Beta Testing the Apocalypse 007 (Patreon)

After an evening and early morning that made him wish he could rush up to the Tenth Floor and crush the Boss that would presumably reward him with a flesh and blood body, Leon focused on expanding the clearing and increasing his stock of wood while Mordred swung around an even larger sword than before.

"That should be plenty of space for the time being..." said Leon, having expanded the clearing to roughly half the size of a football field.

"Now, let's see..."

Opening the Build tab and selecting the Workshop blueprint, Leon did his best to line it up with the cabin on the far side of the clearing. He almost constructed them right next to one another, but Mordred admonished him and told him to erect the Workshop at least fifty meters from the cabin so she wasn't disturbed by the sounds it would invariably produce.

Noticing the flash of bluish-white light and seeing a small building with an external forge pop up in front of Leon, Mordred discontinued her training, made her way over, and remarked, "This is more than adequate. It seems to have all the basic tools and equipment we'll need, and I'm fairly certain those slabs are blade molds."

"That's not all..." replied Leon, his gaze fixed on the pop-up notification that had appeared when he erected the Workshop. "Apparently, as a first-time reward for building a Workshop, I'm permitted to summon someone suited to operate it..."

Blinking in surprise, Mordred questioned, "Isn't that a good thing?" before smiling as she asked, "Or is it that you'd prefer it remained just the two of us...?"

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind if it remained just us until we reached the top of the Tower..." replied Leon.

"Unfortunately, even if I regained my strength, I doubt we'd get very far without adequate weapons and armor," appended Mordred, nudging Leon with her elbow before turning around and adding, "Come on. We might as well get it over with."

Nodding, Leon felt the urge to have Mordred promise to remain faithful, but as they had yet to establish they were an actual couple, he remained silent and accompanied her to the underground summoning chamber. He wanted to believe they were already in a committed relationship, but as it had barely been two days since their first encounter, he was...uncertain if she felt the same way or was simply using him to get off...

With such thoughts in mind, Leon hesitated at the base of the massive glowing crystal, staring at the notification asking whether he wanted to perform a Restricted Summoning.

"Are you seriously that worried about me running off with another guy...?" asked Mordred, her tone incredulous but a clearly amused smile adorning her face. Then, before Leon could turn around and respond, she promptly pointed out, "In case you've forgotten, I'm here to have my wish granted. You're the lynchpin behind this whole operation, so don't worry. I won't do anything to jeopardize your trust if you don't betray mine."

"Then it looks like we're stuck together till the end," declared Leon, feeling considerably better after hearing Mordred's words. He knew he was being selfish, but while Mordred wasn't the first girl he had fallen for, she was so far beyond the stock and comparably mundane girls from his previous life that it was almost unfair to compare them...

Confirming the Restricted Summoning, Leon once again lamented the lack of flair or special effects. When he saw who was summoned, however, his non-existent mouth opened, and his eyes widened to their absolute limits. Standing before him was a brown-haired, brown-eyed man roughly 175cm tall. His hair was medium-length, somewhat spiky, and fashioned into a low ponytail at the back, while his attire consisted of a predominately red-and-black trenchcoat adorned with multiple rune-covered belts. Beneath that, he wore a sleeveless black-and-red tunic, thick, fire-resistant pants, and a pair of belted, metal-toed, thick-soled boots.

Recognizing the man as one of the protagonists of the few eroge he had played, Leon felt slightly nervous as he asked, "You're Wilfred Dion, aren't you...?"

As he had initially been staring at Mordred, Wilfred, better known as Wil, blinked in surprise before gazing roughly at where he had heard Leon's voice originate, smiling as he replied, "That's right, but please, feel free to call me Wil. I've never been good with formalities."

"Nice to meet you, Wil. I'm Leon, the person who summoned you, and this Mordred, my Adjutant and Second-in-Command."

Though she raised her right brow when Leon introduced her as his Adjutant, Mordred quickly appended, "I'm also the Commander of the as-of-yet-formed Expeditionary Squad. You'll be responsible for forging our weapons and equipment."

Placing his right hand over his chest and bowing slightly, Wil sported a confident smile as he replied, "I look forward to working with you both and pledge to give my all toward our shared endeavor."

"I don't doubt that in the slightest..." muttered Leon, half-turning to face Mordred.

"Can you give the two of us a moment...?" asked Leon.

"Sure," replied Mordred, gesturing with her thumb toward the entrance as she added, "I'll be up on the surface training. Once you're done speaking, have this guy warm up the forge. I'll drop by after I finish my training and wash up."

Without waiting for a response, Mordred promptly turned and departed, leaving Leon alone with Wil. The latter maintained a confident smile, but a bead of sweat formed on his cheek before he reached up to scratch it, his smile gaining a hint of wryness as he remarked, "That was quite the outfit your Adjutant was wearing. Is that the kind of clothing I'll be expected to produce...?"

"Honestly, I'd prefer it if you made her something a little more modest," replied Leon. "Don't get me wrong, she looks amazing. But as more guys are added to our ranks, it could become a problem..."

