Hell Mode: Volume 6, page 1
Chapter 1: Distorted World
The renowned dwarven blacksmith Habarak glared at Allen with bloodshot eyes and roared, “It’s all because you lot keep going on about Dygragni this, Dygragni that! Who even is he?! Lady Freyja is so furious, she’s not letting me forge orichalcum anymore!”
He then shoved Allen away and crumpled to his knees, grinding his hands and head into the ground as his hunched back shook with sobs.
“Lady Freyja, I’m so sorry. Please don’t be angry. I’m so sorry.”
With the way he was bawling like a child, it was hard to believe that this dwarf was one of only three blacksmiths in the world capable of forging the rare metal orichalcum; he barely seemed like an adult. However, his reaction made crystal clear the sheer depth of his pain, leaving Allen and his friends temporarily stunned. Even the Hero Helmios, who had brought them here to introduce them to Habarak, was at a loss for words as he knelt down next to the master blacksmith and gently rubbed his back.
Several dwarven apprentices came out of the building that served both as their workshop and home, drawn out by their master’s cries. Only upon their arrival did Habarak finally respond.
The young dwarf who had met them at the door earlier addressed the group. “I think that’s enough for today. Would you please take your leave now?” He gave them little choice but to oblige.
“Let’s visit again tomorrow. Who knows, perhaps he’ll be in a better mood after having a night to think things over.” With Helmios’s suggestion in mind, the group returned to town to search for an inn.
The next morning, the party once again visited Habarak’s workshop. Upon knocking on the door, they were met by the same young dwarf as before. This time, he let the group in without issue.
“Please follow me.”
Once in the drawing room, Krena placed the chunk of orichalcum she had brought with her on a large table.
“I hope this was the right choice.”
Krena was referring to the discussion the party had held at the inn the previous evening regarding whether they should bring the orichalcum with them. They ultimately decided to, since leaving it at the inn was out of the question. While Krena had not expressed an opinion either way, judging by her remark, she still was not entirely convinced.
Habarak arrived a short time later. His gaze was immediately drawn to the chunk of shining golden ore atop the table.
“I take it that’s the orichalcum y’all found in Dygragni’s dungeon?” There was a tinge of sadness in his expression.
“That’s right,” Krena answered in an uncharacteristically reserved voice.
Habarak remained stock-still at the room’s entrance, a dejected look on his face. His words came out in a hoarse whisper. “That... Well, that certainly is orichalcum. But I can’t forge it anymore, sorry.”
A heavy silence fell upon the room. Krena, Allen, and the rest of the No-life Gamers were completely dumbfounded, unsure of what they could possibly say to the troubled blacksmith. Helmios, however, broke the silence in his usual chipper tone.
“You know, I’ve lost count of how many jams this sword you forged for me has gotten me out of.”
Right, his sword’s made from orichalcum. I’ve been on the wrong end of that blade myself.
Habarak finally spoke up. “I appreciate yer kind words.”
“Would you mind telling us why you’re no longer able to forge orichalcum?”
“My fire’s died down, y’see. It’s so bad, I can hardly even forge adamantite.” The pain was evident in his voice. “What’s worse, I can’t hear Lady Freyja’s voice anymore. I’d always been able to hear her when I was forgin’.”
So he could hear the Fire Goddess’s voice, huh? Sounds more like a priest than a blacksmith.
“Yesterday you mentioned that this was all our fault for deifying Dygragni. Is that really the cause of your troubles?”
“Lady Freyja is the Goddess of Fire. If she ain’t lending me her power, then that must be the reason. Those fools in the Empire of Baukis are so intent on deifying that Dungeon Master or whatever you call him in the interest of lining their pockets.” The dwarven blacksmith’s tone was so harsh, he practically spat out those words.
This reminded Allen of what Uru had previously told him about how things were going in Baukis.
Uru mentioned that too. That was also the reason Admiral Garara held the Baukisian emperor in such low esteem.
