Location: Andorra, Spain.
Date: 7th of July, 2591.
"I see." The man spoke with regret in his voice even as he choked on his blood. "Once again, it's true."
"What's true?" Ha***man asked despite the pain. His savior still breathed.
"I cannot save anyone." Was the reply as he closed his eyes, a grief-stricken expression plastered on his face.
Both of them were trapped under the rubble of a destroyed building. Fate truly had a twisted sense of humour to doom the survivors mere hundreds of meters away from the border.
So this is the end, huh?
The man clad in red had tried to shield **ch***n from the debris but the attempt was unsuccessful. The middle-aged man couldn't even save himself. The younger boy clenched his teeth as he swallowed the nausea rising in his throat. Time was running out and his vision was fading.
"Peace at last..."
Had H**h***n been conscious moments later he would have heard the screams of first responders.
"C'mon kiddo, dontcha die on me!"
Two weeks had passed since their arrival to this new world. Hachiman was currently in the royal library using the break time he had between training sessions to investigate this world's knowledge of chemistry and magic. In his hands was a book labeled "The Law of Equivalent Exchange".
Although everyone was required to train because of their astounding potentials, they also needed to develop their specialties as well. You couldn't cast magic by just reading a set of lines after all, the theory was indispensable if they didn't want to lose their lives in an accident.
Most felt that it was a drag but no one complained as their teacher Aiko, a Fertility Goddess, spent almost every waking moment boosting the kingdom's food resources.
As for the current state of science in Tortus from what he gathered, it turned out to be that the reliance on Artifacts and magic had set back the technological development to almost nil. They didn't even discover the laws of thermodynamics after thousands of years since their entrance to the Middle Ages in this world.
Hachiman breathed out a sigh and closed the book. Taking a look at his status plate, he slowly devised unknown plans.
Hikigaya Hachiman
Age: 17 - Male - Level: 6 - Job: Alchemist
Strength: 101 (?)
Vitality: 103 (?)
Defense: 107 (?)
Agility: 188 (?)
Magic: 216 (?)
Magic Defense: 227 (?)
Skills:
Transmute - Elemental Affinity - Language Comprehension
Meld had been curious about the '?' signs that were behind his stats but it was quickly attributed to his job, alchemist. Alchemists were considered to be improved versions of synergists. They were able to enter more fields like medicine. A curious thing however was that no one had received this job ever since the alchemy legend Olga Elric created the Philosopher's Stone. A stone that was capable of reviving the recently dead, which was lost after several kingdoms fought over it centuries ago.
Since the kingdom didn't possess accurate knowledge about what his job could do, they just expected him to level up to the point of being to create vital minerals en masse for the blacksmiths.
After being taught the basics, he was able to transmute dirt and stone into basic elements like iron, pure oxygen, or even propane with just a bit of focus and the power of intent. The only thing his magic seemed to be limited at was the quantity and complexity of the thing he wished to transmute.
It was ridiculous how easy creating his M.O's serum from just a piece of paper was. By the end of the first week he could already make several kilograms of PETN explosives in one go without tiring himself. Alchemy was far too easy and more broken than what he thought, but then again, magic wasn't intended to make sense.
Hachiman didn't plan to reveal his cards in the near future though, as no one seemed to understand how overpowered the skill transmutation was. The students being in a social studies class with basically no knowledge in chemistry also helped. He did expect Yukinoshita to realize something sooner or later though, she was a sharp girl.
His class had a rather quick acclimatization to the current circumstances and everyone was taking their current responsibilities seriously. He probably had to thank Hayama for that.
Having finished his task for this day, he returned the book to its former place and exited the building. It was a cloudy day. But it did not deter the bustle of the capital that could be heard from outside the castle. It did not look like a place under the threat of war at all. The positive influence of having summoned heroes to fight the war for them must have been reassuring.
Soon he arrived at the training grounds. There were a fair amount of people but it seemed that Hachiman had arrived early today. Seeing nothing better to do, he picked up a pebble and tried to review some basic shape transmutations.
"Heed my will as I command." Hachiman incantated.
The need for incantations was supposed to go down as he gained proficiency in his craft. Chants seemed to be triggers that helped you control the mana. His Elemental Affinity also let him cast magic without the need for magic circles even if it was at a lesser efficiency. However, the lesser efficiency could add up to a steep cost of mana so he was given gloves with some of the most powerful transmutation arrays in existence. Being supported by the entirety of the nation's resources was quite sweet.
