Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~
chapter-269

After my friends and I defeated Scarlett, we challenged Crimson.

Crimson could call up to 100 Kaiser Sea Serpents, which were about as strong as the White Dragon, so it was a war of attrition.

It was difficult to fight while preserving our Extra Skills and we failed both the times we fought against it.

We could have beaten Crimson if we pushed ourselves somewhat, but I decided to retreat as we were not in a hurry to defeat it. And I didn't want to put my friend's life at risk.

Then on January 1, the first day of the year, there was an announcement from the Church.

As the Spirit God had said to us, the Church announced that Fire Goddess' Freya had weakened and that the Talent change system would begin in April.

Spirit God Rosen said that there would be another oracle to follow up on the details of the Talent change system.

I wondered if the Gods hadn't completely settled the conditions.

It was our first day off after 3 days in the dungeon.

My friends and I finished our deal with the Adventurers' Guild and hurried back to base.

"You are going too fast."

I walked out and back to the base somewhat quickly.

I couldn't stop being excited.

(When was the last time I felt so excited?)

(Oh? Are they all there?)

"Well, we're going to the dungeon, but if you want to come, feel free."

"We've been waiting for you. Of course we're all going."

Helmios' party was present there.

Apparently, they would all participate.

"I don't mind. But I'm afraid it will take some time to verify it, so please be patient."

With that said, we headed to the temple and then went to the 2nd floor of the dungeon.

We were supposed to have a day off on that day, but we went to the dungeon instead.

It was because of what the logs of my Grimoire showed.

While waiting in line, I repeatedly looked at my Grimoire and read the message.

It was a message that I could look at all day long.

"Skill Experience has or <Synthesis> is now 1,000,000,000/1,000,000,000 (billion). <Synthesis> is now Level 8. <Summon> is now Level 8. <Grimoire Expansion> is now Level 7. Skill <Equivalent Exchange> has been acquired. Skill <Kingship> has been acquired."

My <Summon> finally reached Level 8 the day before.

I wanted to check out my summons, but they could be huge so I held back.

Some might have been so huge that they wouldn't fit in the base's garden, so I decided to check them in the dungeon on my day off. But Helmios' entire party and my friends said they wanted to see my new skill in action.

(Fufufu. I've finally made it to A-rank. I didn't think I would achieve that at 15.)

I had continued to earnestly raise my Skill Level until I was 15 years old and was finally able to summon an A-rank summon, so I couldn't stop drooling.

At the moment, when the Church announced that a God had lost their Divine Artifact, my Skill Level was a hope.

There was an interest and a desire to share that information.

But my friends did not follow me just because of that.

I loved experimenting and they were worried about me being immersed in experimenting in a place overrun with magical beasts.

It was the same in the dungeons when we were at the Academy.

1 year old, acquired Grimoire, <Summon> Level 1, can summon H-ranks

1 year and 10 months old, <Summon> Level 2, acquired <Synthesis> skill

3 years old, summoned G-rank (after having enough mana)

5 years and 11 months old, <Summon> Level 3, acquired <Strengthening> skill, can summon F-ranks

7 years and 9 months old, <Summon> Level 4, <Inventory> skill acquired, can summon E-ranks

9 years and 10 months, <Summon> Level 5, <Sharing> skill acquired, can summon D-ranks

12 years and 9 months old, <Summon> Level 6, <Awakening> skill acquired, can summon C-ranks

13 years and 11 months old, <Summon> Level 7, <Fast Summon> and <Command> skills acquired, can summon B-ranks

15 years and 3 months old, <Summon> Level 8, <Equivalent Exchange> and <Kingship> skill acquired, can summon A-ranks

While we were in the queue, I added when I reached <Summon> Level 8 in the Grimoire.

Soon after, we were transferred to the 2nd floor of the dungeon.

In addition, we used B-rank Birds to move to a place where there were no other adventurers.

(Now, let's examine them one by one, just for the sake of organization.)

I had already converted my summons to their card forms, as my <Summon> reached Level 8 the night before.

I had enough A-rank magic stones since I had defeated numerous magical beasts in the Rosenheim war and in the S-class dungeon.

(My Holder capacity has also increased by 10 from 70 to 80, as expected.)

The maximum number of summon cards that I could hold increased by 10 each time the <Summon>'s level increased.

Since I could hold 10 more cards, I would get more summon blessings as well.

(Hmmm... I got two more skills. <Equivalent Exchange> and <Kingship>. Let's check <Equivalent Exchange> first.)

I proceeded with an analysis of <Equivalent Exchange>.

If I wanted to summon a B-rank summon, I had to use a B-rank magic stone until then.

However, <Equivalent Exchange> solved that problem.

The price of a magic stone increased by tenfold as its rank increased by 1.

A B-rank magic stone was worth 10 C-rank magic stones.

There was a reason why the price and rank of the magic stones always followed that pattern.

If a magic tool required 10 C-rank magic stones to perform a task, it could perform the same task for just 1 B-rank magic stone. So their prices were always intertwined.

<Equivalent Exchange> seemed to follow that rule.

(<Equivalent Exchange> is quite useful. This solves the problem of running out of magic stones. And I'll be able to earn some skill experience in the process.)

