Hell Mode: Volume 3, page 30
With that, every member of the No-life Gamers had completed five Rank A dungeons. Just as Allen was chatting with Keel about who to give the ring to, a familiar voice rang in all their ears.
Fwum.
“I am the Executive Dungeon System. Congratulations, No-life Gamers. I am here to update your Rank A dungeon clearance card.”
“Ah, it’s here.” Cecil had gotten so used to the dungeon cubes’ sudden appearances that they no longer surprised her.
Allen checked the jet-black card in his possession and realized that it already bore five marks.
“All members of your party have fulfilled the required conditions, so I will now convert your clearance card into a Rank S dungeon invitation card.”
As everyone crowded around to peer at the card in Allen’s hand, the five marks merged into one.
“Does this mean we can now go to the Rank S dungeon?” Allen asked.
“Yes, you can.”
“Can you tell us where it is?”
“Within the Tower of Tribulation in Yanpany.”
Uh, where the heck is that?
The Academy’s curriculum had covered geography, but Allen did not recognize that name. It seemed to ring a bell for Meruru, however.
She asked the cube, “Are you talking about the giant tower in Yanpany?”
“The very one. The Rank S dungeon is within the temple in Yanpany.”
Everyone turned to look at Meruru in surprise. Cecil asked, “You know it, Meruru?”
“Mm-hm,” Meruru nodded. “The cube is talking about the massive temple where Lord Dygragni lives. If I remember right”—she looked up into the air as if trying to remember something—“it’s in the northeastern part of the Empire. I’ve never been, though.”
“By ‘the Empire,’ you’re referring to Baukis?” Cecil pressed.
“Yep! Yanpany is the name of the region northeast of the imperial capital.”
So the Rank S dungeon is in Baukis?
“Aww, so we can’t go right away?” Krena looked deflated. She was particularly disappointed because she and Allen had talked about how they wanted to go to the Rank S dungeon soon now that he had reached Summoning Lvl. 7.
And here I was, hoping that a warp gate or something would appear at the bottom of Rank A dungeons that directly connected to the Rank S dungeon.
For those who had already reached the level cap but wanted to get even stronger, obtaining orichalcum weapons was absolutely necessary. The Hero had said that the Rank S dungeon was where orichalcum items could be found, so there was no getting around the fact that they would be challenging the Rank S dungeon eventually.
Cecil sighed. “Sounds like it’ll be out of our reach for quite a while yet, then”
Suddenly, Allen started as if an idea had occurred to him. “What if we all transfer to Baukis for our third year? That way, Meruru might be able to get herself a golem too.”
“Is that even possible?” Dogora frowned.
“No idea. Maybe we can ask the headmaster?”
“Leave it to me,” Sophie interrupted. “I’ll try asking Theodojiil to make the arrangements.”
It was currently December, so there still ought to have been sufficient time to arrange a transfer by the start of the next school year in April. And so the No-life Gamers agreed to set heading to Baukis in order to get their hands on orichalcum weapons as their next goal. All of them were equally eager to set foot in the temple in Yanpany that housed the dungeon as soon as possible.
“I am sorry to interrupt your conversation, but there is one more thing I must inform you of.”
The cube that had been standing by all this time suddenly spoke up.
“Huh?” Allen turned around. “Um, what is it?” What else could there be?
“If you manage to successfully clear the Rank S dungeon in Yanpany, your invitation card will turn into a challenge card for the Dungeon Master.”
“FWOOOOO!!! IT’S A HIDDEN BOSS! DYGRAGNI GETS IT!” Allen clenched both his fists and whooped loudly, surprising all his friends.
On behalf of the party leader who seemed beside himself with excitement, Cecil asked the cube in confirmation, “Do you mean we can fight the Dungeon Master?”
“Yes, you can.”
“What happens if we win? What are we fighting for?”
“That is something the Dungeon Master will only tell those who win.”
