Staying Behind

by ErlanggSIOC

When the worlds ends many instantly abandon it. But more than one stays behind, choosing to face the inevitable end to live until the very last second. This is the story of an Overlord, a Great Spirit. And their children consisting of an entire guild. No one ever says being a parents would be easy.

13. Chapter 13

Her consciousness returned alongside a sensation she thought she would never feel - a tinge of slight pain.

A desperate wallop from a woman at death's door. Which, in her arrogance, she allowed to connect. To satisfy her bloodlust-filled amusement.

The inside of Shalltear's head instantly turned white.

The previous bloodthirst that thrashed violently within her body was nowhere to be found. She blankly stared at the source of the pain; the hand that blocked the bottle. From where the liquid had touched her, a strong smell leaked out, along with a faint smoke.

Shalltear shifted her gaze down to the ground. The bottle was laid on the ground with its cap open, releasing an aromatic fragrance. It was a smell that she knew well.

A potion bottle commonly used in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, its reddish content spreading on the ground and fusing with the gore of her latest slaughter.

The actual liquid itself was most likely a Minor Healing Potion. Undead are damaged by restoration items. It was the reason why Shalltear's skin was slightly melted.

Hence, she felt pain. Hence her sense of self returned. Hence she realized her blunder.

"Impossible!"

Shalltear's voice, laced with anger, seemed to shake the very air.

"Bring that woman alive!"

In response to her command, the vampire brides that had been standing aside until now moved. While Shalltear was lost in her thoughts, the woman had used the opportunity to turn and flee. The two vampire brides quickly closed the distance and grabbed her arms from both sides.

She was the sole survivor of an adventurer group, one smart enough to opt for a retreat rather than facing her. It didn't matter, Shalltear still killed them all the same as the bandits. In fact, she was barely able to tell the difference between the six and the previous lot.

Until now.

Shalltear cursed herself. She can still recall the past few minutes even if the memories were foggy, no doubt because of her [Blood Frenzy] skill.

Chasing after the Katana-wielding swordsman after deciding that none in the vicinity was worth being brought in alive. Running into the rest of the rabble, she indulges herself in a senseless slaughter. Too late did she discover the hidden exit, used by the Katana-wielder to slip away.

After that, everything relating to that woman and her band of six occurred, and the rest was history.

Thinking about it, she couldn't pinpoint when her [Blood Pool] stopped and was switched with her berserker ability. Normally, Shalltear would have noticed the anomaly, but fuming with anger and blinded with pride, she was too focused on the present. Specifically, of the unfortunate woman that was the source of her current problems.

Although the woman struggled violently, the difference in strength between a human and a vampire was too different. Too easily, she was dragged in front of Shalltear.

"Look into my eyes!"

Shalltear grabbed the woman's chin and forcibly brought her eyes to bear on her own. Needless to say, she kept her strength in check, otherwise, she would've accidentally ripped her chin off and ended up in an embarrassing situation. Although Shalltear knew how to use faith magic, as an undead, she couldn't use the normal healing spells.

Forced to look, the red-haired woman's eyes soon clouded over, and the terrified look on her face was replaced with a friendly expression. It was the charming effect of the [Demon Eyes of Attraction]. Sensing that she was well under her spell, Shalltear released the female warrior from her grip.

She had several questions to ask her. But there was only one that needed to be asked before anything else.

Shalltear picked up the potion bottle that fell to the ground and held it in front of the female warrior.

"At a tavern, a man in black armor gave it to me."

Hearing the words that were spoken as if they weren't that important, Shalltear's whole body froze solid.

"….Wait…. No, that's impossible... but… which… which city was it?"

"It was a tavern in Re-Lantier."

Shalltear was shocked as if the world was shaking. The man in question, she knew who the female warrior was talking about.

'Can you believe that idiot!? Prancing around in black full armor like some edgy warrior! Anyway if you meet him be sure to stay away! He doesn't deserve your acknowledgment in whatever 'grand plan' he's working on!'

A rant which Shalltear mistook as a command because it came from her goddess, Pallas Domina Ooal Gown. It was basically the lease to never interfere with her husband, Ainz Ooal Gown's plan. To distance themselves from him and his group and to never question any of his projects in the new world.

If that was the case, the bigger problem becomes why was this woman in possession of the potion? It was difficult to imagine that he would give it to her without reason.

"No way…"

Did he also give this woman some unknown instructions? Or perhaps he gave her the potion to form a connection, or maybe to strengthen their friendship.

The dignified appearance of Ainz Ooal Gown, one of the two absolute rulers of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, appeared in her mind. The possibility that she had ruined some kind of plan that he had devised burned at her heart.

Stemming from carelessness that she had sworn will not happen no less.

"Why did you come here?! What's your objective!"

She no longer had the luxury of feigning delicacy with her words. Now that learning as much information as possible became the priority, Shalltear glared at the woman with bloodshot eyes, with an entirely different feeling from before.

"Yes. Our main task was to patrol the roads. But when we heard information that a bandit hideout was somewhere nearby, we came to investigate. It looked as if something happened, so we split into two teams and came here on a reconnaissance mission."

"You split your team in two?"

"Yes. Since we didn't know how many bandits there were, our job was to gather their attention and lure them to a trap that was being prepared by the others."

"So there's another team."

Thinking that another annoyance had popped up, Shalltear clicked her tongue.

"So, how many of you are there in total?"

"With me included, those that came here number seven, and—."

Shalltear's gaze moved towards the corpses on the ground. Three warriors, one bishop, one magic caster— and this woman; the numbers didn't add up. Against the eyes filled to the brim with questions, the female warrior responded nonchalantly.

"Yes. In case of an emergency, we had a ranger who would travel to ReLantier for reinforcements."

"What…?"

The magic caster's voice from before was oddly loud. From his description of her and his guess of her abilities. That's right, loud enough so anyone around the basin could hear everything that had occurred.

It all clicked into place inside her head.

"Kuh!"

Shalltear's eyes widened as she jumped out of the basin with a speed faster than the wind. Although she had climbed all the way to the top and scanned her surroundings, even her eyes that could see in the dark could not see past the trees. Even when she focused her ears, the only sound that she could hear was the rustling of vegetation caused by the wind.

Shalltear did not possess skills for detection or magic for searching. In the current situation, finding a human in this forest was impossible.

"Damn it!"

She shouted in anger.

It was a simple method of information transmission, meant as a fail-safe where a member detached from his group but kept enough distance to still be able to hear, and maybe see, his allies. Here, rather than serving as a reinforcement, the lone hand will be a courier of the oncoming danger in the wake of the canaries' demise.

She lost them. Honestly, she had been too complacent. With this, alongside that man with the katana, made two. She ground her teeth.

"Come, my kin!"

Beneath Shalltear's feet, her shadow squirmed, and several wolves protruded forth. Needless to say, these were not normal wolves. Their dark fur was as black as the night, and their red eyes glinted with a cruel cunning.

A Level 7 monster, Vampire Wolf.

Although Shalltear could summon numerous monsters with her [Raise Kin] skill, these wolves, among the lowest tier of her household, is the only one capable of tracking her current target.

"Follow him. Kill every human in this forest!"

Her command was practically a roar, and the ten vampire wolves ran in concert into the forest according to the bidding.

Even as she watched them from the back, she felt that the chances of them succeeding were low. An image of Aura floated in her mind. While probably not at her level, a ranger would probably have a few tricks up his sleeve when it came to covering his tracks.

In other words, it was necessary to assume that he had gotten away and to think of the next move. Shalltear rushed back to her original spot and questioned the female warrior as if she was going to attack her.

"First, is there anyone besides you who received a potion from the one in black armor?"

"No, there aren't any."

"Okay! Then the next question. Is there a chance that the ranger will rejoin the remaining team?"

"None. In a situation where our team faced a good chance of being annihilated, his job was to abandon the team and return to the city. This was the path with the highest chance of our survival."

It was a preparation that accounted for both the possibility of defeat and their surroundings. Because of this, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Shalltear had been driven to a corner. Realizing this, she flared in anger.

"Puny humans, always having so many cunning tricks—. If I ever get permission to subjugate your kind, I'll make sure that you're treated like the maggots that you all are!"

Lashing out in anger did not change the reality of the current situation. It was almost certain that the existence of a vampire would be delivered to the city.

It was unknown whether or not the ranger was able to see what she looked like. It was the middle of the night, in the corner of the basin nonetheless. It was difficult to imagine that a human's eyesight would have been able to perceive her appearance under such conditions.

Even so…

"Damn it!"

Shouting curses, Shalltear fell into thought.

Of her orders from Momonga… and the forewarning from Torihiki…

"Will you be okay Shalltear? Doing this task alone?"

The vampire can hear the psychopomp's voice resonating inside of her. Stabbing through her soul like a knife.

"Don't get me wrong, you are picked for this task because of your unparalleled prowess. But will you be able to manage alone? Especially, with the drawbacks that come with your strength"

Between having her presence uncovered to the world, and losing herself to [Blood Frenzy]...

'If the movements of Nazarick are made known, there is a possibility that it will interfere with our plans in the future.'

Her guilt peaked as her exact directive, given by the greatest of her lords himself, resurfaced. In fact, she can practically feel her guilt climbing from her stomach onto her throat.

