An Overlord is never late Ainz Ooal Gown. Nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means too.
"Speech"
"Thinking/Singing"
"Spell"
...
Confident that Saruman would follow his instructions to the latter, though he wouldn't be surprised if he was a tad upset at having to share the glory with Ancalagon's red scaled minion, Morbus soon turned his mind to his other problem.
Though he was grateful for the information Zam had gathered during the course of her time in the city of E-Rantel, it still left him with a dilemma since he wasn't sure what to do with this information.
As he predicted, the news of that their might exist one or several beings that were like him had not gone over well with his Supreme Generals.
Thurwingethil had immediately threatened to hunt down and destroy this new threat, promising to make even the lowliest servants of this new power pay for their decision to support an obviously inferior ruler. It was only thanks to a forceful command from the shape changing Overlord that had prevented her from carrying out this plan, but even then Morbus knew that it would only serve as a temporary solution before she discovered some loophole.
Mara, while acting with a greater degree of dignity than the enraged vampire, had nevertheless also expressed her interest in laying waste to the only power that could rival that of Utumno. But while her suggestion of using her agents to stealthily remove this threat to his existence bore some merit, Morbus surprisingly enough found himself shying away from such underhanded tactics.
Whether it was because of his desire to speak with someone who understand the stress he was going through, or his guild's penchant for using visible force to achieve victory, the fact remained that the thought of assassinating someone who could be considered his equal was repugnant to him.
"Nice to know that I can still feel loyalty towards certain philosophies, though since it was Lord Bauglir's policy that allowed me to eventually take power, should probably not place much credit in my new found morality. Still, this leaves me with a bit of a dilemma. But until I can verify the intentions of the player who changed his name to that of the guild, I can't do much more than I've already done. I guess this leaves me with no other option".
Know that his decision would likely be met with resistance from his servants, but knowing that he had been left with no other option, the armored doppelganger left his private chambers and tried to think up a way that would allow him to solve the problem that had plagued male protagonists for years.
….
Though she knew such behavior was unbecoming of a Supreme General, the decision of her lord and master, combined with superior smirk that was currently being worn by her undead colleague, was enough to make the usually composed assassin sound like a disappointed highschool girl.
"Lord Morbus, while I am certain that you have your reasons for having Thurwingethil accompany you for this delicate task, I have to ask why you are choosing to leave me behind? Certainly my skills would be of greater value by your side rather than remaining here, so I beg you to reconsider your decision".
Flashing a pleading look at the noticeably uncomfortable looking leader of Utumno, Mara fought the urge to throw her sword at her vampiric rival as she proceeded to comment on Lord Morbus's decision.
"Now don't be like that Jade. I am sure that our lord and master has a very good reason in selecting me to accompany him on his journey. I mean let's face it, if you were forced travel to a hive full of loathsome insects, you'd want someone pleasant to look at to help you alleviate your boredom. And since you're too embarrassed to display your rather modest collection of assets, let alone use them, it's only natural that I be the one selected to accompany our master on this errand".
Drawing her flame covered sword in response to this latest insult on her appearance, and uncaring of the fact that the dress wearing vampire had formed twin balls of pulsing black flames, Mara readied herself to cut her rival down to size before the firm voice of the armored doppelganger snapped her out of her thirst for blood.
"ENOUGH! I have told the pair of you that I will not tolerate this sort of behavior. Mara, I expected better from you. And Thurnwingethil, if it wasn't for the fact that the others were unsuited for this task, I would consider leaving you here".
Frantically bowing their heads in shame for causing Utumno's leader to reprimand them for their actions, they remained silent as Morbus proceeded to explain the reasons for his decision.
"Mara, while I have no doubt that you would make both myself and your creator proud where you to accompany me, the fact remains that I need you here. It is thanks to the information your agents acquired that my forces are ready to march as soon as I give the word, and I trust no one else in managing the intelligence network you have flawlessly constructed in such a short amount of time".
Flushing at the praise she received for her efforts in aiding the molten eyed overlord, Mara's smirk of contentment was soon turned into a frown of disappointment as Morbus proceeded to explain why he had chosen the dress wearing vampire to accompany him instead of her.
