Into the Pandemonium

by StarKnight2.0

Part 2 of "Somewhere Far Beyond." Things are beginning to heat up. Follow Gareth and Kane as they dodge enemies and assume new roles. Ainz follows the path of the Overlord while battling a mysterious rival who wants nothing more than to see Nazarick burn. Meanwhile, secrets are unearthed and ancient powers are awakened, threatening both the players and the New World.

7. Fell on Black Days

(a/n: I hope you enjoy this. Big thanks to Lucius Walker for all his help!)

---

Ch.7: Fell on Black Days

She was there again. Opening her eyes, Olivia found herself standing in the middle of a crowded nightclub. Hyperion Heights was its name, the pale woman recalled. It was the exclusive haunt of the wealthy, the powerful, and the famous. Whether it was an actual physical location or one of a dozen hidden in the depths of the net, she could no longer remember. Scanning the crowded dance floor, Olivia saw people dancing and rubbing up against each other intimately. She remembered that it was both impossible and illegal for actions rated R-18, like inappropriate and sexual touching, to occur. There was a complex legal web in place that kept people from disrupting social harmony and allowed for a more enjoyable experience. Despite these legal restraints, there were always those who were willing to provide specific services for specific clientele for the right price. In the dying, dreary world in which they lived in, people sought a more human connection in order to stay sane. Especially when certain parts of the world were isolated in their homes and underground shelters for long periods of time. Which was how she made a living.

"Olivia!" a familiar voice shouted over the deafening electronic music.

The pale woman looked. In the upper levels where the private lounges were, Olivia spied an old friend. In the blink of an eye, she was standing in the lounge. Behind her was a booth where a figure with short, spiky red hair stood. The figure wore a black leather jacket, a pair of blue jeans, and a golden face mask. The figure's slim build, face mask, hairstyle, and clothing made it difficult for anyone else to discern the identity or gender of the person. However, despite being gone for centuries, Olivia still remembered Lizzie. Black leather and the mask were her style, allowing her to appear to be whatever her customers believe her to be.

"What took you so long?" Lizzie asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Oh you know," Olivia replied blithely, "time is nothing to the undead."

Olivia's words went unheeded. Lizzie let out a small laugh and invited her to sit. "Well come on then! Take a load off. It's a holiday after all, let's celebrate."

The pale woman sighed and took her seat, like she always did, and listened to the one sided conversation unfold. That was the problem with these little forays. While Olivia was granted a glimpse of her past, of her old home and friends, it just wasn't the same. It was as if someone was forcing her to relive her memories out of order, taunting her with both the good and the bad. Almost as if to punish her for some crime she didn't commit.

But you did, a small voice in the back of her mind whispered. The pale woman shoved that voice down and returned her attention to what was going on.

"...then I told her, that'll cost you extra," Lizzie explained, relating a story about a job she did, being a companion for one particularly creepy woman. "And you know what she did?"

"She threw a shitfit?" Olivia asked dully, having asked this question a million times verbatim.

"She threw a shitfit! She went on and on about how I should do as she says and that it was a false advertisement, the whole nine yards. So she takes it to Barry and he shuts her down nice and quick."

Olivia said nothing, not really feeling the energy nor the desire to roleplay her life's greatest hits. Lizzie sat in silence too, staring at the phantom. After a few moments of silence, the masked woman burst out laughing.

"Oh man, I wish I could've seen that!" Lizzie wheezed.

A waiter in a silver uniform passed them by, carrying a hunk of steaming meat on a silver tray. Both Lizzie and Olivia watched as the server passed and delivered the tray to a table where a small group of people in matching grey suits and plain white masks waited.

The dish looked appetizing, but Olivia had long since forgotten what it was like to feel hungry or taste of a freshly cooked meal; just one of the many downsides of being a ghost.

"Aw man," LIzzie murmured with jealousy. "Lucky bastards. I thought we were in the middle of a shortage."

"We were, though the rules don't always apply to everyone," Olivia murmured. "Not that it mattered anyway."

The ghost vaguely recalled this evening. She could feel that this night was important, but she had difficulty pinning down the reason. Another downside of being a ghost. Memories get jumbled up and begin to erode over time. Fortunately, the next topic of their conversation helped Olivia piece together why this night was important.

"Sooo….you thinking of doing it?" Lizzie asked, looking her way.

"Do what?" Olivia found herself asking aloud.

"That offer from those game developers from Japan? Something about beta testing or something."

"Oh!" The gaps in the ghost's memory began to be filled.

