"Okay...we're now arriving in Undead Town." Jet said as they approached a creepy looking city that looked almost in disrepair and its alleyways filled with skeletons and zombies and a few vampires.
"Wow...it's almost like a city on the verge of collapse." Lucy said.
"Well, some of it is just the decor, but… I don't remember there being so many souls here." ZS said. "Wasn't nearly as crowded as the last time I visited."
The ship soon landed as they departed into the town.
"Ugh...he's not wrong. The town looks dead. Well...deader than it should be." Ochako said.
"Oh well excuse us for not being skin covered livers." said one skeleton in the alley.
"Whoa! It-it just talked." David said.
"Of course I can talk. I also know who you all are." the skeleton said. "Name's, uh…" he groaned before he collapsed.
"Please ignore him. The town hasn't been doing well lately." said a vampire. "Especially with what's been happening."
"Let me guess, it's because of some random dungeon that just popped up one day?" Mayumi asked.
"Yes. A strange crypt suddenly rose up in the middle of one of the largest graveyards here. Since its rising, strange monsters have taken up residence there and chased out all the residents in the graveyard into the slums here." the vampire said.
"That's terrible!" Frisk said. "Well, if we clear the dungeon, maybe the graveyard will go back to normal."
"You're welcome to try." the vampire said. "But it's dangerous, even for us dead. We tried to take it back a few days ago, and we barely escaped. Though...there was something else to note. When we fled, we saw a woman standing there holding a strange staff."
"A woman?" Shanoa asked.
"A strange staff? I wonder…" Cheetah pondered.
"We've actually seen that woman there before. She's a regular there. Mourning for her husband for the past few centuries." the vampire said.
"Are you serious? You don't think she's the reason that dungeon is up now, is she?" Mayumi asked.
"Most likely. If she really was going to that graveyard for centuries, I can only guess what her purpose is for conjuring that crypt now." Cheetah said.
"Dude… What you're probably going to suggest is going to sound like something out of a horror movie." David said.
"Hmm...could you describe the staff?" Ivy asked.
"It was long and white...it also had a cross on the side." the vampire said.
"Hmm…" Ivy said, flipping through a book. "Ah...seems the theory may not be so far fetched."
"The Staff of Resurrection?" Theo asked.
"It's a powerful staff that was crafted by necromancers of this universe a millenia ago. Its power allows it to bypass the normal rules of resurrection and bring a person back to life no matter how long it's been." Ivy said.
"As I have thought…" Cheetah pondered. "So the purpose of this dungeon is to serve as a bridge between that woman and her dead lover."
"Yes...the staff has a large charging time between its uses. It can only be used to resurrect 3 souls before going into a recharging cycle that can last decades." Ivy said.
"Sounds like a powerful item." Hope said.
"Yes...however, the necromancers hid it away because of dark forces who could get a hold of it to bring back evil people. They didn't want to take the risk it seems." Ivy said.
"And judging from what Muerto said all the way back on Tatooine, there are a lot of souls down here that want our heads… Especially mine." David said.
"Ah, that's right, Cheetah told us you didn't have much of a good reputation in this universe." Rhatla said.
"Well… Yeah, that's right. Not as bad as in the Demon Universe, but...almost as bad." David said.
"Well then we should enter the crypt and claim the staff from the woman before she decides to use it." Ainz said.
"Right. Let's go." Shanoa said.
"You should be cautious though. We have no idea what lies inside that crypt and neither do you." the vampire said.
"It doesn't really help that the layouts tend to change periodically." Belladonna said.
"Yes, but… When you think about it, that just adds to the experience." Agursu said.
"The graveyard's in the center of town, just a few turns to the left from here." the vampire said. "You can't miss it. Oh, and if you happen to find any treasures, you're welcome to them; getting the graveyard back will be valuable enough for the town."
"That's very kind of you, sir." Ethox said. "Don't worry, we'll get the graveyard back to normal, no matter what!"
With that, they headed towards the center of town. Before them stood the graveyard and sitting in its center was a large monument with an eerie looking feel to it.
"That's gotta be the crypt." Izuku said.
"Uh...I just remembered. My...I can't enter dangerous looking crypt disease is acting up again. Oh, so sorry." Usopp said.
"W-well… I'm alright with going in. I can deal with what's in there." David said.
"Just stay close to us." Valfor said. "You don't have to be afraid of this place, just stay in the group and don't go off on your own."
"I know Horror movies aren't your thing, David. We all do. But that's no reason to think we'll have the same misfortune as all those groups in the films did." Hope said. "Besides, we're all kinda scared."
"Besides, all those horror films are so fake. Least the ones made in the current age. You can totally tell what's fake." Sunset said.
"Well good luck with all that and..." Usopp said before Phoebe grabbed him.
"Come on. I'm sure it's nicer inside." Phoebe said.
"Oh…" Usopp sighed.
"Sorry, Usopp. But you won't get one over us that easily." Cheetah said.
"Yeah, c'mon 'Sniper King', we're heroes, remember?" Eddy said. "This place doesn't even make it to the top 10 most dangerous places we've been in."
"Besides, didn't you guys brave everything Moria threw at you at Thriller Bark? This should be a cakewalk compared to that." Hope said.
"Why do you guys bring up the worst moments to try and make things less terrifying? It never helps." Usopp said.
"I just thought that…" Hope said.
"Oh just zip it. Let's get this over with." Usopp sighed as they walked into the crypt.
"Huh…" Ainz said as they stood inside the crypt. "As crypts go, this is surprisingly clean."
"It actually reminds me of how your throne room looks, Ainz." Ethox said.
"Please...true it's as spacious but I hardly call this a perfect copy." Ainz said.
"Yeah, but this place has its own charms." Ultra said. "Now, where's the way deeper into the crypt?"
Just then, parts of the floor burst upwards, rotting monsters crawling out.
"You tressssspassss in the Crypt of the Sssspirt'ssss Widow." one of the monsters hissed in a raspy voice. "Leave, or perissssh." they said before David whacked the one that was talking.
"Oh, sorry. Reflexes were kicking in." David said.
"...Kill him ssssslowly." the one growled as the monsters rushed at the group.
"Incoming, David!" Mark said as he punched one of the monsters into a wall. "I think you made them mad, Dave. Guess we'll have to use more than reflexes, eh?" he chuckled.
"Shut it! This is not funny!" David said.
"Mark, you shouldn't throw jokes at David when his nerves are so high right now." Ichiro said cutting down some monsters.
"Right, sorry." Mark said, sobering up as he uppercutted another of the monsters. "Just trying to add some levity."
"These monsters look scary, but they don't seem to be that much of a challenge." Twilight said, blasting one of the monsters away. "These are most likely the result of basic necromancy, and we'll meet stronger creatures the further down we go."
"Necromancy...well...it makes sense considering the staff was made by necromancers." Theo said. "Guess that woman who took it is one herself."
"Yes, it's the only possibility." Takeshi said as he spiked some more monsters with elemental attacks. "We have to clear our way through this place and reach her, quickly. I don't want to think about what she plans to do just to bring back a loved one. Trust me when I say that it never turns out well."
"I have to agree. The staff does revive those lost but...something like that usually requires more." Ivy said. "But the book doesn't say what any sort of payment is."
"And something tells me that we shouldn't leave this place up long enough to find out." Nesma said.
"Well...only way to go is down." Riolu said as they descended down deeper into the crypt.