The round pebble grew in size as he fed mana to it. Materials could be increased in size and density as long as a piece of base material was in direct contact with his skin or no farther than a few meters of distance. The big pebble slowly morphed into the shape of a locust before moving on with increased velocity to other forms like the imitation of a mobile phone, a bottle of water, and lastly an ornamental dagger.
The quantity one possessed of the particle that was the origin of all magic, 'mana', could be increased by just continuously emptying your mana reserves but the efficiency of wasting the least amount of mana points while activating spells required talent and practice. Someone with a greater expertise was able to cast up to three fireballs with the same amount of mana a newbie used to cast one. Artifacts like Hachiman's Nameless Gloves could grant artificial boons to the conversion rate but not everyone had access to such objects.
"Tomorrow, as part of your practical training, we will be going on an expedition into the Great Orcus Labyrinth. I'll prepare all the necessary equipment you guys will need, but don't think that this is going to be anything like the monster hunts you've been going on outside the capital! You guys better prepare yourselves! We won't train today so that you all get as much rest as possible tonight! That's all!
The Great Orcus Labyrinth. It was a massive dungeon said to span a hundred floors. As it was one of the seven great labyrinths, the deeper one went, the stronger the monsters they faced. The main reason it was frequented by adventurers, mercenaries and troops alike was because it was a good source of high-quality mana crystals.
The mana crystal was the core of a monster. It was what made a monster a monster. It gave them the ability to store mana and actively use it without the need for chants or arrays. These cores were an important component in magic circles as it powered the arrays and acted as a source of extra mana a mage could use to cast spells he normally wouldn't be able to. They also were good mana conductors, often used to make weapons and tools.
So, suffice to say, it was always in a rather high demand. However, monsters that possessed the higher quality mana crystals were also more dangerous. They were capable of using powerful specialized magic. Very lethal ones. Making it the number one reason one could never let their guard down when fighting powerful monsters.
Hachiman and the others arrived in the outpost town of Horaud before dusk. Captain Meld together with a squad of his knights had led them to a small town that primarily existed to service the adventurers who traveled there wishing to challenge the Great Orcus Labyrinth. As an important asset to the kingdom, a state-run inn was maintained at the town, which was where the students were all staying.
After a modest dinner at a nearby restaurant everyone was off to sleep.
"Are you happy here Hachiman?" Said his roommate. The inn hadn't been made with privacy in mind, so the heroes had to share the rooms in groups of two and three as there were already a big amount of guests.
"Not particularly, why?" Hachiman blinked for a moment before doing some stretches.
"You are a curious case, aren't you Hachiman?" Totsuka smiled as *he accommodated h**self. "Always so silent and cold."
A pale moonlight illuminated h** face as *he continued to talk.
"Ever since we came to this world, your eyes started to gain a light they never had before."
Without waiting for his response Totsuka promptly slumped down on the bed.
Hachiman at a rare loss of words sat by the window and stared at the tranquil scenery. An indefinite amount of time later, Hachiman nodded his head.
"This world... isn't boring."
The next morning everyone reported to the plaza that served as the entrance to the Great Orcus Labyrinth early enough that the sun had still yet to rise.
The students were filled with equal parts trepidation and curiosity. Most had expected the standard cavern entrance leading into unknown dark depths. However, the sight that greeted them was something that looked akin to the entrance to a museum, complete with its own receptionist counter. A girl in uniform was checking over the people going in and out of the labyrinth with a smile. It appeared that everyone's status plate was checked at the entrance. That way, the number of casualties could be accurately tallied.
With the threat of war looming overhead, the government wanted to avoid losing too many men, so they implemented that policy as one of their countermeasures. They could see numerous seemingly new posters announcing public information about the dangers of each floor and advice about what to do in different circumstances.
Humanity, in all its decadence and rot, was still a fearsome opponent once a common enemy threatened its existence. Old feuds were forgiven, grudges were set aside, and rivalries were settled in order to form a grand alliance.
If only this could happen in times of peace...
It truly wasn't wrong to say that only in conflict humanity shined as one of the ultimate races.
At Captain Meld's notice they formed a standard formation and slowly entered the dungeon. Once inside, the lively atmosphere gradually vanished. The passage was only a little over five meters wide. There were magical lights illuminating the main paths but the majority of the labyrinth was dimly lit by a special mineral called 'Green Glowstone' that was buried in the walls. The entire Great Orcus Labyrinth was actually an excavated vein of green glowstone ore.
