Hell Mode: Volume 5, page 24
Allen nodded. “Yep. Hmm, how should we handle this? Ellies, can you bring it up?”
“Your will is our command.”
The clam had remained impervious against the concentrated attacks of several Fish Bs who arrived earlier, so Allen decided to bring the whole thing up. Just as he sent several Spirit Bs into the water, however, the Bird E that had been circling above spotted a large school approaching.
“Hold on, we’ve got incoming. Wait, they’re really fast!”
Behind Allen, Cecil gripped her staff as the rest of the party promptly readied themselves for battle.
Hmm? What’s that crimson one?
Realization dawned on Allen when he noticed the large crimson form swimming in the center of the group of blue monsters.
“It’s Crimson! It’s this floor’s Rank S boss!”
This bloodred monster was Crimson Kaiser Sea Serpent, the greatest threat here on Floor 4. The ten blue forms that swam alongside it as if guarding it were Rank A monsters called kaiser sea serpents.
The school of crimson and blue sea serpents surrounded the Spirit Bs trying to lift the giant clam and the Fish Bs that had gathered to destroy it, then attacked all at once. The monsters swam deftly through the water with spectacular coordination, reducing all the Summons to bubbles of light in no time flat. There was no greater demonstration that underwater was home ground for the sea serpents.
Hmm, Helmios said his party ran away at Mach speed whenever this guy showed up. But let’s see how well we can do.
The Hero had never defeated Crimson before. Allen was completely on his own when it came to figuring out a way to kill this boss.
“Our enemies are in the water. Let’s first whittle down their numbers. Cecil, Fire Magic probably isn’t very helpful here, so go with Ice Magic.”
“You got it.”
That moment, a few of the kaiser sea serpents leaped out of the water in an attempt to swallow the party. Krena and Dogora brought their weapons down on the monsters’ faces with all their strength. The Gamers proceeded to focus on taking them out one at a time, understanding that strength lay in numbers. Thanks to having maxed out their levels after going through two class promotions, the party had the strength to steadily reduce the number of opponents.
However, Crimson was not just sitting around waiting. It roared in a voice that was audible even up in the air, sending waves rippling out in all directions.
“Kiaaaas!”
Oh? Is this what I think it is?
Just as Allen’s group took their distance by climbing higher, the same number of kaiser sea serpents they had just killed appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
“This boss can call for backup!” Allen shouted in warning.
“Now we’re back to square one—” Cecil suddenly screamed, “Watch out!”
Jets of water abruptly shot out of the water like spears, aimed directly at the Gamers’ Bird Bs. Apparently, the sea serpents could use Water Magic to launch long-distance attacks. The water jets reached hundreds of meters high but could only go straight and therefore could be easily dodged. However, because all the kaiser sea serpents were shooting off jets at the same time, it was difficult for the party to get close enough to make their own attacks.
Dammit. Should we retreat now and sneak back later to grab the clam?
The party’s current goal was not to kill the kaiser sea serpents, so they had no reason to continue this seemingly endless fight. It made sense to leave the area for now, wait until the floor boss was gone, and then come back to retrieve the giant clam.
“Ah!”
“Princess!”
One of the water spears had made a clean hit on the flank of Sophie and Volmaar’s Bird B, throwing it off-balance. It managed to recover, but Sophie’s leg had gotten hurt.
Keel promptly cast Healing Magic on her. “You okay?!”
“Yes, I am. Thank you.” Sophie turned to look at Volmaar, who nodded at her. “Volmaar is fine as well.”
The juvenile spirit in her arms looked up at her face and cried softly, its eyes filled with unease. Sophie repeated, “I’m all right,” and tried to stroke it, but it shook off her head by shaking its head and cried loudly in Crimson’s direction.
“KEE, KEE!”
“Kelpie, I really am—”
That was all Sophie could say before all the MP left her body, taking her consciousness with it. Volmaar’s voice alone reverberated in her head as everything faded to black. Clearly, Kelpie had taken her HP too.
