Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord, all credits to Kugane Maruyama.
I want to give a big thank you to Awareness Bringer for his help as a beta reader.
NoelRahlis7: This website usually takes a while for the chapters to actually update. I don't think there's anything I can do on my end to fix that, so I apologize for the inconvenience.
Awareness Bringer: I am also unsure as to how Ryraryus got a troll minion, but it is the 'same' one seen in Season 3, sent on the orders of Ainz to test Lupisregina. I filled out the rest of his tribe to be fellow Nagas. As for the review response, I was trying to figure out why his name got cut and finally realized that this website doesn't allow links to be written out. Because his name ended with '.eco,' FFN though that I was trying to posting a link. In the future I'll be more careful replying on this website.
maskedkeeper: E-Rantel is certainly in for a surprise over the coming days.
onewaysmart: Thank you! While it is true that Momonga cannot learn any more NW spells, he canonically knows 718 different spells, and he has yet to use most of them. That leaves people a lot of room for creativity. If I do introduce 'new' spells, rest assured I will attempt to explain them and how Momonga might use them to their fullest extent.
Paktu: Thank you, I'm glad to see you are enjoying reading as much as I enjoy writing it!
ShotoToshiro: Thank you!
Theorist01: Thank you for your kind words, I think you are giving me too much credit, because Overlord just has so much to work with already.
1. Definitely true, currently he is operating under limited information about a threat to this country. He has recently earned the trust of the Gazef and will follow him to E-Rantel for now as they adapt to the situation. What he plans to do next will depend on his information gathering.
2. Destruction is definitely one of Overlord's strengths. Without the appearance of Momon, most likely E-Rantel would have been destroyed in the Spiral of Death. I do think that his reputation could improve if he waits for some damage to be done. And while Momon can turn a blind eye to such things, he prefers not to shed excessive amounts of blood. The Bareares won't be as prominent in this story, but having them as a connection would be handy just because of their reputation alone within the city. I've also considered having Momon explore other cities in Re-Eztize. I think there can be a lot of potential there.
3. The appearance of Momon will definitely have a lasting effect on the Great Nobles. Especially those in the Noble faction. Without Nazarick to distract him, Momon will have his full attention turned to the rotten underbelly of the country, and he will see with his own eyes, the corruption that lies underneath. The nobles don't take kindly those who can potentially oppose their power, but they might bite off more than they could chew.
4. While I do think you're slightly jumping the gun, I do believe that Evileye and Momon have a lot more in common. I may start a side project in the near future that focuses on Evileye as well, so I hope you look forward to that.
morganvb: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this project so far!
Primus2021: While it's true that no one from Nazarick will be making an appearance, Momonga will never forget about past for as long as he lives.
Deacon94: You are indeed correct. Momonga is his own person, and while he admires his friends, ultimately, the choices and decisions he makes are his. His undead nature will often times be more a pro than a con helping him make cold, calculated decisions that would otherwise be difficult. That will definitely show if and when he encounters the nobility of the Re-Eztize Kingdom. Thank you for your praise!
E: It's not the size of the fic that matters, but it's what you do with it! In all seriousness, thank you for your kind words. My upload schedule leaves much to be desired, but I won't abandon this project for the foreseeable future.
Cedrick Antazo: I love your enthusiasm. Thank you!
Guest: Ask and you shall receive.
daabatalion1805200: Hope you enjoy!
RonaldM40196867: Thanks for your support!
DwiAAziz18: While updates are sparse, I have no plans to abandon this project, thank you for reading!
Dialogue Tags:
[Spell/Martial Art]
'Inner thoughts'
{Message}
Flat grassy plains stretched on for as far as the eye could see, with very little to break up the monotony of grass and shrubs. In this landscape, only a single sizeable caravan makes its way through the vast fields.
The first thing that stood out about the caravan was the fact that demi-humans were a part of its ranks. Such a thing was not uncommon, as the Baharuth Empire routinely has to restock its Colosseum with new demi-human 'participants,' but in those cases, the demi-humans were almost always stuffed into cages for ease of transportation.
Unlike in the above-mentioned case, this caravan had demi-humans walking side by side with humans, and they did not appear to wearing any sort of restraints. The diversity of the demi-humans wasn't anything to scoff at, either. There were large demi-humans such as Ogres, Nagas, a troll and even a large furry magical beast alongside the more punitive goblins.
The humans that made up the caravan also shared in this diversity. A majority of the humans appeared to be villagers who simply walked, but had their children riding the wagons along with the goblin children. Men wearing the armour of Re-Eztize either rode their horses or used them to lead said wagons. The most surprising thing of all was that in the most heavily guarded wagons, sat groups of men either wearing the armour of the Baharuth Empire or what appeared to be the clothing of magic casters. The Knights only numbered a dozen, whereas the magic casters numbered nearly four dozen.
