Hell Mode: Volume 9, page 2
I should help develop this island as much as I can, but not so much that I end up being stuck here.
Just then, Merus arrived with Sophie in tow.
“Huh? That was quick. You sure you don’t wanna spend the night with your mother?” Allen asked. “I don’t mind.”
“No, I shall do what I can to help,” Sophie replied.
While Allen was not sure what had happened, the elf princess sounded a touch gloomy. But at the same time, endless passion seemed to well up from deep within her heart. Perhaps she would be just fine.
“All right,” Allen replied. “I know you just got back, so I’m sorry, but could you come with me? The dark elves have finished their preparations.”
“Then I shall tag along, of course,” Sophie replied.
Her presence was not necessary, but Allen felt that it would be best for her to be around when he was welcoming the dark elves onto Hardcore User Island. Thus, he took the slightly glum Sophie and headed to Fabraaze.
“They all look...kinda young,” Allen observed.
“Indeed,” Sophie replied.
He had received a letter from Fabraaze stating that a thousand dark elves would be joining the Allen Army. Their arrival ceremony had finished, and they had gathered in the halls, awaiting dispatch. These dark elves were comparatively younger than the elves sent from Rohzenheim. A majority of the ones who were currently developing the land had served in the military and fought against the Demon Lord Army for at least three years. Their levels and skills were almost maxed. They appeared to be in their twenties or thirties, but they were actually older than that.
In comparison, the thousand dark elves who had gathered looked to be in their early to late teens. Allen had heard that elves and dark elves reached adulthood at thirty, and that high elves and high dark elves became adults when they turned fifty. Hence, while Sophie was fifty, she looked about as old as Cecil and Krena. Allen was able to conclude that most of these dark elves were around thirty or so years of age.
I specified that I required a thousand people with two-star Talents, but that was my only condition. I get it now... These dark elves’ levels and skills were likely nowhere near max. However, since they had been completely uninvolved in the battle against the Demon Lord Army, one could assume that it took far more effort for them to gain levels than the elves. Monsters must have lurked on the outskirts of the village, and these dark elves had presumably been dispatched to get rid of the beasts. They were not Lvl. 1 newbies, but they were also not hardened veterans like the elves. As Allen and Sophie observed them, Olbaas, an Elder, and a female dark elf approached the pair.
“They’re ready to go,” Olbaas said to Allen. “I ask that you bring their belongings along with them.”
The king was probably referring to the stack of items piled high, taking up half of the hall. I should bring all that stuff, right? The dark elves had apparently gathered the things they would need for life on Hardcore User Island.
“You’re here too, Luke?” Allen remarked.
“Of course,” the little boy replied. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Standing in front of the dark elf lady was a dark elf boy who looked to be around eight. The boy’s name was Luketod, and he was the son of King Olbaas. After Allen and his party had defeated Gushara, the Pontiff of Daemonism, they had decided to return one of the spirits to the village of the dark elves. It was then that they had run into Luke, and after a game of ogre in which Allen had been victorious, the two had become friends. The boy was determined to join Allen’s party, but he needed to make some preparations before tagging along—he had timed his party joining with the dark elves who had gathered today. Luke seemed to be pouting, no doubt because he was trying to collect himself before he parted ways with his mother.
“Luke, I’m counting on you,” Allen said.
“You’re in good hands!” Luke replied energetically.
The two exchanged a fist bump before Allen turned to Olbaas, who was patiently waiting.
“I see that you’ve chosen those who are rather young,” Allen said, referring to the dark elves who had gathered. “Thank you for your kindness and consideration.”
“Ah, so you thank me,” Olbaas replied awkwardly, not expecting such a response. “You’re more difficult to deal with than the elves.”
Allen chose to ignore that comment, instead focusing on the pros and cons of receiving a thousand young dark elves who likely had no combat experience from Fabraaze. The cons were that they needed to be trained by the Allen Army so that they would be useful on the battlefield. Perhaps they had been chosen precisely because the village did not want to lose the protection of its seasoned fighters. Meanwhile, the pros were that the dark elves would be cohabitating with the elves on the island. The two races had been at odds for several millennia, and them living together was unheard of until now. There was a good chance that their numbers, combat experience, and age could lead to some sort of bitter rivalry, but these dark elves were young with no such experience. They were more flexible and less conservative, perhaps willing to accept other ideas. Every decision had a pro and a con.
“Luke, don’t you worry about a thing,” said Faable, a jet-black weasel with glossy fur. The Sovereign of Spirits brought her nose close to the boy. “I’ll be by your side.”
“Y-You’re right. Thanks,” Luke replied.
Huh, I just heard Faable speak. She sounds rather feminine. The queenly dark elf woman watched Luketod worriedly as she handed him a bag with his belongings. Allen thought that it might have been a bit too early for Luke to become independent, but upon asking about it, he learned that the dark elf was fifteen, just like him.
Once the dark elves were ready to go, they were transported to Hardcore User Island. The floating plot of land now had two thousand beastkin, two thousand elves, and one thousand dark elves, forming the Allen Army. With everyone assembled, it was time for a briefing, but Allen was not willing to speak to thousands of people at once. He called for those who held the rank of captain or above, each with at least a hundred troops under their command.