Ignoring the wisdom of a supreme being, furthermore jeopardizing their design of the coming times...

Shalltear suppressed the mounting desire to claw out her hair.

"Still, okay. Still, okay. Still, okay."

She repeated those words as if she was trying to hypnotize herself. Even if the information about a vampire spread to the city, it wasn't as if her name or anything regarding Nazarick was included.

In other words, there was nothing to connect the vampire that attacked this place with Nazarick. The people in the city will presume that the mercenaries at this hideout were slaughtered by a wild vampire— if such a thing even existed.

Regardless, the story had its fair share of holes, but it was impossible to make any further assumptions without more information.

Once again, Shalltear fell into a whirlwind of thoughts.

The next problem was, with her assumptions as to the premise, how to deal with this woman.

Even if she was charmed, her memory would not disappear completely. The safest option would be to kill her. The problem with that method was that she did not know her master's intentions as to why he gave the woman the potion.

If he gave it to her with some objective in mind, then killing her here would create a problem for her master. That was very dangerous.

If she let her return alive, the others will question why she was the only one spared. Then, all kinds of information – especially Shalltear's appearance, would be revealed. While that may not pose too big of a problem at the moment, there was no telling what would happen in the future.

The best way was to contact the master, but Shalltear did not know how to use the [Message] spell.

Just what in the world was she supposed to do now?

"...My chance for redemption…"

Muttering in a voice small enough so that no one could hear, Shalltear bit down on her nail. Instantly shattering the plate with her teeth.

"If only I didn't have Blood Frenzy… No, that's rude to my creator, Peroroncino-sama. If only I could suppress it… And after Torihiki-sama had warned me about it no less..."

Unknown to Shalltear, she was only half responsible for the blunder. As their arrival to the new world has modified her skill in a way neither she nor her creator or the players can fathom. Yet, negligence on her part was also undeniable, from how Shalltear underestimated her enemies to her overindulgence that directly leads to this predicament.

But it was already too late for regrets. No matter how she dealt with the female warrior— it didn't matter now, a scolding was inevitable. The only thing left was to decide which way would best mitigate the damage.

Preventing the worst outcome by any margin, even if the final result can only be a failure,

Shalltear thought about it over and over until smoke rose out of her head, and she made her decision.

Instead of killing her, sparing her would create more options. Killing her was irreversible, but if she let her go, then something could be done about it. Shalltear decided so. No, it wouldn't be wrong to say that she was fooling herself.

"Your name?"

"It's Brita."

"Okay… I won't forget it!"

Shalltear had the woman named Brita stand a bit further away. She then called over her two servants, the vampire brides.

"We are going to collect everything here and withdraw."

She was worried whether there was enough time to pillage. Nevertheless, she had to bet on fooling the others into thinking that this was an attack to steal the loot. Since she had already failed, the least she could do was try to spread false information.

"Shalltear-sama, how shall the women be dealt with?"

Shalltear fixed her gaze on the woman who was standing a small distance away.

"Leave her like that."

"No, we mean the other women."

"…What? What other women?"

"Yes, Shalltear-sama. We searched the inside of the cave for survivors and found several women who looked to have been used to relieve their lust. How would you like them dealt with?"

Shalltear frowned.

What the heck. She thought, turned, and looked again.

Since they didn't see my face, it wouldn't matter even if I let them be. But was that the correct course of action? It's annoying so should I just kill them? No, then it would be suspicious that I didn't kill Brita as well.

Unable to decide which way was the most advantageous, Shalltear held her head.

"What should we—."

"Haaaaa? How should I know!"

'Why did you have to ask me something like that, you fool!'

Her face said as much. If she didn't know, she could claim ignorance if it came down to it. But willfully ignoring it after having been told was clear treason against her master.

"Enough already, I don't know! I don't know! Leave them here! Stick Brita with those women!"

"Is this okay?"

"Okay or whatever, I don't know, damn it! Shut up for a minute!"

"I am sorry, Shalltear-sama."

"We're leaving! Move it!"

The vampires bowed their heads and began to carry out her order. Meanwhile, Shalltear slowly pulled at her head while crouching.

"…..I'm going to get scolded…. what should I do…. but….. huh?" Shalltear raised her face and her eyes stared in the direction of the forest that the Vampire Wolves disappeared into. "….They found something?" She felt her kin disappear in the blink of an eye. They weren't sent back with magic, but instead, killed by someone. "Throw that woman with the rest and follow! I'll leave behind a marker!"

Her decision was swift. Having shouted just those words, Shalltear broke into a run at a speed that seemed to cleave through the wind. Although she was slowed by the forest, even a human on horseback wouldn't have been able to run from the present Shalltear.

Having cleared free of the forest in a single breath, Shalltear ran towards the area where she last sensed her kin. At that location were twelve humans, they each had a different set of equipment.

All of them stopped moving as they turned their attention to her, as she did with them.

Their equipment wasn't plain in appearance and had unique look to them. For the sake of comparison, they were similar to what Shalltear was wearing. They emanate great power. Needless to say, since Shalltear did not have any abilities that could identify magic items, it was all based on her intuition. Regardless, the feeling their weapons gave off reminded her of legendary class items.

Shalltear burned with questions over who these people were. The twelve men and women had an aura that was hugely different from the humans that she had encountered so far in this world. It was like the difference between a rat and a lion.

While Shalltear's eyes moved from one person to another, her gaze stopped on a certain man.

'That one… is he strong?'

Although the surprised Shalltear wanted to gauge how powerful he was, she was not of the warrior class and could not get an accurate handle on his strength. Merely that not only was he stronger than her two vampire brides but even above Pleiades' Solution.

Shalltear observed him. She had described him as a man because of his equipment, but his face was androgynous.

Whether to call him a man or a woman, he seemed to be both and neither at the same time. Short with a youthful face, probably still in the midst of his growth— it only made his gender harder to determine.

His jet black hair was long enough to touch the ground. His sharp, ruby-like eyes held hints of caution as he stared at Shalltear. With his spear which looked plain, unlike his armor, the man charged at her.

"—Use it!"

A voice like a cool lake; hearing his command, a rumble of agitation ran through those around him. Shalltear did not understand what that meant, only that he had ordered them to use an item of considerable power. Perhaps even one that rivaled the power of Shalltear's divine class item.

Although the humans followed the voice and started to move, Shalltear ignored them completely. She was cautious of only one person and everyone else did not pose much of a threat.

At the center of their movements was a woman dressed in strange clothes.

It looked like a one-piece dress for women with a deep slit down the side and around the collar. The color was a silvery-white, with the image of a five-clawed dragon soaring to the skies stitched in gold thread.

If she recalled Itsuki-sama's words correctly, it was something called a Cheongsam.

However, the face of the woman in the dress was wrinkled with age. Her exposed legs reminded one of the burdocks or dried potatoes. The clothes did not fit with her appearance. It was to the point that one would want to narrow their eyes; to the point that Shalltear looked away

But that was to be the last small feeling of incongruity. Everything could have been changed by the smallest of whims.

If Momonga and Kyoko hadn't captured Nigan, if the former hadn't countered the Slane Theocracy's information magic so strongly, if the theocracy hadn't made the mistake of believing 'the Dragon King of Calamity has resurrected', if Shalltear hadn't been distracted— everything would have changed. However, right there at that moment, so many ifs coincided, in other words, meant that it was inevitable.

The name of the dress was [Bewitching Calamity = Kei Seke Koku].

An item left behind by the God who saved mankind, the subject of their worship. It held a power that even Shalltear did not possess.

Shalltear shuddered.

Even as the highest level Floor Guardian of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, Shalltear's body trembled. It was a warning, almost like a sixth sense. With her instincts setting off alarm bells, she fixed her sight on the old woman.

This was a human whom she had to kill, no matter what.

Hit with this realization, Shalltear began to move towards her. The man with the spear blocked her way.

"Move!"

Shalltear smacked him in earnest. A normal human's weak body would have been torn to pieces, but the man was simply blown away and did not die. Not only that, he still retained his fighting spirit.

But she ignored him and pressed on, concentrating on the old woman as the focal point and cast her spell.

"[Mass Hold Species]!"

A number of them had their movements constricted. The reason Shalltear tied them down was that she deemed them to be more than enough to make up for her previous failure.

As the thought passed through her mind, Shalltear's heart became overlapped in white.

The feeling of a portion of her mind falling away. She didn't know what it was. And when the truth of what was happening dawned on her, an enormous shock passed through her and even the undead Shalltear trembled in fear.

Mind control.

She, an undead with absolute immunity to mind control effects, was having her mind dominated. Shalltear furiously filled her heart, now almost dyed in white, with hatred. As her head swarmed with the countless thoughts of the worst-case scenario—

"KUUAAAAAAHHH!"

—she screamed and resisted, blood pouring down her eyes. This mind control that was trying to dirty her, the Floor Guardian of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, she resisted.

But as if ignoring Shalltear's desperate struggle, her consciousness continued to be dyed white. She did not even have the luxury of using her teleportation magic. Losing her focus for even an instant would immediately render her completely under the spell's effect.

Shalltear used her class skill and created a [Purifying Javelin].

A huge javelin imbued with divine energy was still capable of dealing significant damage even if the user had an evil alignment. More importantly, throwing it while using additional MP gave it the effect of never missing its mark.

