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

Allen's group entered the forest, guided by Abigayle and a warden scout named Bongora.
The scout had a 2 Star Talent [Spy]. Such Talents allowed detecting enemies, and more Stars improved them. It was a similar Talent line to thieves.
Adventurer parties usually preferred thieves, while scouts were chosen by the army.
Thieves were better at finding traps and collecting items, while scouts gathered information better.

[Scout and thieves Talents]
1 Star: Scout, Thief
2 Stars: Spy, Plunderer
3 Stars: Operative, Phantom Thief

(I have to start giving orders to get this started now.)

"Merle and Admiral Galara's party follow us on the air. I'll give you orders through Poppo."

"Okay, got it."

All their golems moved clumsily through the forest, so it was better if they followed in the air.
[Transmission] and [Messenger] also allowed Allen to give orders from afar.

"Alright, Abigayle and Bongora please stay in the middle of our formation now."

Dogora, Shea, and Rosetta were in the front, the two dragonkin in the center with Rosalina and Allen, and Kurena and Ignomas rounded up the group from behind.
After that was Helmios' party, and behind them was Haku.

[Helmios' party Sacred's members and their Talents]
-Hero King: Helmios (treated as hero though)
-Sword King: Doberg, Silvia
-Holy Knight King: Vesta
-Venerable: Greta, Ingrissa
-Sorcerer King: Limia, Lola
-Archer King: Gimisty
-Thief King: Rosetta

Helmios had a 6 Star Talent, while the rest had 4 Star Talents. Other than Helmios and Doberg they were all female, and around 25 years old. They all were equipped with items Allen gave them, or that they found in the S Rank Dungeon.
Helmios' party was essentially the strongest it could be for people in Normal Mode.
They continued walking into the forest, the thick fog obscuring the sun, which made Abigayle and Bongora nervous.

"Try to relax a little."

"O-okay, just be careful with the palpitations."

"Palpitations?"

"Nestirad's palpitations. So far no one has gotten to see Nestirad and returned alive."

Bongora was shaking as he mentioned how a ghost named Nestirad would cause loud beats that could be heard from afar, but Allen just told the two dragonkin to calm down.
Stats were everything in this world, and he knew he could survive most hits, and he had plenty of ways to heal and recover.

"Got it, let's just be careful then. Just don't break formation and we'll all be alright."

Bongora was the most scared, and Allen tried to reassure him.

"There should be a large tree up ahead. A Great Angel Rank ghost called Graham should be there."

(I can see a big ghost there too.)

Allen had also seen the large ghost with Kuwatoro's [Thousand-mile Eyes] a distance ahead, which could be traversed in one hour on foot.
He decided they would use [Floating Wings] so everyone could fly and get there faster.

"Still, I wonder where ghosts come from."

Sophie walked up to Allen, and Formar rushed too, worried about her safety.

(Now that I think about it, I never asked either.)

Allen had not asked Merus about that.

"...Ghosts are powerful people who strayed off the circle of life and death."

Bongora seemed used to acting as a guide, so he soon spoke of what dragonkin knew about ghosts. The Gods had made it so whenever something died, their souls would reincarnate into a new being. But sometimes when someone was too powerful in life, their souls could end up breaking free from that cycle, amassing new power and appearing as ghosts.

(I was reincarnated too. I guess my soul was thrown into that cycle too when I was born here.)

Allen felt like he had heard parts of that before.

"We wardens of the divine realm are tasked with returning those lost souls to their correct path."

Abigayle also explained what his duty was.

"And what's the reason why the divine people want Spirit Crystal Stones?"

"I don't know that. The Gate of Judgement hasn't opened in millenia, and the Heavenly King also didn't ask for any since then."

Getting Spirit Crystal Stones was not part of the wardens' duties.

(Maybe they don't want to risk losing their wardens just to obtain Spirit Crystal Stones.)

Dragonkin that had not crossed the Gate of Judgement were too weak to fight Angel Rank ghosts, and only Great Angel Rank ghosts were guaranteed to have them.

"Everyone stay sharp. There's something ahead!"

Rosetta shouted while she raised a fist. That was a signal to tell teammates to stop, which she learned in the Academy before dropping out.
Dogora grasped Kagutsuchi and his orichalcum battleaxe and got in a fight stance. Everyone else also got ready, and Allen used his Bird F summon to tell Merle and Galara to be watchful.

A skeleton burning in blue flames stood in front of the large tree.
The ghost noticed them, the flames becoming larger as he grasped a greatsword and shield.

'I'm the Sword Saint Graham! Why did you come here?!!'

Naming himself, Graham took a fighting stance.

(Hm? So he's like a Demon General Rank, he's pretty strong and has a lot of Endurance too. And Graham? Did I hear that name before somewhere?)

