Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 17
Dogora: Disciple
Keel: Pastor
Once everyone had finished their introductions, Allen explained that these roles were based on each person’s abilities. For example, Krena was better suited to fighting on the front line than giving orders. Sophie, on the other hand, would be able to comprehend whatever situation the Allen Army found itself in and come up with a battle plan, making her the perfect tactician. Pelomas might not be able to manage all four towns by himself, and Cecil seemed to fit the role he needed. She had seen her father, the lord of the Granvelle fief, work hard to manage his land, so she could offer a few words of advice. And while Dogora was a disciple tasked with getting more people to follow and pray to Freyja, he was completely unsuited to managing temples. Keel would fill that role instead. Dogora had mentioned that there did not seem to be much thought put into his role, but Allen had refrained from commenting on that.
After the No-life Gamers introduced themselves and their respective roles, Allen asked the army to treat them well in their new positions, and he received another round of applause. Looks like they all understand. General Bunzenberg and the other dark elves seemed especially joyful, likely because Luke had received a prestigious title.
“Are we done here?” Rarappa asked. She was eager to return to her research.
A magic tool research facility was being built on Hardcore User Island. At first, Allen had considered using one of the many open rooms in the temple for the facility, but he had ultimately decided that it was easier to gather faith from others if the temple was kept sacred. And so, a facility was being built near Habarak and the other smiths. Since some magic tools would require the assistance of a blacksmith, Allen had decided that it would be most efficient to put the research facility near the blacksmith sector.
While the building was under construction, Rarappa was doing her research in the basement of the temple, figuring out the device that moved Hardcore User Island. The magic tool users were rather busy, but Allen wanted them all to become class promoted so that they could use larger and more complex magic tools.
Allen remained quiet, too busy thinking about such things to answer Rarappa. Instead, Captain Raven piped up.
“Shall we bring them in?”
Realizing that the question was pointed at him, Allen hastily replied, “Yes, please.”
Raven looked at the Summoner in bewilderment. “You don’t have to be so polite with me, Commander in Chief.”
He and the rest of the guards then took the staircase to the room below. As they left, the rest of the Allen Army was left wondering what was about to happen. But since Allen was not saying anything, they all decided to patiently wait and see.
The guards emerged with some items and placed them in front of some soldiers before heading back down. During the several trips the guards made, the Allen Army members realized that they were being provided with something. They finally understood why they had been lined up by rank, divided by species and class, and asked to give the person in front of them some space.
An hour later, once every warrior had some kind of item in front of them, Allen spoke into the voice amplification magic tool.
“I’d like to start the awards ceremony to commemorate the beginning of the Allen Army’s departure.”
Each soldier had been presented with gear, including rings that boosted the necessary stats for each class. The golem squad had received slates, with General Zaurere’s being meant for a hihiirokane golem. The other ninety-nine pilots had been given ones for Mithril Grade golems.
Even before the SOS signal from Elmahl, the No-life Gamers had been hunting down iron golems. They had defeated 28,000 so far and had collected 25,200 wooden chests, 2,800 silver chests, and 25 gold chests. Silver chests had a drop rate of only about ten percent, and for gold chests, the drop rate was a minuscule one-tenth of a percent rate.
Items from Gold Chests
3 necklaces that raise stats by +2,000
1 orichalcum clump
3 magic tools (cubic)
8 adamantite golem slates
5 weapons not made of adamantite
5 pieces of armor not made of adamantite
Items from Silver Chests (Estimated Totals)
1,400 rings that raise stats by +5,000
140 magic tools (large, extra large effect)
280 adamantite weapons
280 pieces of adamantite armor
560 hihiirokane golem slates
45 weapons not made of adamantite
45 pieces of armor not made of adamantite
Items from Wooden Chests (Estimated Totals)
14,000 rings that raise stats by 3,000
1,400 magic tools (small and medium effects)
2,800 hihiirokane weapons
2,800 pieces of hihiirokane armor
5,600 mithril golem slates
700 weapons not made of hihiirokane
700 pieces of armor not made of hihiirokane
It was clear that gold chests had an extremely low drop rate, and only three had contained stat-boosting necklaces. While they paled in comparison to the rainbow chest drop item from Goldino that boosted a stat by +3,000, these necklaces were still a huge help. They boosted HP, Intelligence, and Endurance, respectively, and Allen had had his party members equip them.