Shalltear, while resisting with all the strength in her body, glared at the old woman who had cast the spell that was dirtying her. Her eyes peering past through the huge mirror-like shield of a man blocking her path as a threat.

Then— she threw.

The javelin flew from her hand like it had a will of its own.

It was an attack strengthened by every skill that she could scrounge up from her fading consciousness.

Its aim was true, the attack that looked like a flash of light penetrated the man blocking its way along with his shield and struck the old woman. The two humans throwing up blood, shock, surprise, and terror overtaking the group; this was the last vision of the world that Shalltear saw.

Ushering the next act, preparing the Bloody Valkyrie into the stage.

And her clash against Ainz Ooal Gown.

XxX

Voidwalker77 Presents

Staying Behind

Chapter XIII: Downfall

XxX

The carriage moved directly into the backyard of the home, stopping in front of the backdoor. Picking up the magic lantern, Nfirea jumped off the carriage's front seat and opened the door. Hanging the lantern in his hand on the wall, illuminating the room.

Because of the light, it was possible to see a few buckets inside the room. The smell of dry herbs came from the room, indicating that this was a place used to keep herbs.

It took them three days to get here, filled with twists and turns that easily surpassed everything else they have lived through their entire lives. Alongside the four members of the sword Darkness, Nfirea was finally home.

"Then, sorry to trouble you, but could you help to transport the herbs over?"

Readily replying, the hired adventurers carefully transported a bundle of herbs from the carriage to the house. Guiding the placement of the herbs, a question emerged from Nfirea's heart:

Despite Nfirea's grandmother being of old age, her hearing and eyesight were not bad, she would have heard the sounds of things being transported and come outside. However, if she was too concentrated on the creation of her potions, then she would not pay any attention to any small noises. Feeling as if this was the usual, Nfirea did not shout out in a loud voice. Waiting until all the herbs were placed in their appropriate locations, Nfirea called out to some of the Sword of Darkness members:

"Good work! There should be some ice-cold juice in the house, please go ahead and drink it."

"That would be great."

Lukeluther said, his forehead sweating slightly. The rest happily nodded their heads.

"Then, this way please."

Nfirea led everyone towards his home, then suddenly someone opened the door from the other side.

"Hey~ Welcome back~"

In front of their eyes stood a lovely woman, but she gave off a vague sense of unease. Her short blonde hair swaying along with her movements.

"Aiya~ I was worried, you know? I thought you went missing. How unlucky~ I had no idea when you would come back, so I was just waiting here all this while."

"... Ma- May I ask who you are?"

"Hey! Don't you all recognize me?"

Because of the intimate tone, as if the two of them were acquaintances, Peter let out a sound of surprise.

"Eh? Hahaha~ I came to kidnap you~ we require someone to use a magic artifact to summon a lot of undead, the [Undead Legion]. So could you become my toy? Onee-chan is asking you a favor, please?"

The Sword of Darkness members, feeling this woman's evil atmosphere, immediately pulled out their weapons. Even in the face of an impending battle, the woman still said in a frivolous tone:

"That is a seventh-tier spell that is very hard for people to use, but through the use of the crown, it can be achieved. Although it is still not possible to control all the undead, it can still influence them! What a flawless plan~! Perfect~!"

"... Nfirea-san, retreat! Quickly leave this place."

Wielding his weapon while being wary of the woman, Peter said in a serious tone:

"That woman won't stop talking, she must be confident about dealing with us. Since you are her target, the only way to reverse the situation is for you to escape."

The Sword of Darkness members used their bodies to shield the panicking Nfirea, standing in front of him.

"Ninya! You escape as well!"

Following Dyne, Lukeluther also shouted:

"Take the kid and run! Don't you still want to rescue your sister who was captured!?"

"Yes. You still have something to do. While we may not be able to help you in the end… At least we can buy you some time."

"Everyone…."

"Hey~ How heartwarming~I almost want to cry, eh. But if he escapes it would be a bother. At least leave one person for me to play with~"

Seeing Ninya's tightly pursed lips, with an appearance of not knowing what to do, the woman showed a joyful smile, slowly taking out her stiletto from within her robe. At this moment, from behind the back door came a few pale scrawny men.

Realizing this, the faces of all of the Sword of Darkness members became serious. They have been caught inside a pincer attack.

"... Playtime is over."

"Hey~ What are you saying, Kajit-chan? Weren't you all helping me prepare, helping me ensure that the screams don't leak outside? But since it's just one person, please let me have some fun."

Her toothy laugh made Nfirea's hair stand on the ends.

"Well now that there is no way to escape, let us begin~"

The deranged killer Clementine, and the death cult Zurrernorn. Cornering their target Nfirea Barerae they set off to create an Undead disaster for their own benefit. And at this point, their goal was as good as completed.

As for the Sword of Darkness, they were simply an unfortunate quartet who ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. Their prolonged suffering and finally death is a tragic end none of them deserve.

One that was avenged with the pain of equal level by the figure who encountered the group by sheer chance. Stemming from his own selfishness and self-serving justice.

Except that retribution will never happen here. Only three will still leave the E-rantel Cemetery with their live, with Clementine and Khajit's live among the casualties none wiser of their fate as they proceed with their plan.

Instead of the [Spiral of Death] which they have been working on for the past five years, what they march towards is a swift merciful requiem. A final moment too good for the likes of them.

XxX

Once their job had finished, Momonga, currently masquerading as the adventurer Momon, split up from his one-time coworkers. Doing so to register the new addition to his team, the wise king of the forest which he had 'subjugated'. It was another step in consolidating his name as an adventurer, one can even consider it as writing it down literally.

Putting aside the humiliation he felt at having to ride 'Hamsuke' and looking like a middle-aged man sitting on a carousel with a deadpan look, looking forward in loneliness without having any family and never having a lover.

'...The name, Hamsuke, was decided too much in a hurry. Maybe Mochi…would be more entertaining… Everyone had mentioned before that I am unable to think of good names…'

When the Virtuous King of the Forest said he wanted a name, the name that floated into Momonga's mind was Hamsuke. After receiving the name Hamsuke, the Virtuous King of the Forest was also very satisfied with his name. But after calmly considering it, the name Hamsuke was really tasteless and uncreative.

Which also brought up an even more horrid picture. What would his children think if they ever saw him like this? As for Kyoko, well, he should resign to being laughed at and being made fun of.

He misses and loves his wife dearly, but he knows that short of finding other players, nothing could grant him the leniency from the upcoming embarrassment.

After all, Momonga himself would laugh at anyone in his current position.

With an unsightly riding posture, courtesy of the Virtuous King of Forest's physique, the Undead in hiding's butt would point outwards while riding, and he had to spread his legs wide to maintain his balance. In other words, he was locked in a position similar to jumping over a box.

As for the series of events leading to this shame-play.

Starting with the Sword of Darkness's persuasion and the Virtuous King of the Forest himself, backed by the logic of easing the people by showing how the latter had submitted completely and allowed the victor to ride her.

It didn't help that Naberal quickly added how such a display will elevate his standing over the rabble, something Momonga was absolutely deserving of, plus Fuitchi's complete indifference to the matter. In the end, he relented to the collective peer pressure around him.

This definitely wouldn't happen if Kyoko was with him. She'd give him enough courage to reject the idea and bullshit his way out of it. Or more likely, just claim the seat for herself.

If the latter were to happen and she took his place, Momonga knows that Kyoko would relish every second of the ride, oblivious to the scrutinizing stares coming from the people all around them.

All around the people looked towards the awe-inspiring brave appearance of the Virtuous King of the Forest —in amazement, they were talking about the warrior who was able to ride upon such a fearful, yet dignified magical beast.

Yep, if it was her, this would definitely be an ego booster of the highest degree as opposed to his perception of a display that was a punishment game.

'Is it a problem with my own aesthetic views, their aesthetic views, or with this world's aesthetic views?'

Of course, the answer went without saying. As long as the majority thought it was beautiful, then the one with the wrong aesthetic view must be Momonga. Also, since he could boost the name of Momon the adventurer, and gain a more solid position, there is practically no reason to say no, he should just suppress his shame and roll with it for the sake of the long-term goal.

'It's still super shameful though... Ah… The moment I go back to Nazarick, everyone is sure to make fun of me…well whatever, it's better being laughed at good-heartedly rather than laughing alone.'

After that point, he decided to just focus on the positive aspect of being able to take a break and return to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Seeing his kids again, and although it'll sound rude to his in-law, meeting his fellow players after days of work. It was that kind of feeling that pushed him to work relentlessly even in the old world, and now, here, it has since grown even stronger.

With that, Momonga finally returned to the present.

The registration for Hamsuke was simple, but it still took an hour and a half to complete. The most time-consuming was sketching a portrait of Hamsuke. It could've been done much faster with magic, but he didn't want to spend the money, which was why it took so long.

To avoid being viewed by others as being petty, Momonga made up an excuse.

"It's a bit late to say so, but 'being interested in drawing' was a tedious excuse… But never mind. We're almost at the pharmacy now."

They were heading to Nfirea's home to receive the reward for escorting half of the mission, the Sword of Darkness already there to help out the client with menial tasks out of a sense of duty. Not wanting to simply 'leech of Momon' so they say.

And as they approached their final destination, someone called out to Momonga, who was retorting the crowd in his heart.