A towering warrior in black plate armour was seated upon an armoured warhorse, surveying the land ahead of him. At first glance, one would easily mistake the mount to be a living horse, however, it was in fact a golem horse summoned by the item "Statue of Animal - Warhorse." The rider, Momon, had no prior horse riding experience, but the golem moved with such ease that surprised even himself.
As the sun began to dip under the horizon, Momon calls for the caravan to halt and to make camp for the night. Gazef stopped beside Momon, as the rest of his warrior band were spread throughout the caravan.
Momon was the one who insisted on the idea that both human and demi-human alike were to travel together, in an attempt to help ease the tension between the two groups.
It was clear that there was an uncomfortable tension in the air, but it was all kept in check by the presence of one who held overwhelming might. The drum of countless wagons came to a stop as Momon hopped off his golem horse, which disappeared as if it had never existed.
The wheels of countless wagons continued to creak under the weight they had been burdened with. Many of the wagons, despite lacking any sort of suspension and padding, still found themselves to be make-shift bedding for many of the children and the elderly.
Many tents were soon erected for the villagers of Carne and soon most in the camp drifted into a dreamless slumber. The demi-humans merely slept on the ground with some blankets handed to them by the villagers. A few of Gazef's men had campfires lit as they stood watch alongside the few goblin warriors and ogres. Truly, it was an astonishing sight, to see man and demi-human working side-by-side.
None of this would have been possible without Momon. Gazef is no less amazed at this realization. The dark hero had managed to subdue two rulers of the forest and had them following his orders. It was unheard of to have humans rule over beasts, especially ones that were considered rulers of the forest. Gazef felt himself respecting the dark hero more and more, but also became a little weary of him.
'Provoking him would be the worst mistake anyone could make. I pray that if the time comes, the Nobles will hold back their tongues.' Gazef sighs at that impossible thought. The Great Nobles would never tolerate a man with both power and charisma. He only hoped that Momon would be lenient in dealing with them, but hoped such a situation would never play out. Little did Gazef know that his instincts were on point.
Gazef surveys the plains around the camp and, as he expected, it was clear. Only a few shrubs dotted the landscape, and there was not a single beast or monster roaming the vast plains.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized that a quiet night awaited them. Momon soon retired for the night after checking in one last time with Gazef, who would take first watch before waking up Momon in four hours.
No sooner did Momon retire to his tent that Gazef could feel a powerful presence approaching him, and he instinctively turns, but does not draw his blade.
As he expected, the long form of the older naga could be seen slithering towards him.
"Good evening, human, no," Ryraryus puts a hand on his chin as if to recall something. "Gazef-dono, was it?"
"Yes, I am honoured that my name is remembered by one such as yourself."
Ryraryus raises an eyebrow to his overly polite response.
"No need to be on guard, I can understand that you do not trust this old one, but know that I will not act out of turn from my lord's orders. Both you humans and my own kin are under his protection."
Gazef bows his head at the articulate response that would not be out of place from an older gentleman or noble.
"I apologize, I did not mean to offend or distrust you. It is just… new to me that a human and a demi-human can have such a conversation with each other, not to mention the great power you command."
Ryraryus smiles warmly at the earnest words of the warrior.
"You aren't too bad yourself. You might be a match for either me or Hamsuke-dono."
Gazef smiles wryly as his eyes meet the gaze of the naga. He could feel his warrior blood itching for a spar to find out if that were the truth.
"Thank you for your high praise, I doubt that many will ever get words of praise from the rulers of the forest."
"Hahaha, you speak the truth, Gazef-dono."
Gazef is a little surprised to see that Ryraryus laughs just like any old human man. It was not like how he expected a naga to act.
"Go get some rest, Gazef-dono. I will stand watch tonight."
"I do not wish to impose."
"Nonsense, in any case, we Nagas also possess dark vision. We are far better suited to the night watch."
That was the truth, and Gazef could not think of anything to say back. As he racked his brain for some response to politely decline, he was interrupted by a pleasant female voice.
"Esteemed Father, may I speak to you privately?"
Ryraryus' face hardened at the sound of that voice, so much so that Gazef was wondering who it was behind him. He turned and was faced with a beautiful naga, who seemed not too pleased by his presence.
"Mana, I will speak to you once I finish my conversation with Gazef-dono." Ryraryus sounded apologetic toward his daughter's behaviour as he faced Gazef once more.
"I apologize for my daughter's rudeness. Mana, introduce yourself to Gazef-dono. He is a human you shouldn't underestimate."
Mana's beautiful features were slightly obscured by her silky black hair, but it was clear that there was astonishment on her face. The thought, 'How could this human be worth anytime of day?' seemed to be written on her face.
"Greetings, human. My name is Mana Devi Sa Indarun, the sole heiress of the Demon Snake of the West." Her voice was filled with contempt that was plain to hear.
Gazef almost raised a single eyebrow in response, but decided against it. He realized that this naga had very little patience with humans. Her father, on the other hand, was nearly shaking in rage.
"Mana, how could you be so rude? Did you not see what happened earlier today? Humans are not as simple as they seem. We cannot afford to go around offending them for no reason! You should know better as my daughter."
