies down the cliff.

The Harpies that couldn’t get close because of Mika’s barrier circled the area while shrieking, eventually giving up on the attack and flying elsewhere.

’...Are they gone?’

’Phew...’

Confirming the Harpies had fully retreated, Rin joined the passage where Lia had been holding out alone.

After dealing with all the Molers that had swarmed from the passage, the members warily guarded the area before cautiously lowering their weapons.

The sounds of Molers were gone, and there were no more Harpies flying nearby.

Ian, confirming the monsters were completely dealt with, spoke to the members.

’Let’s rest here before we move on.’

’Eh? Will it be okay? I feel like the Harpies will come back...’

’We just need to build a fairly large fire. Harpies tend to stay away from fire.’

’Really?’

Everyone looked up at the canyon with skeptical expressions. Though they had driven off the nearby Harpies, the shadows of Harpies flying in the distance were still visible.

Who could rest in peace in a place where Harpies were flying over their heads?

However, it was too great a temptation for the members, who had been wandering through narrow, stuffy burrows, to refuse.

Everyone set down their luggage and started a fire, just as Ian said.