Okay, this is bad. If attacks are reaching our back lines too, that’s a sure sign we need to get away.
Just as Allen was about to give the order to retreat, Volmaar cried, “Wha—?! Princess Sophialohne!”
As Sophie collapsed against the neck of her Bird B, Kelpie went out of control in a very visible way. It jumped out of her limp arms and hovered above the sea. The next instant, water rose up as if responding to the spirit’s call.
“What the...? You gotta be fucking with me, right? How the hell does Kelpie do that?!” Dogora shouted in shock.
The water was now rising like an open umbrella. Crimson’s scream vibrated the air as it was forcibly dragged up.
“It’s gonna get us too! Everyone, back up!” Allen shouted.
The next moment, a giant ball of water rose up into the sky. Its clear, jellylike surface revealed all eleven sea serpents, including Crimson, trapped within.
Damn, the seafloor’s supposed to be a hundred meters down and it’s completely exposed.
By some strange power, the surrounding sea was being held at bay. Consequently, there was now a giant, gaping hole in the sea, with the exposed seafloor entirely bare.
“Ha ha, so even you can feel surprised, Allen,” Rohzen chortled.
Allen turned around, his eyes wide. “Juvenile spirits can be this powerful?!”
“Doesn’t matter if they’re juvenile,” Rohzen explained, grinning. “All spirits are familiars of the gods. Kelpie is undoubtedly a familiar of the Goddess of Water, Aqua, one of the four Elemental Deities. When it’s given all of its contractor’s MP and half of her HP, something like this is a piece of cake. Ha ha.”
I see. Water is a powerful element too. Whoa, the sphere’s gonna be destroyed soon.
The sea serpents had been slamming against the water ball from the inside this whole time. As a result, cracks were beginning to appear on its surface. There was no time to do any more observation or analysis.
“Ellies, grab the clam now!”
“Yes, master!”
Three Spirit Bs dived into the empty hole and lifted the massive clam. As soon as they came up, Allen’s group began to retreat, making sure to protect the Spirit Bs. The moment they were a certain distance away from the water ball, they heard a resounding crash that indicated the ball had either been destroyed or dispelled by Kelpie. All the monsters who had been held up in the air slammed against the seafloor, along with tons of water.
The No-life Gamers left the area behind as fast as they could, not so much as sparing a glance backward. A lot had happened, but they had successfully obtained a massive clam. Once they had gotten far enough away, they stopped on top of a random lotus pad with their prize. They waited awhile, confirming that there were no sea serpents pursuing them.
Keel pressed his face close to the wavy mouth of the clam in an effort to peer inside, but it was shut tight. “Let’s open it up.”
“Lemme at it.” Dogora jabbed both his hands into the gap and started pulling both sides apart with all his strength. “Hnnng!” The shell that had withstood the Fish Bs’ attacks now slowly but surely parted, revealing a peek of what the party had been desperately seeking.
“Whooaaaaa!” The rest of the No-life Gamers, including Allen, exclaimed in unison.
“RAAAAAAH!” Dogora roared as he opened the clam wider, the veins on both his arms bulging from the strain. Soon, a heavy, rugged lump of ore that faintly glowed with a golden color came fully into view.
The boy sat down heavily, sweating all over, as everyone came over to pat him on the back. During this time, Allen peered into the clam and thought about what could be made from the amount of orichalcum inside.
Our priorities for orichalcum equipment are weapons and armor for Krena and Dogora first, then a large shield for Dogora. This much orichalcum is only enough to make one of those items. In that case, I already know what I should choose.
Both Krena’s and Dogora’s weapons were huge. Conversely, the lump of orichalcum was only around the size of an adult man’s torso. It was only enough for one weapon or piece of armor.
“This will be Krena’s greatsword,” Allen announced.
“What?! You sure? Yay! Orichalcum sword!” Krena grabbed the lump with both hands and held it up to the sky, happiness radiating from every inch of her body.
