Chapter 304 Treasure!

The sound of footsteps echoing in the darkness stopped.

As Lia, who was leading the way, came to a halt, everyone walking behind her stopped in their tracks as well.

’Is something the matter?’

’It’s a fork in the road,’ Lia said, looking back.

When Ian raised his lantern and held it forward, the light stretched a bit further, illuminating the passage ahead.

Straight ahead was a passage that looked no different from before.

And just as Lia said, a new passage branching off in another direction was connected to one of the walls.

It was the third fork they had encountered since entering the labyrinth.

Everyone set their luggage down in front of the junction and took a brief rest while staying alert to their surroundings.

Since they couldn’t move until the direction was decided, it was a natural break time.

’Which way are we going?’

’Let me think for a moment....’

Everyone turned their gaze toward Ian, waiting for his decision.

However, even Ian couldn’t know in advance which path was the right one.

If one could know that, why would it be called a labyrinth?

Ian quietly unfolded the map.

Since finishing the battle in the first room, the map had been filled in a bit more as they passed through several more rooms.

Due to having several battles with monsters like ghouls and skeletons, everyone was in a somewhat exhausted state.

It would be nice if a resting place appeared soon....

With that thought, Ian decided on a direction.

’How do you decide on the path? Is there a method?’ Tanya, who was watching from the side, asked.

Hearing Tanya’s question, everyone else’s gaze turned toward Ian as if they were curious as well.

’Right, I was curious about that too.’

’Where can one learn that?’

It was something they were all secretly curious about.

Ian had almost no hesitation when choosing a path in these situations.

Since it was a place he had never been before, Ian shouldn’t know what lay ahead either.

Yet Ian seemed to have some sort of criteria for choosing the path.

And paths chosen that way were mostly not bad.

On what basis did he choose the path, and where could one learn such a thing?

As mercenaries, it was knowledge they couldn’t help but be interested in.

Ian replied as he folded and organized the map.

’I’m deciding by intuition.’

’....’

Hearing that answer, everyone wore a bewildered expression.

Surely that couldn’t be true.

Was he avoiding the answer because it was difficult information to share?

Thinking that, Rin carefully asked back.

’It’s because it’s a secret technique that you won’t tell us, right?’

’It’s really just intuition....’

’....’

Everyone’s gaze turned toward the fork Ian had just decided on.

The expressions of the mercenaries who had to enter that path from now on changed strangely.

’Then, don’t tell me... it’s been intuition this whole time?’

’It’s worked out well so far, hasn’t it?’

Everyone seemed to have expected some special knowledge or secret technique, but pathfinding really was just intuition.

However, it wasn’t a choice completely without grounds.

If you repeat the same thing for a long time, there were things you would occasionally see.

Terrains that tended to appear attached together.

Terrains that were always in a fixed form.

Terrains that necessarily appeared at certain intervals.

Terrains where the next room was forced by the structure, and so on.

There were things like path patterns that were hard to explain with theory, which you could see if you repeated the same game for far too long.

It’s a feeling that it’s about time for something to appear.

But to anyone else, it couldn’t help but look like he was just picking at random.

’If that’s the case, then it wouldn’t matter if I chose!’

’...No, the path Rin picks is a bit much.’

’What’s wrong with my intuition!’ Rin shouted, bickering with Mika.

’Then shall we make a bet? On what’s over there!’

It was a suggestion to test each other’s intuition.

Rin stated her prediction first.

’I say... a skeleton room!’

At the suddenly started bet, everyone else quietly added a word.

’Treasure room!’

’...Ghouls.’

’Oh, me too? Then... a dead end.’

And finally, Ian made his decision.

’I say an empty room.’

Once the direction to proceed was decided, everyone packed their bags and stood up.

Shining the light and cautiously advancing one step at a time through the dark passage.

It wasn’t long before they reached the end of the corridor.

It was an empty room.

’Let’s take a break here.’

’....’

Ian spoke to the members as he set his luggage down.

’No, seriously....’

’How does he get it right....’

As expected, he must be hiding it because it’s a method that’s hard to say where he learned it from.

Everyone muttered a word as they set their luggage down in the center of the room.

’Whew....’

Tanya also carefully set down her backpack.

She tried to reduce unnecessary baggage as much as possible, but even so, it was a considerably large load compared to usual.

Since the labyrinth was a place where one never knew how long it would take or what would happen.

It was a backpack packed tight with only essential items selected after much contemplation.

Ian had said that Tanya’s role would be the most important once they entered the labyrinth, but Tanya thought it was just a polite empty remark.

However, once she entered the labyrinth, she could tell.

That how long this expedition could last was determined by how well the porter could fulfill their role, just as Ian said.