[Name] Graham
[Age] 1056
[Species] Soul Saber
[Strength] 38300
[Mana] 23000
[Spiritual Power] 12800
[Attack] 36400
[Endurance] 33900
[Agility] 28700
[Intelligence] 26700
[Luck] 0
[Attack Element] Lightning, Ice
[Endurance Element] Four Fundamental Elements, Physical Resistance

Many stats were above 30000, so Great Angel Rank was equivalent to Demon Generals.
Soul Saber also sounded like a cool species, but the name Graham felt familiar to Allen.
He tried to recall his lessons about famous knights in the Academy, but that was not it.

(No, it wasn't at the Academy, it happened more recently, but I can't remember where.)

"Spread out around him!"

While Allen tried to remember, everyone moved under Helmios' orders.
He could not remember, but he wanted a Spirit Crystal Stone, so he also prepared himself to fight. Graham was a strong foe, but Allen's group could defeat him with enough time.

Bump

Then the Grimoire appeared in front of him, letters desperately appearing one after another.

'Please rescue Graham. He can become your Wraith S summon.'

"Wha-?!"

Allen did not know who was writing that, but he always wished he knew things like that beforehand.

"What's wrong Allen?"

Cecile reacted to his surprised voice.

'Come! You'll add a fine luster to my sword!!'

Graham dashed ahead just as Dogora also ran forward.

"Hahh!!"

'Ghah?!'

Dogora easily blocked the first attack, and easily flung Graham away.

"Stop, he's a friend!"

"What? Did you go crazy!!"

Dogora could not understand what Allen was saying.

(Sometimes I feel like I did go crazy.)

"Everyone stop attacking and retreat. Apparently I can make him my summon!"

Allen's voice echoed loudly through the Bird F's Special Skill [Transmission], so Merle and Galara also heard it.
They could obtain a Spirit Crystal Stone from Graham, but he could also become a summon.
Sometimes accepting all quests available also led to such situations.

'You're strong, lad. But don't think you can keep my blade at bay forever!'

"Wha-?! Are you serious?! How is that a friend!!"

Dogora shouted in protest at Allen, having to fend off Graham's greatsword again.

(Hmmm? Graham takes us as enemies, what should I do… Let's just weaken him for now.)

"Sorry for that, try to weaken him then, but don't kill him."

Allen's game sense told him the trick to make an enemy an ally was to lower their health.

"Bongora…what's happening here?"

"I wouldn't be able to tell you, Warden Leader…"

The two wardens were confused, they could tell Allen was trying to weaken Graham without killing him, but they did not understand why.

'You're strong, and I'm outnumbered. What a pitiful end…'

Graham did not have any self-healing abilities, so it was just a matter of time.
Allen carefully watched his Strength be chipped away, and once it was down to 1000 Graham fell down on one knee and stopped moving.

"Good good, he's not moving anymore."

Allen took out a Sacred Beast Stone and slowly approached Graham.

(Time to catch Graham.)

Everyone watched as Allen started rubbing the stone on Graham's face.

'You…so you won't grant me a dignified death. My loyalty to the empire never wavered!!'

"It's not working. How do I get him?"

It had worked with Makris and Kuwatoro, but not with Graham.
Allen looked at his Grimoire and saw a line repeated countless times.

'The Sacred Beast is still impure, it can't enter the Sacred Beast Stone.'
'The Sacred Beast is still impure, it can't enter the Sacred Beast Stone.'
'The Sacred Beast is still impure, it can't enter the Sacred Beast Stone.'

Allen had to clean Graham somehow.

'I planned everything on my own, my family had nothing to do with it!'

Graham was just talking on his own.

"Hmm, Sword Saint Graham, emperor, a plan…wait, ahhh!!"

Allen listened to him hoping to obtain a hint to obtain him as a summon, but his swords actually reminded Allen of something.

"Allen? What happened?"

While everyone watched in confusion, Helmios broke formation and got close to Allen.

(Right, it was Helmios who told me about that.)

"Helmios, can I ask you something?"

"Hm? What is it?"

Helmios knew that Allen always had his strange moments, so he did not question him.

"What was the name of the knight who murdered the tyrant emperor again?"

Allen had asked Helmios to investigate the tyrant emperor's grave months ago.

"Hm? Ahh, wait, ahhh! He was the bodyguards' commander Graham."

Helmios understood what Allen was getting at. After the investigation, Helmios had told Allen about the tyrant emperor, and who the knight who killed him was.

"Everyone, listen up. This ghost is Graham, the knight who killed the tyrant emperor."

Everyone else looked shocked hearing that.
Allen had finally recalled what the name of the knight who killed the tyrant emperor was.