Whenever this party picked up a piece of equipment or item that multiple members needed, Allen was the one to make the call on what was most effective for the party and therefore who would get the item. This had been the arrangement ever since their Academy days, and all of the party completely accepted it. Given this, Dogora did not complain when Allen declared it was Krena who would be getting an orichalcum weapon first.
Over the next three days, the No-life Gamers flew here and there, destroying every clam they found, but failed to find a second orichalcum ore. Per their usual schedule, they left the dungeon and returned to base.
Helmios’s eyes widened when he saw what Krena was hugging. “Huh? Is that an orichalcum ore? You guys already found one?”
“Yes, we did,” Allen replied.
“Mr. Helmios, I wanna make this a sword, please!” Krena’s eyes positively sparkled.
“O-Okay. I’ll take you guys to the blacksmith tomorrow.”
The next day, the party left the Tower of Tribulation for the first time in quite a while and flew over the barren wastelands of Baukisian countryside.
“Master Habarak lives quite far away. At this speed, I think it’ll take two days.”
Helmios had ridden a Bird B during the Rohzenheim war and therefore had a general idea how fast they were. He was now accompanying the No-life Gamers to introduce them to a blacksmith who could handle orichalcum, as promised.
After two more days of flying, Allen looked down and commented, “The landscape has changed.”
They were now over a rugged land with far more mountains and large boulders all over. Many of the mountains were volcanoes, judging by the billowing smoke rising into the air.
“Yep,” Helmios nodded. “We’re already in what used to be the Kingdom of Melka, also known as the Country of Fire.”
I see. So this had been a separate country that got swallowed up by Baukis.
At the Academy, Allen had learned that Baukis had unified the entire continent under the justification of resisting the Demon Lord Army’s invasion. The No-life Gamers were now very far away from Baukis’s original borders.
Helmios checked the sun’s position. “At this rate, we should be arriving within the day.”
Sure enough, a town gradually came into view. According to Helmios, there were maybe only three blacksmiths in this world capable of handling orichalcum. However, nothing about this town indicated that it was home to someone so legendary. The only thing special about it was its prominent chimneys.
“This is the town where Master Habarak lives,” the Hero declared.
Allen nodded in acknowledgment. “Let’s land a distance away.”
Just before sunset, Allen’s group approached the town gate. When they produced their adventurer cards, the guards let them in without a fuss. They then proceeded through the streets under Helmios’s guidance.
Everyone they passed was a dwarf. The stores that lined the way displayed not only weapons and armor but also goods such as earthen dishware, grills, farm tools, and metal fixtures. This was a town that did not have much that adventurers would be interested in.
Eventually, Helmios pointed at a building ahead that, in Allen’s eyes, looked no different from the surrounding ones. Smoke was coming out of the chimney, indicating that a forge was lit inside. “There, that’s Master Habarak’s workshop.”
“Ohhh!” Krena cried happily. She had been hugging her orichalcum ever since she entered the town.
Helmios knocked on the door.
A calm voice asked, “Yes? Who is it?” and the door opened a crack. A young dwarf’s face peeked through.
“My name is Helmios. I’ve come with business for Master Habarak. However, it’s late, so we hope to come visit tomorrow. Would that be possible?”
“Helmios? As in Hero Helmios?” The half of the dwarven man’s face that was visible looked up at the Hero.
I totally feel like we’re being treated like door-to-door salesmen.
“Ah, yes. I’ve come to ask Master Habarak to forge an orichalcum weapon.”
“I’m sorry, but please leave.”
“Huh? Can you help check with Master Habarak please? When I saw him last, he invited me to come again at any time.”
“Uh, it’s more that he’s in very bad spirits. I’m sorry.”
However, Helmios was not ready to back down so easily, especially when this was for the sake of Allen’s group. He insisted, “This is very important, though. Could you please ask him somehow?”
“O-Okay, I’ll try. I doubt he’ll change his mind, though.” The young man withdrew into the house and closed the door.
“Looks like he’s at home, at least,” Allen noted.
“Y-Yeah...” Krena’s voice was faint. Her spirits had been doused by the shock of being rejected.
