Characters this chapter: Ainz, Demiurge, Gondo, Hejinmal, Lupusregina, Mare, Olasird'arc Haylilyal, Pandora's Actor, Pestonya, Victim
'Text' = Thoughts
[Text] = Spell or skill
{Text} = Message contents
[…] = Text has been cut out
Text* = There's a note about it in the afterword
(song number)* = There's a suggested song link for that part in the afterword
I slightly tweaked Ainz's thought process in the canon chapter to give Olasird'arc a different fate. This changes Nazarick's strategies significantly, the consequences of which will be revealed bit by bit. This side story happens right before Ainz explores the Great Rift. If you want me to post side stories separately from the main fanfic, I will gladly do so.
CONTENT WARNING: Some parts of this chapter mention extreme bodily harm.
This fanfic starts in Volume 11 page 346 (Chapter 5 part 3). There are some canon paragraphs to anchor this fanfic to the LN, but other than that it's all my writing.
"Then, Hejinmal, which of them is your mother? I shall show her mercy and spare her life. As for the others, well, I'm sure there will be various uses for them after we're done picking them apart."
[…]
"That's me!"
Three voices rang out at once.
[…]
"...What's this? Don't tell me there's the mother who bore you, the mother who raised you, and the mother who cared for you?"
[…]
"It is as you say, Your Majesty. I have three mothers!'
"Is that so? What a shame. However, a promise is a promise. Alright, I shall spare them ...Still, is there only one Dragon corpse? Dragons are far too useful. One does not seem quite enough ...What a shame."
The three concubines bowed before Ainz in the pose of submission.
"Leave this place and gather all the Dragons here. Then, inform them that you are now under my rule. If anyone refuses to accept this, then I will deal with them personally. Now go."
The concubines burst into motion and ran at top speed. It was a speed that either inspired awe in onlookers or frightened them speechless.
Hejinmal did not think for a moment that they might try to escape. In the face of this mighty magic caster, their chances of escape were slim to none. They ought to have realized that as well. No, to Hejinmal, it made no difference even if they escaped. After all, if they did so, he would know how the Sorcerer King would find and deal with them.
(song 1)*
'Hmm… harming innocent beings who have just surrendered to me is against my principles, but perhaps there is another way to obtain more dragon parts. Demiurge's scroll farm provides an inexhaustible supply of low-tier scrolls by repeatedly skinning and healing the Abelion Sheep. If I could get Olasird'arc to accept resurrection, perhaps he could also become a source of materials. Forcing an intelligent being to endure that is a discomforting thought, but Nazarick will weaken if we aren't able to replenish our high-tier scrolls, so it must be done. But will he accept resurrection? Back when I resurrected Zaryusu, he initially refused to return to life. Do dead souls remember what happened to them, or can they identify the person trying to bring them back? I will have to investigate this further.' Setting the matter aside, Ainz refocused on the present.
(pause song)
Ainz tapped Hejinmal on the head. Startled, the dragon cast his gaze toward Ainz.
"I have another order for you. It is a very important order. Gather all the Dwarven books you have, including those you have not yet finished, as well as all the other books outside your room, and bring them to me."
"Yes! I understand! I shall do so at once!" After nervously setting the two of them down, Hejinmal ran with all his might.
[…]
"So, they've gone."
Ainz watched as Hejinmal vanished into the distance. He had inquired about how many Dragons lived here from him. Therefore, if the numbers did not add up, it would still be of benefit to him.
There was only one Dragon corpse. After thinking about all the uses he had for it, he wanted more. However, punishing freshly subjugated people who had done nothing wrong for the purpose of generating corpses would violate his ideals of fair reward and punishment.
Kuku, Ainz chuckled.
If they ran, he would hunt them down, kill them, and take back the corpses. As he pondered how to make use of said corpses, Ainz turned his gaze to the glittering pile of gold which the Dragon before him had been lying on.
"That's a Dragon for you. It's a veritable mountain of treasure."
[…]
"I trust there are no problems with exercising my victor's rights over the Dragon's hoard?"
"Those rights are yours, of course. However, how about trying to open the Treasury while nobody's around?"
[…]
(song 2)*
Ainz touched the lock-opening artifact to the Treasury door, and activated its power.
As they peeked through the slit of the opening door, Ainz and Gondo clenched their fists.
Neither of them said anything, but their expressions said everything.