Back when she was still active on the net, Olivia had been approached by a representative of a major game developer from Japan. They were hoping to have her try this new MMO they were working on and help promote it to Western audiences. While she wasn't a major name on the Western corner of the net, Olivia was still a recognizable figure. A word from her would've been a decent PR boost and was far less expensive than her more demanding colleagues.

In the past, Olivia smiled and gave her old friend a "fuck yeah I am!" However, after all that she's been through, Olivia would've told those game developers where to shove their offer. Sure, YGGDRASIL was fun as hell. The competition was invigorating and the sheer level of player freedom was a breath of fresh air. However, it led to her meeting and ruining her chances with a person she cared about and ended up trapped in a backwards hellhole for God knows how long. If she could, she'd have gone back and done it differently. But life's not a video game or a fairytale. Life was a cruel, sadistic bitch who did as she pleased and never allowed you to forget your worst mistakes.

Lizzie began to ramble on about something and Olivia's mind wandered off as she took in the sights around her. Despite the nightmare of her old reality, the ghost almost missed this world. To her, everything made sense. It was her world. She could blend in if she wanted to, she knew which way was up and how to handle herself. Best of all, she knew where she stood. But when Olivia got plopped in the middle of that world, everything she fought for and everything she knew was chucked out the window. Everyone she knew and remotely liked was gone. The ghost had to start over and try again.

Among the dancing silhouettes, Olivia's gaze was drawn to a large man with a beard. He stood like a rock in the middle of a roiling sea. Compared to the revelers around him, the bearded man looked like a dirty homeless person. Contrasted by the expensive and revealing clothing, the man wore a heavy green jacket, plaid and a dirty old rock band t-shirt, complete with torn jeans and dirty work boots. The man's dark eyes were fixed on her, filled with pure resentment and disgust.

Olivia closed her eyes and did her best to shut out the noise and the man down on the dance floor. She had no desire to revisit her childhood home tonight. Focusing hard, the ghost hoped for a better memory and the deafening music and Lizzie's voices melted away. Olivia was greeted by silence. Opening her eyes, the ghostly woman found that she was no longer in Hyperion Heights.

She currently stood alone on a grey rocky shore, staring out at the endless slate grey sea. The world was silent and still, save for the soft lapping of water against the rocks. It had been so long since she last looked upon this place. While not the most cherished memory, it was a far cry better than the ramshackled hovel she called her childhood home. She walked into the water, allowing the water to envelop her bare feet up to her shins. She looked into the smooth, glassy surface of the sea. All she saw was a pale blur staring back at her, as though something had turned her reflection into an unrecognizable smear. Olivia frowned. No matter how hard she tried, she never could see her reflections in her dreams. All the mirrors were cracked and the few reflective surfaces only displayed a ghostly blur or smear. At first it was worrying, but it slowly became irritating.

"Why so sad, my dear?" an accented voice spoke, echoing through the eternally grey beach.

"I'm not sad," Olivia said, staring into the murky grey depths of the sea. "I'm just….tired."

"No, I know your face. I can read it like a book. Right now, it's telling me that you're sad."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

The pale woman turned and found herself standing in a lavishly furnished bedroom. The interior was reminiscent of an old European palace with eggshell white walls and gold trimmings. The room had a high ceiling featuring a detailed fresco of the heavens. The rest of the room was filled with gorgeous paintings of scenes from Earth's distant past and of various ancient legends, a bed with a canopy, old fashioned parlor chairs. Sitting before her, beside the gaping marble fireplace, was a familiar man in an expensive black suit.

The man had tanned skin and jet black hair that was slicked back. A pair of dark sunglasses were positioned over his eyes, it's lenses hiding his eyes completely. Lacing his hands together, the man asked, "Tell me, what is your problem, meine Perle?"

"Sure, you got a few hundred years?" Olivia asked sarcastically, "'cause I got a long list of problems. First one is Dickless the Wonder Dragon who anchored my soul to my own damn skull! Second problem, being stuck in a hole in a forest and having only meager morsels to feast off of to keep myself from slipping away. Thirdly, my dumbass guildmates undermined everything we built and got themselves killed. Shall I go on?"

The man in black smirked. "An attitude like that is most unbecoming of a lady. Have you already forgotten all that I've taught you?"

"Yeah, yeah, smile and look pretty."

"Well that, but I also taught you to never let anything stop you. Life is full of obstacles, full of enemies. You have to fight for what you want. If anything gets in your way, destroy it."

Olivia sighed and flopped down on the couch in front of the fireplace. An old and obvious answer, but it had helped her through some difficult times. Life hasn't been easy for her. It was by pure luck that allowed her to escape her lousy home. It was through hard work that she made a living for herself on the net. She had her rivals, her enemies, and those who sought to drag her down. If she had allowed them to do so, Olivia would've been sent straight back to square one, and she was not willing to go back without a fight.