He had also managed to gather a full set of slates for an Adamantite Grade golem, but he was yet to find a Supergigantify slate, though he had managed to collect several Gigantify ones. The No-life Gamers had also snagged an orichalcum clump before they had headed to Elmahl, but they had not found any more since. Perhaps it was a result of bad luck, but Allen suspected that a party was limited to one clump of orichalcum each.
Still, he had gotten many pieces of gear made from monster and plant materials from gold chests. Volmaar’s spear, Cecil’s rod, and Keel’s staff had all been upgraded, as had Shia’s and Luke’s armor since they did not have anything made of adamantite. There had only been enough to reoutfit five of the party members, so Allen, being the least likely to die, had decided to hold off on giving himself anything new.
Thanks to the necklace and the upgraded rod, Cecil’s spells had exponentially increased in power. Keel, who lacked Endurance, had received the Sacred Necklace from the Great Pope after defeating Gushara. Thanks to the drops from the gold chests, the Gamers were able to more than make up for the lack of Defense caused by Dogora having shifted to using a pair of axes.
“Um, wh-what are these?” General Lukdraal stammered.
“We’ve prepared weapons and other gear for each of you,” Allen replied. “You can think of them as provisions from the Allen Army. Each set of items has been procured for your specific class.”
“Provisions. I see...”
There were only four generals within the Allen Army: Rudo, Lukdraal, Bunzenberg, and Zaurere. Beneath them were a total of twenty captains, fifty commanders, and five hundred platoon leaders. Each platoon leader was in charge of ten soldiers, and the commanders controlled a hundred troops, including the platoon leaders. The captains had five hundred subordinates. Captain Rarappa, who led the Magus Smith squad, had two vice-captains working under her, and Raven had Rita and Milci operating as his vice-captains.
“Wait, I get stuff too?” Raven asked, noticing items in front of him as well.
“Seriously?” Rita added.
“Are we part of this?” Milci inquired.
Indeed, the guards had also received their own provisions. Weapons and other gear that had dropped from silver chests had been supplied to generals, captains, commanders, and vice-captains. Almost all of the platoon leaders had gotten equipment from silver chests as well.
Since there were plenty of rings that boosted stats by +5,000, Allen was able to provide every general, captain, commander, platoon leader, vice-captain, and even a few soldiers with one.
“Please wear these in battle,” Allen requested.
The gear and rings laid out in front of these soldiers would set them up for life if they were sold. Adamantite swords went for several thousand gold coins, and stat-boosting rings went for more. The generals who had received three-piece sets could make upward of tens of thousands of gold from what they had been given. Though the Allen Army had doubled every soldier’s salary, they would still have to save up for decades to get their hands on gear like this.
“I cannot find the words to express my gratitude when being loaned such splendid gear,” Lukdraal said solemnly.
It would have cost a pretty penny to provide a set for even one soldier, but Allen had managed to give all five thousand troops some kind of expensive equipment. All told, everything was worth over fifty million gold coins—on par with the national budget of Baukis, one of the wealthiest nations in the world. It exceeded the national budget of Rohzenheim, General Lukdraal’s home country, several times over, thus he believed that these were all assets belonging to the Allen Army. For that reason, he did not expect Allen’s next words.
“Oh, I’m not loaning them to you. The gear is yours to keep. Those who have not been provided with adamantite gear yet, I’ll exchange yours once I get my hands on a set.”
Everyone froze in astonishment. They could hardly believe their ears.
“You’re giving these to us?” Captain Rasu asked hesitantly. “We haven’t even begun acting as part of the Allen Army.”
“Then let me tell you the goals of our army,” Allen replied.
