GILF Hunter

Chapter 318 ...They’re all just phantoms

In the middle of the standoff with the mermen blocking the way.

Suddenly, Ian walked forward.

’Ah... it’s dangerous!’

Lia and Rin hurriedly followed on both sides of Ian.

Panicked by Ian’s sudden impulsive action, the two prepared to fight the mermen who seemed ready to pounce, but the mermen did not attack.

The mermen, who had been threatening as if they would attack at any moment, actually retreated backward to avoid the three approaching them.

’...?’

Lia and Rin looked at the mermen with somewhat confused faces, then glanced back at Ian.

Ian pointed at the mermen in front of them—the phantoms—and spoke.

’Don’t worry. These aren’t real; they’re hallucinations.’

’What? You mean... they’re fakes?’

Ian nodded at Rin’s question.

In the thick fog, the figures of the mermen pointing their weapons looked real no matter how one looked at them.

When Rin quietly asked Lia what she saw, Lia was seeing the exact same monsters as Rin.

Does it make sense for everyone to see the same hallucination at the same time...?

However, certainly, hearing that made the mermen’s behavior seem strange. They hadn’t attacked for a while and were just standing still, threatening them to keep them from approaching.

Feeling a bit skeptical, Rin asked Ian tentatively.

’Then, can I test it out?’

’Since it’s fake, it doesn’t matter... but what are you going to do?’

Having received permission, Rin picked up a stone from the ground.

’Take this!’

The stone thrown by Rin flew toward the merman in front.

And, just before the stone hit the merman... the merman moved at an incredible speed and dodged the stone.

’Gasp...’

As the merman who dodged the stone bared its teeth and threatened her, Rin picked up another stone.

But every time she threw a stone, the merman, contrary to its appearance, dodged all of Rin’s stones with incredibly agile movements.

...Even though she was doing all this, it didn’t counterattack at all.

Only then did everyone clearly feel that the monsters were a bit strange.

They retreated if one got close and only dodged if attacked.

They were only threatening from a distance as if trying to chase away anyone approaching.

Is it because they’ll be found out as phantoms if they are touched directly?

While pondering, Rin realized something.

It was thanks to the experiences in the labyrinth awakening Rin’s imagination.

’...I know! Only one of these is real, right? When we let our guard down thinking they’re phantoms, it’ll sneak up from behind...!’

Rin shouted to Ian with a confident face.

However, hearing that, Ian shook his head with a lukewarm expression.

’...They’re all just phantoms.’

’Ah.... It’s not that?’

Ian muttered toward Rin, who was smiling awkwardly.

’You have a talent for being a mod developer.’

’What’s that? Is it a good thing?’

It was a severe insult.

Ian and the members carefully moved their steps along the path.

The fog grew thicker the further they moved forward.

It became so dense that they could no longer distinguish directions, but every time they stopped, the fairy flying ahead showed them the way.

Since this fog wasn’t real fog but a type of illusion, fortunately, it seemed the illusions didn’t work on the fairy.

Ian and the members soon arrived in front of a cave on the coast.

-Grrr...

’Gasp...’

The entrance of the cave was guarded by a massive Leviathan.

As they approached, the giant sea dragon raised its head and roared.

’Is this an illusion too...?’

’It shows illusions that anyone approaching would find terrifying.’

’Then the Kraken too?’

’Since that would be the most terrifying thing to people of the sea...’

Ignoring the Leviathan, Ian walked into the cave.

Since it wasn’t a very deep cave, the target was easily found.

A giant clam.

It was the Phantom Clam, the culprit of this incident.

It was a clam that emitted mana to show hallucinations and make natural enemies flee so they couldn’t approach.

It seemed it had recently settled in this cave.

’It’s a really big... clam.’

Mika, who was observing the clam here and there, muttered unintentionally.

This clam has no offensive capabilities and doesn’t attack people, so it isn’t a monster.

In the labyrinth as well, it was a terrain object that could occasionally be seen in the ’Coastal Cave’ terrain.

’It’s my first time seeing one this huge...’

Ian also muttered unintentionally. It seemed to be several times the size he knew.

Well, since it emitted illusions that far.

He thought it wouldn’t be an ordinary clam, but the size was beyond imagination.

’Then this thing was showing the hallucinations?’

’Yeah. If we break this, the illusions will stop.’

’Leave it to us!’