"Hey, are you the person who went to harvest herbs with my grandson?"

He heard an elderly voice addressing him, turned his head to find an old lady.

"... Who might you be?"

Momonga asked, although he already guessed the answer. If what the old lady said was true, there is only one answer.

"I am Lizzie Bareare, grandmother of Nfirea."

"Ah! So it is you? You are correct, I escorted Nfirea to Carne village, my name is Momon. These are my teammates, Nabel and Fu."

Lizzie compliments Narberal and Fuitchi, the former bowing respectfully and the latter not even realizing that somebody was staring at him:

"Oh my, you three are certainly an attractive bunch. What about the monster you are riding? Does it have a name?"

"This is the Virtuous King of the Forest."

"This King is Hamsuke! Pleased to meet you!"

"What! This fearsome monster is the legendary Virtuous King of the Forest!?"

Momonga felt another dagger stabbed into his heart while Fuitchi snorted.

When the passersby who were eavesdropping nearby heard Lizzie's exclamation, all of them had a look of surprise. They seemed very shaken as they whispered things like 'That is the legendary monster?'.

"Yes, as requested by your grandson, I tamed it after an encounter at the destination."

"To… tame the Virtuous King of the Forest…" Lizzie stuttered, "Well… where is my grandson?"

"Ah, he returned with the herbs. We are on our way over to claim the reward."

The old lady who breathed a sigh of relief looked at Momonga with eyes filled with amazement and asked:

"Oh, I see… Want to go together? I am curious about your adventures."

Lizzie's suggestion was a great help for him. "

Yes, it would be my pleasure."

With Lizzie leading the way, the group walked through the city of ReLantier. "Please come on in."

After reaching the shop, Lizzie took out her key and lowered her head. But as she was about to reach for the door Fuitchi suddenly grabbed her hand to stop him.

Momonga and Naberal turned to him, while Lizzie found herself unable to move.

"What's the matter, Fu? Did anyone sneak in and get past those four?"

"It's the opposite, I'm not hearing anything. Not even Breathing or any Heartbeat."

Except for the elder alchemist, everyone understood the weight of Fuitchi's words. And although its full capability eludes them thanks to the musician's own aloofness, neither Momonga nor Naberal would question any of his claims and is in fact quite unnerved that he could be so tense compared to his usual self.

Lizzie's eyes widened in horror, but as she tried to shake Fuitchi's arms away, the elderly alchemist found the delicate arm easily suppressing her strength.

Ignoring her bafflement Momonga ignored her and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Narberal understood what he meant and unsheathed her blade.

"How could you possibly know that!? What-what are you doing!? "

"Don't ask, just follow me."

The armored undead drew his weapon after the short reply, entering with his sword in hand. He knocked the door inside open and headed towards the right. It was an unfamiliar house, but Momonga showed no hesitation in his footsteps.

They finally arrive before the door at the end of the passageway and ask Lizzie who finally caught up, finally free from Fuitchi's grip.

"What is this place for?"

"This is the storage room for herbs, and a door that leads towards the back door."

Whatever doubt she has vanished as she feels the eerie atmosphere shrouding her establishment, now, worry and fear engulf the woman as she wonders what will happen.

The three didn't bother themselves with her and opened the door.

As the access gave way with a creak, their nose quickly picked up a disgusting smell. What Momonga smelled wasn't the fragrance of herbs, but something more stinging—the smell of blood.

The ones at the front were Peter and Lukeluther, Dyne was further back and Ninya was at the furthest end. All four were leaning lifelessly against the wall. Their legs were straight and their hands were hanging limply. A dark pool of black blood was on the floor, which seemed to have drained from their bodies.

"What, what is happening…"

The surprised Lizzie wanted to enter with unsteady steps. Momonga stopped her with a hand on her shoulder and he rushed into the room.

The collapsed Peter suddenly moved like a puppet, but before it could get up, the flash from a sword went by without hesitation.

Peter's head rolled on the ground. With a backhand cut, Lukeluther who was attempting to stand was decapitated.

As Lizzie was stunned by the tragedy before her, Dyne who was situated further in had stood up. His face showed no signs of life and was pale. It looked at them with murky eyes. There was a hole in his forehead which was obviously a fatal wound.

Fuitchi was right, all of them were no longer alive, and there was only one reason why the dead could move. When they become undead.

"Zombies!"

As Lizzie shouted, Dyne drew near with a hostile grunt. Momonga immediately stabbed him with his sword. Its size lopping off Dyne's head and he staggered for a moment before collapsing. There was no other movement.

Momonga shifted at Ninya who sat motionlessly on the ground in silence.

"Nfirea!"

Lizzie finally realized what was happening and rushed out to search for her grandson.

Momonga glanced at Fuitchi who quickly replied:

"I'm not getting any sound of movement from her, though, it might be because they haven't started moving."

Momonga nodded and filled in for their last member:

"My passive skill [Undead Blessing] does not react, so there shouldn't be any other undead in this house. But there might be live ones hiding somewhere. Accompany her and protect her."

"Understood." Narberal took off after Lizzie.

Momonga confirmed the departure of the two of them and turned his eyes on Ninya. He slowly knelt down and gently touched the body. After confirming there was no corpse trap which was common in YGGDRASIL, he lifted Ninya's face. Ninya wasn't unconscious, but dead.

"I already told you Nii-san, all of them are already dead."

"...Indeed…"

His face was swollen, probably from the blows of a blunt weapon, so much that Momonga couldn't recognize him by his face. His left eye was smashed and flowed out of the socket like a tear. All the bones in his fingers were cracked and the skin split open, revealing the red muscle within. Some places didn't even have meat.

When Momonga removed the clothes for inspection, he was shocked with his eyes wide open, and even Fuitchi couldn't help but knit his eyebrows. Momonga put the clothes back in place and mumbled: "...Even the body was…"

The body was similar to the face, with wounds everywhere due to severe bleeding. It was covered with the color of internal hemorrhage and it was harder to find a spot that wasn't wounded.

Momonga closed Ninya's eyes gently.

"...We were merely allies of convenience...But this is certainly repugnant isn't it?"

"...Certainly...It makes me feel…uncomfortable."

Their mumbling words were gone with the wind, but the tinge of disapproval was obvious.

"My grandson! Nfirea is gone!"

Lizzie screamed when she returned. Momonga and Fuitchi who were gathering the corpses in a corner of the room replied calmly: "...I took a look at their belongings, there were no signs of them being searched. Judging from this, the enemy's objective was to kidnap Nfirea."

"Ugh!"

"Please look this way."

Momonga gestured to the bloody words under Ninya's body. They wouldn't have been discovered if the body weren't moved.

"This is…the sewers? It means Nfirea had been taken to the sewers?"

"...It might also be a trap made by the one behind this tragedy. I have no idea how large the sewers are… It would take a lot of time to search it. What are your opinions about this?"

"There are numbers here too! 2-8, what does this mean!?"

"This makes it even more suspicious. I don't know what these numbers mean… It could be dividing the city into 8 parts along the compass axis and the intersection of 2 and 8, or some sort of address… Did Ninya really have enough strength left to think so complicatedly? …Even if he wrote it, how much information was leaked by the enemy? This is too much of a coincidence."

"As if, you're just overthinking a misdirection from the culprit nii-san."

Fuitchi snapped Momonga out of his thoughts, while Naberal nodded.

"Fu-sama is right, Momon-sama. This scribbling was obviously made by the enemy. This writing is too slender to be made by any of their fingers.

Lizzie frowned her already wrinkled face and looked as if she was angry with the party's surprisingly calm demeanor. She then shifted her gaze to the four corpses on the ground: "Who were these people?"

"...They were adventurers commissioned along with me by your grandson. After we parted, they probably came here to unload the herbs."

"What! They were your comrades!?"

"No, they were not. We just happened to be adventuring together."

Fu cut in, his cold words leaving Lizzie disillusioned.

"Speaking of which, I had been thinking about this, but I would like to ask your opinion. What do you think about them turning into zombies?"

"...[Create Undead]. The enemy has someone who could use the magic of at least the 3rd tier. What other possibilities were there?"

"I think we should deal with this promptly."

"Isn't that obvious… What do you want to say?"

"...The enemy could have used either mind control or hidden the bodies, but they didn't. They only did something like this for their own amusement. They either didn't care about being exposed or had absolute confidence in escaping.

Hmm… I don't know which it is. Since they could turn corpses into zombies, they should be able to bring them back with them right?"

If the goal was to kidnap Nfirea, they could buy enough time to escape just by hiding the bodies. But they didn't do that, meaning they were planning something else or wanted Lizzie to do something.

The latter would be easier to deal with, but it would be troublesome if it was the former. Nfirea's life and ability were valuable, but might not be useful for long. Would those merciless criminals let Nfirea go safely after utilizing him?

Lizzie, who understood what he meant, turned from green to white. She didn't know where he was kidnapped too, but it would take too long to search this large city.

The only clue was the sewers, but Naberal's input easily reveals that said lead meant nothing. But as they racked their heads, Nfirea's lifeline was diminishing with each passing second.

Momonga said calmly to the tense Lizzie: "How about commissioning a rescue party?"

Then, with a calm voice, Fuitchi continued: "He's right. Isn't this something you should request of an adventurer to handle?"

Lizzie's eyes shined, she seemed to understand what they were getting at.

