Pion! Use Paralyze Needle!
Allen!
Are you two okay?!
You saved us!
I thought we were about to bite the dust.
Gotta think about how to counter those traps.
Heal!
Maybe we should recruit a scout for the party, after all.
But that means doing C-rank dungeons all over again.
What if we move in a tighter formation?
Let's power through 'em with grit!
Huh?!
A-RANK DUNGEON: FINAL FLOOR
EPISODE 16: AN ORDER FROM THE PRINCE
So, that's an A-rank monster...
It's huge. At least 10 meters tall.
Will our attacks even reach it?
Well, we're lucky the first one we encountered is an armored type.
Because if we can beat a high-defense monster like that, it means our attacks will work on any A-rank!
That's a good point.
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: SWORD LORD (5)
SLASH (5) EXP
AIR SLASH (5) EXP
PYROBLAST (5) EXP
THUNDEROUS BLOW (3) EXP
TOUGHNESS (1) SWORD MASTERY (5)
NAME: CECIL GRANVELLE
AGE:
TALENT: WIZARDESS
LEVEL:
NAME: KRENA
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: WIZARDRY (5)
FIRE MAGIC (5) EXP
EARTH MAGIC (5) EXP
AGE:
TALENT: SWORD LORD
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
WIND MAGIC (5) EXP
ICE MAGIC (3) EXP
Besides, we're all at a pretty high level now.
NAME: KEEL
AGE:
TALENT: CLERIC
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: CLERIC (5)
HEAL (5) EXP
SOLIDITY (5) EXP
CURE (5) EXP
MAGIC WALL (3) EXP
FAITH (1) SWORD MASTERY (3)
NAME: DOGORA
AGE:
TALENT: AXE USER
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: WAR AXE (5)
FULL MIGHT (5) EXP
AXE THROW (5) EXP
EXPLOSIVE STRIKE (5) EXP
AVALANCHE SMASH (3) EXP
RESOLVE (1) AXE MASTERY (5)
NAME: ALLEN
AGE:
TALENT: SUMMONER
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: SUMMON (6)
CREATE (6) EXP
FUSE (6) EXP
ENHANCE (6) EXP
AWAKEN (6) EXP EXPANSION (5)
STORAGE, SHARE, DELETE
INVENTORY
[INSECT]
[BEAST] C - 20 CARDS
[BIRD] C - 5 CARDS
[GRASS]
[STONE] E - 10 CARDS, C - 4 CARDS
[FISH] C - 1 CARD, D - 1 CARD
[SPIRIT] C - 19 CARDS
Just be confident!
It sucks how they all keep getting further ahead of me in level.
I better switch up my cards.
BEAST C
BIRD C
STONE E
STONE C
FISH D
FISH C
SPIRIT C
ABILITY: SUBSTITUTE
TAKE THE DAMAGE FOR A SINGLE TARGET
(THAT IS WITHIN A 50 METER RADIUS)
Steely! Ability: Substitute!
ABILITY: SHARK OIL
INCREASES CRITICAL HIT RATE + 10%
EFFECTIVE FOR 24 HOURS
Finny! Ability: Shark Oil!
AWAKENED SKILL: DISPERSE
GIVES A FIXED CHANCE OF EVADING PHYSICAL
AND MAGICAL ATTACKS FOR 1 HOUR
COOLDOWN: 1 DAY
Fillet! Awakened Skill: Disperse!
Okay, stick to the plan. I'll make the first move.
Time for my new special attack! Here goes!
Summon Wally!
And hit 'em with... our maximum firepower!
Meteor-unofficial!
AWAKENED SKILL: EXPLODE
ATTACKS THE ENEMY BY SELF-DESTRUCTING.
CANNOT GO BACK TO NORMAL ONCE USED.
ACTIVATES WHEN ENEMIES COME WITHIN 5 METERS.
