Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~

Chapter 572: Those who yearn for Extra Mode

Galara refused to enter Extra Mode.

"But if you don't enter Extra Mode then…"

"You already have Merle, don't you?"

"Admiral, we all worked so you-"

"And all of you shut up!!"

Galara's dwarves looked shocked hearing him raise his voice like that, something he had not done since they conquered the S Rank Dungeon. Cecile and Merle also looked bewildered.

"Hmm…so this happened after all. Allen and Galara should discuss this."

Habarak went to the sculpture and sat on the ground next to it.

(So he knew this would happen? Oh yeah, I saw him talking with Galara before we started.)

It seemed like Habarak knew that Galara would do that.

"Could I ask why you're refusing this, Admiral Galara? Only one person can enter Extra Mode here, and everyone worked hard so it could be you…"

Allen tried to reason with Galara, and the other dwarves all nodded in agreement.

"But I'm telling you it shouldn't be me."

"Umm, then…"

"Get Habarak into that Extra whatever. If you'll keep getting Divine Techniques and Skills, you should pick someone who will make your party stronger too!!"

He shouted loudly.

"Wait, is that also why you chose to give your rewards to Merle before?"

"Huh? You only noticed now?"

Galara sighed in disbelief.

(So it's not something he just decided on a whim now.)

"Allen? What's that about?"

"Do you remember the S Rank Dungeon Cecile? Admiral Galara gave his Stone Slabs to Merle there."

They had split the rewards from the S Rank Dungeon between the 4 parties.

Only Rosetta from Helmios' party did not want to share, while Prince Zew and Galara shared their rewards. Allen had not asked why they did that back then though.

"Allen, I believe you can defeat the Demon King. And if you fail, then the world is doomed."

Galara mentioned what Allen had told his family before.

"So…this is in case you lose…"

"It's not like you can just use me and Helmios as insurance or something! Gaining significant power also means paying a high price. I've lost so many men already, and this is a fight to save everything we know! Isn't it?!!"

Galara's voice was shaky as he shouted that, filled with emotions from many years of fighting, and all the men he lost in the S Rank Dungeon.

(So he could tell that too.)

Allen thought about his own motivations again. He was adventuring to defeat the Demon King.

In Rosenheim he made a deal with Rosen so his friends underwent Talent Changes.

He went to the S Rank Dungeon to obtain orichalcum, and now he was in the divine realm to get stronger.

Allen's plan of getting stronger before fighting the Demon King was something he thought was obvious from his past life memories. But he still felt unsure if he could defeat the Demon King.

He was still trying to get his party stronger, and even he wanted stronger weapons.

But maybe even that would not be enough to defeat the Demon King, and if he lost, his dear family and everyone he knew would die.

He had fortified the village and let Muras and Rodan undergo Talent Changes just in case he failed. His suggestions to change the Academy also came from a desire to protect his family.

That was also why Allen had invited Helmios, Galara, and the Ten Heroic Beasts to the divine realm, it had not been a mere whim.

He wanted them to remain as insurance in case he lost against the Demon King.

But they believed Allen could get strong enough and succeed.

(So the Admiral wants me to use all I can myself to make sure I defeat the Demon King.)

Galara did not mind if he and his party became pawns for Allen to become stronger.

"Everyone believes in you, Allen. I also think you can defeat the Demon King."

"Cecile…"

"Yes, Master Allen. It's just as Cecile said."

Cecile's voice sounded heavier than usual, and then Sophie agreed, who had seen her homeland on the brink of destruction.

"You need strong weapons, right? Apparently you can get Gaia's Divine Artifact as a hammer here, so Habarak can take the Extra something."

(That's true, maybe I should've thought of that first.)

Maybe Habarak was really the best option. Especially with the Divine Artifact Hammer.

In Extra Mode, Habarak would be able to craft many more strong weapons, which could potentially save someone's life.

There was also the option of bringing someone else to Extra Mode like Cecile or Kiel, but Cecile wanted to obtain it through the God of Magic, which corresponded with her Talent.

Meanwhile Kiel had next to no use for the God of Earth's Divine Artifact.

"Alright then. Sorry I made you worry so much. Habarak, you'll be the one getting to Extra Mode."