"You are lucky, Lizzie Bareare. Before you are the strongest adventurer in the city and the only one who could bring your grandson back safely. If you commission this job to me, I will accept it. But…the price is very heavy because I understand how hard this job is."

"Indeed…If it is you…The one with that potion…tamer of the Virtuous King of the Forest, there is no question that you're strong…hire, I want to hire you!"

"Is that so… Are you prepared to pay this heavy price?"

"How much would satisfy you?" "Everything."

"What?"

"Give me everything you have."

Lizzie's eyes widened in surprise and trembled.

"Your everything. If Nfirea returns safely, give all that you have to me."

"You…"

Lizzie backed away from fear and said in a soft voice: "When you say everything… it doesn't mean money or rare potions… I heard the devil would grant any wish in exchange for the human soul. Are you a devil?"

"...Even if I am, it doesn't matter, does it? Do you want to save your grandson?"

Lizzie was silent and nodded as she bit her lips.

"Then there is only one answer right?"

"Yes… I will hire you. I will offer everything to you, so save my grandson!"

"Good, the contract is agreed. Let's make haste, do you have a map of this city? Lend it to me if you have one."

Lizzie felt it was bizarre, but she immediately took out a map and handed it to the trio. Narberal quickly snatched it from her arm and offered it to Momonga and Fuitchi.

"Next would be finding where Nfirea is."

"You can do that!?"

"I have to use this method. I am not sure if the enemy is dumb or…"

Momonga didn't finish and just shifted his gaze to the 4 bodies in the room.

"I will start searching now, go to the other rooms and look for clues, see if the people who kidnapped Nfirea left anything behind. If kidnapping Nfirea is also a diversion, then things will be bad. You are more familiar with the house and better suited for this."

After chasing Lizzie out for a random reason, Narberal reached out to Momonga.

"What does my liege plan to do?"

"Simple. Look, all their medals are gone, probably taken by the one who attacked them. The question is why they didn't take something more valuable, but just the medals…What do you think?"

"My apologies, I have no idea."

"That is because"

Before he could finish his sentence, A familiar sound entered his ear. No, it resonated directly into his mind. It was a [Message]. And the one who sent it was.

'Father! Father!'

"MINERVA!" Momonga shouted out loud, slamming the table and easily shattering it, and ruining the map. Alarms quickly ring inside his head. Her voice was distressed and panicked, the furthest it can be from her usual silent self.

Was she under attack? What about the other? Could it be that Players are besieging Nazarick?

'It's mother-No-! Cranium-! But Laufeyson-! Albedo and Shalltear are also-!'

His eldest child was on the verge of tears, stammering her sibling's name and failing to deliver any information to shed light on her situation. Naberal went pale at the distressed mention of her future lord, and even Fuitchi looks like he was about to demand a clear context from Momonga.

"Calm down, I'll head Nazarick right after this. What's going on!?"

Even with the passive quelling of his earlier outburst, the nervousness and fear still retain their hold onto the Undead. So much that he forgot he wasn't the only one.

'-!?...I-I'm sorry...Father...I…'

Guilt.

That was the second time his Undead passive suppressed his elevated feeling, snuffing them out instantly. But just like last time, it still lingers, this time, taking the form of shame and regret.

'It's alright Minerva… Father is here… Calm down… Take a deep breath…'

They were words of reassurance that shouldn't have worked on his specter daughter, even so, it stopped her trambling. He didn't know how, but from her mind he can hear how Minerva tries her best to hold back her tears, resulting in what sounded like snorting and babbling.

'It's alright...Everything is going to be fine...Wait until you're really ready…'

Momonga felt like it was an eternity before Minerva finally responded, rhythmic breathing ringing inside of his head. Then, he heard the sound of her sucking in her breath. And finally…

'Nazarick is under attack.' She curtly began. 'Cranium is already engaging their vanguard, and Mother is going to him-.'

Minerva froze after uttering Kyoko's current whereabouts, her fear practically filling her father's head. Nonetheless, she pushed through after sucking in another breath.

'I can't find Laufeyson, I-I think he's searching for Pandora's actor or something else in the treasury. The rest of the Guardian is in disarray, they wanted to go out and help but Mother forbids them.'

'Okay, I understand the situation. Gather the Guardians in one place. I'll teleport there to take command immediately. For now, order someone to tell Cranium to retreat once Kyoko takes his place. After that, I'll-'

'I think-we think...It's them...father...Him...It's Nature Roar…Leopold...'

Leonhart Himself defeated Nazarick's strongest Touch-Me, in single combat. The number one player of YGGDRASIL and one of the nine World Champions.

The very worst threat and someone capable of wiping them all out. Who could kill Cranium, Laufeyson, and Minerva, without much of a hitch?

'It's alright. Your mother is strong and we will protect you.'

It hurt him how she turned silent after that. Perhaps she finally felt relief hearing his promise, and finally, he was doing his part as a father right.

'You've done well Minerva. I'll be there soon.'

'...Yes...Thank you, Father...please...Come back…'

'I will. You've done your hardest, thank you.'

The connection died as fast as it formed. With neither knowing who shut it off first, too hasty and shaken by the looming dread of the threat in front of them.

For the third time that day, Momonga's Undead passive pushed down his burst of emotion but failed to quell the feeling as it settled within him at its absolute peak without triggering the skill.

This time, it was that of rage.

"...Narberal Gamma, ask Lizzie Barerae for another map."

The order barely left his lips as the Pleiades bolted out of the room while shouting 'At your command!'. And without missing a beat, his brother-in-law turned to him.

"Fuitchi, I'll switch myself with a doppelganger after I locate the kidnapper, boost him up as much as you can and make sure to bring Nfirea back alive. You still have some revival items right."

He nodded, and Momonga simply left it at that.

Soon enough, Naberal returned with another map. Setting it down on another table as Momonga resumed his previous actions.

It's been a while since he saw his sister's husband like this. Recalling their first real-life meeting where he brandished violence in the name of his family. It still amazes him how someone as reasonable as he was turned unhinged that fast, almost killing a man and blurring the line between self-defense and excessive force.

Embodying fury and hatred itself, revealing a hidden bloodthirst beyond a single man. Momonga himself doesn't know it, but his family will be protected at the end of the day.

"Well then... Let's begin the plan ..."

Through the utter destruction of any enemy unfortunate enough to go after them.

XxX

All-Rounder.

It is a term everyone is bound to encounter at least once in any game or might be implied by another name. A tag identifying a versatile character with a wide repertoire of skills without especially excelling in any. To put it bluntly, a character capable of accessing every skill in the game without unlocking all of their full potentials.

That's how it should be, but mediocrity is a hidden talent of its own. And in a game where strength is not everything, it was a hidden treasure trove often going unnoticed.

In the DMMORPG Yggdrasil, the players are granted two-level statuses of Racial levels and Class levels, where increasing each would see the procurement of Racial Class and Job Class respectively. Both grant characteristics ranging from appearances, abilities, skills, resistances, etc, with stronger variations typically getting balanced out with weaknesses and penalties.

This was another aspect of 'freedom' the game was known for, equipping the players with the greatest customization for their playstyles. Be it an offense only swordsman to a mage versed in the art of destruction as well as restoration, and it goes without a saying that the visage of humans isn't the only option available for those playing the game.

But that half of freedom didn't last long.

With PvP available, conflict among players sparked the moment YGGDRASIL gained traction as a dive massively multiplayer online game. The logic of the real-world all but erased as many draw blades, out of difference or simply for the hell of it, matters are all settled with the 'death of one side.

Thus, combat becomes a mundane part of the game, and some players set their roots into their conflict, some in eagerness, others out of necessity. Regardless, the survivor grows and pushes the difficulty curve upward, increasing the level requirement for veterans or newcomers alike whether they like it or not.

Inevitably, a conjecture was made by some players, realized by enough to evolve into a hypothesis, leaking into forums in the form of theory, and eventually, confirmed to be a simple law forever etched into the first page of internet walkthrough.

'You need to be strong to enjoy this game, and it's easier when you only need to worry about one level.'

This was one of the primary reasons why playing as 'Beasts' or 'Monsters' doesn't appeal to players that much, because in purely technical terms, picking the Humanoid Race instantly removes the complication of Racial Class and Job Class balancing. Making for an easier gameplay experience overall while still retaining a good degree of customization even from only pure class stats.

Side by side, starting racial classes is superior compared to the early accessible job classes. But Humanoid players can quickly stack two or three other jobs, and with enough knowledge, capitalize on the given weakness of the lower variations of Racial Classes.

Exploiting what was supposed to be a simple counterbalancing mechanism and beginning the trend of gatekeeping newer players to pick Humanoid Races just so they can even play the game without the fear of getting PK-ed.

Thus, with a large base of players being concerned solely with Jobs Levels, Job synthesis became the next step for advanced stages of the game. Consisting of gaining classes to advance one's overall levels and balancing offensive jobs with defensive ones. And it was the burden that separated casual players from those entirely serious with the game.

The trend of All-rounder build began soon after, plaguing the upper echelon of the player-base whose concern goes beyond simple damage numbers, with self-sustainability and support capability further adding to the checklist of must-have skills.

Hitting hard was not enough, and to make it to the very top of the metaphorical world tree, the game YGGDRASIL demanded that in addition to real-life capability the avatar that represents Players also boast an array of perfectly matching skill sets.

