Shalltear Bloodfallen had been very happy about her offical day of rest. When her loving master had first implemented it, like everybody else in Nazarick, she took it as a punishment and a loss of trust. But once they all got used to it, they started to enjoy it. She was even pretty sure that she was one of those who enjoyed it the most. At first, she spent it with other guardians or area guardians at home, but recently, since the world was reshapped in her lord's wishes, she learned to appreciate the outside and often went only accompanied by a group of her favorite vampire brides.
She had been waiting two weeks in anticipation for this day and had prepared a lot of things to enjoy herself. Firstly she had gathered funds from her previous allowences to make a great shopping tour in the freshly renamed capital, Utopia. Shalltear planned to buy all kind of new sexy clothes for herself and her retinue, after that she might have looked around in case something caught her eyes, probably some perfume or a nice piece of art.
For lunch, Demiurge invited the group of bloodsuckers to pay a visit to the highest security 'happy farm' were they would engorge themselves on some of the most sophisticated vintages available in the whole world.
In the afternoon, Shalltear prepared a nice surprise for her brides; she found out from Aura about a beautifull beach on the other continent, where they would all go together on a hunt for the supposedely strong and ultra agressive beastmen tribe that lived around.
For the evening and the night they would come back to her levels in the Great Tomb of Nazarick and enjoy the Adipocere Chamber were they would overindulge with the pleasures of the flesh. She was particularly longing about this occasion for which she invited many beautiful women besides her usual undead harem; Amongst which were Evil lords Lust and Envy, several reckless newly promoted adamantite adventurers who catched her eyes and the Pleiades Lupusregina Beta and Solution Epsilon, she even managed to convince the werewolf's cute pet, the governor of Utopia: Enri Bareare.
The cute little guardian was strolling down the street with a wide smile, twirling her parasol happily, thinking about what lingerie she would wear tonight, when she saw it. Discreetly hovering on the edge of the town, was a strange object almost impossible to see. She immediately realised that if it was cloacked with [Invisibility] or even [Complete Invisibility] she should see it perfectly but if it was [Perfect Unknowable] she shouldn't even be able to sense it outside of her Nazarick's combat area.
This thing was definitely intriguing.
Shalltear wasn't sure what to do for a while, she thought that on leave, a great one more so, it wasn't her duty to take care of it. But when she figured out that it should fell under her arch nemesis jurisdiction, Albedo, she appreciated that it would be a great opportunity to pull the rug under her feet. When she also realized that she would find something original for her beloved master, she instantanetly changed into her combat gear an jumped into action.
With her capabilities, it only took a few seconds to the grinning guardian to get to the mysterious object. Once in front of it, thanks to her enhanced vision, she was able to discern it much more clearly. This was a machine of some kind, shaped into a tube and with small devices protruding on each side.
Focusing her vision, Shalltear saw that the front of it was in fact a window. Realising that people were inside she understood, a vehicle of some sort was spying on the city. She smirked when one of the blurred persons inside made small movements, probably to check her sight of them.
"Get out immediately and surrender if you don't want to die!" Shalltear yelled pointing her Spuirt Lance towards them.
Reacting to her movement the ship started to move away from her and she couldn't see inside the craft no more. When some kind of blue flame came out of the side pieces, the whole thing lost it's fuzziness, she guessed that being discovered, the disguise was dropped, maybe even for as long as she would keep an eye on it if it was a skill like those of a rogue or assassin.
"How dare you!" the furious vampire hissed following them.
She activated her skill [Purifying Javelin] and launched it straight toward the fleeing flying machine. Totaly surprised, she watched the powerfull energy lance coliding with a glowing shield of some sort. Nobody ever fully resisted a direct hit since Yggrdrasil, some, like the now dead Platinum Dragon Lord, had been able to dodge or withstand it, but the vehicle didn't seemed damaged in the least.
Keeping pace with it, she thought that if the vehicle had that level of magic, a specific spell was worth a shot. "Let's see how you like that, [Magic Destruction]!" Shalltear casted the spell and was disapointed that nothing happened. Even worse the ship started to accelerate beyond her expectation and probably even her natural abilities.