Tanya quickly checked the status of the remaining consumables and moved between the members to replenish items they were low on.

’I’ve started the fire.’

’Finished tidying up here too.’

In the meantime, everyone else finished tidying the area and completed preparations for resting.

They lit a small campfire, sat around it, and took out their respective food.

Since they had to minimize baggage, most of it was rations.

However, because eating only rations throughout the expedition had a negative effect on stress and stamina recovery, they had made space in the bags for a few ingredients to cook with.

With those, Tanya boiled some soup, though it was a small amount.

Inside the chilly labyrinth, amidst the darkness where the cold of the undead flowed, a warmth that seemed to heal the soul seeped in.

’Phew....’

Ian checked the members sitting around the campfire one by one.

Due to going through several battles without a proper long rest, everyone’s stamina was depleted.

Since it was a resting place found at just the right time, Ian, who decided to stay a bit longer, spoke.

’Let’s sleep for a bit here before we go.’

’Then we’ll have to set a watch.’

’Since she lost the bet, why don’t we make Rin do it?’

’Wa-wait! No one else got it right either!’

’It’s fine because we’re going to use this.’

Ian took out the Holy Water he had prepared in advance.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

[Holy Water]

- Consumable Item

- Luck applied when facing Undead or Demons in battle

- Prevents night raids for a certain period during camping

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ian sprinkled a bit of Holy Water at the entrance to the room.

Since they didn’t have to worry about an ambush while sleeping, everyone safely closed their eyes for a while.

＊ ＊ ＊

For a while, Ian slowly explored the surroundings, uncovering the map of the labyrinth.

Checking the end of each fork one by one and clearing out monsters.

Supplies were consumed bit by bit, but as everyone gradually grew accustomed to combat in the labyrinth, they were able to deal with monsters quite stably.

Ian was walking down a corridor to check a room at one end of the map.

Usually, a special room would be located in these separate ’end rooms’.

If they were lucky, they might even find the boss room in this single go.

Hearing Ian’s words, everyone walked down the long corridor with even more caution than usual so they could respond to whatever might appear.

’It looks like something is visible?’

’There’s something sparkling.’

A small room connected to the end of the corridor.

Beyond the light of the lantern, in that thick darkness, something sparkling could be seen.

Something suspicious sparkling in the center of the room.

Everyone squinted while staying alert, trying to see what was inside the room.

As they carefully approached a little closer, everyone was able to identify the object sparkling in the room.

It was a treasure chest.

’Treasure...!’ someone muttered inadvertently, and everyone’s eyes widened.

The treasure of the labyrinth.

It was the object they had only heard about in rumors.

Ian, who recognized the object, also widened his eyes.

A so-called ’Gold Chest’ with a gold trim. It didn’t even have a lock.

Ian immediately spoke to the members.

’Back up.’

’Pardon?’

Ian took out the map and drew an ’X’ on the room from a moment ago.

Rin, who had seen Ian drawing the map quite a bit by his side, knew what that mark meant.

It was a ’no entry’ sign.

For now, following Ian’s words, everyone turned back and retraced the path they had come from.

Rin, whose eyes had been sparkling upon discovering the treasure chest, asked Ian.

’Wh-why...? It’s a treasure chest....’

The rule of the labyrinth... risk and return.

It was a very simple rule that comprised the labyrinth.

Rewards follow danger and challenge.

Small risks yield small rewards.

Great risks yield great rewards.

Of course, it was a formula that also held true in the reverse case.

The fact that such a great reward was lying in the path like this meant....

It meant it intended to kill them miserably.

In this game, the number one cause of party wipes in the labyrinth wasn’t monsters, traps, or bosses, but ’Treasure Rooms’.

Not to mention newbies who didn’t know the game well yet.

Even veterans who shouted, ’I can do it, if it’s me!’

Regardless of the opponent, it was the number one cause of party wipes across all user tiers, accounting for more than half on its own.

’I heard that if you find expensive treasure in the labyrinth, it’s worth at least 100 gold coins....’

’Rin. In your opinion, is this place dangerous enough for that?’

’Hmm....’

Rin pondered Ian’s question slightly.

Of course, it was dangerous, difficult, and no joke of a place, but....

If asked if it was enough to earn 100 gold coins, honestly, it wasn’t to that extent.

Even the monster wave, which could be called the most shocking thing they’d experienced so far, wasn’t to that extent.

’It’s not to that extent.’

’Then, what do you think you’d have to go through to get a treasure that’s worth about 100 gold coins?’

’Something you’d have to go through to get 100 gold coins?’

Everyone, including Rin, quietly pondered it.

’Let’s just go....’ Rin, shivering, quietly moved her steps.