After placing a request to have a conference room built in the future, Allen gathered everyone into a large building. This structure would be the home of the future mayor. Allen took the top seat, and Sophie and Shia sat on either side of him. Beside those two sat Luke, along with the rest of the No-life Gamers.
Ten generals sat on a mat on the floor, and another ten sat atop pillows, forming a circle around Allen and his party. Captains who had at least a hundred under their command lined up and sat behind the generals. All had been in the military, and they treated those of higher rank with the utmost respect and sincerity.
This meeting would be a casual affair that included food. An elf lady approached Allen to pour him a glass of liquor.
“I don’t need any alcohol, thank you,” Allen said. He almost never touched the stuff. “Could you please pour me a glass of juice?”
Once Shia confirmed that everyone had gathered, she had everyone focus their gaze on Allen and await his words.
“I see that everyone is here,” Shia said. “Allen, would you please begin?”
Everyone present was aware of what Allen had done. They knew that he was a Rank S adventurer, a rank that was only granted once every two decades, and that he had cleared a Rank S dungeon. Indeed, it was Allen who had swooped in to save Rohzenheim from being invaded by the Demon Lord Army the year prior, and he had also put an end to the Daemonism debacle. No one cared if he was a commoner born in the small nation of Ratash. His results outweighed his birth. There were even a few elves who had personally seen him fight in Rohzenheim and several beastkin who had witnessed the boy’s valor against the followers of Daemonism. The highly ranked elves and beastkin all sat up straight to heed the words of their leader.
“I’d like to thank everyone for gathering here today. My name is Allen, and I’ll be your commander. This army may seem like a hodgepodge of various people and species, each person with their own rank and motives, but I hope we can all work together to defeat the Demon Lord Army.”
“Hmm, perhaps ranks don’t matter so much here,” Shia said.
“Perhaps not,” Allen replied. “But I’m simply saying that we all don’t need to hold the same resolve. Everyone has their own thoughts, values, and beliefs, and that’s just fine. I ask that you all keep what you find so dear close to your heart.”
Surely, the dark elves and beastkin had joined the army to fulfill their own goals. If they had noble ideals like protecting the world from the Demon Lord Army, they would have joined the army of the Five Continent Alliance rather than the Allen Army. However, both species had vehemently refused to join the efforts against the Demon Lord Army until now. They must have had motives other than simply wanting to protect the world from evil, though one of those reasons might have been having seen Allen fight with their own eyes.
The dark elves and beastkin had personally witnessed Allen and his party defeat a Demonic Deity. Both species might have completely given up on fighting back, but Allen had become their sliver of hope at clinching victory.
There was another important factor at play. Before the Daemonism debacle, where the Holy Land of Elmahl had let out a cry for help, the Five Continent Alliance had held a meeting.
“Militaries willing to join the Five Continent Alliance will be prioritized for the class promotion dungeon,” the Giamutan emperor had declared. “This is a miracle bestowed upon by Lord Elmea so that we may fight the Demon Lord Army.”
When Freyja’s divine vessel had been stolen from her, thereby increasing the power of the Demon Lord Army, a class promotion dungeon had been deemed necessary for people to build more power than ever before. Only one such dungeon existed within the world, and naturally, there were arguments over who was allowed to be first in line. If this dungeon had been created solely for the purpose of class promotions, then those who could use it, the Giamutan emperor claimed, should be nations that were actively fighting against the Demon Lord Army. Why else would Elmea have created such a dungeon in Academy City, under the control of the Five Continent Alliance?
A class promotion dungeon allowed those who cleared it to increase their Talent level by one star. It was extremely rare for a person with a three-star Talent to be born, but there were plenty of people with two-star Talents. They could be promoted, and the nation would teem with Sword Lords and Saintesses. This would lead to an increase in national strength. Nations that were shut out of utilizing this dungeon would fall greatly behind, leading them down a path of decay and ruin.
For example, the dark elves, who had a long-standing feud with the elves, would feel utterly powerless if the other race were allowed to use the class promotion dungeon and they were not. For that reason, there was a good chance that the dark elves had hastily joined the Allen Army to prove their intention to fight and get a chance at the dungeon.
Currently, Allen and his friends were trying to pull some strings to make it so that joining the Allen Army would allow the beastkin and dark elves to have an equal shot at the class promotion dungeon. The queen of Rohzenheim and the Adventurer’s Guild needed to accept their proposal. The dungeon was under the jurisdiction of the Adventurer’s Guild, but a Rank S adventurer like Allen had the power of a Vice-Chief of Directors. He had been told that his friends could be prioritized, but perhaps asking for the priority of five thousand friends was a touch too excessive. Not to mention that he had to ensure that the dark elves, who generally kept to themselves, could enter the Rank S dungeons of Academy City and the Baukis Empire.
Right, I have to attend a conference with the Five Continent Alliance too. With the Daemonism debacle cleared away and the Demon Lord Army’s invasion stopped for now, the Five Continent Alliance had decided to host a meeting with Allen as their guest. The queen of Rohzenheim had mentioned that he had been requested to speak at the council.