Ryraryus' stern lecture seemed to have little effect, and it seemed as though a full-blown argument would soon begin. Gazef quickly takes the opportunity to disarm the situation.
"Worry not, Ryraryus-dono, I am not offended. I will gladly accept your offer of taking the night watch, I only hope that it will be a quiet night for those of us who are resting right now."
"Of course, Gazef-dono. I wish you a good rest." Ryraryus seemed to understand what Gazef was implying by a 'quiet' night.
Gazef quickly left as he did not want to get in involved in the conversation between the two powerful nagas.
'Although it's not an every-day occurrence to speak with beings that could call themselves rulers of the Forest of Tob, it really is tiring to do so.'
On his way back to his tent, his curiosity got the better of him as he made a slight detour to where the Slane Theocracy captives were held. The two large wagons held the bound figures, who all seemed to be deep in prayer.
Gazef arched his eyebrows as he would never forget the name or face of the man who led these operatives.
"Nigun-dono. You are still awake?"
The man in question opens his eyes, and they stare straight at Gazef, while the rest of his men continue their prayer.
"Hmm? Oh yes, my men and I were offering our prayers."
Nigun's eyes shined with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
A look of understanding dawns on Gazef's face.
"I see, you're offering your prayers to the gods?"
Nigun shakes his head calmly.
"No, I was praying to the one I've had the pleasure of meeting."
Gazef's eyes widen at Nigun's words.
"Are you referring to Momon-dono?"
Nigun finally smiles, and it is a grin so large and unfiltered, you would think that he was just a child.
"Of course. After our… encounter, I have had plenty of time to reflect," Nigun's face darkens slightly. "And to repent for our actions, since our meeting with Momon-sama."
Gazef is clearly perplexed as he views the zealous actions of the Sunlight Scripture Captain."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw with my very eyes the divine power he wields. Being able to slay angels with mere blades, and healing the suffering of our fellow man. I've had the pleasure of speaking with Momon-sama, and his words still echo loudly within my thoughts."
Nigun's facial expression begins to look distant as he recalls his meeting with the dark warrior.
"He questioned my devotion to the gods, which I thought was unmatched, but his words rung true. I have strayed far from the path of advancing humanity, and now I must repent."
Gazef is speechless as this man's character turned completely around. It seemed almost unnatural, as if influenced by an outside force. He pushed this thought aside for now, as there didn't seem to be any trace of magic used, or at the very least, he could not detect any.
"My unit has had its history of hunting demi-humans. I thought it was all for the sake of humanity, but deep down, I enjoyed the slaughter of these creatures that held no value in the eyes of the great gods. My sins are great and many, but I hope to repent before my life comes to an end."
"You know that you may still be tried for your crimes?"
Gazef's face darkens at the thought of his countrymen, especially the villages full of civilians being slaughtered by these operatives.
"I, along with all my men, will accept any punishment given to us. It is nothing compared to the many sins we have committed."
Nigun takes the jab from Gazef without bashing an eye. He was at total peace despite the situation he had found himself in.
Gazef is taken aback by the serene reaction, but nods in approval. Even if he was a little skeptical, he would not let it show on his face.
"I wish you good night then, Nigun-dono. I see that we will not have to worry about your behaviour."
"Same to you, Gazef. And worry not, for we will not act out of line. We have much to answer for."
Nigun and his men go back to their prayers as Gazef walks towards his tent, intending to turn in for the night. He is unsure what to make of Nigun's change of heart, but his admiration of Momon only grew.
…
The Great Forest of Tob is often pitch black once the sun sets over the horizon. This is due to the thick forest canopy, which has even a full moon to have little effect in illuminating the confines of the thick plant growth.
Many species that dwell in the forest have ways to mitigate this phenomenon. Barghests have their superior sense of smell, which helps them navigate the forest even when there is little light. While they lack true dark vision, their eyes are much better at picking what little light does filter through the trees than human eyes.
Goblins, being one of many species which posses dark vision, are unaffected by the darkness which usually surrounds their home. One such miserable goblin takes full advantage of this ability as he slowly trudged through a forest path.
His slow, irregular steps were a tell-tale sign that he was nearing exhaustion. What little rest he managed to drift off to was almost immediately interrupted by nightmares. The howls of the beasts, far stronger than he, with their sickening stench mixed with the blood and innards of his fellow goblins. The screams of his kin being devoured gave him no refuge in his own mind.
The goblin would have collapsed long ago, had it not been for the giant green war troll behind him, prodding him along the path. Guu seemed to be toying with the goblin, as he noticed that each time a branch or twig snapped beneath his enormous feet caused the goblin to react in fear.
It was unknown, whether the goblin was fearful of waking up the basilisks, or if the sound of snapping branches made him relive the hell that went on in his village, but it mattered not to Guu, who simply found joy in tormenting the weakling before him.