The glitter of gold was little more than a trick of the light. Without any light, it would not shine. However, what they saw was a massive pile of treasure that seemed to shine from within. Unfortunately, the word "tidy" could not be applied to it.
"...Amazing."
Much like the Dragon's hoard, the Dwarven trove could not compare to that of Nazarick, but to Ainz, it was also a commendable sum.
Ainz picked up a gold coin. He had never seen coins like this before, and it did not look like the gold pieces used for trade nowadays. However, it did not feel like it was Dwarven-made, simply because of the profile of a human carved onto its surface.
"They say that in the past, the Dwarves traded with the huge human nation which ruled the area around this mountain range. This must be a portrait of the ruler of that nation. Runesmiths flourished then; it was their golden age."
[…]
"Then, please excuse me for a moment while I look for technical manuals and any items made by runesmith researchers, and so on."
"Do so. I will look around myself."
(pause song)
(song 1)*
Ainz walked to the other side of the room and pretended to examine the treasure. Now that he was alone, he could begin his investigation.
{Zaryusu Shasha. Do you have time to speak with me?}
{Ainz-sama?! Yes, of course I have time to speak with the almighty ruler of Nazarick!}
{What do you remember of your resurrection?}
{When you reached out for me, I felt like I was in the depths of the sea. I could not think or remember anything, but I sensed that you were a powerful evil being. Hearing Crusch's voice was what made me decide to accept the resurrection. I woke up confused and overwhelmed by weakness, but I was able to fully recover after a few months.}
{I see. Thank you for this information, Zaryusu. That will be all.}
Ainz ended the [Message], and contemplated Zaryusu's experience.
'It seems that the only obstacles to resurrecting Olasird'arc are the karma of the person attempting it and whether he wants to return to life. The first one is easily overcome, but Olasird'arc may still reject them. Perhaps hearing the voices of his family will be enough to convince him to return.'
Ainz put together a rudimentary plan, and decided to set it into motion.
{Demiurge, I require your assistance for a new project.}
{Certainly, Ainz-sama. Please direct me as you wish.}
{Pass my words on to Victim, Mare, Pandora's Actor, Lupusregina, and Pestonya. However, tell Pestonya only what she will do, and keep its true purpose a secret. Her memories will be altered so that she has no knowledge of this. Now, here is the plan…}
(pause song)
Ainz and Gondo left the treasury together. A flight of Dragons bowed their heads before them. There were 19 of them in total, including Hejinmal. In other words, all the Dragons Hejinmal had mentioned were here. Now there would be no need to hunt them down.
Gondo was stunned. Even knowing Ainz's power was not enough to prepare him for the reality of that unimaginable scene.
[…]
"—Most Exalted Sorcerer King. Your faithful servants have gathered before you." Hejinmal spoke. Putting aside his contemplations for the moment, Ainz replied:
"Raise your heads."
The kneeling Dragons raised their heads as one.
[…]
They had heard about it, but it was still hard for them to believe that Ainz had slain the Dragon Lord, their father. Even Ainz would think the same thing if he were in their shoes. There were many things which had to be seen to be believed.
Just as Ainz was thinking that, one of the young Dragons roared.
"I won't accept this! To think the person who killed Father is actually — what?"
Ainz walked in front of the roaring Dragon. Then he smiled, and beckoned with his hand, as though to say "Give it your best shot."
The Dragon swiped its claws at Ainz. They were fast, but not as fast as the Troll he had fought recently. Ainz did not dodge them. He took the Dragon's attack head-on. The Dragon - who thought Ainz could not evade in time – grinned broadly, but when he realized that Ainz had no need to dodge, that grin froze on his face. After making sure that the Dragon knew that, Ainz cast a spell.
"[Grasp Heart]."
Ainz's gaze moved from the Dragon who had collapsed like his father, and turned to the others.
"Is there no one else?"
After that quiet query, the Dragons bowed even lower than they had been earlier, as though they were trying to lie flat on the ground. Nobody here doubted Ainz's power any more.
"I see. All of you now realize that you have been completely subjugated. As the victor, it is my right to do whatever I wish with you. However, I am a merciful king. Serve me loyally, and I shall reward your efforts.
"To begin with, all of you have been commendably submissive. As a token of my appreciation, I shall prevent your enemies from ever harming you or your descendants. Also, the two dragons I have killed shall be revived, as I wish to use them as mounts. You may see them from time to time."