(ALSO CAN BE DIRECTED TO EXPLODE IN SPECIFIED LOCATION)
YOU HAVE DEFEATED 10 ORC KINGS
YOU HAVE EARNED 200,000 EXP
This is basically the same as me casting magic.
Hey, don't steal the name of my spell!
Did that take care of all of them?
The boss is still standing!
Let's kick its butt!
Right!
She's okay, isn't she?
I mean, substitute activated and everything.
Krena!
I'm all right!
Atta girl!
Heal!
Charge, Fran!
Explosive Strike!
Now it's my turn!
Pyroblast!
Go, Maria!
Flame Lance!
All-out attack!
We did it!
Yahoo!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED 1 GREAT WARRIOR
YOU HAVE EARNED 480,000 EXP
We beat the toughest dungeon there is!
Wow, A-rank magic stones are hefty!
Yahoo! Check out that treasure chest!
Oh, it's just a wooden one.
HOLY CRAP!
Wow! A Scarletite Axe!
Axes are your wheelhouse, Dogora!
Are you sure?
Time to retire that mithril axe of yours.
Thanks for the good times, bud.
The frontlines are filled with monsters like that, huh?
We're gonna need to keep leveling up and get way better equipment.
Congratulations, members of the No-Life Gamers party.
It's my pleasure to present you with your first certificate of success.
Certificate of what now?
You may earn the right to challenge an S-rank dungeon by clearing five A-rank ones.
S-rank dungeon?!
You mean there are S-rank boss monsters?!
How crazy strong can they get?!
I bet the treasure chest is worth a fortune!
Whoa, it's just like a stamp card! What a blast from the past!
ALLEN: AGE 13
OCTOBER
Summer break came to an end and I turned thirteen.
Your advice helped a ton, Allen! We made it through a C-rank dungeon!
I'm glad to hear that.
There were only 3 students from our class who got expelled for not clearing a dungeon in time.
Is it true that your party conquered an A-rank dungeon, Allen?
What?! A-rank?!
Having a Sword Lord must help.
Even the seniors struggle to beat A-rank.
These guys are in another league!
Hey! Let's spar for old times sake!
Give me a break.
My summons are off fighting in an A-rank dungeon, so I can't change any cards.
Boo...
C'mere, you.
You're sparring with me.
Wah! Help me, Allen!
Have fun!
Well, will you spar with me, then?
Sure thing, Rifol.
Reminds me of all the times I fought against Mihai.
I'll hand it to you, Sword Lord.
You're strong enough to beat an A-rank dungeon for sure.
Thank you... for the match.
It's amazing she can give our teacher a run for his money.
Totally!
Glad she has someone other than me to fight with.
Oh, right. Krena and Allen!
The Headmaster wants to see you. Let's go.
He does? I wonder what for.
Staaaaaaaare...
Hey, I didn't do anything.
Are you going to keep crawling dungeons?
Of course. Our goal is to challenge an S-rank before we graduate.
But there are only four A-rank dungeons in the city, so we'll need to challenge one more somewhere else.
How far did you make it, sir?
I conquered three A-rank dungeons. It was the best I could manage back then.
Nobody in the kingdom has made it to an S-rank dungeon ever since Lord Dverg did several decades ago.
So you'll go down in history if you manage it!
I love to dream big!
Pardon us.
Thank you for coming. Please step forward.
Question! Are you an elf, sir?
Indeed.
Despite how I look, I'm a millennium old.
I've served as both academy headmaster and city administrator for 43 years now.
Wow...
You're a thousand years old?
Moving onto business, I would like you two to participate
in the school's Martial Arts Tournament that's being held next week.
Tournament?!
Oh, great, a tournament...
This is the first I'm hearing about it.
Well, that's because freshmen like you can't normally participate.
It's a fighting tournament where 16 contenders vie for the top spot.
And no magic is allowed.
Many guests attend from other countries.
As well as members of the Ratash royal family.
If I may, Dogora is a stronger attacker than me.
Wouldn't that make him a better fit?