Naturally, this does not discount the demand for the specialist-oriented build or dissuade the overall desire among players to create characters that fulfill their role play fantasy. But of course, the total comparison is skewed towards can-do-all archetypes sporting only a slight single merrier.

So was the reality of YGGDRASIL, with only a handful of players making a name for themselves without following the mainstream playstyle. Maining the human race and striving for the best Job-only builds or hope to somehow stumble oneself into a new class not yet discovered.

But what of Demi-Human and Heteromorph?

"HMPH!"

Pain, it has been quite some time since Cranium felt such sensation, the burning feeling prickling his armor and making its way to his bare-bones. Putting aside that there was nothing else besides that in the first place.

But as he had put it, it was a prickle and nothing more. Barely denting his health and amounting to nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

The problem came from the fact that he felt it after perfectly defending.

"SHAH!"

In less than a beat Cranium switched from defense to offense, swiping his spear bisect his opponent with utmost efficiency.

He fully expected him to dodge the strike, the aggressor springing into the air with a backflip ending with his spear cutting only the wind. Indeed, throughout their back and forth, Cranium had deduced that his agility is greater than his foe had let on, easily explaining the feat.

The counter to his counter, however, that he didn't expect.

The scion's non-existent eyes widened as the three edges homing towards him multiplied into nine, but only for a moment. Pushing down any worry, Cranium braced himself for impact, convincing himself that even threefold, his health would triumph the damage by a long shot.

'When things start to pick up, stick to what you usually do and don't be afraid of getting hurt! It's impossible to fight without bleeding a bit after all!'

Recalling his mother's words, Cranium was sure that expected the oncoming pain without fearing it.

The attack connected, and his foresight came true. The trident clashes against his shield thrice, emitting a screech as steel ground against steel and sending sparks flying everywhere. But it left barely a scratch because no matter how fine his enemy's weapon was, it was impossible for such a light weapon to deal the kind of damage needed to wreck his great shield.

The highlight once again, was how his health was chipped despite the complete nullification his perfectly timed guard was supposed to provide.

The invader landed on the ground on both feet, his three-pronged polearm still pointed at Cranium half-covered behind his shield. And thus the stalemate returned, neither combatant moving an inch to await the first move and countering them.

As warriors, they appear to agree. Even if their style and appearance couldn't be more different.

Cranium exhaled as he probed the enemy. A Demi-Human likely belonging to one of the many fish-man races, though he also resembles an insect a bit, his scale was greenish-blue with black markings adorning his head wrist-blades that extend backward like fins. Other than that, his build perfectly resembles that of a human.

His equipment consists of a sleeveless muscle-shirt, fingerless gloves, green cargo pants, and a pair of metal sneakers. There is also a water breathing apparatus around his neck with a very sleek design, making them look like headphones.

Those were minor details compared to what Cranium pays attention the most to, the player's weapon. A bluish translucent trident, looking like someone had frozen water in the shape of long-reaching weaponry. Calling it a crystal would likely be better considering the weapon's hardness, one that poses actual harm to the scion if he's not careful enough.

'Though the question remains...is it the weapon...or the player…'

This was their third clash overall, one that like the last two ended with the invader unscathed and he damaged even if only prickled. His natural regeneration made sure that it wasn't a problem it granted him possible important intel of the enemy. The fact that somehow, he was able to bypass his defense.

'A fight consists of much more than just dealing damage, it's important to know exactly how we were hurt and what hurt us. Once we know what the enemy is capable of, we're already halfway towards victory.'

So amidst the interim Cranium racked his brain. Thanks to his parents' special lecture, he had been given reading materials of weapons, items, skills, and spells capable of hurting him. All that's left was to put his observation skills into use.

'It wasn't a spell since it was a physical attack, it could be the effect of the weapon or one of his equipment, but I'm not familiar with any of them. There's also the mystery of his active and passive skills…'

Though he was making progress the scion was far from figuring out his enemy. There was simply too little for him to go.

'But if I can't find out 'how' I can still glimpse at the 'what'.'

On that he was confident. He had become familiar with the sensation after getting slapped around by his mother as well as Cocytus, and by practicing his father's words, Cranium had developed the capability to perfectly recall all manner of damage from sensation alone.

This time, it was no different.

"Piercing damage...is it?"

Cranium then turned his attention to the enemy's body language, wanting to catch even the slightest of motion to confirm his theory. Maybe his entire body will stiffen, maybe his yellow eyes will widen, maybe a part of his body will twitch.

Whatever it is, he'll catch it and be proven right.

"Oh? You can tell? That's impressive."

The merman broke his stance and slackened himself, twirling his staff in an impressive and deadly manner. Standing upright, he stopped the show with his trident in one arm and appeared as the epitome of relaxed and careless.

But he knew better.

'...He was testing the water earlier…'

To not go all out from the beginning, pacing the battle to gauge as much as possible from the enemy. It was an actual strategy his father had talked about, one that could be turned against should one catch the ploy early on and pace along with it. And Cranium had destroyed his chance at that.

Strong people emit 'pressure', it is something anyone is familiar with, and warriors like him are even more perceptive of it compared to others. An intelligent master of the spell, and achieved commander of the summoned beast, an unassuming assassin. Regardless of what they do, they are sure to 'leak something out' if they're good at it.

That statement goes double for warriors, like the one in front of him.

It was like a dam that had been opened, and just like that, an overwhelming pressure assaulted him endlessly. Thinking about it, Cranium's analogy had been spot on, as the man's bloodlust let loose towards him constantly like an endless stream of water.

The scion took a step back, and at that moment, he rectified 'it' as an onslaught of waves rather than water. One that could drown him if he's not careful enough.

"Still going strong huh? You really are a tough one, not just physically, good for you."

Again, the merman began twirling his weapon without care. But acknowledging his capability, and maybe overestimating it by a tad, Cranium wouldn't be surprised if the gesture is a part of a greater attack of sorts. Either the blade will suddenly elongate to lash out at him, or serve as a mesmerizing distraction before the foe reveals himself as a combat mage.

"Oh come on now, don't be like that. This isn't an extending weapon and I'm a full-blown spearman. So you just need to worry about getting stabbed, yes sir, no spells, bombs, landmines, or other gimmicks."

Cranium had been slapped around by earnest warriors like Cocytus and his mother to discern that he wasn't lying. So he heeded his advice and prioritized the maneuver of 'not getting stabbed'. Though with dodging out of the question and his blocking not making any difference it was a foregone conclusion that it'd be for the best that he should be worried of exactly that.

"Not much of a talker are you? Certainly suits your appearance, you got the strong and silent trope down to the T. Or maybe you were just made that way-?"

"Clearly you've been saying enough for the both of us?"

"Oh?"

His reply was spatted faster than Cranium thought it had, with an edge sharper never before found in his voice.

"Guess, I've struck a nerve. Sorry about that."

This time he didn't fall for the bait. Not because he deliberately ignored it, no. The scion was busy quelling his inner turmoil as his thought process went into overdrive. His emotional suppression was passive flaring like it had never before.

His father and mother always told him to never let emotion run amok during battle unless one was capable of tempering anger and fear to augment the blade that is the mind.

He wasn't anywhere near that level yet.

So Cranium paused and breathed. Trying his best to relax his non-existent muscles and cool down his imaginary nerves. Because despite being dead, his emotion and anxiety were very much real, and unless herein them in, then he'll answer the question of what'll happen to an Undead go once they die.

He was making progress, or at least he was convincing himself that he was, then, his enemy chuckled.

"You took after your father, didn't you? I can see the resemblance all the way from here."

Cranium tried to ignore the provocation, but couldn't help but to frown at the jeer.

"Yep, a bit of both." He suddenly added. "I'd recognize that frown anywhere, seen it a lot too before she goes in swinging her spear or trying to bash my head in with her spear."

Nostalgia laced his tone, alongside the sound of fondness that Cranium himself had heard from either of his parents now and then. This man wasn't lying, he really does recognize both Kyoko and Momonga, maybe even more than the scion does.

Which means…

"Bluefin…" The name was uttered, and its owner nodded.

"The one and only." He twirled his trident again before bowing as a gentleman would. "So mind lowering your guard down? I'm a literal fish out of the water, after all, I'm not even that dangerous."

"My level and Father's praise of your skill convinces me otherwise…"

The strongest player underwater clicked his tongue at that, "Ah, so he blabbed out about me after all..." Though, from the sound of it, not for the reason Cranium was expecting.

"Honestly, I just chatted with Kyoko for a bit, and that was enough to get me into his shit list!? Guess the calmest hold the greatest grudge and whatnot. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Knowing father, I'd say you had gotten off quite easily."

As easily as having one's information of avatar level, skills, and race being made public that is. But God knows what happens to people unfortunate enough to piss off his father through his wife.

"...Damn… Now that I think about it… shit, you're right."

This was not how Cranium had thought his first real fight would go, against a player no less. Regardless he wasn't faced with the true unknown his father had warned him about, because as their conversation had implied, Momonga knew everything about the Right hand of the strongest YGGDRASIL player, and had imparted that intel to the youngest child.

Leader of [Nature's Roar] Naval Division, and the leader of the sole group that prevented [Deep Blue's] unipolar rule over the Oceans of YGGDRASIL. The second most elusive of the greatest mercenary guild's Triumvirate, the [Flowing Spear].