(song 3)*
As the dragons expressed their thanks, Ainz opened a [Gate] to Nazarick, and Pestonya stepped through.
She had the head of a dog that was divided down the middle by a line that resembled a scar, complete with traces of stitching. It looked as though her face had been split in half and joined back together again. She wore a frilly maid uniform, and a headdress that covered her eyes. She was Nazarick's Head Maid, and a high-level cleric.
"Ainz-sama, you wish for me to revive a dragon? Woof."
"Actually, there are now two dragons to be resurrected."
"I shall resurrect them immediately for you. Woof."
Yuri Alpha tossed Olasird'arc's corpse through the [Gate], which then closed. Pestonya was able to convince the dragons to assist in the resurrection process, and began promptly.
(pause song)
Olasird'arc dimly felt awareness return to him. He was in a sea of oblivion, and a hand was trying to pull him out. A powerful feeling of reassuring kindness radiated from it, which reminded Olasird'arc of an ally from somewhere. He could hear the voices of his loved ones calling to him. Deciding to trust this being, Olasird'arc reached out to take their hand, and was dragged into the world of the living.
He felt slightly weaker, and realized that his magical capability had been lost. He opened his eyes, and saw that he was back in his familiar cavern, surrounded by his family. A familiar being looked pleased with him, and turned to an undead, who expressed praise.
'What's going on? Why am I alive? Who is that skeleton talking to?'
Before Olasird'arc could make sense of the situation, he fell through the floor and landed in a completely different cavern. He looked up just in time to see a black circle disappear, and realized that he was not alone.
The dragons and Gondo watched incredulously as Pestonya effortlessly revived the Dragon Lord and his son simultaneously. Moments later, a [Gate] appeared below the two dragons, and they were gone.
"What happened to them?!"
"Where did you send them?!"
"Didn't you say you were going to use them as mounts?!"
Ainz reassured the anxious crowd that the two dragons were safe, and they settled into an uneasy silence.
"Pestonya, lend me your mana. There is one more thing I need to do."
After casting [Perfect Unknowable] on the surprised maid, Ainz silently cast [Control Amnesia] on the nearest dragon and altered their recent memories. Instead of remembering Pestonya and the resurrections, they would think that Ainz had simply removed the young dragon's corpse. Although Ainz was very experienced with this spell and could perform this simple alteration in a moment, it still took a toll on his mana pool. By the time he had altered the memories of the 18 dragons, Pestonya was low on mana*. Thankfully, none of the dragons had realized what was happening, and had stayed silent throughout the process.
{Thank you for your assistance, Pestonya. You may now return to Nazarick.}
Ainz opened another [Gate] next to the head maid, who bowed graciously and stepped through. On the other side, she was greeted by Pandora's Actor in Ainz's form.
'Pestonya was the best choice for resurrecting those two dragons, but if she ever realized their true fate, she would probably feel very guilty. Thanks to [Control Amnesia] and the cooperation of the NPCs, she will never learn about any of this.'
"Dragons. You shall come with me as I leave this city and meet with my subordinates."
(song 4)*
Mare, Demiurge, and Pandora's Actor were hard at work mining out the crafting area encircling the main cavern. Mare's [Triplet Widen Magic: Rock Splitting Roots] fragmented thousands of cubic meters of stone in seconds, and Demiurge was effortlessly carving a path for Mare using his [Razor Sharp Claws]. Pandora's Actor was directing an army of golems and undead to deal with the rubble and mine out more rock.
They needed to remove a staggering 2,035,752 cubic meters of stone in just an hour in order to begin the project on time. Even for the three Guardians, it was a formidable task. Olasird'arc and his son would soon be transported to the main cavern, and Demiurge estimated that there would be just enough time to finish things up. As expected of their master: nothing less than their best efforts would be enough.
(pause song)
(song 5)*
The situation had changed without notice, so Olasird'arc acted quickly. He checked his son's health, then turned to the pink creature floating behind them. Its body was glowing, and it seemed to be concentrating on some ability.
"Who are you?! Why were we brought here?! Answer if you value your life!" Olasird'arc roared.
"su ot tfig a emoceb llahs ecnaifed ruoy, ecifircas ym htiW. epacse tonnac uoy dna, ereh thguorb eb ot etaf ruoy saw tI." (It was your fate to be brought here, and you cannot escape. With my sacrifice, your defiance shall become a gift to us.)
The two dragons attempted to strike Victim out of the air, but it was too late.