The pair were not alone, as Guu's various minions, consisting of trolls, ogres and barghests trailed behind the two.
With each step taken, the stench of death became stronger, threatening to cut off the oxygen that would normally fill their nostrils. Guu seemed to be enjoying himself, as he had no doubts about his victory. His minions became to be more alert, while the goblin tried to make himself smaller, as if trying to disappear outright.
Goblins were typically more driven by instinct than intellect, and those very instincts were warning this goblin that this party would be trouble for he and his tribe, but he had little choice but to continue forward.
Soon the group came across a clearing in which the village once sat upon. The sight that greeted the goblin caused him to retch in horror. His home was now nothing more than a pile of rubble, with blood and viscera pooling in places where it was too much for the soil to soak up.
Guu looked around the rubble and spotted the slumbering forms of a few basilisks. That in itself did not interest him, but soon he laid eyes on a basilisk that was not like all the rest.
By the edge of the village laid the sleeping forming of a basilisk with snow-white scales. Those smooth pearly white scales glistened under the moonlight, and it was a bewitching sight to the war troll who, for most of his life, had seen very little outside the dark greens and browns of the forest.
Having never seen anything so beautiful before, he quickly decided that without a doubt, that particular basilisk would be a meal only fit for him, the king of the Eastern Forest.
The basilisks began to stir from their deep slumbers. The albino basilisk raises its head and eyes the newcomers with some interest. It's gaze lands on the lone goblin warrior, and it begins to open its mouth, allowing saliva to drip freely out of it.
The powerful sense of smell had given the basilisks early warning, but they did not expect their prey to show up before them. Guu was still daydreaming as the goblin warrior watched with horror etched into his face as a dozen creatures began to form an impenetrable wall of muscle and hunger.
Guu shakes himself awake from his daydreams and eagerly shouts orders to his minions to gather, as the basilisks only stood watching with fascination.
On one side stood the countless figures of trolls, ogres and other beasts including barghests, all amassing near the edge of the treeline. Directly facing them are a dozen behemoths sprawled across the ruins of a once thriving village.
Excitement began to brew, and a frenzy was threatening to break out among the basilisks. This was opposed to the unease that began to spread throughout the ranks of the various demi-humans and beasts.
Guu leers at the basilisks with a glint in his eyes as he pictures the outcome of the ensuring battle. His minions would overwhelm the basilisks with their numbers, and Guu himself would come finish off the basilisks who had been injured. It was such a simple, yet genius idea.
He raises his sword and points it towards the albino basilisk. "Charge!" He bellows out at the top of his lungs. In that instant where his eyes met the eyes of the basilisk, he felt a slight chill crawling up his spine as he felt his body locking up and failing to obey him.
The trolls under Guu led the rest of his minions forward as they all rushed towards the basilisks. Countless clubs, swords, claws and even fists were raised, all ready to strike out at the basilisks before them.
Unfortunately, they were far outmatched. The first of the trolls arrived with their massive fists ready to smash down on the albino basilisk. As their fists swung down, they were all shocked that they had hit nothing but thin air. They did not expect that this being, which was so much larger than they, moved so nimbly. Their surprise soon turned to horror as a clawed forearm reached out and tore a troll nearly in half. The physical strength of the forelimb combined with the claws that rivalled orichalcum in hardness made for a weapon so terrifyingly simple yet effective. The troll fell with a cry and laid bleeding on the ground as his wounds began to regenerate. It was a slow, agonizing process, but soon the troll would be back on his feet.
The albino basilisk paid the fallen troll no mind as he focused his attention on another troll. He locked eyes with the unfortunate troll to stiffen his movements before pouncing on him, ripping the torso to shreds using the weight of his massive body.
In an instant, two trolls were already incapacitated, and that was just the start. Soon the rest of Guu's minions reached the other basilisks and a similar situation played out. Club and swords fell and either missed or found themselves ineffective against the scales of the basilisks. Unfortunately, the reverse was not true. Basilisk claw cleaved through their opposition, and some were even tearing apart their prey using their huge jaws with pure savagery.
The albino basilisk watches the scene of carnage around him with what seemed to be a grin on his face. The two trolls he had attacked earlier began to stir as they regained portions of their body which had been cruelly torn off. The albino watched with morbid curiosity at the sight and stabs his claws into one of the trolls, who had almost fully recovered. The troll screamed in agony as the claws found themselves digging into his soft flesh, poking and prodding throughout his body.
Several minutes passed, and the basilisk soon grew bored tormenting its prey. The trolls went unresponsive as their agony continued without end. It was almost a merciful act when the trolls were swallowed up whole, ending their suffering for good.
Trolls enjoy eating humans, typically while their prey was still alive. They just never expected a similar fate would befall them at the hands of these basilisks.
Fury erupted in Guu's eyes as his watched his minions being pushed back and slaughtered.
He waves his sword angrily as he watched one of his ogres attempting to flee only to have a clawed forearm burst through their torso from behind.
"What are you doing? Kill them all!"