"However, due to the nature of how I intend to arrive at the city of E-Rantel, I am afraid that having you accompany me would be impractical".
Noticing the smug smirk that was currently adorning Thurnwingethil's face, Mara narrowed her emerald green eyes and tried to convince the armored doppelganger to let her join him on his quest.
"But Lord Morbus, even though you are choosing to travel to that human city without the use of a Gate, I am still capable of accompanying you. Lady FrauleinDarkSide has given me the ability to fly through the use of my magic, so it should be no problem for me to remain at your side".
….
Having forgotten that piece of information while he had been thinking over on which NPC that would accompany him while he infiltrated the city of E-Rantel, the former librarian had to conceded that leather wearing assassin had made an excellent point.
However, their remained one little detail that caused him to voice his hesitance in accepting Mara's help.
"Be that as it may Mara, the fact remains that it will be difficult to explain your presence. From what your spies have been able to tell me, few, if any humans in this land use Fly as a means of transportation. And since it is my intention to arrive with as little notice as possible, the best manner in which to do so requires us to take pains to avoid detection".
Seeing that his words only managed to cause the red haired assassin to slip deeper into despair, Morbus desperately wracked his brain for a potential solution.
"How the hell am I supposed to get out of this? I want Mara to accompany us, if only to stop her from being upset, but since she can't transform like me or Thurnwingethil, she has no way to fly unseen. If only I could turn her..".
Cursing himself for his own stupidity to fail to realize that he possessed a solution to his dilemma during all this time, Morbus turned towards his undead minion with a questioning expression.
"Thurnwingethil, how long will it take us to reach E-Rantel from here? A couple hours or couple days"?
Though somewhat confused as to why she was being asked this question, the dress wearing vampire nevertheless came up with an answer after a brief moment of consideration.
"As long as the weather remains relatively descent, then it should take 2 to 3 hours to reach the city if we flew at our top speed. So if we were to leave this very instant, we should arrive with at least 4 hours of remaining day light".
Nodding his head in gratitude for this information, for it allowed to accurately judge whether or not he had enough time to test out one of the abilities that he had chosen so he could feel closer to the character he had modeled himself after, Morbus allowed a small smirk to spread across his face as he turned away from his confused servants.
"Then it appears that I have enough time to indulge in an old hobby of mine. I trust the two of you can behave responsibility for an hour or 2"?
Seeing the two women nod at his inquiry, though he could tell that they were both somewhat hesitant to do so after their earlier bickering, the armored doppelganger began his journey to the one place he hadn't had all but forgotten since his arrival in the new world.
The Forges of Utumno.
…
"The burning fire, will be our pyre
To cook our meeeaaat, with consuming heat.
The Dark Lord burns, while we still yearns
To hear him siiiiinnnnggg, while he makes a ring".
Though she wasn't overly surprised by the presence of the more ghoulish looking member of her forces, Mara found herself growing more and more annoyed with the pale skinned homunculi as she waited for Lord Morbus to return.
"Jade would you please tell your schizophrenic minion to shut up. It's bad enough that you've managed to ruin my alone time with our lord, but having to listen to that creature sing is almost enough to make me want to rip my ear's off".
Though she was usually reluctant to show any form of agreement with her undead colleague, the rare exception being their shared awe and amazement of their lord and master, Mara nevertheless found herself sharing Thurnwingethil's opinion on her minion's vocal abilities.
"On that we are in agreement Thurnwingethil. GOLLUM, cease your bothersome chanting and only speak when spoken to. Is that understood"?
Turning towards the irate Supreme General with an expression that clearly indicated that it was his better half that was in control, the pale skinned creature shot an apologetic look at the red haired woman.
"We's sorry Supreme Generalsess, we didn't mean to disturb you did we Precious? We's just happy that Lord Morbuss is making us a new birthday present. Isnt that right Precious"?
His pupils turning to slits to signify that his more scheming personality had taken over, the stunted being seemed to ignore the two irritated women as he proceeded to have a conversation with himself.
"Yesss it is Smeagol my love. The Dark Master is unwilling to part with his precious, but he makes us a new one to rewards us for our efforts. We wonders as to what treasures he's making for frustrated virgin and the disease ridden corp…oopsie".
