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

"Hey. Stop glaring at me. It's okay. We've got everything here."

"No, I'm not glaring at you."

Kiel couldn't hide his confusion as I looked at him.

"I'm glad you're happy. Merle. Now you have everything, right?"

"Uh-huh."

When Cecile ignored the exchange between me and Kiel and approached Merle, Merle replied awkwardly. At that time, the hidden cube quickly disappeared.

My friends and I were in a large hole in a rocky mountain on the 3rd floor.

For the last 20 days or so, we searched for magical beasts, Treasure Chests, and hidden cubes on the 3rd floor.

We got 4 Basic Stone Slabs required for a Golem but the last one, for the right hand, did not appear for a long time.

We kept looking for the stone slabs from the Treasure Chests and hidden cubes, but could not find it as we kept getting other parts.

I was the one making the exchanges with the hidden cube for the past t20 days but we couldn't find the right arm stone slab.

Kiel wanted to do it too, so I left the task to him, and in just one try, we got what we wanted.

(Damn. It's always like this. It always takes me so long to gather the equipment.)

I remembered it always taking me a long time to find the right equipment or material that I wanted in games in my previous life, especially when there was an element of luck involved.

"We've got a basic Golem, but what do we do now? We can't keep Master Helmios waiting..."

In an attempt to change my depressed mood, Sophie asked me about our future plans.

We were going to join Helmios.

We had been in the dungeon for about 20 days, and I was told that Helmios was coming to the S-class dungeon since the Giamut Empire had finished celebrating their victory in the war.

It was already 2 months after the war was over that the celebrations ended.

We didn't spend all of our time on the 3rd floor for the past 20 days.

I went to the Adventurer's Guild once every 5 days with 1000 Gold coins to collect the 100,000 D-rank magic stones.

In addition, we found many Hihirokane and Mithril weapons and armors in the dungeon that we didn't need and had to sell.

My <Inventory> couldn't store large items, so some of the contents of the Treasure Chest had become luggage.

Once I got the magic stones, I needed time to use <Fast Summon> and turn them into [Mana Seed]s.

We stayed in the dungeon for 3 and a half days out of five to allow time for such packing, trading at the Adventurer's Guild, and rest for my friends. We stayed 4 days and 3 nights in the dungeon and the rest 1 and a half days were our off time.

My friends helped me collect [Mana Seed]s that I was producing in a room, which had been changed to a vegetable garden. We were all free to spend our time in the city on the 1st floor of the S-class dungeon, as we saw fit.

In the evening, Merle always insisted on going out to a nearby restaurant for drinks.

When Merle finally got to drink after returning from the dungeon after 3 days, she looked like someone who had gotten water after being stranded on desert. The rest of us wondered if the dwarves would die if they didn't get to drink alcohol.

Note that there was alcohol in my <Inventory> for Merle, but I had banned it in the dungeon.

While inside the dungeon, Merle had to operate as an Abandoned Gamer.

And Abandoned Gamers weren't allowed to drink alcohol inside the dungeon.

{TLN: Here, inside the dungeon means on the 2nd floor and onwards. After all, the city they are staying in is also inside the dungeon.)

"It's almost noon. Let's leave it at that for today and check the Golem the next time we enter the dungeon. Is that okay with you, Merle?"

"Yeah! Of course!!! Thank you all..."

"What? Don't cry."

"Merle, are you okay? Are you hungry? I am Fugu!"

(Hey, Kurena. Oh! You see the geometric symbols start to glow when you fit all the stone slabs in the Magic Board.)

I was very happy as after 20 days, we were finally able to collect all the Basic Stone Slabs of an Iron Golem.

Merle clutched the Magic Board with half of the dents filled in and began to cry.

The Magic Board, that Merle was wearing around her neck like an identity card for elementary schoolers, responded to her hand.

The Magic Board had geometric symbols floating on it, and it looked like a Golem was about to emerge at any moment.

Such an emotional scene was spoiled by Kurena, who was hungry.

After sentencing Kurena to a cheek-snatching, we exited the hole and moved to the 1st floor from the square in the center of the 3rd floor.

"Why aren't we going to the Adventurers' Guild directly?"