Baukis filled its coffers thanks to Dygragni’s dungeons luring adventurers from around the world and the economic windfall they brought with them; consequently, the people there worshipped Dygragni like a god. Moreover, the war with the Demon Lord Army had increased foreign demand for magic tools, leading some to believe that the empire desired to prolong the war.
So that’s why they only provide the Central Continent with the absolute bare minimum of assistance.
The Empire of Baukis never dispatched golems to the Central Continent. In addition, despite possessing the military might capable of repeatedly driving off seaborne attacks from the Demon Lord Army, they never marched on the Forgotten Continent—the Demon Lord’s home base—north of the Central Continent.
I mean, sure, even I get that it’s no small feat to get the countries of the world to come together and put their personal interests aside, but we can’t let things go on like this.
Drawing upon his thirty-five years of experience from his previous life, Allen knew that no world would ever truly be ideal. However, he also felt that this world, in the midst of its life-or-death struggle against the Demon Lord Army, fell particularly short. The Empire of Giamut was a hegemony that used the Alliance as a means of expanding its influence. The isolationist Rohzenheim despised foreign interference. Albahal, the Country of Beastkin, had suffered generations of persecution and could no longer envisage a unified world. Then there was the Kingdom of Ratash, currently consumed with infighting over succession to the throne and political factions. Baukis, with its profit-chasing and war-extending behavior, was far from alone in diminishing the Five Continent Alliance, once created to topple the Demon Lord Army, to little more than a fanciful name.
Maybe it’s because the war’s dragged on for several decades now. Or perhaps...
Perhaps this was all part of the Demon Lord Army’s grand strategy.
“So Fire Goddess Freyja will no longer lend you her power because the people of Baukis are praying to Dygragni instead?”
“Even those who used to be part of the Kingdom of Melka no longer speak Lady Freyja’s praises.”
“Is that so?”
“Anyway, that’s all I have to say. I’d appreciate it if ye’d get a move on.”
The room fell silent once again. Even Allen was at a loss. There was no simple solution to Habarak’s inability to forge orichalcum if it was caused by people losing faith in a deity.
It was then that the small creature sitting atop Sophie’s shoulder addressed Habarak. “You are incorrect, and terribly so at that. Hmm...yes, I’m afraid I can no longer maintain my silence. Ha ha.”
“Mind yer tongue!”
A look of anger exploded across Habarak’s face as he jerked his head in Sophie’s direction from where the voice that so completely shot him down originated. He swallowed his words the moment he caught sight of the creature on her shoulder, however. Allen figured he must have sensed the god’s divine presence.
“The Freyja I know would never turn her back on the dwarves. She may be a violent goddess, but she always had a soft spot for your people. More so than other races.”
“What?!”
“In that case, there must be some other reason Lady Freyja would stop lending her power to Habarak,” Allen mused.
“You are correct, Allen. There is another reason for her not lending her power. Or perhaps I should say that she is unable to lend it. Ha ha.”
“But you don’t know what that reason is, huh?” Regardless, they would not be able to forge the orichalcum.
“Ha ha. That’s why I’m going to the Heavenly Realm to ask her directly. Perhaps she’ll share it with me.”
With that, Rohzen tensed up and froze in place atop Sophie’s shoulder.
“Wh-Who was that...?”
Helmios explained everything about the Spirit God to the shaken blacksmith.
“I see. So you lot are accompanied by a god, then?” Habarak looked the group over once again, this time with a fresh perspective. “Never mind that. I’m sorry ’bout blaming you all. This is ultimately a problem fer us dwarves.”
“No worries.” Allen figured the situation was more than sufficient to justify anyone falling into despair and losing their sense of perspective.
The young dwarf then entered the drawing room with tea, almost as if on cue now that the tension had eased. Habarak took a seat, his expression relaxed.