Staring in mounting terror as he realized that he insulted two of the more temperamental members of Utumno's high command, the NPC that had been modeled after one of the best known CGI characters in history could only gulp in justified fear as he was punished for his comments.
…
Oblivious to the current tensions that were happening outside the forges, the shape changing ruler of Utumno proudly admired the 8 small circular objects that had taken him only an hour to make.
It had been some time since he had a need to use the skills that were a result of his decision to add the job skills of craftsmen, alchemist, and bard to his character, but he had found that he was still able to properly use them for his purposes.
It had taken a bit of time to consider what exactly it was he wanted to do, not to mention the fact that he would have to create more items then he had intended so he didn't look like he was playing favorites, but in the end he had settled on a final design and began to work.
The actual forging was the easy part since there was still a sufficient amount of material left in the furnaces that would allow him to begin his little project without further delay. After a short period of melting in one of the blackened vats, the armored doppelganger had directed the small stream of liquid gold to form into 8 carven circles, and as they cooled down that was where his work had truly begun.
Knowing that he didn't have enough time to etch the necessary magical runes into each and every one of his slowly cooling creations, Morbus had decided to use the power of his voice to bestow upon them their abilities.
When he had been selecting the job classes for his character, he had endured a good deal of mockery from other players for portraying a villainous character with an angelic singing voice. However, the members of his guild had praised him for his attempts to emulate all the skills of his favorite dark lord, and thus he had decided to keep the ability instead of exchanging it.
When combined with his craftsmanship and knowledge of alchemy, the songs of enchantment had sung had resulted in powerful tools that had made him the envy of his peers, and it was thanks to these abilities that he had been able to craft his most powerful weapons.
While the objects he had just made paled in comparison to the band of gold that rested on his finger, for the Ruling Ring had been created to grant its wearer a large range of increased abilities instead of possessing only a single use, Morbus was nevertheless confident that they would serve his purpose.
Storing all but 3 of the rings in a chest that only he could open, the armored doppelganger confidently strode from the scorching heat of his personal workshop, and made his way to the doors where he hoped he would be greeted by the sight of his 3 servants behaving in a manner that proved to him that they were able to work together for a common goal.
He was proven only partially right.
….
Though he had experienced many embarrassing events over the course of his life, one of the more recent ones being forced to witness the result of his tampering's with Tabula Smaragdina's creation, the current spectacle he was now making of himself was great enough that even his emotional suppression ability couldn't quite diminish.
While he could understand that the people of this country would undoubtedly wish to express their admiration for capturing a monster that all other creatures paid homage to, the fact remained that his first praise worthy action in this world was his taming of an over grown hamster.
"To think I would be hailed as a hero for something so easy. I have truly have no idea what to think about the standards of power in this world".
Hearing her new master's lament, and feeling a bit more confident with her current circumstances thanks to the amount of adoration she was bringing to the being who had so easily bested her, Hamsuke decided that it would be alright to voice her confusion with the dark knight's lament.
"You mean you've faced creatures even more powerful than I? I shiver to think what would have become of me if master had chosen to get serious".
Chuckling in agreement with his furry mount, the disguised lich was about to reaffirm Hamsuke's rightful attitude when the giant hamster suddenly froze stiff.
It was only thanks to his firm grip on the beast's body that prevented him from sliding to the ground, but even his quick recovery wasn't enough to save Hamsuke from Narberal's wrath.
"What do you think you're doing you useless piece of fluff? Your clumsy actions almost sent Lord Ainz sprawling into the mud".
Grateful that the black haired battle maid had seen fit to lower her voice before she had blown his cover, the armored lich was about to reassure the irritate Pleaide that he was perfectly alright only to have the hamster offer up an apology before he could utter a word.
"This one is sorry for acting in such a frightful manner, but just now I thought I sensed something soaring through the clouds".
His curiosity piqued by the reason for Hamsuke's sudden bout of nervousness, Ainz cast his gaze towards the cloudless sky before turning his attention back to the frightened hamster.
"And what exactly was it that you sensed Hamsuke? I can only imagine that it must have been powerful if it caused you to react this way".
