Chapter 2: A New Start


There he stood. In his hand, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. A guild weapon transformed into a world item, an act that should be impossible.

"No menu, huh? This is gonna be difficult."

Out of his inventory, he took the second [Leaf of Yggdrasil] he received from the boss. Somehow, he could feel its power, not like in Yggdrasil. Another reason to believe he's now in a different reality, where such senses exist, as even smells were almost impossible to achieve in a DMMORPG.

"Mmh… The leaf glows more when I lay it near the staff. Maybe if I…"

He let the golden leaf reach his staff, and a bright light emerged from it. It appears when combining the two objects the effect stays the same, even in this world.

"So it worked! Huh… What now? Wait?"

He recognized something emerging before the staff. It was the same menu as in Yggdrasil before.

"Everything else doesn't show up, but you do? Why?"

"This is the integrated system of the Staff. All data has been saved for further fusion."

"Huh?" Surprised, Ainz saw a small text appear above the menu. "So it's the staff that projects the menu. Good to know."

He selected a button, and shortly after a new menu appeared, a sort of list.

"I see. Everything is the same. The abilities don't change, good. But what would be best to choose next? Something powerful? Maybe I could even beat TouchMe with one of these mighty traits. But there are still five slots left, but no other leaves. Mmh…"

The Overlord scrolled the abilities many times. And only one could offer a solution to his problem.

"This should assist. With that ability, I could create any item at the equal cost of mana. So far, this is the best option I could go for. I'm not in Yggdrasil anymore, so I doubt there are any of these leaves here. Creating them would be the only way to get to them. Then, let's do it."

He pressed the button, confirmed his choice, and felt a new power filling the voids of the Staff, making it even more powerful.

Notice: 5 slots are left for abilities. Please fuse further [Leaf of Yggdrasil] to add more abilities.

Exited by his achievement, he let out a short burst of emotion, which seconds later was dimmed by his undead nature. "Great! Now I should test this. If it really can create anything, what would be something difficult? Maybe something custom-made, no, that would be copying which is not creating. Something of value, then."

He looked around, then found himself before a mirror, where he saw the rubies on his rings shine bright.

"A ring? But which? The Shooting Star? The obvious choice, but will it be possible? Let's see..."

"[Magical Creation: Shooting Star]"

He felt his mana drain, much, so much, as he expected. That meant it worked, and exactly such a ring should be created. He pointed his staff forward, and a bright object appeared, floating before him. Light surrounded it, yet the Overlord could see the ring being made from nothing, a feat only magic could produce.

"So it is true. The ability works." He grabs the newly created ring from the air, appraised it, and saw no difference between his own and this ring.

"This is like any other Shooting Star. It really worked. The next question would be, can I create a world item? I mean, that would be crazy, but there weren't any limitations, only that an equal amount of mana has to be spent."

He was lost in his thoughts again. Until someone had to interrupt him.

{Lord Momonga?}

{Uhh, yes, Albedo? Is everyone there?}

{Everyone, except Victim and Gargantua, my lord.}

{Excellent. I will come soon. Be ready.}

{Always, my lord.}

As the message ended, Momonga began talking to himself again.

"So fast! I thought I could get at least an hour! Fine, the faster, the better. I'll have to see if they are still loyal to me. As their guild master, I should expect that, but one can never be sure. Better to look them up personally."

The air shifted, reality warped, and the Overlord was found sitting on his throne, another one of the guild's world items. Yet the Guardians were not surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Welcome Lord Momonga."

Albedo greeted him, and behind her was a giant blue insectiod, an arch devil, two dark elves and a true vampire. All guardians of one or multiple floors. They all were bowing before him, as expected.

"Eh… You may raise your head."

Soon after, they all stared at their master, and it made Momonga even more uncomfortable. "Can't they look at me like a normal person? God, if I were still human, I would probably shit my pants from all the tension here."

"Now, let us all pledge our loyalty to our lord. I will go first." Albedo lowered her head again and continued speaking her oath. "I, Guardian Overseer, swear my undying loyalty and love to the Supreme One."

"Love? Don't tell me..."

"I, Guardian of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Floor, Shalltear Bloodfallen, swear my undying fealty to the Supreme One." The vampire was next, and with no hesitation, she swore herself to her master, yet at the end a look full of arousal was visible on her face.

"Shouldn't have expected more of Peroronchino's creation."

"I. Cocytus. Guardian of the 5th Floor. Swear my undying loyalty to the Supreme One, Lord Momonga." The blue insectoid followed after the vampire, steam exiting its nostrils at a pulsating rate.

"This one is maybe the most normal out of here. Thank god Takemikazuchi."

"I, Demiurge, Guardian of the 7th Floor, swear my undying loyalty to the Supreme One." The well-dressed devil said, and with all that malice behind his visage, these words were indeed the truth.

"That's Ulbert's creation, one which I have to be careful about."