Back when over 1500 players and NPCs had invaded Nazarick, over 1000 of them had made it to the 8th floor. It was Victim's sacrifice that had severely reduced their ability to respond to the unparalleled resistance they found on that floor, and they had all been annihilated by the 8th Floor Hierarchy.
Victim's ultimate ability was a customizable skill called Martyr's Curse. As one of the handful of beings in YGGDRASIL who had the obscure Martyr class, he could sacrifice his life to activate a skill that could inflict various debuffs and negative status effects on the enemy. The ones that his creator had chosen were [Mass Paralysis] and [Mass Weakness], which were boosted by two tiers to become [Greater Mass Paralysis] and [Greater Mass Weakness]. The few players with immunity to paralysis would be afflicted with weakness strong enough to reduce a level 100 warrior's physical stats by 50%. They were impossible to remove without the highest-tier buff spells, and [Greater Mass Paralysis] even blocked skills and spells that involved physical movements during or after their activation.
Over 800 of the invaders were helpless against them. Countless AOE attacks overwhelmed the invaders with sheer DPS, and the survivors were whittled down. All of this would have been far more risky without Victim, and Nazarick's repair and NPC revival costs would have probably been much higher.
This powerful skill was now inflicted on Olasird'arc and his son, beings far below the weakest of the invaders. There was no hope of resisting. Their bodies were deprived of all strength, and they collapsed like puppets with their strings cut (obligatory meme).
(pause song)
Immediately afterwards, a [Gate] appeared and Pandora's Actor returned to verify the situation. After checking the dragons, he began the placement of the initial crafting stations and grills, and assigned an NPC to each one. The other staff continued to enter and prepare for their roles. Demiurge, his Evil Lords, and Lupusregina were discussing the plan while draining some blood from the young dragon. Ainz was the last to arrive, having just finished modifying the dragons' memories.
'I'm glad I got Pestonya to transfer her mana to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't feel safe walking around in an unfamiliar country after having used that much. I feel slightly guilty about involving her in this, but she won't remember it, so I guess it's fine.'
(song 6)*
"So, Demiurge, how is the plan progressing? You mentioned that you had developed a way to permanently summon demons."
"That is correct, my lord. Through Eight Fingers' network, I was able to find a demon summoner. I have modified their technique to allow me to permanently summon the Abyss Demons that will be dismembering the dragon. To minimize potential issues, may I trouble you to assist me in their summoning?"
"Of course, Demiurge. What do you need me to do?"
"These 44 prisoners will serve as the vessels for the demons. Usually, [Confusion] is used to make them vulnerable enough to be possessed. Afterwards, they will fight for control of their body, making the demons unreliable. Therefore, I wish for you to remove their souls so this cannot occur."
"I see. However, it would be a waste for me to simply kill them. [Summon Mid-Tier Undead: Soul Eater]."
Emerald green and pus yellow fog billowed into existence, and took the shape of a four-legged beast. Within it, bones grew and formed the skeleton of the legendary undead. A chilling aura seeped out, and the prisoners shuddered fearfully.
"In my experiments, consuming souls allows Soul Eaters to stay summoned for longer. After consuming this many souls, perhaps it will become permanent. I think it will be most effective if it uses its [Instant Death] breath and consumes the prisoners' souls just before the demons' souls enter the prisoners' bodies, eliminating the chance of any undead being created."
"A wise strategy, Ainz-sama. We shall now prepare the prisoners."
Demiurge and the four Evil Lords used dragon blood to paint summoning circles on the prisoners' foreheads. Five prisoners were each handed a vial of dragon blood, and Demiurge used his [Command Mantra] to force them to drink it.
"[Summon Mid-Tier Demon: Abyss Demon]," the five demons intoned simultaneously. The five prisoners' summoning circles began to glow, and Ainz immediately took action.
The Soul Eater exhaled, and the five prisoners died instantly. It sucked their souls into its maw and shredded them into mana. Ainz was struck by how vulnerable souls really were, but could not find any compassion in his undead heart.
The corpses twitched as they were filled with another type of life, and began to transform. Their skin turned grey, and their muscles bulged. Black wings sprouted from their backs, and their heads morphed into the bare skull of a ram. Fur grew from their clawed forearms, and elaborate tattoos covered their torsos. Their transformation complete, they knelt before their summoners.
The other prisoners were shocked speechless, and some had already broken into tears, unable to face their fate.