Unfortunately, Axe Users are not eligible for participation.
So, one-star classes are just chopped liver?
The use of skills is allowed.
I'm recommending you for the slot, personally.
He wants me to show off what a Summoner can do, I guess.
But unless this can teach me something new or level up my skills, then it's just a waste of time.
I'll have to pass.
Bwah?!
You should know winning the tournament earns you the right to fight Sword Lord Dverg.
Really?!
That's exciting for you. Better upgrade your equipment before then.
Fine, I'll just enroll Krena for the tournament.
The day before the Martial Arts Tournament was set to begin, we had three visitors at the house.
Isn't that kid from our class?
Mm-hmm.
You must be Keel and Nina.
I can see some resemblance to Viscount Carnel.
You don't say.
Let me cut to the chase.
I've spoken with His Royal Highness about the future of the Carnel family.
Oh, he got moving on that problem quick!
He has made no promise to restore your family to nobility.
Which leads me to the reason for my visit...
What's this?
A contract that will restore the Carnel family to good standing.
The conditions are as follows: You must serve 5 years in the war.
However, making significant contributions to the war effort may shorten that period.
CONTRACT AGREEMENT
That's all.
The king has already signed it.
The Granvelle and Hamilton families have signed off on it, as well.
Hamilton?
Hi, Keel.
We've never had a proper chance to talk in class before.
My name is Rifol Hamilton.
I'm here on behalf of my father, Count Hamilton, who is the liege lord of the Granvelle and Carnel families.
Liege lord?
Liege lords are upper nobility who take charge and care for vassal families.
During your time on the frontlines, the Hamiltons will take on the responsibility of caring for your family.
Th-thank you so much!
Um...
Hm?
Why are you doing this for us?
I mean, it seems awfully nice of you.
Members of nobility must adhere to social contracts.
And take responsibility for their own actions.
Thus, as head of the Granvelle family, I am merely upholding my duty.
However, we have more to discuss.
There was the royal messenger who collaborated with the Carnels.
And the envoy who came to speak with you, Keel.
My investigation determined they both served under a certain member of royalty.
The Crown Prince, Invel von Ratash.
He is the king's nephew, and next in line for the throne.
There is no direct evidence that links the Crown Prince to this scheme,
which means the king cannot do anything.
So, the bastard behind Cecil's kidnapping and Keel's exploitation gets off scot-free.
The king is reaching old age,
so it's likely the Crown Prince will have ascended the throne in the next 5 years.
And there is no guarantee he will uphold this contract.
Will you still sign it?
You've all helped to give my family a chance that we might not otherwise have.
I won't let you down. As head of the Carnel family, I will also uphold my duty.
Very good.
The academy's Martial Arts Tournament is tomorrow, yes?
I look forward to seeing you in action, Sword Lord Krena.
Yessir!
THE HARDCORE GAMER DOMINATES
IN ANOTHER WORLD WITH GARBAGE BALANCING
Good luck, Krena!
Be careful out there!
Allen. Do you see the skybox across from us?
Krena!
Give 'em hell!
Yes.
The man sitting there is the Crown Prince.
Incredible!
The young Sword Lord Krena just toppled the last competitor to win the tournament!
Now she has to face Lord Dverg, huh?
Reminds me of that one special class we had.
This is it, folks. The winner will now face off against Sword Lord Dverg.
Lord Dverg uses his swordsmanship to send his opponent packing every year.
Will this be another blowout?!
You've already climbed to the top, I see.
Yes! I've toughened up!
In my years, I have hunted monsters.
Vanquished fiends. Slayed demonic gods.
Come at me, Krena! And don't hold anything back!
Okay!
Air Slash!
Thunderous Blow!
It's like my attack didn't even hit him...
Slash!
Is that really all you've got?!
Krena!
He hits so hard!
Don't tell me that you're done already!
Not by a long shot!
Not... yet...
And down goes Sword Lord Krena!
Lord Dverg brings yet another champion to their knees!