Oh my god, he won’t tell us! It’s perfect! That’s exactly the way it should be! Allen grinned at his friends. “Looks like we have no choice but to clear the Rank S dungeon after all!”
In stark contrast with Krena, who got caught up in Allen’s excitement, Cecil sighed. “There he goes again.”
＊ ＊ ＊
The Kingdom of Ratash greeted the new year with solemnity and soberness. The king, whose health had been in constant decline, had passed away at the end of the previous year. The whole kingdom entered a period of mourning during which all functions were called to a halt. The economy stagnated as the citizens became restrained in every area of life, and all stores—save essential ones such as restaurants—shuttered their doors. Even the dungeons were closed.
Once the mourning period ended, as expected, the crown prince ascended the throne. According to Rifol, the coronation ceremony was going to be a massive affair. Allen, however, did not really care who sat on the throne.
A month had passed since the No-life Gamers learned that the Rank S dungeon was in Baukis. The headmaster had already begun the process for their transfer to the empire, but he needed to go through Baukis in order to contact the Academy within their borders, so there was no guarantee whether the request would be approved. Allen and his friends were still waiting to hear back.
Academy City had not observed Ratash’s mourning; it had been business as usual inside the city. Today, Allen was once again converting magic stones into Fronds of Life and Seeds of Magic during his morning classes. Thanks to the Quick Summoning skill he had obtained from leveling his class skill to Lvl. 7, he could now simultaneously Summon all the cards in the holders of his grimoire at the same time. Progress went remarkably faster than before.
His MP Recovery Ring recovered one percent of his max MP every second, so his MP gauge could fill back up in no time at all. Allen was using his skills every waking moment in order to not waste a single drop of MP, but if not for Quick Summoning significantly boosting the number of skills he could use and the amount of MP he could expend at once, his spirit might have cracked under the never-ending task.
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard pounding down the hallway.
BANG!
The door to the classroom opened with such force that it seemed like it had been kicked open. Both the teacher and students all froze in surprise.
Oh, it’s just Carlova.
When Allen turned toward the door, his eyes locked with Carlova’s. Without so much as a by-your-leave from the teacher, Carlova shouted while gasping for breath, “Allen! Your entire party! To the headmaster’s! NOW!”
What’s got him so flustered? He’s asking for my entire party?
“Looks like we’re being summoned.” Cecil gracefully stood up. All the No-life Gamers immediately followed Carlova to the headmaster’s office.
“I’ve brought ’em! Now brief ’em!”
He’s completely reverted to being an adventurer, Allen thought as he and his friends entered the room.
“Ohhhh, there you are!” The headmaster had a world map spread over his table. Even this man, who was normally calm and composed due to having lived a thousand years, seemed frazzled. After greeting Allen’s group, he fell silent.
After a while, Allen, who could not bear it any longer, asked, “How may we help you?” What’s with this pause?
The headmaster shot a look at Sophie for an instant as if he was struggling to find the right words to say. “I’ll...come right out with it. There’s been a request to dispatch you, Allen.”
“To the battlefield, sir?”
For a split second, Allen had thought the headmaster was telling them that their application to Baukis had been accepted. However, that would not be called a “dispatch.” The only place that fit the usage of that word was the battlefield.
“That’s right. Rohzenheim has put in an official request through the Five Continent Alliance for you to be dispatched, Allen. And Ratash has accepted that request.” The headmaster spread a royal decree out on the table that specifically named Allen, Krena, Cecil, Dogora, and Keel.
That’s a royal decree, all right. The headmaster called it a “request,” but we don’t really have the right to refuse, do we?
Ever since he enrolled, Allen had always assumed he would be eventually deployed to the northern border of Giamut, the area that used to belong to fallen countries such as Rastuli.
“Um, does that mean we’re being ordered to go to Rohzenheim?”
“That’s right,” the headmaster replied, lowering his gaze to the world map. “The fate of Rohzenheim is currently hanging in the balance.”
“What do you mean?!” Sophie exclaimed.