"I, Guardian of the 6th Floor, Aura, swear my undying loyalty to Lord Momonga!" The young, dark elf's voice was filled with excitement. Yet nobody mistook that joy as something negative.

"Uhm, I, M-Mare, also the Guardian of the 6th Floor. I swear my loyalty to the Supreme One… Uh…" The last one to swear was one of the twin dark elves. Being shy was in his nature. Nobody became angry at him for misspelling some words before the Supreme One. Everybody would tremble in his mighty presence, and it was not taken as an offense.

"The twins were made to be a trap... Those two siblings were crazy."

"Mmh… Good. I am glad to hear that. Now, let us continue. I do not know if any of you felt it, but something has changed. And it would be best to send someone out of the tomb to make reconnaissance."

"If I may speak, Lord Momonga?"

"Sure, Demiurge."

The devil let a slight smile slip to his face, took a deep breath, and brushed it away. "I believe it would be the best to send summons outside to do the job for us. Hanzo's would be the best option here. As if there are any enemies nearby, our troops will stay undetected."

"A good proposal, Demiurge." Ainz applauded, and the devil was overcome with joy. Too much, in fact.

"I believe you have already thought of that option, my lord. What is my intellect compared to yours?"

Ainz was slightly taken aback by that. "Does Demiurge take me for an omnipotent skeleton?! Now when I look at their faces, they seem to all believe that?! Shit! Ok, I cannot make a wrong move! Cannot!"

"Then, Demiurge. I allow you to take responsibility for sending a troop of Hanzo's outside the tomb."

"It would be my pleasure, Lord Momonga."

"Mmh, now I believe this is all for now. Guardians, you are dismissed for today. Oh, and Albedo, make a status report of all of Nazarick and tell me when you're finished. Also, make preparations to encounter an enemy at every moment. And when we got visuals of our surroundings, I want Nazarick to be covered from any detection. And I want to know if something has changed inside the tomb as well."

He bombarded her with tasks a normal person could not do. But she was no mere assistant.

"Nothing that can't be done, my lord."

"Good. For now, I am in my chambers." Again, the Overlord went into his room, this time more exhausted than ever. He sought the feeling of being alone again. And the guardians didn't help him in that matter. They made it even worse. They would put him on such a high pedestal, one from which he would fall deep if they ever would to discover his true self.

"What a presence! I could almost feel my entire body shaking!"

"That must be the power of the Supreme One. A being truly worthy of ruling the Great Tomb of Nazarick." Cocytus spoke, his body exhaling steam at an inhuman pace.

"H-He is really scary, Aura…"

"Stop crying Mare! That's the Supreme one for you!"

"I… I think I peed myself. hehe…"

"Eu… Shalltear!"

"Don't be like that Aura! If you didn't feel a thing, then you should worry more!" Both Shalltear and Aura were now face to face. The other Guardians simply watched the two, almost fighting.

"I felt something. Don't worry about it! Nobody cannot notice his power!"

Before the two could escalate, someone stepped in. "Now, now. It is perfectly fine to feel like that in the presence of the Supreme One. Ahhh, I can't wait until the day comes when I will become his wife, ahh…"

"Hey, who told you you're gonna be his wife, huh!?" The petite vampire called out Albedo, which turned to Shalltear in a second, with pure hatred oozing out of her.

"Oh, you really think you gotta chance at all? Please, stay on your floor and play with your Vampire Brides." Albedo put on a lewd smirk. But Shalltear wouldn't let that slide.

"You old hag shouldn't be so confident! You're not even a regal lady, befitting of marring the Supreme One! Your. A. Slut."

"Oh, please! You're behaving like a child! What lady are you then, huh? I don't see one! And as far as I know. Vampires. Don't. Age. hehe…" The Succubus let out a laugh filled with malice. But the Vampire wasn't about to give up.

"You want to see who's stronger? We can gladly fight each other!" Shalltear was ready to put her combat equipment on, but it seemed Albedo was better at restraining herself in that matter.

"No, that goes too far. At least not here. Oh, and yes, you are all dismissed and allowed to carry out your given duty."

Now the rest of the Guardians left as they came in. Only Shalltear left through a gate with a hateful gaze towards the Overseer, who enjoyed the power of that position a little here.

"[Magical Creation: Scroll of God's Eye]"

"Huh, it worked!"

In his hands, he found a scroll enchanted with the spell [God's Eye]. And it looked to be in perfect condition. Even better than the ones crafted.

"So I really can create anything now. If I got the mana for it, that is."

He put the newly created scroll in his inventory. Right now, he had no need for it.

"Should be enough time. I think Demiurge's Hanzo's have enough info now."

