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

"He's here."

"Seriously? The rumors are true?"

"Don't push me. Who the hell pushed me?

Morning arrived early for adventurers.

The sun had already risen a good amount of time ago, so it wasn't exactly crowded with active adventurers.

Note that since we were on the 1st Floor of the Dungeon, the light of day was also an illusion created by Digragni.

The crowd started forming when an adventurer saw my friends and I enter the dungeon five days ago.

A rumor started that day, and the next day, many adventurers learned that the rumor was true.

And adventurers who had learned the truth spread the rumors further.

Over 10,000 adventurers lived on the 1st Floor of the S-class dungeon.

Those adventurers began to rustle loudly.

Dwarves drank with each other quite often, and a party member of Admiral Galara confirmed that the rumors were true while he was drunk.

Prince Zew had thousands of beastmen followers.

It was because Prince Zew took care of the beastmen who were sent from the Beast Kingdom every month so that they wouldn't suddenly enter the dungeon and die.

The beastmen who Prince Zew was taking care of, boasted in the bars about what was about to happen as if it were their own achievements.

Adventurers had long since stopped thinking of S-class dungeon as something to conquer.

The reason why even the new people didn't try to conquer it was because immediately after or before entering the dungeon, they heard from experienced people of their own race in bars and such that the S-class dungeon was unconquerable.

It was just a place where one had to struggle to survive and make money.

They were taught the reality that they wouldn't be able to fulfill their hopes and dreams.

Adventurers who had doubts soon forgot about trying to conquer the dungeon and adjusted to the situation.

But the rumors they had heard made them have doubts about that situation.

So, everyone had gathered that day.

It was the day when the S-class dungeon would be conquered for the first time.

Many adventurers crowded in front of the temple to confirm that what they had heard in the rumors and legends were true.

And the adventurers realized that the rumors were true.

The people at the center of the rumors were walking right in front of them.

There was a sea of more than ten thousand strong adventurers who were qualified to enter the S-class dungeon in front of the temple.

Such a sea of people naturally cracked, even though no one had told them to, and a path was formed there.

The adventurers watched with bated breath as my friends and I, along with other parties, numbering more than forty, made our way towards the temple.

"The rumor really was true. Admiral Galara has really teamed up with Hero Helmios to defeat the Dungeon Boss. It's amazing. It's going to be amazing!"

The dwarves' eyes sparkled as they watched Admiral Galara's, 'The Stinger' walk by.

The eyes that were filled with despair at the last Dungeon Festival had hope in them at that moment.

Then the human beside the excited dwarf interjected.

"What are you talking about? Hero Helmios called for volunteers from all over the world to help him conquer the dungeon. That's our Hero. That means he's not just providing information for adventurers!"

"What? What the hell!"

Hero Helmios had saved the world from the Demon King's army, and also provided valuable information for adventurers, saving many lives.

It was a common perception among the more than ten thousand adventurers there.

From that perception, they had no doubt that it was the power of Hero Helmios that brought together such a large party.

The dwarf was almost angry at being denied, but his anger faded in an instant.

The adventurer from the Giamut Empire could only see Helmios' Heroics and nothing else about him.

The dwarf gave up on blaming him as the adventurer, who had conquered at least 5 A-class dungeons, looked at Helmios with a boyish gleam in his eyes.

A beastman nearby snickered at that adventurer.

''Hmph. That's just what you humans of the Central Continent think. Behold, and look at the Ten Heroic Beasts. You people don't know the true power of the beastmen."

"What!?"

''The person beside General Hobah is the future Beast King, His Highness Prince Zew. He has been leading the command in this dungeon for the beastmen, but I didn't know that he had made such preparations behind the scenes. Albahar Beast Kingdom! No, Beast King Zew is moving the world with his hands!"

I had told everyone that if anyone asked who the leader of the entire party was, they would tell them that it was Prince Zew.

Conquering the dungeon was not our only objective.

Prince Zew had to be the next Beast King.

Neither Admiral Galara, who represented the Bakius Empire, nor Helmios, Hero of the Central Continent wanted Crown Prince Bek, who openly advocated invasion of the Central Continent to be the next Beast King.

Rosenheim, which was badly scarred by the last war, had the same thoughts on that matter.

The Five Continents Alliance had to unite.

The Dungeon Boss' raid's success was an important aspect in my plan.

Many adventurers never thought that all races would ever work together.

But such common sense had changed only in that moment, and only for those who were present ther.

"No. But Allen did all of this."

Dogora was indignant that none of the adventurers around us mentioned me.

Dogora was the only one who was against using Helmios' name, ever since I had decided to provide information in the dungeon.

He believed that I should have used my name as I was the one who worked so hard to gather and provide the information that had saved thousands of lives.

Dogora had a really straightforward personality.

He didn't mention the fact that he had helped me organize the information at all.

However, he was convinced when I said that in order to save as many lives as possible and to provide information as soon as possible, we had to borrow Helmios' name.

But he was having doubts.

No one was looking at us.

They were only aware that the Princess of Rosenheim was at our party.

"Dogora."

"Yes, Mr. Doberg."

Master Swordsman Doberg called out to Dogora who was swearing.

His anger suddenly cooled off when Doberg, who always practiced with him in the garden, called out to him.

"Rest assured. Heroes are not something that can be hidden."

"Yes."

"Because people want Heroes."

Doberg spoke to Dogora while looking somewhere far away.

"I see."

The brief words of Doberg, who had lived for decades on the battlefield, echoed through Dogora.

"Dogora, you are one as well."

"Huh, really? I can be a Hero too!?"

Dogora's face lit up at once when Doberg praised him.

Kiel, who was watching the situation, sighed while looking at Dogora.

No one blocked our way.

We didn't have to stand in the queue as well.

Thanks to that, we were able to move to the 5th Floor faster than usual.

"So, this is the 5th Floor."

"It's just as I've heard. We should just keep moving forward, right?"

Prince Zew replied to Helmios' words.

Helmios and Prince Zew had never been to the 5th Floor before.

(Should I have brought them here during practice? No, that would have just wasted our time.)

Upto 4 parties at once could challenge the Dungeon Boss at once, but only one party at a time could challenge the Bronze, iron or Mithril Golem.

There was a way to dissolve our individual parties and form a brand new party, but everyone discussed and decided that it wouldn't be that big of a benefit.

I had shaken off that thought the moment it came to my mind.

In addition, even if we failed, I was confident that we could try again.

I had told Helmios that if we couldn't succeed at once, I would give up, but I changed my mind when Admiral Galara told me about the Dungeon Boss.

To me, any promises made before hearing the information about the Dungeon Boss were invalid.

My thoughts aside, the group all moved forward with Prince Zew at the lead.

"Hello. I am the Dungeon Boss transition system S505. You have 4 sets of Medals on the pedestal. Would you like to challenge the Dungeon Boss with the four parties here?''

"Yes."

''Then, the leader of all the four parties is Zew-Van-Albahar, leader of the party 'Prince Zew and the Ten Heroic Beasts', is that correct?"

The cube confirmed that Prince Zew who was speaking to it would be the leader of the four parties.

"Yes."

"Do you want to go to where the Dungeon Boss is now?"

"Yes."

Then everyone's view changed once.

I could hear the sound of something moving in the distance.

There was a vermillion glowing Golem standing more than 100 meters away from us.

(Okay, it's exactly as I have heard.)

The Dungeon Boss was a Hihiirokane Golem that was about 100 meters tall.