"It seems that there are no problems with the summoning. Now, Ainz-sama, please assist me with the rest."
(pause song)
"Thanks to Victim's sacrifice, Olasird'arc is now unable to put up any resistance, and he has no way to escape. However, someone may discover this cavern sometime in the future, whether through mining or magical surveillance. It would be quite bad for our reputation if this was linked to us. We must minimize the chances of information leaks. A combination of anti-divination magic, detection magic, illusion magic, and barrier magic would be best. What spells have you chosen for this situation, Pandora's Actor?"
"Considering this location, I have selected [Anti-Information Magic Wall], [Greater Detect Movement], [Mirror World], [Delay Teleportation], and [Greater Shield Wall]. I have also made other preparations in anticipation of special movement skills. The chances of encountering a being who can find this cavern and enter before we can react are vanishingly small. If those spells are inadequate, then I shall further fortify this place, Ainz-sama!"
"There is no need. With those preparations, I doubt there is a being in this world that can take this place by surprise. The only thing left now is to remove Olasird'arc's memories of us, and then I can rest easy."
Inexplicably, Olasird'arc realized that he was in an unfamiliar cavern, with no memory of having entered it. Desiring to investigate this strange occurrence, he raised his head, but found that his entire body was frozen. He, a being of immense strength, was completely paralyzed, unable to move even a toe.
'Impossible! There is no one alive possessing such power!' His panic grew as he desperately tried to remember how this had happened to him, but the past hour was absent from his mind. The last thing he remembered was sending his cowardly son out to investigate those invaders.
'Could that be it? Could we have encountered a strong enemy with unforeseen abilities? What kind of situation is this?'
His gaze roamed all over the cavern in an attempt to find clues. The walls and ceiling were too close for comfort, and the tunnels were far too small for him to have arrived through one. A scene to his right was brought to his attention.
(song 7)*
There was a large group of demons surrounding one of his sons, who was collapsed on the ground in a very undignified manner. Eight of them emanated a feeling of great power, and were handing out blades to the others. As Olasird'arc watched, they began stripping away the scales and hide to examine the young dragon's insides, whose muted screams were magnified by his draconic hearing.
Olasird'arc's rage boiled over. "You filthy demons! Stay away from my son!" His shout was slurred by his limp tongue, rendering it almost indecipherable. The demons turned to him and wicked smiles came over their faces. They resumed the dissection with even more enthusiasm.
For what seemed like hours, Olasird'arc remained frozen, forced to watch as the demons cut his son into pieces. His ineffectual protests were ignored, and he soon fell silent.
(pause song)
Eventually, it was over. Olasird'arc sighed as their discussion ended and the sorted parts were carried into different tunnels by lines of undead.
(song 8)*
Suddenly, he realized that there were was another person among the demons: a sinister-looking elf. He was dressed in extremely valuable clothing, and gave off an oppressive aura. The elf turned towards him, and the heavy atmosphere suddenly intensified. The sheer malice in that gaze forced the air out of Olasird'arc's lungs, and he would have jerked backwards if he had been able to.
'Could it be…? Is that a Demon God standing in front of me?'
The demon raised an arm to his chest and bowed elegantly, smiling as he did so. "Greetings, Olasird'arc Haylilyal. I am glad you are here. My name is Demiurge, and I am in charge of this project. I am sure you have many questions you wish answered. All I can say is that you have been delivered here, and this will be your home for the foreseeable future. You will soon learn your reason for being here.
"Did you enjoy the show we put on for you?" The demon smiled cruelly, savoring the curses Olasird'arc hurled at him. "You shall soon become closely acquainted with it."
(pause song)
"Pandora's Actor, you have familiarized yourself with Nfirea and Lizzie Bareare's potion research, correct?"
"Of course, Ainz-sama! As the one who is most suited to making potions for Nazarick, I would never neglect such an important duty!"
"Very good. YGGDRASIL's method of potion-making is quite different to that of this world. By incorporating new techniques into our potion-making, we should be able to make better use of our available resources. Have there been any new developments on your end?"
"Yes, Ainz-sama! Not only was I able to replicate the Bareares' potions, I have discovered new recipes for several potions using only renewable ingredients! This dragon will be a steady supply of ingredients for some of those potions."
"Excellent work. I will return after handling some other matters. I look forward to seeing you demonstrate these new recipes."
"Natürlich, Vater!" Pandora's Actor saluted enthusiastically.
