GILF Hunter

Settled in a resting area within the labyrinth, the mercenary group members were all checking their respective equipment.

After looking over the other members one by one, the Captain approached the last remaining person and asked.

’How’s your condition? Are you sure you don’t need to head back soon?’

’I’m good for at least two or three more battles.’

The mercenary with long, clean hair tied back replied confidently with a vibrant smile.

It was the high-spirited youngest member of this mercenary group—Chris.

A few consecutive battles had taken place so far, but this was well within his limits. Unless they suddenly hit a massive trap, there wouldn’t be a problem.

The Captain nodded as if understood.

This time, Chris looked toward a mercenary sitting nearby and asked.

’More importantly, is the Vice Captain still staring at that?’

’Yeah. He’s debating whether to sell it or not.’

Chris spoke to the Vice Captain, who was holding a small box and examining it seriously from various angles.

What the Vice Captain held was loot from the previous battle—a mysterious box whose contents were unknown.

It was a type of loot that occasionally appeared in the labyrinth.

Literally, it was a box where you couldn’t tell what was inside... and perhaps because of that trait, it was a surprisingly well-selling item.

There were people who said they became rich when a torrent of incredible gems poured out.

And there were people who said they nearly died after a cursed item emerged....

The rumors and ghost stories associated with it were truly countless.

It was extreme—the charm of this loot lay in the fact that no one knew what would come out.

Personally, Chris thought buying and opening such things was foolish. Regardless, it was loot that sold reasonably well. Since the group didn’t need it and it was in high demand, it was perfect for covering expedition expenses.

The Vice Captain stared intently at the box with a cautious face. Occasionally, the Vice Captain would spend time like this, agonizing over whether to open the box or sell it off.

...Does he think he can develop X-ray vision by doing that?

Chris looked at the Vice Captain with that exact expression.

And Chris’s thoughts were plainly visible on his face.

The Captain and the Vice Captain looked at each other and smirked.

It was a secret, but the Vice Captain actually possessed a form of X-ray vision.

Of course, it wasn’t the kind of ability from popular rumors where one could see through walls at will to find hidden objects or see through people’s clothes.

Rather than physically seeing through objects with his eyes, it was closer to sensing an intuition of what might be there.

Beyond thick fog or darkness, or objects hidden inside boxes like this.

If he focused well, he could faintly feel those invisible things.

This was a fact shared only between the two founding members, the Captain and the Vice Captain.

The fact that the Vice Captain had such an ability was kept secret even from the other members of the mercenary group.

After all, if rumors spread that such an ability existed, no one would buy a box brought in by this mercenary group ever again.

The Captain whispered softly.

’How is it? Can you see anything?’

’This is...’

The Vice Captain, having succeeded in peering inside the box, wore a slightly surprised expression. It was because the item inside was truly unexpected.

Placing the box down with a serious face, the Vice Captain shared a quiet whisper with the Captain.

A moment later, the Vice Captain called Chris over and held out the box.

’Here. I’m giving this to Chris.’

’Huh? Why me all of a sudden?’

’Well... it’s a gift to celebrate your promotion.’

’Oh, come on, what kind of gift is this? We don’t even know what’s inside.’

’Based on my intuition, it’s an item that suits Chris perfectly.’

Good grief.... ’Intuition’ my foot.

Chris muttered as he took the box.

He didn’t particularly like gambling with boxes... but since it was being given as a gift, well. He didn’t hate it that much. He just hated sinking his own money into uncertain gambles.

’Anyway, even if something amazing comes out, you can’t ask for it back.’

’I’ll think about that after I see the price.’

Seeing the Vice Captain’s smirking face, Chris felt a sense of doubt.

Looking at that expression, it was as if he already knew exactly what was inside the box.

But then... there’s no way that’s possible. Chris tucked the received box safely into his portable bag.

──!

And at moment, a loud cry echoed from the other side of the corridor.

Roars and drumbeats.

It was the sound made by a Lizardman squad that continuously roamed this labyrinth beyond the rooms.

’Damn...’

’Have they already made it this close?’

An ambush during a rest. It was a common occurrence that could happen at any time in the labyrinth.

Everyone immediately grabbed their weapons and stood up.

Hearing the drums echoing from afar, a tingling sensation made the skin shiver. Every time that sound resonated, a chilling sensation flowed through the body.

