Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 11
Thanks to all these upgrades, Dogora had managed to increase his class skill to Lvl. 5 within a bit over a month. Equipped with Kagutsuchi and an adamantite greataxe, he had also learned a new skill called Dual Axe Mastery.
“Dogora’s powers are delightful to see,” Muza praised.
It was finally Allen’s turn. This appraisal’s gonna get weird again. I suggest everyone strap in and wait with bated breath. When he was five years old, his Appraisal Ceremony had returned a peculiar result in the Talent section—it had been filled with symbols, making it completely illegible. Then, when he entered the Academy, his slow growth due to being in Hell Mode had been taken into consideration, giving him E rankings across the board.
Allen expected nothing from this ceremony and assumed that another unfortunate result would be spat out. But when he touched the crystal, the results appeared on the board without much fanfare. People had expected another dazzling flash of light like with Dogora and were stunned by how smoothly the process had gone. However, they went wide-eyed with astonishment when they saw his stats.
* * *
Allen’s Appraisal Results
Name: Allen
Age: 15
Class: Summoner
HP: 3,815 + 2,000
MP: 6,060 + 14,000
Attack: 2,124 + 2,000
Endurance: 2,124 + 3,800
Agility: 3,951 + 5,000
Intelligence: 6,070 + 16,800
Luck: 3,951 + 2,000
Skills: Summoning, Creation, Synthesis, Strengthening, Awakening, Expansion, Storage, Sharing, Quick Summoning, Equivalency, Deputize, King Me, Deletion, Sword Mastery, Throwing
* * *
“I’ve never seen MP and Intelligence this high.”
“I see. So the representative of the Allen Army is quite wise.”
“I’ve never seen Intelligence over 20,000.”
I guess the third time’s the charm for me getting appraised. But no one’s shocked like when they saw Dogora’s results. That’s fair though. People probably use swords and spears to fight wars. Battles against the Demon Lord Army were a daily occurrence for people in this world, and it was important to gauge just how many monsters a person could bring down on their own. Most of the royals present were Talentless, and very few had actually fought the Demon Lord Army.
To them, Dogora and Krena seemed far more impressive and reliable for the war effort than Allen. Many assumed that Dogora was the main source of firepower, followed by Talos King Meruru, Sword Emperor Krena, and then Saint King Keel, the Apprentice Pope. With these excellent party members, Allen looked like he had taken charge by simply formulating cunning plans and not ever fighting on the front lines.
I wanna talk once everyone’s calmed down. Allen grew weary at the crowd that refused to die down. He hid his hand behind the podium and used the Seeds of Magic that Merus had made to gain skill levels. The Summoner insisted on maximizing energy, and now that his appraisal was over, he wanted to use any free time he had to level up. Simply standing there doing nothing felt like a waste.
He still had no idea what Kyubel was up to, but he was certain that the Greater Demonic Deity had been plotting something all this while and was taking steps to move forward with some sort of scheme. It was thus imperative for Allen to be able to produce Rank S Summons as soon as possible so that he could fight back. But his grinding was quickly cut off by Regalfaras.
“Invel, wh-what in the world is going on?” the emperor demanded angrily. “I believe this is crossing the line! How did you manage to hide all these capable people?!”
Large veins appeared on Regalfaras’s forehead, his voice trembling with rage. His wrath was directed at King Invel von Ratash, who was seated in the front row of the concentric chair arrangement. Perhaps Regalfaras had been confident that no one could outdo Hero Helmios, who had maxed his levels and skill levels, and had wanted to boast about the famed champion’s extraordinary numbers.
Now that the cat was out of the bag, it had become crystal clear that the young members who led the Allen Army had astonishingly high stats—much to the ire of the Giamutan emperor. The Hero had paled in comparison.
“I-I haven’t hidden—” Invel started.
“Oh? Do you deny it?” Regalfaras demanded.
The No-life Gamers had become famous this past year, and over half of its members originated from Ratash.
“Well...” Invel replied.
Uh-oh, looks like he’s being cornered. But I’m all for it. Get him!
Over a hundred member nations from the Five Continent Alliance had gathered for this meeting, but the Giamutan emperor did not hold back on his cutting remarks.
“If you cannot cooperate with the rest of the Alliance, I would not be opposed to you leaving it!” Regalfaras bellowed, his hegemonic attitude on full display.
It was said that the only reason he did not attack the Central Continent was that it was a part of the Alliance. He wanted to avoid conflict with the other four leading nations, which he would undoubtedly receive if he started an invasion.
“Th-That’s not it at all,” Invel stammered. “For the past several decades, Ratash has been very cooperative with the Alliance’s ideals.”
“Balderdash! Your lot has been said to be on the side of the Kingdom faction!” Regalfaras shouted.
The Kingdom faction was against the Five Continent Alliance and the Academy faction. Those who were a part of it valued their own nation over all others. They were more conservative and refused to fight the Demon Lord Army.
Allen had not only fought against Hero Helmios at the Academy, but he had also been on the front lines of the war in Rohzenheim. He had even managed to clear a Rank S dungeon, becoming the first Rank S adventurer in two decades. Despite knowing all this, Ratash had failed to promptly report to the Five Continent Alliance.