(song 9)*
Olasird'arc had thought they were going to torment him, but what they had done to him was beyond his imagination. They had taken more from him than he ever knew he had. By the end of it, all that was left of him was a ruined head. Throughout it all, there was only one thought that had kept him sane. Even with the power of a Demon God, there was no spell that could bring him back from this. Olasird'arc knew that he would finally die, and felt a fatalistic sense of relief.
Suddenly, he felt powerful magic infuse his body. In an instant, all of the body parts that had been severed grew back. His spine extended from the base of his neck and was wreathed in muscle. His ribcage filled with organs, and his eyesight returned. His limbs regrew their hide and scales, and all of the pain vanished as if nothing had ever happened.
"Did you think that was the end for you? Sorry~ We're going to have a lot more fun with you su~"
As Lupusregina's blade bit into Olasird'arc's flesh once more, his mind was swallowed by an inescapable despair.
(pause song)
Under Demiurge's guidance, the Abyss Demons had quickly improved the dismemberment process, and were now expertly carving huge slabs of flesh from Olasird'arc, who could only scream in response. Countless rivulets of blood streamed down the sides of the tortured dragon and drained into a special chamber below. The precious fluid was swallowed up by dozens of Infinite Vessels*, which were regularly replaced with empty ones.
The fresh ingredients were collected by waiting undead and transferred to trays interspersed throughout the crafting stations. Thanks to Demiurge and Pandora's Actor, every issue had been ironed out immediately, and the whole process was astonishingly efficient. After supervising for a while, Demiurge had left to attend to his other duties, leaving Pandora's Actor and Lupusregina to handle the project. Nazarick was now receiving a steady supply of valuable items, and the only thing needed to top it all off was Ainz's approval. Pandora's Actor had already sent Ainz a [Message] that the project was ready for inspection, and excitedly awaited his arrival.
The potion-making apparatus Nazarick possessed used magical decomposition to instantly break down ingredients. The chosen aspects of each ingredient were then combined with Zolue Solution to make the final alchemical mixture, which the player would then infuse with mana and pay for with gold. It was also possible to forego the ingredients and cast a spell directly into the Zolue Solution for less gold, but that method used much more mana, and required the player to actually be able to cast the spell. Due to this, two competing types of potion creation builds existed in YGGDRASIL, with players' choices changing depending on guild structure, available ingredients, and updates from the GMs.*
During YGGDRASIL's final years, many ingredient-only potions were added for special events, which perfectly suited Nazarick's play style. The guild's potion specialists received a wide variety of ingredients from raids, item farming, and trading, which was more than enough to support their adventuring guildmates. Selling potions was also a good source of income, although competition from other sellers was fierce.
Now that Nazarick was able to obtain more ingredients via Mare's gardens and Olasird'arc, the possibility of selling potions opened up once again. Ainz was wary of selling YGGDRASIL's red potions, but blue potions created using this world's techniques would be able to bypass suspicion. This venture could end up being very profitable for Nazarick, and could be used to support The Sorcerous Kingdom's economy. Thinking of all this, Ainz felt excitement for the future begin to stir in his heart.
The vast, empty room encircling the cavern containing Olasird'arc was now very crowded. Throughout the room were trays piled high with harvested dragon parts: scales, bones, meat, fangs, bottles of blood, and many others. Hundreds of craftsmen and chefs scrambled to process the waves of materials being delivered by an unending stream of undead. Half of the floor space was taken up by rows of magical grills and anvils, and finished products were being funnelled into nearby [Gates].
Ainz was standing near the back, feeling both amused and impressed by the speed of the NPCs. In YGGDRASIL, there was an artificial limit on the number of items obtainable from one monster, which increased the rarity of the loot. No such limit existed in this world, making dragons a veritable treasure trove of materials. In fact, the yield from just one dragon was so immense that Pandora's Actor had needed to summon hundreds of mercenary NPCs to process it fast enough. Such a ludicrous amount of loot would have been game-breaking in YGGDRASIL.
After observing the organized chaos for a moment, he turned to a nearby craftsman who was watching him intently. Anyone in Nazarick would immediately recognize him as Daedalus da Vinci*. Ainz felt a twinge of loss in his nonexistent heart, but steeled himself to speak.
"Now that things are properly underway, I can observe the production process. Pandora's Actor, show me your skills."