Barghests circled around a basilisk, similar to how wolf packs surrounded larger prey. This strategy, however, did little to stop the basilisk from simply using its whip-like tail to quickly lash out in a wide arc. The fragile bodies of the wolf-like beings immediately snapped like a twig once the sweeping tail made contact with their bodies.
In a matter of minutes, Guu's countless minions were reduced to a half of what they once were, and those who remained had all but lost their fighting spirits. If trolls, who had much more strength than mere ogres, failed to land a decisive blow upon basilisks, then there was no hope for them to deal any significant damage. At this moment, they were nothing more than fodder.
Few living things would keep their courage when eyed as just meat to be devoured. Especially against foes in which they had no hope of defeating. As such, the few trolls, ogres and barghests soon began to run back the way they came, back towards the supposed shelter of the forest, away from the scene of carnage that just took place in this clearing.
Guu did not keep his displeasure hidden, in fact, he freely swung his sword toward those who ran towards him.
"You cowards, keep fighting for my victory!"
An unfortunate ogre near him received a large gash along his arm and he soon fell to the ground, racked with spasms while coughing up blood. Seeing this, no more of his minions ran near Guu, but simply fled in all directions in a panic.
Utterly furious, Guu yelled out in anger while glaring at the basilisks who seemingly ignored him and instead, began to pursue their fleeing prey. The once loud, chaotic and bustling clearing was now eerily silent and nearly empty. Only Guu, the goblin at his side and the albino remained, their heavy breathing drowned out the sounds of terror heard throughout the forest as the basilisks quickly caught up to their fleeing prey. Not even the nimble barghests, who were adept at running through dense forest, could outrun a basilisk who simply barrelled down every tree in their path.
The goblin who had to witness a second massacre in his former home was completely frozen in fear, and unable to move. Guu ignored the goblin and roared a mighty war cry as he charged straight at the albino, who now was separated from his herd.
Guu brought his massive magical sword down with vicious speed and power, but the blow was easily dodged by the basilisk, who slithered and weaved like an agile snake. The albino lashed out with a forelimb as he slithered beside Guu, carving a chunk of flesh out of the war troll's arm.
"Ouhhhhh!"
Guu howled in pain as his right arm recoiled in pain. As he did so, he bought his left fist down like a battling ram, but that blow too was dodged. Leaving a small crater where it had landed.
As the albino fully slithered past Guu, he grew hopeful as he would be able to land an easy blow on the back of the albino, but that hope was stripped away from him as the tail of the albino wrapped around his legs and pulled him down to the ground, making Guu fall face first into a puddle of blood.
Guu struggled, wiggling like a worm as he tried to swing his sword at the tail that bound his legs. Swinging the large blade around blindly, all the while the basilisk enjoyed tormenting the overly eager war troll by dragging him around the ground.
In reality, what was a few moments felt like a lifetime of humiliation for Guu, as the king of the Eastern Forest was forced to the ground and dragged around like a bag of garbage. His entire body splattered against the red mud of the former village.
Soon the tail loosened its grip on his blood soaked body and Guu managed to finally free himself and stand up once more, the wound on his right arm now fully healed, but his pride damaged more than anything.
The albino was now lying atop of a pile of rubble, in a relaxed posture, but still alert to whatever the war troll would do.
"Hah, cowards… all of them! I need new minions, new shields… yes! That's it!"
Guu struggled to get words out as his breathing grew heavier. He remembered the goblin speaking about a human village to the south. He grinned sadistically as he thought of butchering those humans to use as food for recruiting new minions.
His grin quickly disappeared as he thought of how to escape this albino. For now, he was still alone, but the forest was now completely silent, and that meant his former minions were now all devoured, no longer able to delay the herd from returning.
The surroundings were a mess of rubble, with various limbs and innards scattered about. With nothing to distract the albino, that is, until he laid eyes on the still frozen goblin. Guu ran towards the unmoving goblin and grabbed him.
He tightened his grip and heard some bones crack as the goblin was cruelly contorted into a hideous ball. The goblin only yelped weakly in pain, as he no longer had the strength or will to resist.
Guu threw the contorted goblin towards the albino with all his strength before turning and quickly running. The weak cries of the goblin quickly disappeared as he heard the sounds of jaws snapping shut.
The albino savours the treat tossed to him and slowly chews as he watches his herd return to him. Their blood soaked figures told him all he needed to know as he swallowed his food and began to yawn. Food was usually scarce, and it was difficult to find enough food for a herd of such large creatures, but they were fortunate enough to eat their fill two nights in a row.
Sleep quickly began to take over his body, as his thoughts began to fade, one thing he knew for sure was that the green troll that had escaped would lead him to his next meal. He would follow the scent south and was confident that soon, another hunt would begin.
…
It was a quiet night within the camp pitched by those in the caravan. Ryraryus had given out his orders to his tribesmen as he patrolled around the outskirts of the camp along with Mana.
The silence between the two was one filled with tension, rather than the calm slumber of those within the camp.