"[Message]"

{Demiurge?}

{Yes, my lord. Just as expected of the Supreme One. We have just received information about the surroundings from the Hanzo's. And it seems we have moved to grasslands.}

{Grasslands?}

{Yes, my lord. Surrounded by trees and bushes. Until now, we didn't find any intelligent life or settlements. But be assured we will try our best to find something noteworthy.}

{Good. Keep me on the line.}

"So I was right from the start. Nazarick isn't in Yggdrasil anymore. I want to see this with my own eyes. But before that..."

Momonga took another look into his mirror to see his undead face with all its features, yet it didn't give him any discomfort.

"I have felt no need for hunger or sleep, nothing. And there is always something that prevents me from feeling greater emotions. This is the cause of my undead nature, yet I don't have any uneasiness with it."

Behind him, a door opened, and a slender maid entered the room. Her beauty was superb, nothing compared to the level of his former world. Her name was Narberal Gamma, a Battle Maid.

"Narberal, I will make a small trip outside the tomb."

"Wait my lord, you need an escort fir-"

"I can protect myself, do not worry."

With that, the Overlord disappeared to the heights of the tomb. He gradually wandered out to the top to see three evil lords standing before the entrance.

"Jealousy, Avarice and Wrath? What are the three demon lords from Demiurge doing here?"

"Ah, it's you, my lord." From behind them a voice appeared, which turned out to be Demiurge himself. In an instant, they all knelt before him. "But why aren't you traveling without an armed escort?"

The arch devil asked a direct question, yet Momonga thought to answer with a simple sentence.

"Well, there is a reason for all of this."

Demiurge seemed in thought for a short time, yet spoke. "So that's how it is."

"HUH?"

"As expected of a great ruler. Your attention to detail is impeccable."

"Wait, what? I just want to go outside!"

"However, I can't let you leave without an escort. If something would happen, I couldn't forgive myself."

"Mmh. Alright, you may accompany me."

"Thank you for accepting my selfishness, my lord. I will not fail you."

Both walked towards the outside, and as soon as the sky was visible, Momonga couldn't take his eyes off the many stars adorning the heavens.

"Amazing! This is the clearest sky I've ever seen! Even Blue Planets artificial sky can't hold a candle to this!"

Simply astonished by the beauty of this world, he had to get a better look at it. So he flew towards the sky itself. Demiurge followed shortly after he transformed into his froglike state. Momonga flew through the clouds, and as soon as he reached the top, he overlooked the new world with awe.

"I can see everything with just the moon's light. I wish Blue Planet could see this!"

"The stars in the sky glitter like jewels in a treasure box." Momonga expressed in a poetic tone.

"I believe this world exists, so you may adorn yourself with its infinite riches." Behind him, Demiurge responded to his comment.

"You could be right. Perhaps I was sent to these lands to obtain those jewels for myself, along with every treasure that shines beneath them... Yet that would be selfish. I would rather use them for the tomb, or my friends from Ainz Ooal Gown."

"If you wish it, we will use all the power of Nazarick to obtain it for you, my lord."

Little amused by Demiurge's comment, Momonga laughed a bit. "We don't even know what exist's in this world. But then again, the most enjoyable thing now might be taking over the world."

Shocked by his lord's comment, Demiurge was agape by his claim. If the Supreme One wished it, he should serve it on a plate. His head was already calculating all the possibilities on how to achieve such a matter.

"Who am I kidding? That's impossible. But I wonder, am I the only player here or are there others? I couldn't reach any of them, maybe because they're just too far away or this world's magic differs from Yggdrasil. Then my priority should be spreading the word of Ainz Ooal Gown all over the world. Now, with an indestructible guild weapon, this should make the impossible a little more possible."

That's when he heard a sound from beneath him. It seems the Guardians were already making sure nobody would detect the tomb. He went down and praised Mare's hard work and even gifted the young dark elf a guild ring, an item he never shared with NPCs before. Now, Mare's devotion was even stronger than before.


The next day began in the new world, yet Nazarick was never asleep. Everything had to be ready to be in perfect condition for the Supreme One. And in the office of Momonga, the Iron Butler was just about to clean his desk, yet didn't expect him to arrive in person.

"Sebas."

"My lord." The butler instantly bowed before him. "How may I serve?"

"You may stay here. I have something planned."

Momonga sat in his office chair. Sebas simply stood on his left. He didn't know what his master was about to do, but he was ready for any task.

"[Mirror of Remote Viewing]"

Before the two, a mirror appeared, first showing only darkness. Momonga stretched his hands out to the mirror, and a picture started to appear. It showed a vast green landscape, but no cities or skyscrapers. To Ainz, it was astonishing. If this world was real, there was no pollution anywhere visible.

"This is how the earth was before. Now it's just a wasteland."

He tried to move the screen with his hands, but it seemed more difficult than he thought. He scavenged the nearby surroundings, but found nothing for a long time. Until…

"Great work, my lord. You have found the first settlement of intelligent life."

"I thank you Sebas." "You sure know I look bad, waving my arms around here. How do you use this thing right?"