"Oh no you won't escape me" said the increasingly feisty guardian "you think you can go faster than me, how pathetic, [Time Accelerator]". Everything slowed around her and she quickly catched back the aircraft.
She was almost close enough to grip the vehicle, when from one of the sides, a shinning golden ball came towards her. An attack based on the sacred element she thought, fast and close enough that she wasn't sure that she could have reacted to it without her increased timeline.
Instanantely dropping the [Time Accelerator] spell due to the use of a skill, she decided that she couldn't take any chance with something so strange. "[Impure Shockwave Shield]", the dark red and black wave force came to life just before the golden projectile reached her and an impressive explosion erupted from the contact.
"If you want to take it seriously, I can too ! [Maximize Magic: Vermillion Nova]" said Shalltear surrounded in smoke and heat from the explosion. Her still flying away target was, once again, directly hit. The massive pillar of flame was absorbed by the same shield than before, but after an initial reaction, it blinked and faded. With a grin, she watched the strange machine shaking brutaly with a trail of smoke behind it.
After that, the vehicle slowed considerably but stayed in the air and continued it's rout. She resumed her pursuit when a new golden projectile was launched towards her. Shalltear wished to keep the last use of the shield force, so instead she decided for a spell: "[Mist Form]" she said as the projectile came impressively fast. It passed throught her as she turned into a blured red mist and she canceled the spell afterward.
She was about to turn her attention back to the aircraft, when she heard the glowing missile making a wide turn and comming straight back for her. She frowned before a simple and safe solution hit her.
"[Summon Household], come on little bats, for once I won't be the one who kills you". Declared the vampire in a whicked laugh. The growing swarm of skill summoned giant dark bats, comming from her body, went on an interception course with the projectile while she rushed on the other side to catch back the ship. After a moment of uncertainty, she heard an explosion behind her and as she catched again the unknown vehicle, she grinned widely.
This time the little vampire decided to keep things simple, she approched from above and jumped on the roof in a powerfull kick with her feet joined. With a loud metalic sound, the ship brutaly changed course towards the ground. There was obviously an attempt to rectify the trajectory but in the end, the guardian strength proved simply overwhelming.
Shalltear casualy flown behind the downed aircraft and bursted out laughing when it finaly crashed in a field. She was a little disappointed that the thing wasn't pulverized, but it was to be expected considering how tough the thing had proven.
The bloody valkyrie landed next to the crash site and made a turn around it, observing the design, sometimes touching it, wondering what it was made of and where it came from. She found what looked like the main door, but couldn't figure out how to open it. She quickly lost patience, stored her weapon back in her inventory and as her lovely little hand turned into a deadly claw, she ferociously pierced the ship's hull next to the door. The guardian then ripped it open and threw the large piece of metal behind her.
She discovered the inside and it looked in utter chaos, strange crates and objets all around the floor, the place was filled with small energy sparkles and several unconscious people laid down.
"Humans? That's a surprise arinsu." said the little knight entering the vehicle with a clanking noise. She had barely the time to make a couple of steps, before somebody came suddenly from another compartment. A huge dark skinned man in pretty bad shape, with a few grey hairs and a weird gold symbol on his forehead, pointed something at her. It looked strange with its small size and weird shape, but it was obviously a weapon of some sort.
She smiled and took another step toward him and the man fired his weapon. She heard a strange noise accompanying a small lightning that came at her and was stop by her natural wepons immunity.
"You want to play with this sweet little monster big guy ?" Shalltear mocked with a small laugh, walking calmly towards him. He fired at her several more times, without any effect and when she finally reached him, he lunched a powerfull blow to her head with a manly grunt, mostly out of pain. When she grabbed his hand and mercilessly pulled him to her, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Any lasts words, before I rip you apart ?" asked the guardian. She forced him on his knees with her hands and brought her face closer to his, showing pointy teeth in her cuttest smile.
In a deep voice and with a stoic face, the man answered simply "I die free".
The smile of the cute monster turned into a frown "No fear, are you trying to spoil my fun ?" said the vampire, she then raised her hand with the intent of decapitating him, when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Shalltear, wait !" came a strong man's voice from outside the shipwreck. At the door was standing a huge person cladded in a dark armor.
"Oh it's you, what do you want, you are also going to spoil my fun ?" Shalltear asked, keeping her hand raised and her eyes locked on her prey.