"Father, I understand him leading our people, but surely you aren't so foolish to believe that we can trust a human so easily?"
Ryraryus listens on while seemingly deep in thought. Mana takes the lack of a response as an opportunity to push forward.
"It is true that he is strong, but he is still a human! You know what humans are capable of! I will not lose you like how we lost mother!"
His daughter's words cause his face to fall. His face, which resembled an old man's, was a product of the countless years of leading and the burden that came with it. Mana seemed to understand that she went too far, and she fell silent as she waited for her father to respond.
"In all these years, I have never once forgotten about your mother, and how we lost her. Those humans who took her from us, you remember them, don't you?"
While Ryraryus seemed like a broken old man, Mana erupted in fury.
"I was only a hatchling then, but I haven't forgotten the humans that attacked our home!"
As Mana got angrier, Ryraryus found it increasingly more difficult to look her in the eye.
"Do you remember what happened to the humans that we didn't kill immediately?"
Unease and confusion began to chip away at her anger as she replied.
"I do. We questioned them to find out how they found us, and why they were there in the first place."
"And then?"
"We killed and ate them. They were there to kill us or to capture us. I remember some fat humans at their camp begging for their lives, claiming that they had connections to some other human nation, as if that would save them. That's also where we rescued the troll from his cage."
As realization began to dawn, Ryraryus chose to finally speak the truth.
"We have always eaten humans in the past. Even from before you hatched, and even before I was the one who led our people. We used to live closer to the forest's edge, where it was more common to come across humans. Those humans that attacked us that day were called workers. I heard about them from those fat merchants found in their camp. They were hired to capture as many as they can transport, and take us to some Empire, I'm not exactly sure where that is, but it is likely very far from our home."
"They knew about us... how?"
Mana began to grasp the situation as Ryraryus continued on.
"The merchants only spoke of humans sometime disappearing into the forest and thought they could snatch some valuable cargo. That's how we found the troll in the camp."
"I moved our people deeper into the forest after that. I also decided that we would no longer interact with any humans, unless there was no other option for our survival. Most humans despise us, but some did see value in us."
Mana began to grow angry.
"They saw value in us, not as living beings, but as things to be sold! How could you possibly trust our lives with that?"
"Even if that were true, is a life in servitude not better than death? You've seen how much power that human wields, I see no point in feuding with humans any longer. The incident with the workers told me that while weak, humans can still harm us. Our lord is now leagues above anything we have ever seen."
Mana is still visibility upset, as she views that her father had completely given up.
"So that's it then? You will throw yourself and our people at his feet because of his strength?"
Ryraryus' eyes meet his daughter's and his gaze was as firm as steel. The years of leadership tempered his gaze like a forge would produce great quality steel.
"Our life in the forest was not easy. The weak die and the strong feed upon them. That is the law of which we all live by. I understand all of your concerns, but all I will say is this; if there really is a herd of basilisks out there hunting, then our demise will be guaranteed. I would sooner sell our people into servitude than be devoured to the last."
"And if this… 'Threat' isn't real?"
Anger that had once driven Mana's passionate words were now gone.
"Then I've just put chains around the necks of our descendants."
…
Momon strolled through the familiar clearing in the woods where he had first appeared in this world. Before teleporting here with [Gate], he had an alarm system set up around his tent, which would alert him if anyone approached.
If someone were to approach, then Momon would teleport back, but until then, he would be free to explore the forest. He was waiting for news from a few of his wraiths, who he had sent out to investigate.
These particular wraiths he had summoned while in the presence of the corpses of the knights he had slain while still in the village. He noticed that their summoning would consume the bodies, but they would no longer disappear after a certain period of time, as if they were now anchored to the world, unlike his moonlight wolves or the other wraiths.
With those thoughts in his mind, he continued strolling among the clearing until he came across a small pond. The crystal clear water reflected the surroundings and the soft moonlight which was dancing across the water's surface.
Momon smiles to himself as he sees clear and pristine water for the first time in his entire life. Even the drinking water of his former home always came bottled, and even then there was always soot near the bottom and clinging to the sides of the bottle. Bathing was long-established in his culture, yet saunas were the premier way of cleaning one's self due to the lack of usable water.
As Momon looks onto the pond, he could see his own reflection. He kneels down and touches the water with his hand. The hand seeped through his gauntlet, and he could feel the cooling sensation as it dripped from in between his fingers. It was a very soothing sensation, and he finally understood why bathing was so popular in the past.
[Detect Life]
Momon feels a single pulse emanate from him. He limited the range to three hundred meters, and as the pulse travelled, he felt a few weak responses returning to him.
That indicated that there were no living beings nearby that were larger than a small bird or mammal. Knowing this, Momon dismisses his armour and swords that he almost exclusively had on.
His skeletal body was now in full view and the pure white polished bone glowed gently under the moonlight. Only the red orb stood out on his otherwise pure white body. The world item glowed faintly and pulsated with power.
