Published: September 9, 2025
There are some slightly cruel scenes. Please be cautious if you are sensitive to such content.
Corrections made on 2/11.
Additional notes added on 10/5.
This is Satou. In MMO and other online games, searching for a good hunting ground is one of the pleasures. However, with the rapid spread of information online nowadays, that excitement usually lasts only a few days after an update.
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While everyone was asleep at the Labyrinth Villa, I returned to the mansion alone to check things out, but there were no problems. The children’s recovery seemed to be going smoothly. I entrusted additional nutritional supplements to Ms. Mitelna.
Ms. Mitelna asked about the moving announcement letters, so I decided to send letters not only to acquaintances in this town but also to Baron Muno and Nina. I would like to send moving announcements to acquaintances in the Duke's Capital and Boruehart as well, but since there are many, I plan to write them during my free time inside the labyrinth.
I informed them that I would return tomorrow morning and then went back into the labyrinth.
When asked where I was going, I gave a vague answer, calling it a trivial errand. I had heard that young nobles, when going out for some fun at tea parties in the capital, say something similar, so I decided to imitate that.
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"A new hunting ground?"
"Yeah, at this rate, the enemies in this area might be wiped out by tomorrow. Based on the map, areas 74 or 109 look promising. Area 74 has amphibians and reptiles, while area 109 has insect-type monsters."
"Amphibians? What kind of monsters?"
"Amphibians are frog types. Reptiles would be snakes or lizards, I guess."
Next to area 109, area 69 has cockatrices. These are notably high level, around level 50. Also, next to area 74, area 77 seems to have high-level basilisks. The reason there are so many monsters in areas 74 and 109 is likely because the cockatrices and basilisks near the first area keep explorers from advancing deeper.
"Insect types tend to be tough enemies, so dealing with them would take more time. I think area 74, with amphibians and reptiles, is a better choice."
Liza suggested this with a sharp expression, but I couldn’t miss the sparkle in her eyes when she heard “frog.” Pochi and Tama also seemed pleased, and none of the others objected. I had heard a party called "Fangs of the Inferno" was heading to hunt the cockatrices, so avoiding a collision would make area 74 preferable.
For the route, we should avoid encountering other explorers as much as possible. If we get close, I can carry Nana and pass near the ceiling using skystride to avoid detection.
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"That corner there—"
"Monsters are hiding."
"Wait a moment, I’ll use spatial awareness magic to check the surroundings—There are three labyrinth centipedes. One is near the ceiling, so be careful."
"I’ll illuminate the one on the ceiling with the Light Droplet Cannon, so Mia, shoot it down with your bow."
"Got it."
"Nana, taunt them."
"It’s a centipede! Just because you have many legs doesn’t make you great!"
I don’t think the centipede cares about that.
Two centipedes crawled out of the darkness, provoked by Nana’s taunt. Liza’s spear pinned one to the ground. Pochi then sliced off its head with a Magic Short Sword.
Lulu’s Light Droplet Cannon illuminated the centipede near the ceiling. An arrow fired from Mia’s small bow pierced a gap in its shell. Lulu also skillfully shot the base of a tentacle with her magic pistol held in the other hand. Lulu’s marksmanship has really improved.
Nana blocked a charging centipede with her Great Shield. The centipede climbed the shield with momentum, but Nana’s great sword pierced its head from below. Furthermore, Nana activated the Demonic Sword’s special function with the password "Retsu" (Split), causing the centipede's head to explode.
This "Retsu" is a newly developed feature. It creates a thin membrane of principle power on the sword’s surface, which bursts outward upon activation with the keyword. The explosion itself isn’t very powerful, so to increase lethality, the membrane was redesigned as thin threads that tear the enemy from the inside. Since it’s more effective against hard shells, usable situations are fewer compared to regular slashes.