It was the work of an enemy shaman.

’It looks like there’s a shaman over there.’

’Of all things, did the main force arrive.... Is everyone ready?’

Everyone nodded at the Captain’s question.

...Except for one person.

A nearby member hurriedly called out to the Captain.

’Captain! The rookie is acting strange.’

’Chris?’

Chris was trembling, frozen like ice.

Due to the erosion spread by the shaman, his mental state had reached its limit, and he had succumbed to the labyrinth’s curse.

Chris tried to say something, but his frozen body wouldn’t listen at all. The hand holding his sword shook uncontrollably.

’Damn...’

It was immediately obvious what had happened.

It was natural that one couldn’t predict what would happen next in the labyrinth. It wasn’t as if one could check in advance with numbers how much longer they or their comrades could hold out.

This kind of thing was a common occurrence that one inevitably experienced while traveling through the labyrinth.

But unfortunately, this time the luck was particularly bad.

If it was a group that included a shaman, it was likely a force of considerable size. In such a situation, for Chris—who was supposed to play the biggest role—to suddenly end up in this state.

The Captain turned his head toward the Vice Captain and asked.

’Claudi. How long would it take to get back to that [Fountain] we found earlier?’

’The path to the fountain... seems to be blocked already. We’ll run into them on the way.’

The path they came from was already blocked by monsters.

Yet, they couldn’t advance in the opposite direction either. They didn’t know what lay ahead, and if they stepped forward recklessly, they risked falling into a trap or being surrounded.

’Can’t be helped. Here, Chris. Come this way.’

He couldn’t involve Chris in combat while he was in this state.

The Captain took Chris’s hand, moved him to a corner, and pushed him between a pile of luggage stacked on one side of the resting area.

Realizing what the Captain was trying to do, Chris stammered, finally opening his mouth.

’I-I can... fight too...’

’Enough. Having a patient involved in a fight just causes more headaches. I’ll take care of it and come back, so wait here quietly.’

After leaving a lamp on in front and covering him with a blanket so the light wouldn’t leak out, the Captain chuckled, telling Chris to stay out of trouble and wait patiently.

Chris tried to say no, but the emotion surging up from his chest blocked it.

Fear.

Since nothing was physically restraining his body, if he could only overcome it, he could have stood up right away and followed them.

But in the end, Chris couldn’t move his body until the very end. Until everyone’s figures vanished into the corridor.

’....’

The drumbeats ceased at some point.

Without even knowing how much time had passed, Chris continued to tremble.

What came for Chris then... wasn’t the voice of someone he was waiting for, but a hunger so intense it felt like he might die.

Because he had been hiding without eating anything, his physical strength had nearly reached its limit.

When that hunger grew large enough to even overcome his fear, Chris was finally able to escape the terror and move his body.

Through that, Chris—whose sense of time had been paralyzed—could indirectly realize how much time had passed. That an irreversibly long time had flowed by.

’Cap... Captain?’

Chris lifted his head and began calling for the others.

It was something one shouldn’t do in the labyrinth, but he couldn’t endure it otherwise.

Whether by luck or misfortune, since he didn’t even have the energy to raise his voice properly, Chris’s voice couldn’t even leave the room and faded away weakly nearby. Thanks to that, no monsters came looking after hearing the voice.

’Ailie? Claudi...?’

He called his comrades’ names one by one, but no one answered.

No one returned to the place where Chris was.

＊　＊　＊

It was a dawn shrouded in deep darkness.

In the quiet room enveloped by gloom.

Chris opened his eyes in bed, feeling a headache that felt like his skull might crack. It took a long time to realize that this wasn’t the labyrinth, but his own room.

Rising from the bed, Chris let out a small sigh.

Throwing off his pajamas, which were soaked in sweat and sticking unpleasantly to his skin, Chris clutched his throbbing head and muttered.

’That dream again...?’

Perhaps it was because he had taken that object out for the first time in a long while.

Chris stared at the old box he had placed on the table last night.

An old box he still hadn’t opened, not even knowing what was inside.

Staring at it intently, Chris rose from his bed.

Even if he lay back down, he wouldn’t be able to sleep, and even if he forced himself to sleep, he’d only have the same dream again.

Since Chris had an appointment scheduled for early morning, he decided to just get up now and start the day.

The day Captain Ian had set an appointment to meet and talk was today.

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