When I started heading for our base instead of the Adventurers' Guild just outside the temple, Cecile asked me why I was not going to the Adventurers' Guild where we were supposed to meet up with Helmios.

"No, we have quite a bit of luggage on our hands right now. We'll put them back and then go."

I replied, clutching an Adamantite Bow that we had gotten from a Treasure Chest.

We reached our base after a ten-minute walk and left our luggage there.

"Hey, just back from the dungeon? You're late."

"Hmm? Eh? Huh? What does this mean?"

I was talking with Helmios who we were supposed to meet up at the Adventurers' Guild around noon that day in the base. Since we were going to attack the same dungeon, I thought it would be a good idea to team up.

A large amount of goods was being carried into our base by hired dwarven contractors.

"Huh? Helmios, you didn't get permission for this?"

"No, well. Sylvia. I just thought I'd surprise them."

My friends and I were noticed by Sylvia, Helmios' companion and a Master Swordsman.

"Um, are you saying that you will be staying in our base as well?"

"Yes. But not just me, but my entire party 'Sacred'. Any problems?"

(Okay, but I had it locked up tight, too. Also, Mr. Doberg is here.)

My gaze fell on a thinly clad, navel-showing female Thief.

Apparently, the female Thief unlocked the lock of the base with her skill.

And nearly a dozen of Helmios' companions, including the obviously competent Master Swordsman Doberg, were watching the exchange between Helmios and me.

The somewhat guilty look on their face was surely due to Helmios' bad side. I couldn't help but think that their expression indicated that there had been such instances before.

"I see, let the dwarves finish moving. Shall we talk somewhere else?"

(Let's make him pay a lot of rent for this.)

I didn't ask them to leave the base right then and there.

I suggested leaving the place to the dwarves, who I thought were movers, and the servants, who I assumed to be under Helmios' command, and go somewhere else to talk.

I was also hungry and wanted to eat.

"I like your idea. I know a place. Let's all go together."

Helmios said that he would take us to a good place.

Helmios called out to his companions to go as well.

I also discussed it with my friends because of the situation and decided to leave our belongings in the basement warehouse of the base and go with Helmios.

"Look, this is the place."

"Oh! Yes!"

When Helmios pointed to a bar, Merle clenched both her fists in front of her chest and exclaimed with emotion.

(Is it just my imagination or is her response really better than when we found all the Basic Stone Slabs of the Golem?"

Apparently the drinks there were good, as whenever I visited that place later, I would always find dwarves enjoying a drink.

The location along the main street near the base might have had some kind of strong magnetic force working through as Merle was stuck there and couldn't move.

"This is it!"

(I have visited this type of place.)

I walked into the bar with a mature expression on my face, not giving the impression that I was there for the first time or that I had already been there many times.

"Welcome!"

When I opened the door, the owner of the bar greeted me in a loud voice.

(There are a lot of dwarves here today. Oh, there's Admiral Galara again.)

I noticed Admiral Galara in his pirate hat doing the cobra twist on the table to the dwarves who seemed to be under his command.

This bar was close to the temple and was frequented by many adventurers who commuted to the S-class dungeon.

There were adventurers who were capable of acquiring more than 1,000 Gold coins, let alone 100 Gold coins in a single raid. There were many such adventurers in the city.

In addition, there were a lot more adventurers in the city who were trying to conquer Class C to Class A dungeons around the Tower of Trials in the outer part of the city on the 1st floor of the Class S dungeon.

Admiral Galara spent his days, when he was not in the dungeon, drinking and having a good time with nearly 20 dwarves in that bar.

"Oh, hey, isn't that black hair?"

"Yeah, maybe so."

"Let's go call Master Zew."

"Ah."

(Hmm? What?)

A couple of beastmen who were drinking near the entrance at the same time I noticed Admiral Galara seemed to have noticed me.

After a few whispered conversations, they paid their bill and left the bar.

"What's that? Isn't that Admiral Galara?"

After everyone in our group took seats, they noticed Admiral Galara's noisy group.

"Ah? Oh, if it isn't the Hero of the Central Continent? Hey, you guys, let's go greet him."

With that, Admiral Galara jumped down from the table, clutched a wooden mug, and approached Helmios in an impersonal manner with several dwarves in tow.