After inspecting his skeletal body with great interest, he dips his foot into the water and to his surprise, even his skeletal toes were able to feel the cold water brushing against it, albeit it was a faint feeling, nothing like the touch he once had as a living, breathing human.
As the thought of his former body came to him, he pondered if there was ever a way for him to go back to who he was before.
'To go back to when I was powerless to change my circumstances… Hah, maybe not the highest on my list of wishes… But even so, if I am to enter a human city, I may not be able to have my armour on at all times. I wonder how effective illusions are here, as opposed to Yggdrasil?'
Momon casts a simple low level illusion upon his face, before looking into his reflection on the water. The skeletal neck remained, but everything above it, now looked to having skin and flesh. His skin was slightly tanned, and his hair was black. The dancing red orbs that had been his eyes now were actual eyeballs with pupils that were dark brown, but mixed in were hints of a reddish hue.
As he looked into his reflection, he felt a sense of nostalgia. His current face was similar to the one he used to have, just now it was more rugged and lean, that, along with his slightly tanned skin, made him the perfect image of a warrior.
Momon puts his fingers to his chin, but the fingers went 'through' his skin, and he soon felt the smooth sensation of his skeletal chin. As he had surmised, the illusion was not solid, and any attempts to touch it would surely fail.
At a distance, this illusion would fool most, only skilled illusionists would be able to detect that something was off with his face. Momon did not want to leave anything up to chance, and so he tried the only other high tiered illusion that he knew.
[False Life]
The low tier illusion from before disappeared in an instant, and soon Momon felt an odd sensation throughout his body. He watched with great fascination as flesh and tendons began to sprout and grow through his skeletal body. The muscles and tendons weaved themselves in a way that resembled actual muscle growth, and soon slightly tanned skin began to grow and spread to cover up his new-found flesh.
He took in a deep breath, and to his surprise, he could smell the faint decaying of leaves, and the earthly smell that radiated from the tree trunks.
His vision and hearing felt unchanged from his skeletal body. With great fascination, he pondered how this came to be.
'In Yggdrasil, high tiered illusionists could specialize in Worldly Illusions, such illusions could even deceive the game engine into thinking that it was real. How scary. An illusion that trick the world. I'm surprised not many other people followed into this path.'
A look into his reflection revealed that he has the same face as the previous low tier illusion. The only difference was that now he could actually feel his skin. It felt a little cold to the touch, but still retained a bit of body heat.
Momon puts a hand to his chest and could feel a beating heart. He then rests a finger on his neck and to his surprise, there really was a pulse, but each time his heart beat, he felt a bit of his mana draining away.
'How curious, I am still unliving, yet my heart beats. It must be powered by my Mana, since it is a part of the spell. I thought this would just be an illusion, and yet it feels so real, like it is much more than that. How fascinating.'
With his newfound body, he eyes the pond in front of him. Bathing was a luxury not for the common man in his old world, but now he could finally enjoy what, for generations, had been stripped from his people.
As he sat in the pond, the water came up to his stomach. Though bathing was typically done with hot water, cold baths like this were also quite nice, especially as one of the undead, who were immune to ice damage. Instead of feeling the cold water pricking like needles, Momon instead felt the nice, soothing sensation that he had sorely missed.
Internally, Momon could feel his mana slowly drain out of his body. In Yggdrasil, his Mana regeneration could counteract the drain of the illusion, but it seems in this world, his new body was a much heavier drain than previously known. It was not a big issue, Momon estimated that it would take at least a few days before his mana would run out, assuming he did not cast any other spells, and spent his mana purely on maintaining the illusion.
'That is something to be used sparingly, and only if I am not able to stay hidden beneath my armour. Low tiered illusions should be enough to maintain my facade, but I'm glad to know I have a back-up plan in case it is seen through. Still, to think I would get a second chance, beyond just Earth or Yggdrasil. What have I found myself upon in this world?'
Nobody could answer his question as he dispels the illusion. In an instant, the flesh and skin that had been present began to disintegrate into nothing, as if it never existed. His now skeletal body lay still in the pond as he continued staring at the bountiful night sky that was studded with countless shining stars.
He would have lost himself in that beautiful scenery, had it not been for a [Message].
{Momonga-sama, please excuse my intrusion.}
A raspy voice breaks the silence. Momon reaches a finger up to his ear.
"It is fine, go ahead."
{Yes, your humble servant has found the ruins of a settlement. Drying blood and viscera lay about, and I can see the large slumbering figures of a dozen basilisks.}
"Is there anyone else who is still alive?"
{We have spotted a single troll running south. Besides that, we could not detect any other significant signs of life.}
"I see… Continue observations, but allow them to rest. Should they awake, push all the basilisks south towards the city of E-Rantel, by any means necessary."
{As you wish, Momonga-sama, we shall see it done.}
Momon lets his hand drop and the [Message] quickly disconnects. Now that he had more information, he could easily use this as an opportunity to see his reputation soar. Momon recalled the memories he looked through as he interrogated Nigun, and even experimented with planting memories. Nigun and his men were the perfect test subjects, and the tampering was a success. Now they would spread his name without him having to lift a finger.