Grow stronger.
Your friends need you.
Krena!
I poured everything I had into that fight...
But I still lost! I couldn't even land one hit!
Well, yeah.
Dverg had the advantage in both skills and equipment.
Don't be so sulky.
It just means you have plenty of untapped potential left!
So let's get so tough that you can wipe the floor with him next year!
Okay!
Good. That's the spirit.
Glad you're okay.
What a wonderful fight.
It's been a decade since we last had a Sword Lord spectacle like that.
The guest seats were abuzz.
Greetings, Viscount.
Let's have a little chat.
Well? Take a seat.
Viscount Granvelle.
Please use this chair here.
I don't recall permitting any servants to butt in.
But whatever. Hurry and sit down.
Don't mind if I do. Thank you, Your Highness.
I left Cecil and the others with Captain Zenof, so they should be okay.
The real question is, what does this jerkface want with the Viscount?
I imagine business must be booming in the Granvelle Fiefdom.
First, a Sword Lord is born among your serfs, then you get to restart the mithril mines,
and finally, you tear down your biggest rival-the Carnels.
"Tear down" is not how I'd put it.
Now there's a contract in place to restore the Carnels to nobility?
I must say, His Royal Highness can be so capricious.
Although, I already have a good idea of who put that idea in his head.
Let's get down to brass tacks.
The Giamutan Empire is facing a very hostile battlefront in the war
and wants us to send them reinforcements.
I'm thinking about dispatching your daughter.
P-please wait a moment!
Oh, don't throw a fit.
It's only fair alliance supporters like you uphold the duty that comes with it, no?
Because all of us in the Kingdom First camp have been demanding
that we invest less of our resources in the war against the Demon Lord.
Okay, I'm starting to grasp the political landscape around here.
It's split between the Alliance Camp who want to help rally against the Demon Lord,
and the Kingdom First Camp who want to prioritize their own country.
Care more for your daughter, do you?
I know the feeling. I have my own little girl who's about to turn 10.
And worse yet, she has a talent.
Granvelle. Tell the king that you want to ditch the contract.
Do that, and I'll agree to forget about what I mentioned earlier.
So, that's his game.
This makes Clerics especially valuable,
leading many to be exploited and worked to the bone as personal healers for young nobles.
He wants Keel to serve as his daughter's personal healer.
Crown Prince Invel.
I'm afraid it won't be easy to walk back a contract...
Whoa there.
Don't tell me he's actually gonna fold to keep Cecil safe!
If I may, Viscount.
This is a golden opportunity to reap the fruits of battle!
Allen! Wh-what are you saying?
Who's this?
I'm the leader of the party that Sword Lord Krena and Lady Cecil belong to.
You are? Not the Sword Lord?
Correct.
I was given a mission to protect Lady Cecil from any and all danger.
As you can see, we're aware of the risks.
If you wish to send my daughter to provide support on the Empire's frontlines,
then I will happily abide by that order.
I'm impressed.
Then lay down your life to protect the girl, if you really can.
Yessir!
ALLEN: AGE 13
JANUARY
Three months passed.
My Enhance Skill went up to level 7.
Today's plan is to repeat a dungeon and challenge the boss monster spawn.
Finally, on our 76th run through...
...the big baddie rears its ugly head.
The ultimate boss monster: Heavy Dragon!
I've got goosebumps, man!
What's the plan, Allen?
The lady at the guild said this one was too dangerous for us to handle.
Oh, we're totally going to fight it!
This is the biggest challenge an A-rank dungeon can throw at us!