"Heh, not really. At best Hamsuke would be characterized as a level 30 monster in YGGDRASIL, so anything that could make her nervous would have to be at least 5 levels above her, which still makes it far weaker than the middle level NPCs of Nazarick. Still, if this creature is enough to frighten Hamsuke, then if I was to defeat it my path to becoming a well known adventurer would be far easier".
Oblivious to the thoughtful exasperation of her rider, and believing that her new master would protect her should they come across the powerful presence that she had sensed, Hamsuke proceeded to answer his question.
"Yes indeed it was rather powerful. But it flew too fast for this one to get a clear reading on it. All this one knows it that it was made to feel like a field mouse who had been unlucky enough to pass under the wings of a hawk who had yet to decide whether to keep flying or indulge in a brief snack".
Finding himself growing more intrigued at the potential opportunity of capturing a beast that would hopefully be more impressive in appearance than a djungarian hamster, Ainz had to resist the urge to face palm as one of the more persistent members of his party decided to make his presence known.
"Well regardless of whatever it was, I'm sure that if we were to come across it, the lovely maiden here would have no trouble defeating such a beast. Though I confess that I wouldn't mind if she left it to me just so I can prove to her that I could be the type of man that she wants".
Sending a flirtatious wink at the scowling woman, Lukrut was quickly introduced to the familiar sensation of pain as the brown haired magic caster proceeded to use her wooden staff to beat some sense into him.
"Cant you take a hint for once in your life Lukrut? It's clear that Nabe only has eyes for , despite her earlier objections, so for once in your life, please try and think with that small brain of your rather than the small worm in your pants".
Turning red in embarrassment from both Ninya's scolding and the amused laughter from the remaining members of Swords of Darkness, the blonde haired archer was grateful for the momentary reprieve provided to him by his smiling contractor.
"Mr Momon, why don't you and Ms. Nabe take your new beast to the register's office, while the rest of us head back to my grandmother's shop? Once your're done, you can come and collect your reward".
Nodding his helmeted head in agreement with the smiling youth, Ainz waited until they were out of ear shot before he turned his attention back to the still somewhat nervous hamster.
"Hamsuke, where you able to ascertain which direction this presence was going"?
Allowing just a bit of menace to enter his tone while addressing his newly claimed pet, Ainz felt his already piqued curiosity strengthen as Hamsuke answered his question with all of her usual submissiveness.
"This one felt it fly towards the place where death seems to maintain a strong foothold in this city. Yes it did".
….
Morphing back into her more humanoid form before she reluctantly removed the ring that had been granted to her by her lord and master, Thurnwingethil surveyed their new surroundings with a critical eye before turning her attention to the now visible overlord.
"Forgive me for asking this my lord, but why did you decide to choose this place to make your grand entrance? I admit, that the current state of the humans is somewhat pleasing to behold, but surely you would prefer to reveal yourself to beings that are smart enough to tremble at your undeniable glory? Not to say that your current form isn't regal in appearance, but I doubt that these walking skeletons possess enough sentience to recognize true power".
Receiving a chuckle from the now elderly looking master of Utumno, and ignoring the barely noticeable smirk that the non-transforming was currently shooting her way, the vampire was somewhat taken back by the almost jovial tone of the transformed doppelganger.
"It is an excellent question my dear. And one that deserves an answer that is worthy of it. You see, in a human city of this size, there is only one place where we can make an appearance without causing any fuss, and this is in the hallowed ground where they have chosen to place their dead. Cause even if we somehow manage to find a deserted alley to make ourselves visible, we would still have to make our way into the crowds, and due to the loveliness that both you and Mara possess, I'm afraid we would draw too much attention".
Blushing at the compliment they had both received from their now bearded master, Mara took a moment to regain her composure before asking a question that had been bugging the two females since they witnessed their master's current form.
"That still doesn't explain your current appearance Lord Morbus. While I can understand your reason to take the shape of a dragon while we flew from Utumno, I confess that the purpose for taking the form of an old man confuses me. Though I must admit, even though your bear some similarities with Saruman, you seem to possess a far more youthful vitality".