"Ainz-sama will want them alive" answered Momon the dark warrior.
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"After that I used my Mystic Eyes on him so he would obey and I don't know why but it didn't last long on him, so Pandora's Actor stunned him. We brought them all to the Frozen Prison under the watch of Cocytus, we put them all together in the same cell and healed them like you ordered Ainz-sama" Shalltear concluded in hear sweetest voice.
In Ainz Ooal Gown's office on the ninth floor of Nazarick, the guardian finished relating the events of the morning. In the room, several persons listened attentively; Ainz was sitting behind his desk, Albedo was glaring the vampire with a frown, Pandora's Actor had provided only small precisions about their finding (while graciously omiting his intervention to prevent Shalltear from murdering their new prisoners) and Sebas stood still beside a Mirror of Remote Viewing.
"Good, now that we openned their cell to scrying, I can't wait to hear the discussion they'll have" said the Overlord "You really did a great job Shalltear, I'm proud of you".
"Thank you Ainz-sama, it's always a pleasure to be of service arinsu" answered Shalltear looking at her master with a shy smile and a slight blush.
"You did a really nice work and without any instructions, I'll think about a nice reward for you. For the moment, since you were on your day off, please resume your vacation" added Ainz. Since his beginning as an all powerfull master, he learned better than to ask what whished some of the NPC's, Shalltear and Albedo definitely being on the 'don't ask' list.
"But maybe I can help you some more Ainz-sama" replied Shalltear with big puppy eyes.
"Don't worry about it and enjoy yourself for the rest of the day, you earned it" her master dismissed with a smile and a wave of the hand.
The happy vampire curtsied and exited the room in a few joyfull leaps.
Once the door was closed by the homonculus maid that was asked to wait in the hallway, Albedo gently cleared her throath to catch her master attention. "Demiurge confirmed that the ... spaceship as you called it, as been transported in the workshop and that he started it's study with the chief blacksmith and CZ Delta".
"From now on, this is the highest priority project, every resource or person necessary will be immediatly granted. The objective will be to understand the technology and in a first time, build an entierly new Nazarick-made copy. I want this project done in less than no time, even better, prepare an around the clock group of Overlord Cronos Master and anybody else that has time manipulation capabilities to reduce the delay to the absolute minimum" ordered the master of the Great Tomb, "This event changes everything. Ultimately, this world's domination is not the end game that we thought it would be. We have to revise our plans accordingly, all current operation must be shortens or cancelled. The conquest of the other continent and the assimilation of it's population particularly, has to be completed as soon as possible. I want our hands to be free for our new ... situation".
"How would you wish to alter Neia's crusade orders my lord ?" asked Albedo while taking notes of everything her master wished. "She is currently asked to focus on a political and social integration to the Sorcerer Kingdom and the current estimations for a complete achievment is approximately 6 years".
"Let her continue her work with tribes and species that can be integrated easily, for the others, things have to go much faster. It's a shame but Aura, Mare and the Pleiades that are available will have to destroy the most agressive creatures and groups in each regions. After that, we'll take advantage of the chaos generated to either mind control or replace with doppelgänger the remaining leaders. I wanted to keep as most of the populations and strongest individuals as possible, however we have much higher stakes now".
"The raumschiff that these human used is really impressive mein Vater, it slipped through our defenses rather easily. We should further develop our defensive capabilities in a totaly new direction ..." said Pandora's Actor, before making a dramatic gesture towards the ceiling "THE STARS THEMSELVES !" he then stood completely still, while everybody else in the room watched him flabbergasted.
After a moment of unconfortable silence, Ainz Ooal Gown was relieved from his embarasment by his emotion limiter and with a slight cought to further disipate the tension rising up, he responded "Yes, well, idealy, we can find improvements for what we already have at our disposal that can be used in this configuration. I think this is a good project for Ashurbanipal, I'm sure Titus and Fludder will be excited to experiment tier magic on a totaly new scale and in a new environment".
"As the Guardian Overseer, I will prepare an high altitude and deep space excercise for all Nazarick high level fighters that are well suited for the task. I'm afraid we are currently lacking crucial expertise in this matter and not everybody will be suitable for this kind of operation". proudly said Albedo accompanied by a slight quivering of her wings.