“According to intel,” the headmaster said, “the Demon Lord Army is currently attacking all three northern continents at the same time with a force of ten million in total.”
“Ten million?!” Sophie was so shocked by the number that she seemed about to faint.
He’s referring to the Central Continent, plus Rohzenheim and Baukis, I take it? And as always, nothing’s heading toward the two continents in the south. Hmm, ten million, huh?
Allen rubbed his chin. “That number is five to ten times the Army’s usual numbers each year, right?”
According to what he had learned in Demon Lord history, the Demon Lord Army had simultaneously attacked all three northern continents before, but it only sent around one or two million troops each year, half of which would head for the Central Continent while the elves and dwarves dealt with a quarter each.
The headmaster nodded. “We don’t know how long they’ve been doing so, but they’ve apparently been building up their strength for this. They now have more than enough numbers to wipe Rohzenheim off the map.”
Which means all the ground that the Alliance regained over the past few years wasn’t solely because of Helmios. The Demon Lord Army’s been reserving its forces for this large-scale assault on Rohzenheim.
The situation on the front lines had changed ever since the Hero Helmios appeared eight years ago. As such, he was touted as the sign of hope that humanity had found after over half a century of sustained losses. Since then, the Demon Lord Army had been on the back foot for the past eight years; as it turned out, however, there were other forces at play.
Sophie, who had been listening quietly all this time, finally burst out: “Theodojiil, what did you mean when you said that the fate of Rohzenheim is hanging in the balance? And this urgent dispatch— Wait, don’t tell me!”
However, the headmaster was unable to answer her. His words were caught in his throat.
“Answer me, Theodojiil!” Sophie demanded, her usual coolheaded demeanor nowhere to be seen. She leaned forward, her eyes blazing fervently. “Is Her Majesty safe?!”
She calls her mother “Her Majesty”?
The elves worshiped Rohzen, the Sovereign of Spirits, but they loved and adored their queen with just as much reverence. She was the one whom they fought for.
Pressured into answering, the headmaster managed to stammer, “I’m afraid...there’s been no word.”
“Th-That can’t be possible! What’s happened to Fortenia?! Tell me everything!” Sophie was frustrated with how the headmaster had only been able to answer questions she posed to him directly. Fortenia was the capital of Rohzenheim, the city where the queen’s residence was.
“According to intel from three days ago, Fortenia has already fallen to a demon host of three million. No one knows where Her Majesty currently is.”
“This can’t be...” Sophie crumpled to her knees.
Volmaar rushed forward to catch her. “Princess Sophialohne!”
The headmaster turned toward Allen. “Seventy percent of the country has already fallen to the Demon Lord Army. The remaining forces gathered in the southern part of Rohzenheim are currently preparing for the final fight.”
Even considering the size of the invading force, this advance seemed way too fast.
“And I’m supposed to go there?”
“Yes. Please accept this dispatch request.”
“Just curious, how’s the battle situation on the Central Continent?”
Allen wanted to know what the situation was in Giamut, given that Rohzenheim was in danger of being wiped out. However, the headmaster again failed to provide an answer immediately.
“Huh? Is the front line collapsing there too?”
“N-No, not quite. In fact, the fighting has yet to begin. The Demon Lord Army, which is two million strong, is on standby about ten days by horseback from the northernmost fortresses.”
When they heard this, the Gamers all gasped under their breaths, “Two million!”
Hold on, ‘standby’? Why don’t they just press the atta— Hold on. What about the elven squads?
“I’m sorry, sir; have the elven squads at the Giamut border been informed of the situation in Rohzenheim? You just mentioned there are forces gathering in the south?”
Sensing that Allen had hit upon a crucial issue, Sophie doubled down on his question. “Theodojiil, answer him. What is the current situation of the elven squads assigned to the Central Continent?!”
“The squads...are currently returning to Rohzenheim.”
The elves normally provided much-needed healing to the front lines in Giamut, which often saw a dire shortage of those with healing Talents. Now, however, all those elves were retreating to protect their home country.