Now a small village was displayed in the mirror. The houses were made of simple wood, the roads of dirt. But something was off.

"Are they having a festival?"

"I do not believe this to be a festival, my lord." Sebas replied. His sharp eyes told him in an instant what this was. A massacre.

Momonga further zoomed in to see villagers get killed right and left. "In my old body, I would surely get sick watching this! But now, I actually don't feel a thing." His new frame was something he would never reject. Godly powers were now in his hands.

"What do you wish to do now, my lord?" Sebas asked his Momonga. He would accept any decision his lord would make, but would prefer to save those innocent people from death.

"Nothing. They aren't of any importance." But as Momonga looked at Sebas, he saw the shadow of Touch Me behind him. A great man in his eyes, who saved him once from death. "You would save them, wouldn't you, Touch Me?.. Alright, I'll repay the debt." "I changed my mind. I will go visit that village."

"As you wish, my lord. But you will need a guard as protection. I cannot allow the Supreme Being to venture outside alone." Sebas stated the obvious. As Demiurge before, the NPCs weren't very keen on allowing their last Creator to go outside alone.

"Fine. You may follow me. If that is sufficient."

A small fire lit up in the Dragonoid, one even Momonga could feel. His face was, of course, the same manly visage as always. Yet in his heart, he felt the desire to save these villagers.

"I will be at your service, Lord Momonga."

"[Gate]"

A purple portal appeared. Momonga entered it, followed by Sebas.

...

Enri was a poor girl. Her father, mother, and now even she and her sister were destined to die. They ran into the forest to escape the knights. However, they were fast enough to catch the two of them.

"You can't escape, young girl!" The knight said, putting his sword high to kill them both in one swing. The other one simply watched.

"No!" The little sister screamed. She was not ready to die. Yet she was not in control of her own death. The sisters both hugged each other, closed their eyes, and waited until it would be finally over.

"Wha-What is that?"

The knight stopped what he was doing. Both of them just stared at something behind the two girls, and they only noticed this after they opened their eyes again. They, too, turned to look upon what surprised the men, only to see a strange oval anomaly before them. The phenomenon hypnotized all four until a large being stepped through it. Its massive frame forced them to look even higher.

"You can kill little children, but let's see if you fare against me."

It was Death itself, and it had come for them. It wore an elegant purple robe, plated shoulder pads, and jewellery a mortal would not need. But the most astonishing thing was its staff. It was golden from the bottom to the top, where seven snakes all held orbs in their mouth. Whatever this being was, it was no mere undead.

"[Grasp Heart]"

It stretched its hand towards one knight, and in its palm, a heart appeared. Yet the skeletal being crushed that, and the knight fell over, dead. The other knight's brain cells were melting, his instincts screaming. He was not prepared for this. It was a simple mission: Kill all the villagers. Nothing else. Yet nobody told him such a creature would appear here.

"No! Y-You monster!"

The knight was ready to escape. His sword slipped out of his hand, and he ran, but his legs were all loose and he was falling repeatedly.

"[Dragon Lightning]" "Hahahaha!"

The menacing laugh of the Overlord was evil indeed. And as lightning left Momonga's fingers, it started portraying a dragon's head, flying towards the knight. The spell was fast and forceful. The knight couldn't evade it. It pierced the man in the back, killing him in an instant before frying his body to crisps.

Now another figure stepped through the portal. This time, it was a tall elderly man wearing a butler uniform. Yet his age did not stop his handsome charm.

"My lord. What do you wish to do with them?"

"We are here to save these villagers." Momonga pulled something out of his inventory. A healing potion. He turned to the two children, only to receive frightened faces. "Here, drink this." His voice was elegant, as his appearance was not. He could only convince them with fear. Yet that would be more akin to forcing them.

"S-Sure, just don't hurt my sister..." The elder sister went on to grab the bottle, but the child stopped her.

"No, don't drink it! Its poison!"

"No, it's not! Have they never seen a healing potion before?"

Before Momonga could act, Sebas stepped in, kneeling before the two fearful kids.

"Don't be afraid, young girls. My Lord is here to save you and your village. This is just a healing potion. If I may, my lord." His voice somewhat calmed the two, probably an effect of his high karma status.

Sebas turned to Momonga and asked for the bottle. Momonga gave it to him without saying a thing. "If we wanted to kill you, we would have done it already. So please, my lord has offered you this potion to heal your wounds. To reject such an offer would be foolish." Sebas offered the potion again. This time, the girl accepted the drink, opening the bottle and drinking it slowly. Seconds passed, and she could feel the wound on her back healing, yet her dress did not.

"Stay here and you will be safe." "[Wall of Protection from Arrows] [Anti-Life Cocoon]"

Barriers now surrounded the two children. Nobody would touch them anymore. No simple knight.