Though his skeletal face lacked emotions, you could almost see a warm smile spreading across his face.
…
Within the innermost reaches of the Slane Theocracy lies a room that very few will ever get the chance to see.
Seated around the lone round table in the room were twelve people. All of them held high positions of authority within the theocracy.
The man with the greatest authority rises from his seat to address everyone present.
"I thank you all for attending this emergency meeting. I know this is quite unusual, but the situation calls for such."
"It's not a problem, so long as it is for the sake of the humanity, but please elaborate on why this meeting was called so suddenly."
The Pontifex Maximus' face hardens as he gets to the topic on hand.
"Yes, of course, Grand Marshal. Cardinal Raymond, who is in command of Scriptures, just received a report from an operative who is working undercover in E-Rantel. Zuranon is preparing a death spiral like the one seen nearly twenty years ago."
The silence that once occupied the room quickly disappeared at the shocking news.
The head of commerce rose in an instant from their seat.
"Th-this cannot be! We cannot allow that to come to pass! Losing that city would hurt commerce and trade throughout this entire region!"
"He's right, but how accurate is this information? The operative only arrived a few days prior, did she not? How could she get this information so quickly?"
"Your concern is valid, Grand Marshal. However, there is no reason to doubt her report. Though her personality is… troubling, Raymond himself picked her for this task. To doubt her is to doubt Raymond."
The Grand Marshal looks towards the Cardinal of Earth and inclines his head.
"My apologies, I did not mean to doubt the man who commands the six scriptures."
Raymond waves his apology aside as the Pontifex speaks once again.
"The Black Scripture and Sunlight Scripture are currently deployed to Re-Eztize as we speak. We will have them regroup in E-Rantel to assist our operative stationed there."
There was a chorus of agreement throughout the table, though one notable voice was silent.
"Raymond? Is something the matter?"
The Cardinal of Earth looked somewhat troubled at the words of the Pontifex.
"Yes, while there is no issue in re-routing the Black Scripture, we have lost contact with the Sunlight Scripture."
Murmurs of shock could be heard throughout the room. The Sunlight Scripture was made of battle-hardened veterans who could each command magic of the 3rd tier. They were one of the few combat oriented scriptures, who were usually deployed against demi-humans.
"What? What do you mean?"
Raymond sighs as if deflated.
"The Black Scripture are currently near E-Rantel as we speak. They were sent to investigate the prophecy which the Thousand League Astrologer had witnessed. Although, nothing relating to the prophecy has been reported thus far. We can easily have them re-routed to support the operative. The Sunlight Scripture, on the other hand, was sent to assassinate Gazef Stronoff near the Great Forest of Tob. We haven't heard back from them or the knights that were sent. I fear they have been wiped out."
The room quickly erupts to a state of chaos as they couldn't believe the news that one of the elite scriptures could be wiped out. As the murmurs die down, the Pontifex quizzes Raymond.
"Is their disappearance connected to Zuranon?"
"Unlikely, but I cannot rule it out entirely. I doubt Gazef without his nation's treasures could fend off all the angels that the Sunlight Scripture had at their command. Though, I also cannot rule out the possibility that one of the Kingdom's nobles leaked our involvement, thus allowing Gazef to prepare. Dealing with those Great Nobles is like trusting a venomous snake with your back. You never know when you'll get bit."
Raymond's words are met with agreement from his peers seated around him.
"We will have the Clearwater Scripture attempt an investigation, but for now we will have to send the Black Scripture to infiltrate E-Rantel and meet up with our operative. Are we all in agreement?"
No one disagreed with the decision of the Pontifex Maximus and soon after the order was drafted, everyone present in the room began to filter out until only the Pontifex remained, who rubbed his forehead as if he was having a migraine.
'The disappearance of the Sunlight Scripture, and the rise of Zuranon. Is there something bigger at play here? Oh great gods, please lend me your wisdom in these trying times.'
The Pontifex mouths a silent prayer as he rises from his seat to carry out his duties.
Humans and demi-humans, while they have their differences, they also seem to have a lot more in common than they first realize. With Guu's defeat, what does Momon have in mind for the basilisks? The Cardinals scramble to mobilize the various Scriptures, but is it already too late?
Thank you for reading! It has certainly been quite a while since the last chapter. The trailer for Season 4 released not long ago, and that got me more excited and motivated to finish some chapters. and in this chapter, Momonga uses a high tier illusion spell that was mentioned in the very first chapter. I wanted to clear up any concerns that this would change Momonga, and I can assure you that it will not. The spell will be used very sparingly, as it consumes a lot of mana for little gain, when low tier illusions or even staying in his armour would suffice for his day to day activities.
Thank you to everyone who has left reviews or messages, you are greatly appreciated! And as always, please feel free to leave questions, comments, or concerns.