A short while later, the young man came back.
“What did Master Habarak say?” Helmios asked.
The dwarf shook his head apologetically. “Unfortunately...”
“B-But...” Krena timidly walked forward. “W-We brought the orichalcum with us. Can’t you make this into a sword for me?”
“Um...as I said, it’s not possible.”
“Please! I beg you!” Krena lowered her head and held out her ore.
“Krena, that’s enough.” Allen shook his head slightly. “You’re bothering him.”
Only after being admonished by Allen did Krena finally pull back. “Okay. I’m sorry...”
That moment, a voice roared from inside the house, “SHADDUP OUT THERE ALREADY!”
The young man turned around in a fluster. “I’m very sorry, Master! I’m trying to turn them away r—”
Before he could finish, the door banged open with such force it almost fell off its hinges. A middle-aged dwarf with cloth wrapped around his head sized the Gamers up. “And who da hell are ye lot?”
Helmios stepped forward with a friendly smile. “Master Habarak! I’m so glad to see you again.”
“Huh? So it’s you, Helmios.”
This guy is the legendary blacksmith we’re looking for?
“Yes, sir. I’m visiting today to ask you to make an orichalcum weapon.”
The young man clapped both his hands over his face.
“Did you say...orichalcum?” Habarak growled.
“Yes, please!” Krena eagerly held out her lump of metal.
The veins on Habarak’s forehead bulged so prominently they seemed on the verge of popping. “You... Where did you find that?!”
Seeing the change in the dwarf’s attitude, Allen answered on Krena’s behalf. “In the dungeon, sir.”
“Dungeon? So you lot are adventurers?”
“Yes, s—”
Habarak’s hands shot out and grabbed Allen by the collar. The dwarf was shorter, but his arms were thicker than Allen’s legs. He had no problem lifting the boy up.
“Master Habarak, what is the matter?!” Helmios exclaimed in alarm. “What did he do that displeased you?” He grabbed the blacksmith’s arms in an attempt to free Allen.
Ignoring Helmios, 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!”
The Gamers took a step forward, but Allen lifted a hand to stop them. Still being held up by his collar, he asked calmly, “Can you tell us more?”
“I-It’s all you adventurers’ fault! Blast it all!” The dwarf shoved Allen away, then crumpled to his knees, grinding his hands and head into the ground.
“U-Um...” Allen stood up and tried to question Habarak further.
However, the blacksmith merely pounded the ground with his fists, his hunched back shaking. “Lady Freyja, I’m so sorry. Please don’t be angry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sor—” His heart-wrenching apologies flowed nonstop, filling the air and rising to the darkening twilight sky.
A different story was about to unfold on the No-life Gamers’ path toward clearing the Tower of Tribulation.
Side Story 1: Treason
The king of Ratash frowned with thought, deepening the wrinkles on his forehead and making himself look even older than he already was. At over seventy years old, he was bedridden most of the time and had to receive all visitors in his chambers. The reason for his furrowed brow was his guest of the day.
Sitting up in bed, the king said, “Granvelle...you’ve truly made a mess of things.”
“I’m terribly sorry, Your Majesty.”
His guest, Baron Granvelle, bowed so low his head almost touched the carpeted floor from his seat. A lower noble being allowed into the king’s chambers was practically unprecedented, but something had happened that made it unavoidable.
Everything had begun when the minister of justice at the time announced he would be resigning and the king recommended a particular noble to take up the seat. As this noble was from the Academy Faction, one of the two main political parties in the Ratashian government, the endorsement had startled the opposing Kingdom Faction. The Kingdom Faction made political moves to prevent someone from the Academy Faction being installed, and Viscount Carnel conspired with them to carry out his own plot to kidnap Baron Granvelle’s daughter, Cecil. The incident was ultimately resolved thanks to Cecil’s manservant, Allen, saving her. In the end, not only had Viscount Carnel failed to coerce Baron Granvelle into doing what he wanted, but he now found himself facing enormous blowback.