"And take these. Use them, and an army of goblins will come to your aid." Momonga threw two horns to the two girls. They stared at them for a while, but concentrated on the large man shortly after, just as he was about to leave.

"W-Wait! What's your name… sir?" They cried out. They wanted to know, needed to know their savior's name. To remember him forever and his deed.

"My name… My name is Ainz Ooal Gown! Remember it well!"

With that, he left to the corpse of a knight and released a liquid upon his corpse.

"[Create: Death Knight]"

The dark liquid suddenly surrounded the body, transforming it into something greater.

"Uh. In Yggdrasil there weren't such animations. They just popped up. This here is a little disturbing."

The Death Knight, fully formed, bowed to the Supreme Being, awaiting orders.

"Go kill all the knights in the village, but spare the villagers. EH?"

Without saying a thing, it let out a howl and left for the village.

"Weren't you supposed to stay and be my guard? Must be another new thing. Slight sentience."

"Sebas?"

"Yes, my lord." At the call, he bowed directly.

"Why didn't the two take the potion when I gave them? Did I do something wrong?"

"Well, as righteous and powerful you may be, these humans hold fear towards you, as they think of you as a kind of evil being. Yet they have never experienced the justice of the Supreme Being. Now they will no longer have these kinds of feelings towards you, my lord."

"So you want to say my undead nature is making them uncomfortable?"

"Yes, my lord. As unjust it may be."

"Mmh. Then I should hide my undead features for now. Thank you for the information, Sebas. It was certainly helpful."

"There is nothing to thank, my lord. We are only here to serve."

"Do all NPCs think like that' I would never have such devotion for my boss." "And forgive me for using the name of the guild as my own. I hope my comrades will forgive me for such a selfish act. Yet it is something that must be done to spread the name of Ainz Ooal Gown."

"My lord. Whatever you want shall happen. The other Supreme Beings would surely allow you to do such a thing. After all, you are the one above all."

It was rather a forced opinion of Sebas, as he could not possibly answer something different.

"Well, it pleases me you think that way. Now, let's see what the Death Knight did."

In the village, the undead monster was slicing bodies with ease, and no knight could touch it. Every sword broke at contact even with its cape. There was nothing but dread on the knights' faces.

"We have to escape! Or we will all die!"

"Get your shit together! This is not the place to break down!"

A foolish thing to say, something only the brave would tell, and fail miserably after. The commander was no better man. He knew he couldn't return with failure. So he charged the beast, which turned to the man and split his head from his body. The last he saw was his own corpus, without a head attached. He died quickly with little pain, a kind few in his work could get.

"Death Knight! That is enough!"

The creature suddenly stopped any movement in an inhumane motion. It seemed to listen to a voice that came from the sky. And as the knights looked up, they saw a masked man floating that looked like a magic caster, accompanied by an elderly man, dressed as a butler. The man wore a dreadful mask, showing a laughing demon.

"If you wish to live, you shall run away from this village and never come back. But if you stay, death will await."

The deep voice was anything but kind as he said the last sentence. The knights only looked at each other, and soon after, ran as far away as possible.

"Easier said than done. But these are really low-level knights. Better that than the opposite."

Ainz now slowly hovered over to the villagers, and a man stood before them all. He was an elder from his looks, and probably the village chief. His face was anything but pleased by the situation. Understandable, as he didn't know Ainz's motives. He could even be the greater threat to the village, as far as he knows.

"I saw this village to be under attack, and it pained my heart to see this. So I came to offer aid."

The villagers' faces lit up. Now they knew they were safe, as they trusted the stranger's word in an instant. His actions against the knights spoke for him. Normally, they wouldn't believe him that quickly.

"I am this village's chief, and I like to thank you for saving us. May we know our savior's name?"

"I am Ainz Ooal Gown, only a traveling sorcerer. Yet I didn't save this village only out of good heart. I expect some compensation. In form of information, perhaps."

"Of course. Please. Follow me into my house.

Ainz followed the old man into his house. It was poorly decorated, but what could he expect from a medieval farmer. Inside, they talked about the surroundings, the nations, and the coins that were used in these lands. And Ainz was really thankful for all this knowledge. Before, he had no idea what this place was.

"Village Chief! A troop of horsemen is incoming!" A villager, bathed in sweat, announced when he suddenly came inside the house.

"Let us see who these men are. I will be behind you, village chief. There is nothing to fear."

They went to the front of the village to see the incoming men, and as they were in sight, they were not the same at all as the knights that attacked the village before. They were light armored, yet one man struck Ainz's eyes with deep interest.

"This man. His eyes, his stature. That is a man."

That man came nearest with his horse, then he spoke. "I am the Warrior Chief of the Re-Estize Kingdom! I presume you are the village chief." Then his eyes landed on the masked figure beside the man. He was tall, clothed in an elegant robe. Probably a noble magic caster, and even followed by a butler. And the warrior chief could sense the spirit of a strong man in the butler's face. "But who is the man beside you?"