Rin and Lia stepped forward.

The shell of the giant clam was hard enough that attacks didn’t work at all, but in the end, it was a clam with no offensive capabilities other than illusions.

As the two took turns attacking continuously, it finally cracked loudly with a snapping sound.

-Flash!

Light suddenly burst out from the crack.

’W-what? Is it going to explode?’

Mika’s barrier was quickly deployed, but an explosion did not occur.

The cause of the light was due to something shining inside the cracked shell.

Urged by the fairies, Tanya approached and carefully picked it up.

’It’s... it’s a gem?’

It was a lump so large it was difficult to hold with one hand.

Seeing the object in Tanya’s hand, everyone gasped. As it was a large clam, the thing inside was also of an incredible size.

’Wa, wow...’

Everyone gathered in front of it to look at the gem.

Afraid they might break it, they didn’t dare hold it themselves and just touched it lightly several times.

Finally, Ian carefully took it from her.

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[Crystal Fragment of Dominance]

- Material Item

- Required Crafting Level: 8

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Originally, it was common for clam-type objects or monsters to possess treasures.

Furthermore, since it displayed such special abilities, it was only natural in a way for it to have such a powerful gem.

The problem was that it was a gem of too high a grade.

...Can we even use this?

A level 8 jeweler material.

It seemed destined to be a rare material sleeping in the warehouse until the ending because they couldn’t find a use for it.

＊ ＊ ＊

Ian returned to the city and reported immediately.

He had the clam fragments he brought, and since the cave wasn’t far, verification was quick.

The city was in a tense state as if a war was about to break out, but as soon as the news of the resolution spread, it returned to its original atmosphere in an instant.

Since it hadn’t even been a full day yet, it seemed to be taken as a light happenstance during a vacation.

From the mercenaries’ perspective, they had received the hiring fee without doing anything.

’Thank you so much!’

’You can stop saying that now...’

Not knowing when the monsters would appear, the city had hired all the mercenaries and was preparing for battle.

They must have spent quite a bit of money to hire so many mercenaries, but in any case, it was a relief that it was quickly revealed they weren’t real monsters.

If rumors had spread that there was a risk of a monster invasion, this place’s standing as a tourist destination would have been completely ruined.

Who would come on vacation to a beach where mermen attack the city and a Kraken appears?

It was a huge relief that it was solved instantly before strange rumors could circulate.

Just like that, the city returned to its original state in an instant.

’Surely you aren’t planning to just return like this?’

’The Merchant Association is planning to hold a festival, why don’t you stay a little longer and enjoy it?’

And for Ian...

People from here and there began to cling to him.

They had made an unreasonable request because it was a really urgent situation.

Thanks to that, the work was finished really quickly and cleanly.

Now, it was time to settle the costs.

Ian had originally been about to leave soon anyway, so he told them he would just take the reward and go.

However, saying you’ll leave right after the job is finished without resting usually had two meanings.

The meaning that one’s feelings were hurt, and the meaning that one’s feelings were very hurt so they should figure it out themselves.

Of course, it was understandable. They had suddenly dumped an unreasonable request on the last day of his vacation.

Nodding their heads, the city officials and people from the Merchant Association grabbed Ian’s sleeves and pleaded.

’...I get it, so stop that.’

’Really!’

Ian eventually decided to stay here a little longer.

From lodging fees to store usage, everything was free.

Everyone was starting to get bored of the sea, but anyway, since it was a free vacation, they agreed to stay a bit longer.

About two days later.

Ian and the members were sprawling in the lodging as usual.

’Haaa. I wonder if something interesting will happen.’

’Whenever someone says that, something weird always happens...’

They were sick of the sea by now.

Instead, since many gifts sent by the City Hall or the Merchant Association had arrived, it was a day where they spent all day eating Tanya’s cooking made with expensive ingredients they usually couldn’t even dream of.

Suddenly, the door of the lodging swung open.

’Hey. Who’s Ian?’

Everyone turned their heads and looked at the person who suddenly entered.

Short stature, and eyes that looked like they had a foul temper.

The strange guest who suddenly arrived looked around the inside of the lodging.

’I came because I heard some Kraken appeared, but they said it was already solved. I heard he was here.’

Ian also raised his head and looked at the guest who had trespassed.

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[Frey] (Lv. 47)

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It was an A-rank mercenary who had just arrived from Labyrinth.