And yes, he picked his title as opposed to the self-earned [Leonheart] title of Leopold and the mystery induced [Rainmaker] for Guyhawk.

One might find it odd that Cranium was completely composed despite facing a player placed in the middle-tier of YGGDRASIL's upper echelon, but that's only because of the further context regarding his situation.

Because as Bluefin himself had aptly put it, he was a fish out of the water, in this case literally.

Although there are many rounders builds, which thanks to YGGDRASIL's class mechanic might as well be infinite, two in truth are superior to any other in every way. But only reachable through an unorthodox fashion, thus, mostly concealed from the player fanbase.

Those who played the Human Race to be exact.

Yes, the secret to the ultimate all-rounder builds was none other than racial level, something sported exclusively by demi-human and heteromorph avatars.

The first, was the build Cranium, Minerva, and their mother falls into, named 7.5 11 due to their stats spread. Basically, the structure combines particular racial classes with jobs orienting towards one capability, in particular, resulting in an avatar with above-average overall status and exactly one greater specialization.

For Cranium and Kyoko, it was defense with a sprinkle of a counter, thanks to their race having the feature of 'being immune to pain' through certain means. Whereas what Minerva has was an offensive variation that her race complements through debuff such as health corrosion and equipment degrading.

Other than that, all of them are capable of high-rank magic, though only the bare necessity like time stop measures and anti exorcism which is a must for their kind. A couple of decent summoning limited per-day, and access to self-healing through some spells utilized in a creative manner (that last part being his father's genius at work).

But was that enough? Especially in the face of 15 levels of difference? After all, Bluefin places as high on the meta-list as he is, even if for a completely different reason.

The 5 15 builds, and just like the one mentioned above, this too gave players the means of advanced solo-play, even if only to the level of mediocrity where they only have access to a single skill of every kind, thus demanding continuous care for matchup and equipment change now and then.

But what they gained in return, one could argue that it balances the drawback if not completely eclipses it.

After all, it was a build his father employed.

The 15 stands for super specialization, the very peak of capability, and the highest one can go for one skill. It was an aberration reachable only through perfect synchronicity between Racial Skills and Class abilities.

It was also what allowed his father to rank in the top five amongst his guild members when it came to magical knowledge and the better ones in PvP fight with his knowledge. For example, the maximum amount of spells a level 100 player could learn was 300. However, Momonga, using his special ability "Dark Wisdom", was able to learn and memorize 718 different spells.

That explanation doesn't seem to help Cranium's case, except for the part where it does. Because the opponent in front of him was a 'specialist' of a different breed, one whose condition had been put aptly by the person himself.

It was one of the few lessons where his father and mother had been surprisingly in sync in their imparting, fighting an enemy in their literal 'element'. One where they hammered to their children how the only viable tactics are to gang up on them or to run away because nothing else will work.

What followed was an in-depth description of three of the 'Ten-masters', the shadows of the Nine [World Champions] who are as strong as them if not even stronger…. In certain regions of YGGDRASIL only.

Bluefin was the exact opposite of how his father opted to further one general basic skill; instead, he styled his repertoire to prop himself up in underwater combat. Up to the point where he is invincible on all accounts as long as he's submerged.

A fish out of the water, because they're clashing on dry land, Cranium has the upper hand. Even with a glaring level gap, his basic warrior stats trump over his opponent's naval capability at any day.

That, and from what his father had told them of the [Inferno knight] that came close to defeating [Touch Me] he'd probably have most of his skills and offensive means sealed unless somebody forgot to inform him that there's a hidden ocean somewhere in the Great

So why aren't they fighting? That was the sole question left unanswered. Yet again, Cranium already knows the answer.

'I'm being overly cautious again…'

Hesitating to take that first step, fearing the clash that will take place soon after. No matter how much he had trained, and even with the knowledge he had gathered paving his path in combat, the real thing was utterly 'different'.

And without a doubt, Cranium was afraid of it.

Afraid of getting hurt, scared of losing, dreading the possibility of getting killed.

He wants to chide himself for even having those thoughts, at last one especially. As a guardian of Nazarick, there should be no greater honor than to give one's life for the guild, and without a doubt, any of the floor guardians would have charged at the Player regardless of limitations and disadvantages, that's just how loyal they are.

So doesn't that make his doubts shameful? His hesitation doubling as a doubt to his Father and Mother who had trained him for this very moment?

"By the way, I'm absolutely cool with us just standing around doing nothing. So take as long as you need to gather your thoughts"

'Maybe I should get something to munch on while I'm at it~' The player even said so as he sat down on the ground, looking

"...You're not really a warrior are you?"

"Haha, I'd like to put myself as someone who managed to stop being a warrior."

It was supposed to be an insult of the highest order, the most demeaning abuse of power by calling another 'weak'. It was like staring at the culmination of a person's history and effort before brushing it off as if they were nothing. Cocytus described those words as a dual-edged sword that could incite the rage of any enemy, risking deadlier assault for a shot at more openings stemming from recklessness.

To completely brush away that taunt as if snapping one's finger.

"You're either a pride-less sellsword or someone who never cares, then."

And again, to the rude jab, the fish-man only shrugged.

"Eh, what can you do? Our new team already has enough of the stick in the mud archetype and with a couple of 'I'm lazy but now I'll get serious' kind of people. So it's only natural for me to round it all up with my slacker beach bum charm, wouldn't you agree?"

"...Beach isn't a body of water though..."

"Oh damn, you're right again. Maybe I should call myself a lazy river fisherman? Yeah, that sounds more appropriate and idle. Thanks a lot!"

The scion sighed, already given up on trying to understand his enemy. What he says next was:

"...I felt like I should be the one thanking you…"

Because in such a short dialogue, Cranium's worry has all but vanishes. Naturally, his issues and problems were still there, but the change of pace had pulled him out from a much worse state of mind.

"Hm? I don't really get it, but well, I'll receive the gratefulness with open arms, everyone knows you won't get far if you view everyone you clash within contempt.

"From the sound of it, you're speaking from experience."

The fish man broke into a grin. "And you can tell that so easily, you're a perceptive one aren't you?"

"Not on the level of elder sister, but I'd gladly accept the compliment."

"Does self-depreciation count as a deflection I wonder?"

Frankly, this turnout was fine. Cranium might be one of the two stationed to guard the forefront of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, but unlike Shalltear chosen for her peerless strength and unmatched capability, his role was a simple shield meant to buy time.

A disposable one that could be revived at any time, in fact, that's what he was doing right now.

His fate was set the moment their alarm blared, informing everyone of the invasion coming to Nazarick for the first time in a long while. And sad to say, they were caught unprepared in the worst way.

First and foremost, and as mentioned above, Shalltear wasn't here, and that already lowered their overall strength significantly. Secondly, some of their greater capacity was sealed off, as they have shut down the traps and Mob-spawn that cost them money because 'killing monster doesn't drop gold anymore'.

Third, they were in the middle of facing another problem, so it was a given that everyone is either too eager, too hesitant, or too angry to respond to the new threat in the best way possible.

And from the glimpses Cranium caught of the guardian, their case was mostly the lattermost. Unsurprising, really, considering the nature of their first-ever serious problem. Regardless, this was rock bottom without a doubt, the worst situation Ainz Ooal Gown has undoubtedly found itself in.

Because on top of Shalltear Bloodfallen's rebellion, they are currently assaulted by the only group they are afraid of.

"Is [Nature Howl] really invading us?" So was how Cranium started the conversation, the first time that he engaged instead of responding.

"Less on invading, more on trying to show that we still got it. Cause unlike you, we only got one asset to exhibit."

The Fifth-ranked Guild [Nature Howl]. They were a mercenary guild specializing in loaning out strong players in exchange for in-game monetary compensation or information. Albeit being a tad smaller than other big-name guilds, the little gap of quantity was easily mitigated, downright destroyed even, by their quality. With every single one of their member placing on the middle and upper tier of YGGDRASIL's top echelon.

As for why they're here, [Nature's Howl] had probably lost most of their members during the transfer, leaving them with not enough manpower to commit to any long-term actions or specialized person to conduct covert power consolidation. This means they have lost a considerable amount of their greatest asset before they even set foot into the new world.

Unlike many other guilds, they lacked what is typically considered the most important thing a group of players can have, A Guild Base.

They were a rare type of group that remains constantly on move at all times, split into parties or even smaller units each with separate directives and the freedom to move independently. Thus what is truly amazing, at least according to their father, is not how every single one of their players is strong, but rather how the 'guild' manages to retain discipline plus cohesiveness with such an unrestrained setting.

But the situation has changed, and the loss they suffered was enough to render them desperate enough to bet whatever quality they have left to pressure Ainz Ooal Gown, endowed with a Headquarters and manpower, into a negotiation or impress them enough to get a roof over their head.

"Even so, and as a warrior, I might add, there are better ways to exhibit capacity than a blind offensive."

"They're certainly more peaceful options, but we're smart enough to only negotiate from a position of power, especially in this world of unknown wonders. Plus, this way you'd be able to tell that we're not fabricating anything, not to mention that it's the most striking option, pun intended. Wouldn't you agree?"