"This is-"

The village chief was interrupted by Ainz, who wanted to introduce himself. "I was just passing by this village and decided to help the villagers in need. The strong have to defend the innocent, or not?"

The warrior chief's face lit up as if he was struck by lightning. Immediately, he dismounted his horse and bowed before the robed man.

"On behalf of the Re Estize Kingdom, I thank you for saving this village."

Most were surprised as the Warrior chief bowed before Ainz. Even such behavior wasn't common around nobles.

"There is no need to bow. My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. Just a traveling sorcerer."

"I have to. I was not here to protect them, but you were. I am Gazef Stronoff, Warrior Chief of his Majesty and the Re Estize Kingdom. It is refreshing to meet a man like you, Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Likewise, but Ainz will suffice."

Again, Gazef was surprised by his humble behavior. The man was clearly of a higher class, just from where was unknown. Yet his character was nothing compared to the arrogant nobles of the kingdom.

"And here I thought you were a typical noble, yet you are nothing of the sort. Forgive me for thinking that way." Gazef bowed again. He probably didn't listen to what Ainz said, yet he did this purely out of respect.

"There is nothing to forgive. Everyone's thoughts are their owns. Yet I haven't introduced you to Sebas Tian yet."

Ainz motioned with his fingers towards the man on his right. Gazef turned around. He was now facing the man, and he could feel the butler's strong presence slightly.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir Stronoff." Sebas bowed, yet the man didn't want that.

"I'm no noble, so please, just call me Stronoff." Gazef reached with his left hand to greet Sebas on even terms, and Sebas accepted. This was not only an act of respect, but to measure each one's powers as well. Gazef could feel the strength alone in the man's handshake. It was immense, the strongest he ever felt. It was nothing compared to any adventurer. As if pure steel surrounded his palms.

"You have quite a grip, Sebas. I guess you are something more than a normal butler." Gazef laughed, and Sebas joined him with a small grin.

"If I would be weak, I could not protect my lord. Yet you are a man of extreme strength as well, if I may say so."

They both seemed to have great chemistry. They both shared a somewhat same mindset, serving their lord with their utmost breath.

"Well, it was nice to meet you two. It is rare to meet good-hearted people in this world."

"Likewise, Stronoff. Now, if you excuse us, we will have something to discuss."

"Of course. Let me know when you leave. After all, I want to say goodbye to the people who saved this village."

"We'll do."

Ainz and Sebas went for a room in one of the houses. There, Ainz used multiple spells to seal the room properly.

"What do you think of the man? Stronoff?"

"If you ask me, Lord Ainz. I believe him to be a strong warrior, confident, and loyal to his king. His allegiance seems solid. He is as good as a man can be. No gold or diamonds can corrupt his heart."

The butler gave a short but detailed portfolio of the man called Gazef Stronoff. And it seems Ainz missed some details, which Sebas noticed.

"Mmh, well. With time comes change. Now-"

Another villager stormed inside the house, yet as he wanted to enter the room where Ainz was, the door seemed locked. Just until Sebas opened it.

"There are more coming! More enemies!" The man told. Ainz and Sebas looked at each other, one awaiting orders, the other thinking about giving some.

"We will come. Lets go, Sebas."

"Right behind you, my lord."

Both returned to find the warrior chief with a concerned look on his face. If something could bring him to do that, it must be troublesome indeed.

"I heard there are more enemies incoming?"

"Yes, you've heard right."

"Again, for the village?"

"One would think so. But why?"

"Mmh. They seem to hold a grudge against you, Stronoff." Ainz replied, and both knew what he meant by that.

"Indeed. If I had my armor here, it wouldn't be a problem. But because of these damn nobles!" For a moment rage overcame the man, yet he calmed so ever faster. "We will meet them away from the village, away from the innocent. If I may ask, could I hire y-"

"No. I decline."

The atmosphere changed drastically. Ainz just said those words, serious and immediate. He didn't even hear the man out, as he already knew what he was going to say.

"I see… Then let us meet again, sometime."

"Likewise, Stronoff. Wait. Take this as a gift."

The man took the small wooden statue Ainz offered him, but said nothing more. Instead, both shook hands, and the man left for his horse.

"You do not intend to aid him, my lord?"

"The time will come. Yet not now."

As the warrior chief rode with his army towards the enemy, he saw a formation of casters, all in uniform. Probably a scripture of the Theocracy, the man thought. Ainz but watched as the fight unfolded, seeing as Gazef and his troops stood little chance, he had to time the switch perfectly. But something caught his interest as the warrior chief unleashed an attack of light. Yet it was not magic.

"Did you see that Sebas?" He asked his butler, standing beside him and as well watching the mirror.

"Yes, my lord. It seems he uses an unknown sort of magic. Yet which is still to uncover."