After a few uneventful minutes, the passage they were walking down opened up into a wide plaza. Towering seven or eight meters above them was a dome-shaped ceiling. The students were all looking around curiously, when suddenly a number of gray creatures resembling furballs burst out from cracks in the wall.
"Alright, Hayama, your team's up-front! Everyone else fall back! I'll have you switch in after some time, so stay sharp! These monsters are called Ratmen! They're quick on their feet, but not all that strong. Keep your cool as you fight!"
As Captain Meld had said, the Ratmen were quite fast and rushed at them with alarming agility. Pairs of dark red eyes gleamed with a ghastly light from within the balls of fur. Their name was rather fitting, as they looked like giant, muscular rats... that stood on two feet. Only the area around their corded chests and impressive eight-packs was bereft of fur, almost as if they were trying to show them off.
Hayama's group, who were facing them head-on, all grimaced when they got a better look. They certainly did look disgusting.
Once the Ratmen entered into range, Hayama, Tobe, Ooka, and Yamato all attacked at once. In the meantime, the mages and casters prepared their spells, chanting their respective lines.
Hayama swung his bastard sword faster than the eye could follow, and slaughtered a score of them with his first swing. His sword was one of the Artifacts that had been resting in the Heiligh treasury, and had the rather cliched name of "The Holy Sword". It was blessed with the light element, which had the sweet efficient properties of simultaneously weakening enemies that were hit by the light it emitted, while also increasing one's own physical strength. It sure played dirty for a "Holy" Sword.
Yamato had the job of Monk, which was a martial class that fought with its firsts. He was equipped with a pair of gauntlets and greaves. Those were also Artifacts, capable of unleashing enchanted shockwaves. Made from very rare and almost unbreakable materials. Yamato took up a stance and splendidly beat down any enemy that came close with punches and kicks, not letting a single one pass. Despite being practically bare-handed, his massive frame made him seem like an armored heavy knight.
Tobe, meanwhile, possessed the job of Lancer. He wielded a blood-red spear that radiated bloodlust. In one thrust he pierced through three monsters. It was unknown if he had this talent before the summoning but he definitely had a certain knack for handling the spear.
Ooka, on the other hand, was an Assassin that swiftly slit the throats of various Ratmen in a quick dash. To be honest, his job wasn't suited for fighting for extended periods but the stat growth he had along with everyone else fixed that specific problem.
While everyone was busy watching them fight, the people in the back-line finished their chants.
"Flames blacker than pitch, swirl about thine enemies! Burn until naught but their ashes remain- Spiral Blaze!"
They cast the spell in unison, and a huge whirlwind of flames enveloped the Ratmen, burning them to a crisp. The Ratmen screeched in pain, flailing wildly until the flames pouring down on them reduced them to ash. In the blink of an eye, all of the Ratmen had been annihilated. The other students didn't even get a chance to fight. The monsters on the first floor were far too weak to put up a fight against them.
Hachiman and some of them knew that using fire wasn't wise inside a closed space that was the dungeon but Meld and other instructors assured them that it was alright.
"Well done! Alright, the rest of you will be up next, so don't relax just yet!"
Captain Meld reminded the class not to let their guard down, though he was smiling, impressed at their prowess. Still, he couldn't prevent the students from getting pumped up about their first dungeon monster elimination expedition. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly as he saw the students breaking out into smiles.
"Oh, and... while you don't have to worry about it this time since it's training, in the future try and kill your enemies in a way that preserves their mana crystals. What you did back there was overkill."
From then on, the class smoothly advanced through the floors of the labyrinth, rotating the vanguard between battles.
Eventually, they arrived at the twentieth floor, the floor that separated skilled adventurers from rank amateurs. Currently, the deepest floor adventurers had managed to reach was floor sixty-five. However, that was a legendary feat that hadn't been replicated since, so in recent times anyone who made it past the first twenty floors was considered a highly-skilled fighter. Anyone who made it past the first forty was superhuman.
With Hayama's team at their head, the students were able to easily advance through the floors. Though they had little combat experience, their overpowered abilities more than compensated. The most dangerous enemy the students faced was actually the traps scattered about. Some of them were even lethal.
The most common countermeasure for traps was something known as a Fair Scope. A Fair Scope was a handy tool that detected traps by reading the flow of mana. Most of the traps in the labyrinth were magical in nature, so a Fair Scope detected around 80% of them. The remaining 20% were easily dodged or disabled by Hachiman.