"Ja, Vater!" In an instant, Pandora's Actor transformed into Kusuri Trismegistus*, and began operating a nearby potion-making apparatus. Dragon bone, muscle, and blood were inserted into different chambers and immediately liquified. Three essences were extracted and mixed with the Zolue Solution in the central chamber, aided by a steady supply of mana. A molten stream of coins flowed out of a nearby Infinite Backpack and into the mixture, completing the process.
"[Amplify]!" A soft glow suffused the mixture, and the potion turned a deeper crimson. With the final step completed, Pandora's Actor removed the potion vial and proudly held it up for Ainz to see.
"This is a Dragon Strength Potion, created entirely from renewable resources. With this, no longer shall we need to conserve our supplies! Our armies will be strengthened, and even a level 1 POP monster will become difficult for human adventurers to defeat! If I focus solely on these potions, I can create 20 per day. If you instead wish for me to maximize the number of potions I produce, I can supply 1200 Minor Strength Potions per day. This also accounts for the mana needed to handle my other roles. Is this satisfactory, Ainz-sama?"
"Absolutely. I am confident that you will be able to produce potions while also crafting equipment, golems, and so on. Seeing as you are the highest-ranking NPC here, you will be in charge of this project. Keep things running smoothly, and make sure everyone takes breaks. If you hit a storage limit for one of the items, just toss it into the Exchange Box. With this many valuable items being produced*, the surplus alone will be even more lucrative than Mare's rare plant gardens.
"Send me a report detailing the items and surplus materials produced in the first 24 hours. After that, a weekly report will be fine.
"Now that I've checked in on this project, I must be going. I have an announcement ceremony to attend."
*song 1: youtube dot com /watch?v=3PkQZNKo7Z0
*song 2: youtube dot com /onnSl7n8QeE?t=42
*song 3: youtube dot com /watch?v=6yAYS1E5ZGE
*song 4: soundcloud dot com /atyya/subterranean
*song 5: youtube dot com /watch?v=rm5yKO8VDwQ
*song 6: soundcloud dot com /itsydg/the-occult
*song 7: soundcloud dot com /itsydg/night-of-the-living-dead
*song 8: soundcloud dot com /itsydg/fright-night
*song 9: youtube dot com /watch?v=Bw0M0_kFJEg?t=12
*[Control Amnesia] info:
The mana needed depends on the level of the target and how resistant to mind-affecting spells they are. Most of the dragons here were above level 25, which added up to a significant amount of mana.
*Items produced per cycle: (~5.5 hours)
1,200 Minor Strength Potions/20 Dragon Strength Potions
24,300 blank dragonhide scrolls
5,638,750 Frost Dragon Steaks
599,999.6L/598,800L of dragon blood
Various high-level armor, weapons, items, etc.
The amount of items being produced each cycle far exceeds Nazarick's requirements. The steaks alone pile up so quickly that if they weren't put into the Exchange Box, they'd have to be distributed worldwide. A day's worth could feed entire nations, or support Nazarick financially for decades. (Ainz could resurrect NPCs on a whim with this source of income)
*Infinite Vessel:
A low class item that stores up to 5000L of a specific liquid. 10X More capacity than the Infinite Backpack in exchange for only being able to store one thing. Is often used to store molten metals, water from Mimir's Well, Dragon Blood, etc. Appearance: a 50cm tall white-and-gold amphora with two handles and swirling patterns.
*Potion Brewer Builds:
Many large merchant guilds had a team of no-ingredient Potion Brewers specializing in each branch of magic, which made selling the potions more profitable, relying on their stronger members to make up for the huge loss of fighting ability. Smaller guilds didn't have the numbers to do this, usually settling for one pure consumables-crafting player and an NPC to craft the rest (AOG did this).
*Consumables-Crafting Classes Info:
In this fanfic, the production abilities of each subclass are:
Potion Brewer: special status effect potions, buff and debuff potions, limited healing potions
Pharmacist: healing items, limited buff items
Alchemist: transmutation items, limited special status effect items
Chef: buff foods, limited healing foods
(there are others like Bartender and Scroll Maker but they're not shown in this)
Each subclass is the best at one category of item effects, and no player can master them all.