“Now then, we have three tasks at hand,” Allen said. “We have to develop this island, strengthen our army, and clear a Rank S dungeon.”
As it was everyone’s first day on this barren island, Allen had them all work together to develop the area. However, this was not a large plot of land, and there was no need for five thousand of them to focus solely on working the soil. Of the thousand dark elves, there were quite a few who were low-level and could not even enter a Rank S dungeon if they wished. Allen decided to have his army split up into their own species and form smaller squads, rotating the tasks of developing the land and strengthening their skills so that everyone could gain levels equally.
“There are some who aren’t max level and have low skill levels,” Allen explained. “Some can’t even enter a Rank S dungeon. As we are now, there’s a clear difference in power among us. I’ve also thought of a plan for each step of our training.”
How to Strengthen the Army
Those who haven’t maxed their levels and skill levels will do so, prioritizing levels over skills.
Those who are unable to enter a Rank S dungeon will aim to clear five Rank A dungeons.
Following both steps, the Allen Army would slowly increase its overall power. Those who had maxed out their levels and skills would head to the class promotion dungeon. Once one had successfully added another star to their Talent, they would obtain a permit to enter a Rank S dungeon and clear it.
One of Allen’s goals was to, within a year, have everyone max out their levels and skills, finish their class promotion, and equip two rings that would increase stats by 5,000. He chose his words carefully, refusing to use the words “Trial of the Gods” to refer to the act of leveling up. While the people of this world were more familiar with that phrase, he wanted everyone to get used to how he worded things. He made sure to carefully explain every new word that he used.
“Then I should head off to the Rank S dungeon too,” Dogora said.
“Exactly,” Allen replied. “I want you, Krena, Keel, and Merus to hole yourselves up in the Rank S dungeon. Once things have calmed down here, I’ll head there and meet up with you guys.”
Their tasks were to raise their skill levels, find rings that increased stats by 5,000, and find a slate for a hihiirokane golem. Since it made little sense for Dogora to stay and develop the island, Allen wanted his party members to find out the limits of Extra Mode. Cecil, Sophie, and Volmaar would stay to help improve the island and assist in solidifying the Allen Army. Shia was tasked with clearing a Rank A dungeon and heading to the final floors of a Rank S dungeon to level up her skills. She was at max level, but her skills were only at Lvl. 4 or 5, and there was much room for improvement.
“I see. That works just fine for me,” Shia said, actively pushing the conference forward. She was a reliable ally during times like these, able to utilize her ample experience as a commander of an army to its fullest extent.
The meeting went on smoothly, with Allen touching upon the Rank S dungeons and the class promotion dungeon. The Allen Army would be deeply involved with these facilities to become stronger. He had every species create an adventurer party for the Allen Army.
The Adventurer’s Guild had a clan system to gather several adventurer parties under a single clan to prevent confusion. Allen decided to form the No-life Gamer Clan with four parties under his jurisdiction.
The No-life Gamer Clan
Includes Allen’s party, the No-life Gamers
Includes a party under the command of Field Marshal Lukdraal, the No-life Gamer Elves
Includes a party under the command of Captain Rudo, the No-Life Gamer Beasts
Includes a party under the command of General Bunzenberg, the No-life Gamer Dark Elves
Since Allen belonged to the No-life Gamers and served as the party’s leader, his party would become the head of the No-life Gamer Clan. As a gamer, he was quick to make decisions and act on them. All right, things look pretty good. We’re deciding on our future direction with no issues. Speaking of, I should check Luke’s Talent.
“Luke, what’s your Talent?” Allen asked.
“Black Mage,” the dark elf replied.
“Uh, what?” Allen inquired as he turned to his Summons. “Merus, what’s a Black Mage?”
“A Spirit Magic user who specializes in attacks and debuffs,” Merus replied. “It’s a one-star Talent.”
“L-Lord Merus?!” General Bunzenberg shouted from beside Luke. The man looked as though his soul had left his body.
While everyone knew that Allen had the power to Summon Merus, seeing the angel so up close and personal shocked them to the core. One-star, huh? Even if he undergoes a class promotion, he’d only have two stars... Well, he won’t be totally useless since he’s got the Sovereign of Spirits with him. Isn’t she a Minor Deity or something?
Allen had become friends with Luke in the village of the dark elves and had expected the boy to join his party. As the party leader, he was using his gamer knowledge as much as he could to help Luke grow stronger. The boy was inexperienced when it came to combat and only had a one-star Talent. However, he also could use debuffs, an enticing power that the No-life Gamers had not had until now, and he even came with the Sovereign of Spirits, a Minor Deity. If Luke managed to clear a class promotion dungeon, he would gain another star as well.
“All right, I’ll have you go with Mr. Bunzenberg to level up within the dungeons,” Allen said.
“Dungeons? Sweet! Sounds like fun!” Luke said with sparkling eyes. Perhaps the village truly was too small to contain an energetic boy like him; he was eager to tackle a dungeon with others.