However, the Scope possessed a very limited range, so it was only effective in the hands of an experienced user. Therefore, the real reason Hachiman and the others were able to descend so smoothly was because of how well their mentors were guiding them. Captain Meld also often reminded the students to never enter a room that hadn't been scoured for traps first amongst other instructions.
"Alright everyone, from this point on, monsters won't come at you just one species at a time. They'll coordinate with each other and attack in large groups. Don't let your guard down just because we've had nothing but easy victories so far! Today's training will conclude once we clear the twentieth floor, so let's end things with a bang!" Captain Meld's voice echoed throughout the room.
Up to that point, Hachiman hadn't done much of anything. He just followed Captain Meld's instructions and altered the battlegrounds erecting walls, creating pitfalls and generally just smoothed the area for the convenience of the rest of the group.
Every once in a while he tested different experiments with which he explored how effective alchemy could be in combat. Trying to transmute the innards of monsters proved to be a challenge, as their magic actively tried to defend their bodies from the effects of alchemy; common monsters on the surface did not do that. For now, it seemed that engineering a gun that shot potent explosive bullets would be the best option. Burying the monsters in compact materials proved to be too exhausting in the first excursion they had to slay monsters outside of the capital, and monsters inside the dungeon were faster than the speed of his area transmutations.
Hachiman swallowed a mana pill, which was used to recover mana as the name suggested, and transmuted his sweat into vapour. He might also need to learn biological transmutations in the future as well. Alchemy was theoretically able to heal wounds too. It had the ability of closing wounds, producing blood, limbs, and even organs from materials laying around. The possibilities were endless.
While he was taking a short break, Hachiman glanced at the front lines, and his eyes met Totsuka's. *he was smiling at him. Hachiman immediately looked away, as for the reason, he didn't know. Human interactions always tired him more than they should. It surely didn't help that he suffered from PTSD most of his former life. Couple that with his complete lack of interest in socializing back in Japan and you get a really awkward individual.
The class continued exploring the twentieth floor. They had been inside the dungeon for a week already, everyone leveled up at least thrice during this time. Continuous combat against monsters seemed to somehow enhance growth even if the act itself of killing monsters didn't provide exp.
Each of the labyrinth's floors spanned a few kilometers in every direction, and new floors usually took a team of dozens anywhere from half a month to an entire month to fully search and map out.
However, at present, all the floors until the fifty-seventh had been mapped out, so they were in no danger of getting lost. Nor should they be in any danger of falling into a trap.
The deepest room in the twentieth floor was like a limestone cave, but made of ice. Icicles protruded from the walls, some of them melted, creating a complex topography. The stairs leading to the twenty-first floor was just past it.
Once they made it that far, their training for the day would be over. Sadly, while teleportation magic had existed during the Age of the Gods, it no longer did, so they had to walk back to the entrance. The students had already begun to relax when a protrusion in the wall had prevented them from advancing in formation, forcing them to continue in a single line. Hachiman would have widened the passage but the material the protrusion was made of seemed to be resistant to magic.
Eventually, the two people at the head of their procession, Hayama and Captain Meld, came to a halt. Puzzled, the students prepared for battle as they looked around. Something had made them stop.
"It's a trap! Keep a close eye on your surroundings!" Captain Meld yelled out a warning to everyone.
Hachiman and the others could feel the atmosphere shift. Everyone was assailed by a blinding light. Numerous magic circles started appearing out of thin air.
Not longer than a few fractions later tattoos started glowing from both Hachiman's gloves and Yukinoshita's cloak. The first one disrupting the active arrays and the cloak's magic protected the students from the consequent explosion.
For the next moments there was an absolute silence. You could have heard a pin drop. They had been very close to falling into a stray teleportation trap, one of the most lethal and dangerous traps there were in The Great Orcus Labyrinth
"Everyone, the expedition is over! Let's head back, now!" His voice boomed like thunder in the absence of noise.
Eating mana pills like candy, Hachiman cursed under his breath. His hands were burned by the blistering gloves. Casting magic through an object or tool tended to heat the material, which normally didn't hurt the spellcaster if the material was of good quality. However, channeling almost four hundred units of mana in a fraction of a second seemed to be beyond what it was made for.
Fortunately the burns were superficial at most so Yuigahama, the Priest, healed his injuries in an instant.
Oscar Orcus who watched the events unfold smiled for the first time in centuries.
A wild card had appeared in his grand game of chess against the gods.
Wait, who was he in his past life?
Everything in due time... :D
@Ekfreet ;-; I shall wait.