That he did, and honestly, he'd do exactly the same in their situation. Because negotiation warrants a delicate balancing between keeping one's full hand a secret while showing exactly what one was capable of. Even a meat-head like him understands that much.

All of the pieces have been gathered, and the rationalized answer was clear. Except for one minor detail not adding up and sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Then I suppose we have more in common than we thought. A sacrificial shield and a sacrificial spear."

"I'd much prefer being called a scout, maybe a trident. But damn kid, you should really value yourself more. Wouldn't hurt your confidence either."

Bluefin himself had stated it, how the current him was a far cry from his peak as a terror of the deep. And with his health fully recovered minutes ago after they have started talking, he can confirm that the player in front of him wasn't that strong.

Hell, besides his piercing damage, Cranium could go as far as to say that whatever deadliness the spearman has, it had been left at the bottom of the ocean.

"A role you picked for yourself, or one forced upon?"

This time the fish-man chuckled. "Now that, my friend, I'm smart enough not to tell."

And that was the end of it. Anything else coming out of the invader's mouth would be useless information, or even worse, provocation and misdirection. Bluefin was a chatty person by nature, one that would talk to anyone anywhere unlike Leopold who prefer silence, and Guyhawk who'd only talk without restraint with a select few.

But even he knows when to shut his trap, after all some things are off-limits and shouldn't be blabbed about.

"I see, I was hoping that you'd be one of those people who'd let things slip. Or perhaps you are and I'm just bad at conversation?"

"This is the first time I've heard someone made fun of me while beating themself up, you're not that bad, just turn the mousiness down a few notches will you?"

"Will do, now then…"

Right after thanking, Cranium dashed forward. Turning into a violet blur with his shield up front, intending to steamroll his opponent using their difference in size.

At least that is what it looked like to Bluefin, who easily sidestepped the charge to the left and moved into the scion's exposed backside.

"Haha! So you're not above using a surprise attack! Guess your self-confidence only comes up in combat huh!? I don't like that at all!"

With a stab, Bluefin's trident multiplied into three again, and all nine prongs of the weapon stabbed into Cranium's armor.

It hurt, but soon, he'll know whether or not it was worth it.

"[Death Blow]!" With a shout, Cranium swung his spear, spinning alongside the blade as it made a wide arc, starting from his left side until his weapon stopped where Bluefin was.

This time, he lost the gamble.

"Oh~ Let them cut through flesh so you can break their bones, is it? Scary-scary."

Standing a few meters away Bluefin had successfully dodged his counter, even if barely.

"I see, you're one of 'those' eh?"

Underneath the scion the ground had rotted away, stones and grass liquified in a murky black color with a horrible stench, had Bluefin been two steps closer, he would have suffered some damage.

"Lemme guess, most of your special attacks are spammable low-range AOE? There's probably a couple of single target attacks or mid-range AOEs too, and probably a summoning to get you around if it comes to that?"

Cranium only responded with silence, and that was enough for the invader to know that he was in the right.

"Well knowing anything doesn't make it any easier for me though. It's one of those simple but effective plans after all."

Bluefin had expected the silent treatment sent his way, it was either that, or the third child would have gone full Kyoko and began cursing in all ways possible while renewing his assault. And honestly, he's not that eager to learn whether or not the apple didn't fall too far from that particular tree.

But it's pretty worrying if he took after Momonga because that would mean he'd have some sort of diabolical plan brewing if not already put into motion.

And as the ground under him suddenly exploded, Bluefin was torn between praising himself for getting it right or curse his luck because there's no way he's getting out of this one unscathed.

It was completely different from the earlier wrought destruction, instead of the aftereffect of magic or skill, what had destroyed his footing was a physical attack coming from Cranium.

Though, the term should be used very loosely.

As pain assaulted the spearman who was sent flying he was able to catch a good look at what truck had just hit him. Straight out of a horror movie, he could see a mass of bones and rotting flesh jutting out of the ground, complete with a demonic head sporting a pair of horns and evil eyes glowing an ominous shade of red.

Bluefin would have cursed at the son of a bitch, bonus point because he can make fun of Kyoko, but damn, he was impressed.

After all who would have thought of using summoning magic as a landmine? It was a genius reeking of Momonga all over.

The very second he landed another thing busted out of the ground, luckily this time it wasn't directly under him, giving the Fishman enough time to prepare.

Not to leap for a quick dodge, but to take the kiddy gloves off.

A plume of smoke erupted for the third time, followed by a loud crash of something being sent flying before smashing into the ground hard.

"I didn't expect that…" That was what Cranium said because he really didn't see this coming.

For his second summon, the [Full-Armor Backbiter] to be swatted away had always been a possibility, especially since Leopold was probably involved.

All of the water though? Now that, was enough to

"[Create Water]. It's a first-tier spell human players rely on because they need food and drink. And I'm a Fishman, so you can guess what I used it for."

With the voice as its source, Cranium could make out a faint bluish glow from amidst the smoke.

"I keep it around because why not? Didn't eat any slots and suits me aesthetically."

His first summon pulled itself out of the ground, as did the second one from the crater shaped exactly like it. Without missing a beat, and just like he programmed them to do, they set themselves upon his flanks.

"It was definitely one of those trinkets you'd keep for the sole purpose of nostalgia. Ah~ those days where you were a newbie and everything was hard."

No longer obscured, Bluefin was standing no worse for wear, still in his formless stance that spelled laziness.

Except Cranium's senses were blaring inside his head, practically begging him to keep his guard up. Also, he was glowing, so the third child opted to follow his gut's lead.

"Toyed around with it a bit after we got here, and hey!"

Again the Fishman twirled his trident to show off, but the gesture's showiness was multiplied by the mass of water following the weapon's tip like a snake.

If he guesses correctly, which in this case is assuming for the worst, then that and Bluefin suddenly glowing means...

"One passive racial skill plus a fully developed class later, and viola!"

Slamming the butt of his trident the water exploded theatrically, only to suspend themselves in the air in million pieces all around the strongest specialist exuding neon ocean-blue shine.

An armor perhaps, or maybe he'll send all of them flying at Cranium like bullets.

"I got myself a loophole! Full everything on dry land baby! Who knew jailbreaking reality was that easy!?"

The scion himself felt respect for the discovery and innovation, enemies or not. Just because he's screwed doesn't mean he should be a jerk.

"Welp, that's about it. Anyway, how are you doing?"

"Pretty good actually, especially considering what's about to happen."

"What's about to happen?" Bluefin parroted, not to mock because he's about to win, but from sheer genuine curiosity.

It almost made Cranium felt bad.

"Because I acted my age and did what any child would when they're in over their head. I called my mother."

And just like that, the champion of the deep's shoulder sagged.

"Also congratulations for cheating the system. You'll definitely need it considering what's up next."

His words were validated as seconds later, as a streak of gold and white shot pass by Cranium. As for Bluefin, he could make out what appears to be a buckler shield homing onto his face before everything was replaced by pain. With a thud, the Fishman landed hard on the ground, bouncing off the earth from the sheer power of the attack that sends him flying

Of course, the full potential of his regeneration fixed everything in less than a minute, but he definitely wasn't one of those who likes getting hurt on purpose.

Bluefin grimaced at the likely prospect of what'll happen next as his bones and nerves re-arranged themselves. But shit, if Kyoko hit this hard when pissed fighting her isn't going to be fun.

"And just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

And now he wanted to just stay limp on the ground. Because that voice embodying wrath definitely belong to a male that wasn't his colleague.

Just his luck, the one-time Bluefin picked on a kid, both of his parents were home.

"Come now, Momonga-chi. That was a rhetorical question, right? You've probably already figured us out after I squabbled with those two old crones."

But Guyhawk, the Fishman easily recognized, and turning around, Bluefin was greeted by the sight of another stand-off between them, the invaders, and the owner of the grounds they're invading.

Flanked by Guyhawk who spoke first was a mix of a humanoid lion and the stereotype of Japanese juvenile delinquent. But despite sounding ridiculous on paper, the beastman staring down the leader of Ainz Ooal Gown appears as anything but funny-looking. Looking more than ready to tear anything or anyone apart, with their bare claw or the sword attached to his hip.

Although he's more likely to punch his opponent into oblivion, those options certainly weren't out of reach for the [Lionheart].

"It's been a while hasn't it? Momonga, Kyoko."

Eagerly, and unlike the other two who know that they're currently between a rock and a hard place, Leopold smiled.

"That's not the answer I want, [Nature's Roar]." Reeking of the highest version despair aura, the leader of the evilest guild in YGGDRASIL started. "In case you haven't noticed, we're very angry."

XxX

Guyhawk is based on BNHA's Hawks, Bluefin is based on Kekkai Sensen's Zed O'Brien, and Leopold is based on Digimon Franchise's Bancholeomon.

Anyways, Voidwalker77 here, and sorry for the late update. Was already 2/3 done with the chapter in a few days before college blindsided me, and unfortunately, workload made it clear that updates will be unlikely for these two months at the very least.

As a writer, I felt like being driven to a wall and am currently in a dire need of rethinking what I want to write and how I can do it. Got shit tons of ideas I want to pull but having so little time and stress and all that.

Thank you all for sticking with me and this story for so long, don't worry, I'm not ending it. But again, expect the long update and if it's not too much, give my other stories a shot.

That's all for now, voidwalker77 signing off.

CIAO!