"Mmh. Maybe he is worth saving."

Just as Gazef was about to collapse as he held himself for a last stand, he found himself in a room, surrounded by the villagers he met earlier in the village. He took the item Ainz gave him from his pocket, only to realize what had happened. Then he finally collapsed.

Yet the battle was not over. Far from it, actually. Now, with Gazef and his men away. Ainz was free to do whatever he wanted.

"Hello there, soldiers of the Slane Theocracy! I overheard your little talk and I cannot allow you to harm the villagers I so dearly saved. Surrender, and I will grant you a quick death! Fight me, and you will suffer an eternity."

The deep voice shook the magic casters, yet the commander of them was not moved by his speech.

"Big talk for a lone magic caster and his? Butler? How is this! You may leave now and be spared! This is none of your business, as we don't even know your name!"

The commander, Nigun, was taking Ainz with everything but seriousness. Yet he would soon know his mistake.

"My name won't tell you much. I am Ainz Ooal Gown! And this village is under my protection! This is your last chance."

But the man did not listen to his warning. His pride was too great, his arrogance too broad.

"You are right about one thing! The name doesn't ring any bell in my head. Well, enough talk! Angels, attack!"

The Archangel Flames took the offense and two of them stabbed Ainz in the stomach.

"Just like his friend! Only talk!"

Nigun was already feeling his success, yet he did not know his opponent a bit.

"Recall the angels!" Nigun commanded.

"We are, sir! But something is wrong!"

Nigun looked back at the lone sorcerer, only to see the angels shake in a weird motion.

"Have you misheard my words? Then it seems you have chosen to suffer."

Ainz slammed both angels to the ground, both directly disappearing into dust. All casters were agape. To kill them with bare hands, and in one strike, and as a caster, was out of question. And now, gradually, the scripture members realized the threat before them.

"Let all angels attack! Kill the bastard!"

All the Archangel Flames came closing in on Ainz, who was unbothered by their presence. They were mere pests to him.

"Sebas, retreat!"

As his butler went away, he was free to use a spell perfect for this situation.

"[Negative Burst]"

Ainz released dark energy from himself, completely killing all the surrounding angels. The wave continued to almost reach the men, yet stopped shortly before them.

"Huh, childsplay." He commented, and the casters panicked.

"What?"

"With one hit?"

"This can't be?"

More questions rose under the soldiers. The robed sorcerer again exceeded their expectations.

"This is enough! Principality Observation! Attack!"

Now the giant of an angel behind the scripture moved toward Ainz. With both hands, it held a huge mace. With it, the angel tried to attack its target. Yet just as it could strike, Ainz held his hand up, catching the mace full on swing with his bare hand.

"[Hellflame]"

A miniature of a fire was released from his fingertips towards the angel. The scripture members were shocked that he could block the blow with his hand, yet the flame seemed too meager to even affect the angel. But as it struck, it engulfed the whole angel, burning it to a crisp of its former glory.

Silence. For a moment, there was nothing but the wind present. Yet in the minds of the humans, there was chaos, disorder, and disbelief.

"Shoot him!"

All the casters began firing spells at the masked man, yet it seemed to be deflected by a sort of barrier. But they didn't stop.

"These are all spells from Yggdrasil, mmh." "Who taught you this magic? Tell me!"

As one tried to use a slingshot towards Ainz, Sebas was quick to catch it with two of his fingers.

"I believe this belongs to you."

With a flick of his fingers, he released the stone back to its shooter. In a millisecond, the man's face was gone, obliterated, as were the trees behind him, yet no one noticed that. They stopped shooting their spells and looked towards the sound from their lines, and there they saw a man without a head. Morale went down. It seemed even his subordinate was as strong as himself.

"Wait that is-. No need. Ainz Ooal Gown! Embrace yourself, as you have the honor of being defeated by the highest angel in all existence! This time you won't succeed!"

Nigun took a sealing crystal out of his robe. Ainz was everything but calm when his gaze moved to the crystal. It could contain powerful entities. Something which these under leveled humans shouldn't possess.

"Be on guard, Sebas."

The crystal began to glow, and the man spoke again. "Come forth, Dominion Authority!" In a blinding light, an even greater angel than before appeared in the sky. This time, it had more features befitting of a divine being, such as having actual wings of feathers.

"This is it? This is your trump card?" Ainz said to the scripture, they thinking he would pledge for his life soon.

"Indeed! It is no shame in fearing it! You ma-"

"You misunderstand me. But think nothing of it."

The masked caster seemed too confident, even now, before this entity. He couldn't possibly be stronger than this angel. It was impossible.

"No-You can't be! The light will wash you away, destroy you! Now, attack, Dominion Authority!"

The angel initiated its attack, but Ainz did not seem to prepare to block or evade it. This made Nigun laugh, even before the angels attack, something only the foolish do. Then, as a pillar of light surrounded Ainz and Sebas, Nigun was already thinking them dead, his laugh encompassing his whole face.