<Equivalent Exchange> required only one-tenth the number of magic stones if the rank of the magic stone that I used was 1 higher than that of the summon.

Also, if the rank of the magic stone was 1 rank lower, I needed 10 times more magic stones.

And if the rank of the magic stone was higher than that of the summon and there was an excess of magic stones when using <Create> on the summon, the excess magic stones were automatically generated.

1 D-rank magica stone could <Create> 10 E-rank Insects.

10 D-rank magic stones could <Create> 1 C-rank Insect.

1 D-rank magic stone could produce 1 E-rank Insect and 9 E-rank magic stones.

As my friends looked on, I recorded the results of my analysis in my Grimoire.

(Is the skill <Kingship> sealed? I mean, I haven't leveled up since we defeated Demon General Razel.)

When we defeated Demon General Razel, I reached Level 76.

It took 400 billion Experience to raise my Level from 76 to 77.

I didn't think I could raise my Level by mass hunting magical beasts, partly because I was also collecting equipment and other things to do at the same time.

As for the S-rank Floor Bosses, they were too strong for me to be able to defeat them quickly and easily.

"I don't think I'll be able to use <Kingship> for a while. Well, let's summon a summon. I want to see what they look like."

I had some idea of what they would look like based on the cards, but I didn't know their size.

"I'm so glad you're finally summoning someone."

Cecile, who had been watching from nearby the whole time, replied to my monologue.

Everyone's attention was focused on me, as if Cecile's voice was the que.

"I'm going to start with the big ones. Come out, Orochi!"

I recognized the picture on the card.

I had seen them since childhood. A mythical being in my previous life.

Ever since I came to this world, I always wanted to summon a mythical being.

The card's design was so cool and the summon seed to be so as well.

""Gruaaaaaaa!!!!""

I summoned an A-rank Dragon.

With multiple heart-pounding screams, my friends looked up into the sky at the enormouse summon.

"What the hell is this? Amazing!!!!"

Dogora looked up and exclaimed.

(It's too big to see its whole body. Let's check with Eagle.)

I summoned an E-rank Bird and used <Sharing on it> to get a full view of A-rank Dragon.

The A-rank Dragon was a Giant serpent that looked to be 100 meters long and was divided into multiple heads like the Yamata no Orochi and Hydra.

The raised head was divided into five sections and continued far beyond the body to the tip of the tail.

[Species] Dragon

[Rank] A

[Name] Orochi

[Strength] 10000

[Mana] 7700

[Attack] 10000

[Endurance] 9200

[Agility] 10000

[Intelligence] 6,000

[Luck] 8,000

[Blessing] +200 [Attack], +200 [Agility], Breath Immunity

[Special Skills] Poison Fangs, Super Regeneration

[Awakening] Hellfire

"It has 10,000 [Strength] with no buffs, no <Strengthening>, no nothing. I mean, it has two special skills."

I looked at the A-rank Dragon's status in the Grimoire and understood how physically strong it was.

Reaching 10,000 [Strength] meant that it could fight even with [Strength]-based A-rank magical beasts.

Its status would be further increased by Kiel's and other summon's buffs.

Then I summoned my other summons.

I didn't understand some of the summon's special and awakening skills at once, so it is just a touch-and-go check.

(Okay, that's about it for now. Then it's time for the main course. Only this newly added summon looks different from the others.)

"What's wrong?"

Kurena noticed something unusual about me.

"Hmm? Kurena. I have a feeling that the summon I unlocked this time is somehow different from the others. Anyway, I'll try it out."

I was not uncomfortable enough to verbalize.

It was a new species of summon that I had unlocked after more than 1 year of grinding.

I was too excited.

"Yeah."

I took out the summoner's card out of the Grimoire's Holder.

I had enough A-rank magic stones and I had already used [Synthesis] to find out how to summon it.

"All right, come on out."

The card disappeared in a bubble of light, and the summon appeared.

The figure was of a man in his late teens with frizzy hair.

Unlike the A-rank Dragon, he was the size of a human being.

He was half-naked, with a Ring of light floating above his head and wings on his back, floating a little higher off the ground.

(It's a perfect angel. I mean, the card said A-rank Angel.)

""Huh?""

Everyone else shouted when they saw my new summon.

A-rank Angel's and my eyes meet.

"..."

We stared at each other in silence.

Then the A-rank Angel took his eyes off me and looked around.

It's as if he didn't know where he was and was checking.

He then looked and moved his own hands and body to see if there was anything unusual about them.

It is as if he was checking to see if something had happened to him.

When it was over, he looked again at me and my friends.

Dogora is momentarily frightened by the absorbing gaze.

(What's confusing you? Are you okay?)

I was confused by the A-rank Angel's lack of understanding of his own situation.

At any rate, I took a step forward to talk to him since we were at an eye-to-eye level.

Then, as if he understood something, the A-rank Angel looked flushed.

"Really!! Did Master Elmea listen to you? Kyubel! Just you wait! I will kill you!"

But instead of returning my words, he burst out in joy and said things.

'What a great summon!', was what Allen thought when he saw his summon.