Snorting in amusement at the implied insult to the white robed wizard, and using his abilities to ensure that his grey eyes had a little bit of a twinkle to them as he addressed the red haired assassin, Morbus proceeded to explain why he had uncharacteristically decided to take on the form of the true hero of the Lord of the Rings.
"My dear Mara, while the common man might shake in terror at the sight of a dark lord of my power, they will believe that an old man with a walking stick is something unlikely to rouse such attention. Of course an old man accompanied by a pair of beautiful women would defeat the purpose of avoiding attention, but it does provide a source of amusement should we come across anyone foolish enough to think that I am incapable of defending myself"
….
Pleased to see that both of his companions bought his excuse, Morbus spared a brief moment to contemplated the true reason for his current form before getting back to the matter at hand.
"They must never know that I chose this form because I thought that it would be cool to look like the most kick ass wizard in literary and cinematic history. Wonder if I should take up the habit of smoking just to make it authentic. Anyway, since it appears that one of the members of Ainz Ooal Gown is going the adventurer route, then what better way to gain his attention by stirring up some trouble in a place that's literally crawling with the undead".
Casting a brief look at the slowly approaching horde of skeletons, and feeling the need to test out the combat abilities of his version of the Grey Pilgrim, Morbus allowed a small mischievous smile to grace his features as he turned towards his servants.
"Since we appear to have some time on our hands, why don't the two of you take this opportunity to sharpen your combat skills with our new friends here? I know they're not exactly a challenge for either of you, but they nevertheless provide us with a chance to kill some time".
Seeing the two female leaders of his army nod their heads in gratitude with his suggestion, and unaware of the fact that they would try to use this opportunity to try and impress him with their powerful set of abilities, Morbus leaned against the closest standing tree and waited for the opportune moment to test out his other selected abilities.
….
Despite the relative success of their mission, the bald headed necromancer had to admit that he was beginning to think that the benefits of speeding up the completion of the Death Spiral was poor compensation for the annoying chatter of his psychotic partner.
"You really know how to disappoint a woman Khajit. I mean there they were, 4 charming little weaklings who foolishly believed that they would somehow escape their fates, and you didn't even give me the chance to play around with their sweet little feelings. Wouldn't have taken much time either. You'd be surprised what I can do with only 5 minutes".
Shooting a look of irritation at the smiling blood thirsty woman, Khajit Badantel fought to keep his temper in check as he attempted to converse with former member of the Black Scripture.
"And in that 5 minutes of time it is highly possible that we would have been discovered. I know the type of victims you prefer Clementine, and I assure that 5 minutes of screaming would be sufficient to draw the attention of the proper authorities".
Pouting like a child that had just been denied a second helping of desert, Clementine spared a brief glance at her unconscious cargo before turning her attention back to the elderly necromancer.
"Still doesn't explain why I have to be the one to carry the brat? I mean sure I understand that you're not as spry as you used to be, but surely a magic caster of your skill could have just caused him to float behind us".
Rolling his eyes in exasperation, the leader of the E-Rantel chapter of the Zuranon nevertheless explained the reason for their current arrangement.
"Since I am the only one amongst us who is experienced in the use of death magic, it stands to reason that I should have no distractions while I ensure that the dead remain oblivious to our presence. Besides, it was your idea to steal the Crown of Wisdom, so it stands to reason that you should have the honor of carrying its next wielder".
Frowning at the slightly mocking tone of the sinister magic caster, Clementine soon fell back into her usual taunting persona as she concluded that she still needed Khajit to complete his part of their bargain.
"Speaking of the dead, I trust that your meat puppets will be enough to mislead anyone who happens to visit that shop after hours? Cause as much as I would enjoy a chance to use my blades on another living being, I doubt that you would be too happy with any interruption to your little ritual".
Scowling as the blond haired woman proceeded to mock his goal, Khajit shot his smirking companion a dismissive glare before banishing her concern.
"Not to worry. I have ensured that whoever is lucky enough to survive our little trap, they will be pointed in another direction instead of learning our true whereabouts".
…
Though he no longer possessed the ability to change his expression, another downside for having selected a character that resembled a giant skeleton, Ainz nevertheless would have smirked if he could since he had finally caught sight of his targets.
"Lord Ainz, should we maintain the element of surprise before we launch our attack? Or would you prefer to put these insects in their place before teaching them the last lesson of their lives"?