The group waited around two hours before Rohzen finally moved again. However, judging by the way his head slumped, he was not in good spirits.
Sophie looked worried. “What’s wrong, Lord Rohzen?”
“Hmph, well. Hmm.” He raised his head and looked toward Sophie. “Sophialohne...”
“Yes?”
“I want you to promise me one thing before I continue.”
Sophie returned his gaze. “Anything, Lord Rohzen.”
“Everything I do as a spirit god is to aid the elves. When I entered the pact in response to the priestess’s prayers, I swore to do my utmost for them. So, please don’t worry.”
“Huh? B-But why...?”
Allen quick
“Things are far more dire than I anticipated. At this rate, the world will fall to ruin in a matter of years. Ha ha.”
Rohzen’s laugh rang dark and hollow in Allen’s ears.
“Fall to ruin? What do you mean by that?”
“I will explain. But before that, I would like to discuss something that happened while you all were fighting to save Rohzenheim.” The Spirit God intended to explain what was going on from the very beginning.
“Did something happen in the Heavenly Realm back then?”
“Indeed, something did. The battle you were fighting on this plane was merely a diversion. While you all were occupied, the Demon Lord Army’s primary forces were invading the Heavenly Realm.”
“Just as I thought. So that wasn’t their main unit, then.”
It seems like I’m always right whenever I predict the worst.
“Yes, it is exactly as you predicted.”
Cecil was quick to demand an explanation. “Hold on. How did you figure out it was a diversion, Allen?”
“You remember how I mentioned it during the war, right? I was struck by how different the Demon Lord Army we’d learned about at the Academy was from the one we actually confronted. It felt like we were facing nothing more than a mob of monsters.”
“Now that you mention it, I do recall you saying something to that effect,” Volmaar said, nodding.
The Academy taught that the Demon Lord Army was cunning, striking at their enemies’ weakest points—a trait which had led to the Five Continent Alliance losing battle after battle on the Central Continent. However, the Demon Lord Army that attacked Rohzenheim had practically nothing in terms of logistical support, consisting instead nearly entirely of assault troops. Said troops were constantly on the verge of starvation and had nothing in terms of leadership or discipline; they simply launched one reckless attack after another. Picking up on the discrepancy between what he had learned and what they encountered, Allen had often discussed this matter with his friends during their downtime.
Keel also reflected on Allen’s conversations. “You mentioned that the forces were acting as if they were disposable. So you mean that really was the case?”
“It seems they were there solely to buy time. The Demon Lord Army’s strategy was to draw the gods’ attention to the events down in your world in order to make it easier for the main force to invade the Heavenly Realm.”
“So they callously threw away ten million monsters just for that?”
Allen’s question was met with a nod from Rohzen.
Prior to the Gamers’ departure for Rohzenheim, the headmaster had told them that they would be facing an unprecedented number of monsters—a statement which turned out to be true once they finally reached the battlefield. Obviously it was far from smooth sailing for the party, given the sheer number of enemies they faced, but the fact that they were able to secure a victory at all struck Allen as peculiar. It all only made sense if the Demon Lord Army’s true goal was simply to create a diversion.
So they... No. Could it be? Just how much had the Demon Lord Army prepared for this?
A single possibility made its way to the forefront of Allen’s mind.
Rohzen spoke up once again. “Apparently the army that invaded the Heavenly Realm consisted of both savage and ancient dragons joined by Demonic Deities and archdemons.”
Now that sounds like a force to be reckoned with. Ancient dragons are even more powerful than Rank S monsters, way more powerful. In terms of strength, they’re practically on par with demigods.
Every last member of the invading army was as strong as, if not stronger, than Demonic Deity Rehzel and the Rank S dungeon floor bosses.
“So what became of the Heavenly Realm?”
“It seems even the Demon Lord Army knew that they could not completely wipe out the Heavenly Realm with a single strike. Rather, their true focus was on attacking Freyja’s temple.”