The Alliance and its leading nations had their own information sources. They were keenly aware of Allen’s existence and movements even without a report, implying that they knew just how delayed Ratash’s actions were. For that reason, it was not a stretch for many to assume that the kingdom had some sort of plot in mind. And with the shocking results of the appraisal now shown for the world to see, Regalfaras could no longer suppress his fury. There was no stopping the Bloody Emperor once the blood rushed to his head.
The other representative saw the menacing Regalfaras and looked troubled. Surely, there was no need to be this harsh to a kingdom that was willing to cooperate with the Alliance. The representatives of the other four leading nations looked exasperated and silently watched the scene unfold, allowing Regalfaras to unleash his wrath. Pupun yawned, Muza crossed his arms and closed his eyes with a scowl, and Holanoroy glanced around in silent panic. Only Lenoatiil opened her eyes and tried to speak in hopes of mediating the situation.
“I’m terribly sorry, Your Majesty,” Allen said.
“Hmm? Allen? Whatever is the matter?” Regalfaras inquired. He calmed down, much to the relief of Invel.
“Your anger is fully justified, but the Ratashian king wants to fight the Demon Lord Army as well. It’s his utmost priority.”
“What are you on about?” Regalfaras and Invel said simultaneously.
“You see, the princess of Ratash, Her Highness Leilana, is hard at work at our base,” Allen divulged.
I’m helping you here, you know.
“What the?! A-Allen, why must you say that right now?!” Invel cried, finding Allen’s choice to be the worst possible one.
The other representatives turned to Invel, assuming that the king had rather close ties with Allen.
“Oh? Is this true?” Regalfaras asked, his voice filled with anger once more.
Unable to meet the glare of the Giamutan emperor, Invel gazed at the ground, the color having drained from his face.
“W-Well...” he mumbled.
Invel doted on his daughter, always letting her have her way. He had allowed her to attend the Academy, and even to bring her favorite tutor along with her, but one day, he had received a report from his close aide that had made him grow dizzy. Princess Leilana and the tutor that she fancied had decided to live at the Allen Army’s base. Moreover, she had started to clear dungeons with them.
“What’s with that face?” Regalfaras demanded. “Have you realized that you can no longer make any excuses? How low can you sink? I knew that you had a reason for hiding your powerful citizens.”
The emperor was implying that the king of Ratash had hidden Allen’s existence because he had quickly learned of the No-life Gamers’ power and wanted to use that to bolster their national strength. As Regalfaras’s voice was carried across the room, Allen realized that there was a clear distinction to be made.
Hmm? Ah, this might be the perfect opportunity. Allen leaned toward the mic on the podium. “I’m sorry that I keep interjecting, but I believe you’re greatly mistaken about our goals.”
“What did you say?” Regalfaras asked.
Since a Rank S adventurer and his party had been called all the way out to be questioned about their army of five thousand people, the emperor was willing to lend an ear to the boy’s words.
“We indeed have friendly ties with Ratash. That cannot be denied,” Allen said.
“Huh? Of course you do. And?” Regalfaras asked.
“But we don’t belong to the Kingdom of Ratash, nor have we received any orders from His Majesty Invel. In fact, we aren’t even a part of the Five Continent Alliance.”
“Oh?”
Regalfaras narrowed his eyes with suspicion. Makkaron’s earlier observations about Allen had been proven true.
“The Allen Army is an independent force, and we will face the Demon Lord Army in the future,” Allen went on. “I ask that you don’t give us orders that you’ve all decided on at Five Continent Alliance meetings.”
“Then you’ll be doing as you please, I suppose?” Regalfaras asked.
“Exactly. We don’t really have a reason to take orders from you guys anyway.”
Seriously, don’t do it. Allen locked eyes with Regalfaras. In this world, there were only two organizations that could not be completely controlled by the Five Continent Alliance: the Church of Elmea and the Adventurer’s Guild. While both organizations cooperated with the Five Continent Alliance, they each had different goals and acted of their own accord. If their goals differed from those of the Alliance, they were not afraid to turn their backs on the nations. In fact, both the Church and the Guild were more than willing to fight the Five Continent Alliance if push came to shove. Were Allen’s story to be believed, a third independent organization would form alongside the Church and the Guild.
Regalfaras glanced at Lenoatiil. Allen had first become famous among the Five Continent Alliance when he was named the grand strategist of Rohzenheim—a title the queen herself had given him. The Giamutan emperor wanted to know if the queen would allow her grand strategist to do as he pleased, but Lenoatiil maintained her cool.
“Lord Allen hasn’t said that he won’t cooperate with the Five Continent Alliance,” she said.
“Correct. I haven’t,” Allen noted. “There will certainly be times when the Allen Army should cooperate with the armies of the Five Continent Alliance. There’s no denying that. We’ll also place magic tools for communication in our bases. If you require anything from us, please let us know. In fact, we plan on actively joining campaigns to defeat monsters.”
Allen had already placed communication magic tools on Hardcore User Island. If needed, the Alliance could contact him directly. However, he did not want to be underestimated because of his small army of five thousand. He would not allow the Alliance to force him into doing anything.