"Sure, if that's what you want. I'll do it."

"I'm sorry for taking so much of your time."

Now that they had decided that, the sculpture slowly turned to face Habarak.

'The dwarf Habarak will enter Extra Mode then.'

<em class="chakra-text css-0">Crackle crackle

"Hm?!"

The ground underneath Habarak began to transform, rising up and covering his body.

Soon after he walked out of it, looking the same as always.

Allen had been slightly worried he would come out naked, but that did not happen.

'The change to Extra Mode has been confirmed. Would you like to continue going through the Earth Labyrinth, or return to the surface?'

"We'll continue. We still have 6 hours left."

'Understood. Please go down the stairs to the next floor then.'

The stairs were next to the reward room, so they quickly went down there.

Then they began using the shovel Habarak had strengthened to go down faster.

Allen was prioritizing going down over finding treasure, and soon the 6 hours were almost over just as they reached the 30th floor.

(Hey now, we're already out of time! What kind of rat chase is this… Merus! lure it over here! And why are there rat thieves here, this Labyrinth is way too unsafe!!)

'Got it.'

Merus was somewhere else, but their vision and Allen's thoughts were Shared.

A rat holding a key was running through the corridor ahead.

They had found a locked room on the 30th floor, but no key.

Soon they discovered a rat ghost holding the key, running at an impressive speed.

It seemed like ghosts also dropped keys sometimes.

A wild chase started after that, until they were able to lure it into a 4-way cross.

'Good, it's trapped now.'

'Pikii!!'

It tried to turn to another corridor from the ones where Allen and Merus were.

"You won't get through here."

"Or here. Give up."

Cecile and Sophie appeared in those corridors.

"Merus, use Judgement Thunder."

'Got it. Judgement Thunder!'

The rat ghost stood still and Merus' Awakened Skill [Judgement Thunder] hit it.

'Pikyaaaa?!'

The ghost was defeated with that single hit.

"Oh! You're already done. I was really starting to get impatient there."

Merle and Galara also appeared. They had waited a distance away in case the ghost managed to escape. Its body had already turned to light particles though, leaving the stolen key behind.

(Now I can defeat the ghost of the locked room and obtain a Spirit Crystal Stone and 1 Level.)

They had no time to go a floor lower, so instead they decided to fight the ghost of the 30th floor.

Getting the key took a long time though.

"Alright, let's hurry to the locked room!"

Allen picked up the key and the Spirit Stones next to it, but the mini-sculpture's eyes began to glow.

'It's been 24 hours. You'll return to the entrance.'

"Huh? Just give me a little more-"

Before Allen could protest, they were all teleported back to the entrance.

"Aww, it's already over. But that was so cool, we got all the way to floor 30 in one go. You're so good Allen!"

Merle sounded excited seeing how much progress they had gotten with Allen.

"Well, it was a good attempt. I'll have to think better about the summons I take though."

(Somehow that's the best dungeon I've found since I got to this world. I only got to the 30th floor even though I tried my best. I'll have to think of a better strategy…and maybe build a more specialized party too.)

Allen was already planning the next run hearing Merle, but then he felt really sharp gazes from behind.

"Are you thinking of going back to the dungeon?"

Cecile's voice sounded extremely stern, and then everyone else also turned to look at Allen.

"Huh? I mean, we only got to the 30th floor…"

Allen had already thought of more than 10 things he could improve.

He did not know if that would be enough to reach floor 99 though, so he was enthralled by the most difficult dungeon he had found so far.

"So?"

"I mean, Merle and the rest also need to get some training."

"Training? And what about me then? Do you realize I'm not getting any of that training?"

"I mean yeah, eventually everyone will get to Extra Mode though. I guess you can be next."

(Why is Cecile acting like that? Did I do something bad?)

Somehow he felt like she was acting like a wife that found her husband cheating.

"Everyone else is already at their God's Temple training though."

"Not really, Kiel is still-"

"I want to get Extra Mode no matter what!!"

"S-sure, I guess…"

Cecile's insistence would not allow any argument or opinion.

There were some people who would reject an offer to enter Extra Mode, and others who wanted to gain it no matter what. But seeing Cecile's fists stopped everyone from arguing.