"Great, that's the idea, once we have a better understanding of our, let's say, spacial capabilities, we'll be able to figure out what are our strengths and weaknesses in regard to this new threat". confirmed Ainz seduced by the idea. After many years of practice, he became an artist at claiming and appropriating Albedo's and Demiurge's ideas as if they were his. "Too bad space and void never had been a thing in Yggdrasil. Also, I'm curious what are the real limits of rangeless effects, from the [Message] spell to World Items. We obviously have a lot to learn".
They all started to contemplate the enormous amount of researches and work they'll have to put out in the near future, Albedo and Pandora's Actor considering this a great opportunity to prove their worth, whereas Ainz was trying to figure out a way to delegate as much as possible, maybe going back on an adventure, when Sebas spoke up.
"Ainz-sama, they are waking up".
"Ha, perfect, let's see what they have to talk about" answered Ainz gesturing to bring the mirror closer.
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"They are an intersting bunch, I still can't tell which one of them is the leader, but we definitely need to have a chat" said the Overlord after almost an hour of listening the prisoners discussion. "Could you please sumarize what we learned Albedo?"
Immediately jumping at attention, the succubus started to read her notes "Of course my lord; we confirmed that they are comming from another world, possibly another universe or reality and they don't know anything about neither magic items, magic spells or wild magic. This group seems to be explorers of some sorts with previous similar experiences and they didn't had a lot of time to learn about us or this world, probably less than a couple of days. They also appear to consider themselves technologically much more advanced than us, but it looks like they didn't built their ship, they apparently only repaired it and the whiny one installed a shielding device on it. We also learned that their technology require a specific 'gene' as they call it and they believe that it will prevent us to take control of their ship. Demiurge has been made aware of this and believes he can solve the issue with the blood they have lost when they crashed".
The part about them being more advanced, had been troubling for Ainz, since they were indeed much more advanced that anything he ever knew. He had a hard time convincing the NPC's that it was not a gross underestimation of Nazarick's might and that technologically, it indeed looked like they were a much more modern civilization.
What was the most surprising thing to the last Suprem Being, was that they appeared to be from Earth, but it was obviously impossible that it was the same Earth that he came from. With spaceships and shielding technology it looked like, yes, they were more futuristic, but at the same time, their weapons were unmistakably less powerfull than those of his own origin world. More so, they didn't used any of the emblematic combat armors that were used by pretty much every military on his Earth since the Euro-Arcology wars.
"I must say my lord, I am most impressed by the results of [Discern Enemy], they are all between level twenty six and thirty five. This range of level is almost impossible to reach for mortals and more so for humans. Even in our various adventurer or military programs, it has been exceptionally rare to attain it. More so without a race change or a massive use of our ressources". Remarked Sebas while elegantly rubing his beard.
"Das ist ja beeindruckend! Even with a poorly thougt out build, they must have very intersting job classes." Added the doppelgänger, rubing his face in a weird parody of the buttler next to him.
"Then it's decided. Sebas, I will meet them in the guest room. Before picking them up, make sure that there is not anything written in the Yggdrasil scriptures on their path. After that you will have your usual work to prepare them for a meeting with me. You should have enough time, first I need to check on Demiurge's progresses and I'll have another look at their equipement. You can disclose everything that is common knowledge outside of Nazarick, but make sure that they don't learn anything that is not part of the official version". Ordered Ainz Ooal Gown.
"How should I consider them my lord ?" asked the Iron Butler.
"For the moment, let's say foreign dignitaries that have the potential of being a threat to Nazarick" answered his master. Then, noticing the frown from Albedo, he added "I'm less woried about this group and more about the government or whatever organization that is giving them their orders. If possible, I'd like to not have this civilization as enemies, at least, until we know more about them and their technology."
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Hello everybody :)
Here is the continuation of the story and in a way, the first chapter now that the introduction is done. I thank you for your reviews and appreciation, it's always nice being encouraged.
I'm sure, like always in this case, there will be disagrements about my level estimation. I'll just remind that, as an exemple, Evileye is level 34 and that the current team members gathered a lot of XP from various sources in their adventures :p
I hope you still enjoy it and will keep reading :)