"This is pain, hahaha. Even as meager as it is, I can feel this."

Just as the laughing voice of Ainz came out of the light pillar, the smile faded, and fear spread again. When the attack stopped, the masked caster was still there, as was his butler.

"Impossible!" The cries and chokes of the soldiers could be heard a mile away. Traumatized to the bone, as they should be. Their whole picture of reality has been destroyed. Nothing made sense to them anymore.

"Let me show you what real power is." "[Black Hole]"

The world turned black and white, and as Nigun looked up, he could see how the angel was sucked into a black circle and disappeared as if it was never there. Now the faces of the soldiers were like dead men, yet with soul but without will.

"How… Not even the demon gods could defeat such an angel! Who are you!"

All means of sanity left the man. Now he was at the mercy of his enemy. An enemy which could rival his own gods.

"I told you before. I am Ainz Ooal Gown. And I told you something else as well. Yet you didn't listen. Now, you will suffer."

In his speech, he removed his mask, showing his pale skeletal face to them. They thought they were fighting a human, yet no human could possess this much power. And only now they understood their doom.

"An elder lich!"

"Not quite. But now it is time."

"No, please! I beg of you, Ai- Lord Ainz Ooal Gown! I will give you all the gold you want! Forget the others, only let me go free!" The man was desperate, even ready to sacrifice his own soldiers. They looked at him with frightened expressions, as they, too, wanted to escape unharmed.

"There is no mercy left. You had the chance, now you die."

Gazef woke up as if he had a terrible sleep. Yet it mostly of that feeling was because he was exhausted. But his wounds had disappeared from his last battle. He stood up and left the house to see his savior in front of it.

"We were just about to visit you, Gazef."

"No need. As I have come for you." The man laughed. Even in his state, he could spare a laugh.

"You seem well. Had a good sleep?"

"Very much so. I see you are ready to leave again. I had hoped to introduce you to the king."

"As tragic as it may be, we must go on our way."

Gazef hoped to let Ainz meet with Rampossa, the current king of the Re-Estize Kingdom. Yet he could not force the man to do it.

"I will not stop you. Then, farewell, Ainz Ooal Gown."

"You as well, Gazef Stronoff."

After they said their goodbyes. Ainz and Sebas went into the woods until nobody would see them. There, they would teleport back to the tomb. Now they wouldn't have to worry about his safety any longer.

"Sebas, call the guardians. I have something important to tell."

"As you say, my lord."

Some minutes later and all were ready in the throne room, kneeling before the Supreme One. At his call, all came. Nobody would dare to reject his command.

"As of today, I will no longer be Momonga…" He pointed his hand towards his banner. The guardians followed his target to see his flag burn. "...I will be called Ainz Ooal Gown, Master of the Great Tomb of Nazarick!"

All cheered at his new claim and praised his new name. No one objected, as it was the Supreme Ones will. After, Ainz went back to his room, he had still something to experiment with.

"If I can create Shooting Star Rings, I could use them without any loss. Maybe I could… No, that's too impractical. It would be better to just create a [Leaf of Yggdrasil] with the staff. Shooting Star would just suck out my exp. And thinking of creating a world item with another world item just sounds insane. But the spell from the staff doesn't seem to have any limitations, only mana, of course. But that is no problem."

Ainz concentrated for a moment, and as he held the staff, a new hologram appeared before him.

"It functions with my thoughts, interesting. But maybe I can see how much mana it needs before I activate the spell." Again, he concentrated on the item he wanted to create, and then the hologram changed. "Mmh… 143% of my mana needed? So I'm missing 43%. Maybe if I swap out a ring…" He removed one ring from his hands and put another on. "Now it's only 21% that I need."

Again, he removed a ring from his hands. He came across the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown], yet kept it on himself. Instead, he removed the next most unimportant ring and added a new.

"The mana stored in those two rings seems to be enough. There will be 2% left of my mana. But I guess it's worth it to gain another world item's ability."

"[Magical Creation: Leaf of Yggdrasil]"

This time, a light brighter than the stars lit up in his room. He could feel every inch of mana leave his body, with only a little amount remaining. The effect, it seemed, was even greater than when he created a Shooting Star. But the two items were of equal class, yet as it seemed not of equal power.

"Man, that's bright. Can't I shut down my eyes? I don't even have any?"

This time, the light didn't fade, but fused inside the leaf, which appeared in Ainz's palm. It glowed the same as the other, looked like the other, and felt like the other leaves he got from the boss.

"Unbalanced stuff is always great. Even greater in real life."


Changed a few things. Makes it a bit more interesting to read. Didn't want to write the start the same as in the original.

Took me a while to write this, but now I finished it finally. Now the next thing my mind is stuck on is on a LotrxOverlord crossover.