Cecil blurted, “But it’s impossible for the forces at Giamut to fend off an army of two million without the support of the elves!”
Having analyzed the situation, Allen put it plainly. “The Demon Lord Army at the Central Continent is planning on launching a massive offensive once the healers have fully left the scene. That’s why they’re only standing by at the moment.”
“That...is very likely the case,” the headmaster admitted. “However, and I’m very sorry to ask this, but please answer the dispatch and save Rohzenheim. Please...save our queen.” For the first time, the headmaster, who was himself a member of royalty, lowered his head to Allen. He was pleading with Allen despite fully understanding what would likely happen to the Central Continent.
Cecil looked to Allen anxiously. “Allen, what’re we gonna do?!”
At the end of Allen’s second year at school, the Demon Lord Army suddenly showed up with a massive force, bent on destroying the entire world in one momentous push. Everyone present—Allen’s companions, his homeroom teacher, and the headmaster—held their breath, hanging on his next words.
“We will go to Rohzenheim,” Allen replied decisively.
And so it was decided that the No-life Gamers would be heading to Rohzenheim, the country of elves on the very brink of obliteration by the Demon Lord Army.
Short Story 1: Helmios’s Past
The Hero, Helmios, was currently on the battlefield, deep within enemy lines much further north than the northernmost Alliance fortresses.
“To think that I, a Demonic Deity, would fall to a mere human...”
Helmios’s orichalcum sword plunged deep into his opponent’s chest. He had just successfully taken out one of the Demon Lord Army’s generals who had been commanding a massive force of monsters. The huge demon fell over backward, his body creating a dull boom as it hit the ground—he was dead.
One of Helmios’s companions, a redheaded female Sword Lord armed with a greatsword, cheered. “We actually did it... We killed the general! Our strategy worked!”
“Looks like it,” Helmios replied, his shoulders heaving violently with each word. He turned to take in his entire party. “Anissa, everyone, thank you.”
With the Hero as their leader and at least a Sword Lord and a Saintess on their roster, this party of ten was undoubtedly the most powerful that humanity could muster. Together, they had fought the Demon Lord Army more than a few times now, and each time they had pulled through with power, brawn, and strategy, just as they did today.
“Liktina, sorry, but can you heal us up now, please?” Anissa asked her former Academy classmate, looking like someone who had just finished a big job.
The Saintess nodded. “Sure, let me cast it now.”
The fierce battle with the Demonic Deity had left everyone with wounds from head to toe, but Liktina’s wide-area Healing Magic mended them back up in no time at all.
“I’m glad we pulled it off somehow.” Helmios sighed with relief that his party had successfully killed one of the generals of the Demon Lord Army. However, his joy did not last long. A brooding look soon returned to his face.
“C’mon, Helmios! Don’t worry—I’m sure the front lines are holding up just fine.” Anissa slapped him on the back several times in encouragement.
“I suppose so, Anissa. The fortresses must be managing. Let’s hurry back.”
The details of their mission today had been decided during a prior Five Continent Alliance strategy meeting. Fighting on the front lines usually consisted of amassing troops at the border fortresses to beat back the tides of the Demon Lord Army horde; this time, however, the Alliance had agreed on a strategy involving a small group of elites who would infiltrate deep into hostile land in order to assassinate the enemy general.
The commanders of the Army were often either demons or Demonic Deities, whose power was equal to Ranks A and S respectively when compared to the monster troops they led. Demonic Deities were so overwhelmingly strong that even Helmios struggled when fighting them.
To give him an edge, Elmea, the God of Creation, had given Helmios a special Extra Skill. Going by the name God Strike, the attack dealt holy elemental damage, which was extremely effective against demons and even Demonic Deities as powerful as Rank S monsters. As long as it landed, a blow with God Strike guaranteed death—that was just how powerful of a trump card this was. It was because of this skill that Helmios was called the “hope of humanity.”