“Goals, you say?”
“We took numerous safety measures to ensure that each and every one of you would return from the dungeons alive. Thanks to that, no one has died yet.”
“Indeed.”
“I’ll be frank. Compared to your lives, these items in front of you are like a pile of junk.”
Once again, the troops murmured in shock.
“Junk?!” Rasu cried, just as stunned as the rest of the army.
“Captain Rasu, say one of your comrades is in danger,” Allen said. “If you use your Extra Skill to throw the adamantite spear in front of you, you might be able to save their life. Would you do it? You might not be able to retrieve your spear afterward either.”
Even before deerkin Rasu was class promoted to Beast Spear Lord, he had possessed the Extra Skill “Brave Lance.” It had the user throw their spear with all their might, piercing their foe as the weapon flew into the distance. Rasu was well aware of how it worked, so he often kept multiple javelins on hand.
“I’d throw it,” Rasu answered instantly.
“Then what if your own life was at stake?” Allen inquired. “The weapon in your hands costs several thousand gold, but can you confidently state that you’d throw it without hesitation to save yourself?”
“I understand what you’re trying to say.” Rasu nodded along.
“And that’s exactly what I mean. There are times when you must risk your life, but you must never cast it aside for weapons and armor. These are just items. They’ll never be worth your lives.”
Were the items only on loan, Allen feared that the need to return them might make the soldiers hesitant to use them. That split second of hesitation was all it would take to decide one’s fate, ultimately affecting the army as a whole. Captain Rasu knew that. While some lives might be lost during battle regardless, there was no need for any to be lost over gear.
“Then I shall risk my life for the Allen Army so that I do not put these excellent items to shame,” Rasu said.
The rest of the Allen Army, including the generals, bowed solemnly. Wait, what? I’m just saying to value your lives, not risk it all. Allen managed to hold his tongue, and he ended the ceremony.
That night, to celebrate the completion of the four towns on Hardcore User Island, each town would host its own festival. The troops would help with preparations, and they all tightly clutched their new gear as they left the temple.
“Commander in Chief Allen,” Habarak said.
“Yeah?” the Summoner replied.
“I completed one of your requests.”
“Really?! That’s great! Thank you!”
Now I’m getting excited! Allen’s heart danced with delight. A truly priceless item had been created.
Chapter 9: Orichalcum and the Magic Cube
Allen walked out of the temple with Habarak and made his way down the mountain. It had an elevation of a few hundred meters and was the perfect place for a picnic. However, this mountain housed the temple of Freyja, and Allen wanted the island’s residents to fear and revere the deity.
As he watched the Allen Army soldiers march away, a massive, white lump appeared. The excited creature wagged its tail, cutting through the air and causing the ground to quake. Haku had spotted the soldiers walking down the mountain and approached them happily.
Haku’s grown, Allen thought. He felt like he was looking at a big, friendly dog.
“Awww! Haku!” Krena squealed happily. She raced down the trail and headed straight for the hatchling.
“Grawr!” Haku cried. It placed its head on the ground, expecting to be petted.
The hatchling narrowed its eyes happily as the girl stroked its head.
“He seems familiar with humans,” Luke muttered, holding Faable in his arms.
Krena motioned for the boy to join her. “Try touching him too, Luke.”
“O-Okay. He won’t bite, right?”
The dark elf cautiously approached Haku, who was as tall as an adult, and stretched his body to gently touch the dragon’s snout.
Luke’s not as rough around the edges. The boy had been a bit rowdier at first, but after clearing some dungeons, he had gotten used to life in the Allen Army. Though he was generally off doing his own tasks, he spoke in a relaxed manner whenever he met up with the No-life Gamers. The more they conversed, the more it was apparent that he looked and acted like an eight-year-old. Luke was actually fifteen, the same age as Allen and the others, but high dark elves likely matured a lot more slowly than humans.
Allen and the rest of the Gamers walked down the mountain, leaving Krena and Luke behind to play with Haku. The Allen Army split up to return to their respective bases, and Allen and his party headed to Habarak’s forge.