KRENA AGE:
TALENT: SWORD LORD
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: SWORD LORD (5) SLASH (5)
AIR SLASH (5) PYROBLAST (5)
THUNDEROUS BLOW (5) TOUGHNESS (1)
SWORD MASTERY (5)
EXTRA: LIMIT BREAK
EQUIPMENT: SCARLETITE BROADSWORD
RING SLOT 1: ATTACK +100, RING SLOT 2: ATTACK +100
CECIL AGE:
TALENT: WIZARDESS
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: WIZARDRY (5) FIRE MAGIC (5)
EARTH MAGIC (5) WIND MAGIC (5)
ICE MAGIC (4) WISDOM (1)
SPARRING (2)
EXTRA: PETIT METEOR
EQUIPMENT: LIGHT MAGIC ROD
RING SLOT 1: HP +100, RING SLOT 2: INTELLIGENCE +100
We all upgraded our weapons
and equipped rings that boost our stats.
KEEL AGE:
TALENT: CLERIC
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: CLERIC (5) HEAL (5)
SOLIDITY (5) CURE (5)
MAGIC WALL (4) FAITH (1)
SWORD MASTERY (3)
EXTRA: GRACE ENERGY
EQUIPMENT: JUDGEMENT ROD
RING SLOT 1: HP +500, RING SLOT 2: HP +100
DOGORA AGE:
TALENT: AXE USER
LEVEL:
HP:
MP:
ATTACK:
ENDURANCE:
AGILITY:
INTELLIGENCE:
LUCK:
SKILLS: WAR AXE (5), FULL MIGHT (5)
AXE THROW (5) EXPLOSIVE STRIKE (5)
AVALANCHE SMASH (4) RESOLVE (1)
AXE MASTERY (5)
EXTRA: FULL BLAZE
EQUIPMENT: SCARLETITE AXE
RING SLOT 1: HP +100, RING SLOT 2: ATTACK +100
We'll use a defensive strategy this time.
Steely! You're up!
STONE C
HP +50, ENDURANCE +50
I'll strike first.
You guys watch out for its Breath attack!
Right!
Guess I shouldn't steal any spell names from Cecil.
Wally, it's your time to shine!
Meteor-unofficial, renamed to:
Wally Blaster!
Nailed 'im!
Five puny humans dare to challenge me?
It talks?!
It must have really high intelligence.
Your ignorance is sinful.
You shall pay for it by burning alive in my hellish flam-
Wally Blaster!
Curse you...
YOU PESTS! I WASN'T DONE TALKING YET!
Sweet! That took a good chunk of its HP.
Did you really need to make it mad?
It's go time!
Fran! Use Fleetfoot!
It's harder than freakin' steel.
Must have a physical resistance buff.
I'm going to CRUSH you bugs!
Breath attack incoming!
Steely! Use Substitute and then Sacrifice!
Oh no!
What a strange spell.
Holy smokes, we would've burned to a crisp without those summons!
Stay sharp! Another attack is coming!
Nothing to be afraid of! We can tank it!
Flame Lance!
Hey, guys? Doesn't it seem kinda slow?
Uh-oh. Is it charging up?!
This is bad! Retreat, you guys!
Steely!
It wiped out 4 of my Steelys in one blast!
That would kill Keel and Cecil instantly!
Shit! I can't summon fast enough!
Krena! Dogora! Hang in there!
Keel!
High Heal!
Hey! Are you two okay?!
Ouch... We lost our Frans!
You blithering fools!
Dammit! Not the same attack again!
We can't win, Allen...
Don't give up!
I've figured out exactly how fast and powerful its breath attack is.
We can do this!
Get ready for a long fight!
Huh? What's up with Krena?
Wait a sec. I recognize this!
You just dug your own grave!
It's a direct hit!
Heal her!
Hold on, is this her Extra Skill at work?
Limit Break.
What happened? Krena's super strong!
She's done this once before, back when were kids.
Yeah.
All her stats are boosted by 3,000 and up?!
SUPER HP RECOVERY
And she's even got Super HP Recovery!
It's restoring 1% of her HP every second!
YOU HUMAN TRASH!
BURN TO ASH!
YOU HAVE DEFEATED 1 HEAVY DRAGON.
YOU HAVE EARNED 1,600,000 EXP.
I beat the big dragon!