Chuckling in amusement at Narberal's sudden enthusiasm for this mission, the armored lich shook his head.
"That option has already been taken away from us Narberal. For it appears that they are aware of our presence".
Ignoring the slightly shocked expression of the black haired doppelganger, though he couldn't tell if it was because their target had discovered them before they made their move or if it was due to his decision to walk confidently in their direction, Ainz addressed the small circle of magic casters with an air of someone who was merely discussing the weather.
"Good evening. I hate to interrupt what is I'm sure to be a important ritual, but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to stop until I get what I've come here for".
Seeing the one who was clearly the leader of the group frown in anger, Ainz prepared himself for the inevitable bad guy cliché of asking for his identity followed by astonishment at his presence.
"Who are you? And how did you manage to get past that swam of undead"?
Tilting his head to show his confusion with the bald headed magic caster, Ainz was spared from answering that particular question thanks to his faithful companion.
"Swarm? You humans must be very weak indeed if you think a few dozen is sufficient enough to be classified as a swarm. Though I assure you that even if they had numbered in the hundreds or thousands, Lord Ainz would have been able to defeat them with ease".
Though somewhat embarrassed at having the beautiful Pleiade speak up on his behalf, the armored lich couldn't help but also feel a tad more alert as he noticed the expression of confused anger that was currently adorning the human necromancer's face.
"What are you talking about? This place was surrounded by a vast army of the dead, so again I ask, how did you get here so fast"?
Judging that he was telling the truth from the nervous mutterings of the man's servants, Ainz decided that he might as well us this piece of information to his advantage.
Only before he could, a voice that should have been absent from this word spoke out from the vision obscuring mist.
"I'm afraid that was my doing. For you see, I had no idea how long my fellow player would take to reach this charming little graveyard. So to pass the time, I allowed my servants the chance to indulge in a little bit of entertainment. I mean after all, what's the point of having a large amount of cannon fodder if you don't use it"?
Turning his head in the direction of the voice, and noticing that Narberal had adopted a more battle ready stance that hadn't been present until now, the ruler of Nazarick took his time to analyze the 3 now visible figures.
The one on the left was a woman of such beauty that easily equaled that of Albedo. Pale skin, flowing black hair, and wearing a dark red dress that easily drew attention to her well-developed assets, it was easy to see this woman rival the beauty of his infatuated succubus. However, while Albedo always maintained a smiling demeanor in his presence, the current expression of this other woman was far more cruel and dismissive.
Grateful for the first time that he no longer possessed certain bodily functions, since he was sure that he would have pissed himself if he had stared at the glaring woman for a moment longer, Ainz refocused his attention to the other woman.
While choosing to wear an form fitting outfit that revealed far less skin than her ruby eyed companion, the red haired woman was nevertheless as lovely as her compatriot, if somewhat more athletic in appearance than the other woman.
But as much as he would have liked to keep his attentions focused on the two women, for even with his suppressed emotions he could still admire the female form, the ruler of Nazarick turned his attention towards the one being he at least recognized.
Grey robes and cloak that were somewhat stained with heavy travel, a pointed hat that also shared the same color the afore mentioned clothing, and a bearded face that any fan of the fantasy genre would recognize, it was clear that this being was the one in charge.
...
And I believe thats enough for now :)
Unsure as yo when the next chapter will be posted, Ontario college strike is about to end, so my time will be limited XD, but hopefully this is enough to tie you all over.
Finally got to the actually meeting point, so pleased how it turned out.
And as for Morbus and the forging bit, if you look in an earlier chapter, gave him Bard, Craftsmen, and Alchemist abilities, so of course he would use these skills to make new rings of power. Though these ones only turn one insisible. Believe that more complicated items would take longer.
Also, I did not plan to have everyone's favorite wandering wizard make an appearance in this story, but decided that if the OC is going to mess with people, who better than the guy who goes "What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good this particular morning? Or are you simply stating that it is a morning to be good on". Think we can all admit that Gandalf can be a bit of a troll...not the kind that turns to stone XD
Anways, look forward to the first conversation between the 2 overlords next time.
REVIEWS WELCOME