“How are your apprentices doing?” Allen asked.
“Hmm? Ah, not too bad,” Habarak replied.
The master blacksmith had gained more apprentices after coming to this island. Now that the merfolk populated Crey Town, Hardcore User Island had over fifteen thousand citizens. People required knives, pots, kettles, and other items for daily use, but Habarak and the ten smiths he had brought had not been able to keep up with the demand. All of them were master blacksmith dwarves who had brought apprentices whom they were close with, so Allen wanted them to focus on making and repairing weapons and armor.
And so, a handful of people from each of the four towns had been selected to become blacksmiths. On the condition that they would one day become independent, those chosen by Habarak’s many apprentices were to use their monthly wages to help Habarak and continue their training. Allen had prioritized those with prior experience, and many of them were former smiths or weapons sellers. Residents had jumped at the opportunity to train under the master blacksmith, and people were still sending in apprenticeship requests. The forge was now bustling with many new apprentices.
“Over here,” Habarak said, guiding the party to the side of the forge. An axe was propped up against the wall.
“Ooh! Orichalcum!” Allen cried.
We got the strongest weapon! Allen cheered internally. Even in his previous life, he had known that orichalcum was the strongest mineral, and it had left a lasting impression in his mind. His excited words tumbled out of his mouth.
“Try holding it,” Habarak said.
“Right,” Dogora nodded. He reached out, gripped the hilt with his nondominant hand, and swung the axe around. “Feels good.”
He swung the weapon a few more times before when his other axe called out to him. “Dogora, does the orichalcum axe feel that snug in your hand?”
“Yeah. I can hunt down a ton of monsters with this.”
“Can you, now?”
Freyja sounded miffed. Orichalcum was known as the mineral of the gods and might have been rarer than even Holy Orbs. It was said that Gaia himself had created orichalcum. She sounds kinda jealous. I hope we don’t make her too annoyed. And I know orichalcum is rare, but it doesn’t pack the same punch that Kagutsuchi does.
“I hope my sword gets completed soon too,” Allen said. He wanted to help improve the goddess’s mood by steering the topic back onto the fact that he required her assistance.
The Gamers had found two clumps of orichalcum so far. One and a half had been used to forge Dogora’s greataxe, and the rest would be used for Allen’s sword.
“Hmm? Right,” Habarak replied. “The order’ll be your sword, the knuckle-dusters, and the armor, yeah?”
“Shia’s gear will be put on hold for now, please,” Allen said.
“Yeah? Ya sure?”
“She might become the Beast King, and if she does, she’ll be given proof of her title.”
When Allen was farming iron golems in the Rank S dungeons, he had hoped for a couple more orichalcum clumps, but after twenty-eight thousand enemies slain, he only had one to show for it. If he wanted to make gear for Shia, Dogora, and Krena, there was a long, exhausting road ahead of him. However, Shia had another possible source for her gear. Known as the Symbol of the Beast King, monarchs were gifted orichalcum knuckles and armor, as well as a Holy Orb of Quatro. Together, this three-piece set was known as the divine vessels of Albahal.
Not only did the Beast King unlock the upgraded version of the Extra Skill Beast Mode, but they also received orichalcum gear and a Holy Orb. Allen needed Shia to become the next ruler of the beastkin.
“Huh. Well, gimme a shout if things change,” Habarak replied. He was only interested in smithing.
“Allen, don’t make decisions on your own,” Shia said. Contrary to her words, she internally renewed her determination to become the next Beast King.
Albahal currently reigned over two-thirds of the Garlesian Continent. While Beast Prince Zeu and Beast Princess Shia had managed to overcome the trials given to them by Beast King Muza that granted them claim to the throne, Beast Crown Prince Beku had priority. Discussions were well underway to choose the next monarch, and Allen wanted to prevent Beku from claiming the throne no matter what—the royal had a proclivity for making those around him unhappy. Other than that, the Summoner did not care who claimed the throne.