"Are the two of you a couple...?" asked Wil.

"The simple answer is yes, but I'm sure you have first-hand experience with how complicated relationships can be..."

Exhaling an awkward chuckle and scratching his cheek with his right index finger, Wil asked, "How much do you know about me and the world I originate from...?"

"I would have been able to answer that a few years back, but I've mostly forgotten the details," answered Leon. "That's why I wanted to speak with you in private. Can you tell me the last thing you remember before coming here...?"

"It's a little embarrassing..." replied Wil, moving his hand to the back of his head as he revealed, "My companions and I were attending a banquet in a nation called Disnafrody, celebrating an end to their famine. The last thing I recall was drinking a cup of wine, and then I was in a dark space, unable to move. I'm pretty sure I was assassinated."

"You don't seem particularly bothered by the possibility," Leon noted.

Shrugging, Wil revealed, "I already knew there were people after my life, so this is the natural consequence of my lack of vigilance. I was also told that if I worked hard and aided in your endeavor, I could reach out to my friends and loved ones and invite them here."

"Then, just out of curiosity...who did you end up with?" asked Leon. The eroge Wil was from, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, had three distinct routes and heroines. There were several other canon love interests and support characters, but Leon doubted anyone could realistically handle dozens of girls of different races, including Angels and Archfiends, without serious issues arising.

Tilting his head, Wil remarked, "That's a curious question, but if you want to know, I married a girl named Yuela. But how you phrased your question makes it seem like I could have ended up with someone else. I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind..."

"Ah...well, you see, back in my world, your world was a game where you could romance various girls," explained Leon. "I can't recall the names of all the heroines, but I'm pretty sure the girl you mentioned, Yuela, was the black-haired swordswoman. The other two routes involved romancing an Elf and a pink-haired mage."

Blinking in surprise, Wil remarked, "You must be referring to Servalwi and Emelita. I certainly shared some moments with both of them, but when I started getting more involved with Yuela, they pulled back and supported us."

"Then let's just sideline this conversation for now," said Leon. "If we delve too deeply into specifics and possibilities, it could complicate things once you reunite with your friends and lover. As for how you can summon them, I'm not too sure just yet. It's only been two, going on three days since we were brought here."

"I understand," replied Wil, regaining a confident smile as he added, "I'm honestly looking forward to this quite a bit. I doubt I scratched more than the surface of what there was to learn and discover in my previous world, but the prospect of exploring a completely new one has my blood boiling. Once I get everyone's equipment prepared and in order, do you mind if I accompany the Expeditionary Squad into the Tower...?"

"Yeah, as I recall, Alchemists from your world take pride in gathering their own materials, right? Having someone on hand to do repairs and perform routine maintenance would also be helpful, so you're more than welcome to join once we start exploring."

"Great! Thanks for having me!" exclaimed Wil, extending his right hand. He immediately regretted it, as there was a possibility Leon couldn't return a handshake, but his worries were promptly proven unwarranted as he felt a hand grab his own. The grip was a little weak, but Wil wasn't one to judge, smiling from ear to ear as he and Leon shared their first handshake.

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With Wil asking for a day or two to get his bearings and get things set up in his Workshop, Leon and Mordred left the eager man to his own devices as they discussed the prospect of acquiring additional allies by expanding their camp. They doubted every specialized facility would warrant a free summon, but it seemed likely that a Hunter's Lodge, Eatery, and Outpost would come with at least one person to staff them.

"Well, here goes..." said Leon, materializing a wood cabin roughly the same size as the one he and Mordred shared, but it had a lower roof and three separate chimneys.

"Looks like we were right. I just received a notification saying we could summon a Chef," revealed Leon.

"Good," said Mordred, adding, "I don't mind hunting and cooking over a fire, but boar meat is incredibly gamey without salt and other seasoning to cover the smell."

"Then let's get to it," suggested Leon, seizing the initiative to lead the way toward the underground summoning chamber. He wasn't lying when he said he would have enjoyed keeping it just him and Mordred, but after summoning someone like Wil, he was excited to see who else would pop out. When he saw who did, however, he immediately became stone-faced as he could very easily imagine how things might play out...

"Whoa, are you serious with that outfit...?" asked a 171cm tall boy with sharp amber-gold eyes and spiky red hair, staring at Mordred as if she were a crazy person. His attire consisted of a simple long-sleeved shirt with Japanese characters on the breast section, dark grey slacks, and brown loafers, but he also wore an apron around his waist, covering his lap.

Recognizing the youth just as quickly as he had Wil, Leon caused him to startle slightly by asking, "You're Yukihira Souma, correct?"

"Whoa! Did an invisible ghost just speak to me!? But wait, aren't I a ghost as well...!?"

"That depends. What's the last thing you remember...?" asked Leon.

Crossing his forearms in front of him, making an x-shape, Souma made a bzzt sound before saying, "That's none of your business. Just point me toward my kitchen. It's time to spread Yukihira-style cooking across the multiverse...!"

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