Habarak’s face drained of all color. His head jerked forward so quickly, he looked as if he would topple over at any second. “A-And Lady Freyja?”
“Not only is she one of the pillars of the Four Elemental Deities, but she’s also known for her untempered power. She succeeded in driving off the Demon Lord Army with the help of her spiritual allies, but unfortunately, she didn’t make it out entirely unscathed.”
Habarak let out a sigh of relief. “Th-That’s good to hear.”
“However, something very important was stolen from her: the divine vessel, the symbol of Freyja’s role as the Goddess of Fire.”
Allen felt a wave of unease wash over him at Rohzen’s mention of the divine vessel.
Rohzen hasn’t been very forthcoming with information about the Heavenly Realm so far, so why is he so open about it now? Could the situation be that dire?
“Y-You mean that’s why her flames’ve weakened?”
“Precisely. A god whose divine vessel has been stolen will lose their status as a deity.”
The old dwarf’s eyes went wide as tears threatened to escape at any moment. “I... That’s...”
“And I suppose that will lead to humanity’s downfall?” Allen asked.
“That is correct. If Freyja continues to use her Fire Goddess powers without her divine vessel, I doubt she’ll last three years before turning to stone.”
She’ll turn to stone, huh? That must be what death is like for the gods.
“When that happens, forging adamantite will be entirely out of the question. Even mithril will no longer be forgeable, which would leave the world no choice but to fight with rusted armor and scrap iron weapons.”
“N-No way.”
“W-Wait. Does that mean that the mithril mines in the White Dragon Mountains will become worthless as well?”
Both Cecil, a member of House Granvelle, and Keel, the head of House Carnel, were at a loss for words. Their respective families made their fortunes by mining and selling the mithril found within the White Dragon Mountains that bordered their territories.
There’s no way we could farm enough equipment from dungeons to properly outfit our soldiers against the Demon Lord Army.
Even weapons and armor ultimately had a limited life span on the battlefield. If the forges’ flames were to weaken, the Alliance would no longer be able to create new weapons...or even repair the old ones. They would be stuck using low-grade weapons and armor, which were all but useless against monsters Rank B and higher.
“Huh, so the class promotion rollout is an attempt to try to improve the situation.”
Allen had been wondering why a class promotion system was being added so suddenly after the world had gone so long without. The reason was simple: the world would be destroyed if something was not done about it.
“Indeed. We intend to disseminate that information to the masses through the Church shortly, along with the fact that the Fire Goddess has lost her power.”
Leading the bad news with good would at least keep people from losing all hope, even if they would ultimately still find the situation troubling. Were the gods to do nothing, humanity would surely become despondent. After all, the Demon Lord Army was not fighting for control—they were using their legions of monsters to wipe the people off the face of the planet.
It’s not like I can protect the whole world all on my own.
With only shoddy weapons and armor to work with, the forces of mankind would be doomed before they even had a chance to use any of the blessings the gods had graced them with, no matter how plentiful they might be. But now was not the time to think about all that. There were more pressing matters at hand.
“From what I’ve heard, Lady Freyja is quite the firebrand compared to all the other Four Elemental Deities. There must have been a reason the Demon Lord Army would specifically target her, right?”
Allen had learned about the relative rankings of the gods in his theology class at the Academy. Elmea, the God of Creation, was the most powerful and reigned supreme over all the other gods. However, there were other gods who also boasted tremendous power. The gods known as the Four Elemental Deities—Freyja of fire, Gaia of earth, Ninlil of wind, and Aqua of water—were all quite powerful in their own right.
While Gaia and Aqua were known for specializing in protection and healing, respectively, Freyja’s specialty was combat. She was infamous for being quite the temperamental goddess; once angered, she was capable of causing all the world’s mountains to erupt in unison, leaving behind nothing but scorched earth. The Demon Lord Army must have had a good reason for targeting a god like that, such as needing her divine vessel, or...