When a player obtains the same skill more than once, it becomes slightly more powerful, which is why there are players with deliberately overlapping skillsets (ex: Alchemist, Pharmacist, and Potion Brewer all have [Amplify])
*Character Profiles:
Kusuri Trismegistus: (薬 Τρισμέγιστος)
Epithet: Transmutation Master
Nicknames: Kusuri; Triple Medicine
Racial Levels: (1)
Mushroom Nymph (1) (a nymph-mushroom hybrid that uses a passive low-level illusion to appear as a beautiful human, and can compel people and animals to approach and get poisoned)
Job Levels: (99)
Elementalist (Earth) (1)
Druid (1)
Miko (1)
Illusionist (1)
Master Potion Brewer (5)
Master Pharmacist (5)
Master Alchemist (5)
Transmutation Master (5)
(Etc.)
-A crafting specialist, with a focus on consumables (transmutation classes)
-One of AOG's crafters
-Has some levels in basic combat classes (like the other crafters)
-Changed to their current race by using a rare item obtained from a special event
-Can transmute any ore into any other ore (costs gold); transmuting Prismatic Ores led to the Caloric Stone appearing
Their stats are low, but their magic items gave them high resistance to most physical and magical attacks, and their vast item supply combined with their Alchemist classes enabled them to fight level 80 players. The downside is that they consumed items far faster than most players, and were almost helpless without the backing of their teammates. They made consumables for AOG, and were well-known among merchants. They spent most of their playtime experimenting with different combinations of ingredients, and enjoyed forcing people to try the resulting consumables. Kusuri's androgynous voice, character, and username have left players unsure whether they're male or female, and the truth was never revealed.
Daedalus da Vinci: (Δαίδαλος da Vinci)
Epithet: Master Craftsman
Nicknames: Da Vinci; 4 Arms
Racial Levels: (1)
4-Armed Homunculus (1)
Job Levels: (99)
Wizard (1)
Priest (1)
Medium (1)
Puppeteer (1)
Master Craftsman (5)
Master Carpenter (5)
Master Mason (5)
Expert (5)
(Etc.)
Former Job Levels:
Master Architect (5)
Glass Expert (5)
Master Sculptor (5)
Master Painter (5)
Master Illustrator (5)
Master Artist (5)
Bookbinder (10)
Elite Mechanic (10)
(Etc.)
-Crafting specialist, with a focus on metals (blacksmithing classes)
-One of AOG's crafters
-Has some levels in basic combat classes (like the other crafters)
-Changed to their current race with the help of Kusuri
Daedalus da Vinci was AOG's jack-of-all-trades crafter, and respecced his character more than anyone else in the guild. He implemented the new architectural designs for Nazarick's floors after it was conquered, and more than a third of the objects in Nazarick were created by him. His stats are low, but magic items gave him high resistance to most physical and magical attacks, and his huge item supply enabled him to fight level 60 players. The downside was that he consumed items far faster than most players, and was helpless without the backing of his teammates. At one time, he tried to become a famous Artist in-game, but he couldn't measure up to YGGDRASIL's design team. He also had a hobby of designing item skins, and his workshop is filled with prototypes and designs strewn everywhere.
Amanomahitotsu: (あまのまひとつ) (Pandora's Actor was imitating him behind the scenes in this chapter)
Epithet: The Divine Smith
Nicknames: Gourmet Blacksmith; Armored Armorer
Racial Levels: (1)
Fiddler Crab (1)
Job Levels: (99)
Sorcerer (1)
Cleric (1)
Shaman (1)
Paladin (1)
Master Blacksmith (5)
Master Weapon Smith (5)
Master Armor Smith (5)
Divine Smith (5)
(Etc.)
-A crafting specialist, with a focus on metals (blacksmithing classes)
-The leader of AOG's crafters
-Has some levels in basic combat classes (like the other crafters)
One of the first members of AOG, he rebuilt his character into a blacksmith specialist after helping conquer Nazarick. His stats are low, but magic items gave him high resistance to most physical and magical attacks, and his huge item supply enabled him to fight level 70 players. The downside was that he consumed items far faster than most players, and was helpless without the backing of his teammates. He spent almost all his playtime crafting and gathering resources, which fueled his item fanaticism. He created the Chief Blacksmith, and was very superstitious when smithing. He also loved eating buff-granting food.
Well, here it is. Despite my nonexistent schedule and terrible writing habits, I've finally completed a chapter. I hope the quality of this chapter is good enough to be worth the wait. Now that I'm starting to find my stride, I can move on to the outline of the next chapter. There are still a lot of details to be decided, so it will take a while before I'm satisfied with it. Trying to write an Overlord-worthy fanfic is such a high bar to start with. Let's hope this turns out to be a great series.