“What are you saying?” Regalfaras asked in confusion.
Allen had mentioned that there would certainly be a need for his army to cooperate with the Five Continent Alliance in the future, but he had also claimed that he would do as he pleased in the same breath. The implication was that the Five Continent Alliance would need to cooperate with the Allen Army instead, and the emperor saw no reason to accept that request.
“There are many nations around the world that are plagued by monsters but can’t receive any help,” Allen said. “We of the Allen Army will respond to their requests.”
“Are you saying that you’ll be hunting monsters?” Regalfaras asked.
“Correct. Allow me to explain.”
Regalfaras could hardly believe his ears. Had the Allen Army not been formed to fight the Demon Lord Army? But that was precisely the distinction that Allen had wanted to make as to his army’s goals. The Summoner went into detail, hoping to clear up any questions that those present might have had.
All across the world, monsters ran rampant, and not everyone was lucky enough to receive the help that they desperately needed. Several monsters on par with the white dragon near Krena Village lurked within Ratash alone. Rank S monsters and even Holy Beasts were surely prowling about as well, terrorizing areas. The Allen Army was offering to subjugate these dangerous monsters for cheap.
To further increase its strength, the Allen Army required materials that dropped from powerful monsters. Orichalcum and adamantite were just the tip of the iceberg. Iron golems were a great source of metallic weapons and armor, but monsters were required to obtain wooden gear. Materials from high-rank monsters were precious, and there were times when Ancient Wood, a type of flora there was very little of anywhere in the world, could be transformed into priceless weapons. Bows, wands, and the like were often more powerful if made from monster drops or magical flora than if they were made from metal.
As for armor, not everyone wanted to equip the sturdy and heavy adamantite. Healers, Scouts, and other classes that required one to be nimble relied on lighter armor that was easy to move around in while still having high Defense. Scales and shells from monsters or certain types of bark and other mysterious materials were necessary to craft such equipment.
For example, slaying a massive Rank S dragon would net enough materials to cover a hundred fighters that required lightweight gear. If such monsters roamed near countries that were exhausted from the five decades and counting of battle against the Demon Lord Army, the Allen Army wanted to defeat them for a fraction of the usual cost. And if anyone required the items that dropped from these monsters, the nation the monster originated from would be prioritized, with the army conducting the negotiations. These items would be sold or provided to those who needed it.
“Oho, Allen,” Pupun said. “I would like a hihiirokane golem soon.”
“Certainly, Your Majesty,” Allen replied. “I finally managed to gather a set for Admiral Garara, so I shall give it to you as soon as you need it.”
“R-Really?! Is it a supermassive golem?!” The emperor leaned forward excitedly.
“Of course. Your nation has provided the Allen Army with special treatment, so it’s only fair.”
Allen had promised the Empire of Baukis that he would provide a set of slates for the hihiirokane golem, as well as a Gigantify and a Supergigantify slate. Baukis did not have a set for itself just yet. Slates for a hihiirokane golem could only be obtained from the final floor of the Rank S dungeon, making it incredibly difficult to farm them. Thanks to the class promotion dungeon, the empire had more Talos Generals and Talos Kings under its control, and it was imperative that it get its hands on hihiirokane slates as soon as it possibly could. Allen had heard this and offered to provide the slates free of charge if he and his Allen Army could use the Rank S dungeon and the surrounding area as they pleased. This offer had been immediately agreed to.
“Very well,” Pupun replied. “I shall send Admiral Garara and the Magus Smith minister along soon. I shall also promptly provide you with a hundred golem users and magic tool users each.”
“That would be a huge help, Your Majesty,” Allen replied.
Oh? I get both magic tool users and golem users? Sweet.
Talents Required for Golems and Magic Tools
Talos Pawn (one star): can control up to Bronze Grade Golems
Talos Solder (two stars): can control up to Iron Grade Golems
Talos General (three stars): can control up to Mithril Grade Golems
Talos King (four stars): can control up to Hihiirokane Grade Golems
Magitech Technician (one star): can work with house-scale magic tools
Magitech Mechanic (two stars): can work with village- and town-scale magic tools
Magitech Specialist (three stars): can work with city- and nation-scale magic tools
Magitech Meister (four stars): can work with global-scale magic tools
Magic tool users could use different tools based on the number of stars they had. There were all sorts of tools in this world, from those for home use to ones that operated town-, city-, or even nationwide. It was the norm for every tool to have a button or a switch—if turning one on was all that was necessary, its user did not need to have a Magitech Talent.
Allen was actually on the hunt for a magic tool user. He needed someone to operate a magic-tool-like facility in the basement of the altar on Hardcore User Island. Judging from the size of the facility, a Magitech Specialist would be needed.
“Very good. I shall excuse your eccentric turns of phrase as well,” Pupun said. “I would like the next set of slates very soon.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. I shall provide it as soon as possible,” Allen replied.
I actually have another set ready to go. The Summoner thought it best to stagger his gifts, hoping to receive extra appreciation with every donation. As he employed this cunning scheme, he made sure to glare at the honest Keel, ensuring that the Apprentice Pope kept a straight face.