"Right," Olivia said slowly, turning her head and resting it on a cushion. "But the problem right now is that I'm stuck! Thanks to that Soul Gem, my powers are kept in check and my movements are limited."

"True, though being limited hasn't stopped you before," the man in black told her. "From what I've seen, you thrive in adversity. Whenever someone tries to box you in, you always find a way through."

"But I had a human body before and I was able to focus. Now on the best of days, it's like being in a lucid dream. At worst, it feels like pudding. Everything is out of order. The only way to keep things together is power, and in order to get more, I need to feed. The only problem is that there's nothing but small fry here. For every few dozen trolls, ogres and goblins, I get at least a few minutes to a few hours of cognizance. I need more!"

"Of course, of course," the man in black soothed, raising a hand, "but another thing is patience. Not everything happens when we want it to. You need to wait."

"I know."

"You used to be so patient. What happened?"

"What happened is that I turned into a ghost and have lost my goddamn mind!"

"Losing," the man in black corrected her. "Losing your goddamn mind. You're not entirely lost yet, Liebling."

Olivia sighed, buried her face in her cushion and moaned. How the hell did it come to this? She knew that none of this was real. She was in her own mind, arguing with herself, disguised as her old manager. When she wakes up, Olivia will be back in that crypt she calls a home. It was like waking up from a lucid dream and entering another one. Even when her mind and memories get jumbled up again, Olivia always remembers being extremely miserable.

She was in a Hell of her own making, and the worst part is that she knew she deserved it. Before, during, and after YGGDRASIL, Olivia did things she wasn't proud of. More so after she got pulled out of the game and placed in this nameless world of magic and monsters. Sure, she could blame it all on her in-game avatar, a succubus with extremely negative karma. Olivia and her comrades noticed how their attitudes and actions shifted due to their inhuman bodies. One of their number hypothesized that those with negative karma leaned more toward darkness and cruelty, maybe even amplifying the darkest aspects of their personalities. Olivia believed that. However, the ghost was still fully aware of her actions, and even enjoyed some of them.

In her moments of lucidity, Olivia lamented her fate. Doomed to relive the best and worst of her life, wandering the woods filled with misery as her memories and identity slowly faded away. That was until she bumped into him.

It had been a very long time since she last saw him, but Olivia could remember his voice. It sounded different, nicer and more soothing. His words oddly resonated with her, dragging her out of a particularly nasty memory and making her aware of the world around her. Olivia was kneeling beside a river and she saw her old friend, Gareth, standing there. Something within her changed. For a brief moment, the ghost felt...hope. She wasn't alone anymore. There was a familiar face. Not just any familiar face, but one she had wronged. Maybe things can change. Maybe she can escape this Hell. Maybe she can make things right.

And then of course her timer ran out, and she was suddenly pulled back into her tomb, forced to rest and recharge by mindlessly feeding upon others. By the time her mind was pulled back together, she could no longer feel her beloved's presence, and for the first time in a while, she felt...rage.

And just like that, the fire in her reignited. Her soul, which she thought was long dead, roared back to life, and she had never felt more alive than ever.

With a singular goal in mind, she desperately began feeding. She didn't care what she found, if it was alive and had some shred of a lifeforce, she fed on it. Bugs, plants, small critters, and on some occasions, an unlucky troll or even a small goblin tribe that thought that her crypt was a decent place to stay.

Little by little, Olivia's strength gradually returned. It was a long, painstaking process, but she was seeing real results. Her time out of her tomb extended, first for a few seconds which gradually turned into several minutes. The phantom woman was also able to venture further into the woods, beyond what she was ordinarily capable of. The further she went, the more creatures she found. Despite this progress, however, Olivia was growing angrier and more impatient.

"Well, whose fault was it that you ended up as a ghost?" the man in black asked, tilting his head.

"Those arrogant lizards for starters," Olivia growled, rolling onto her back and staring up at the painted ceiling of her room. "Kicked the shit out of those so-called Dragonlords. Kicked them so hard that they nearly went extinct."

"Perhaps, but the fault lies mostly with you, no? After all, the squabbling that tore your guild asunder was because of you."

"Not because of me, it was about me. Not my fault that those pathetic jackasses fought over the right of getting into my pants and becoming 'my king'. As if I'd ever let that happen. Lonely, Immature shitheads."

"True, though you didn't disabuse them of those romantic notions. In fact, you fanned the flames of their passions. You teased them with exciting promises and strung them along with honey sweet words."

Olivia winced, the truth in the words of the man in black stung like needles. A part of her wanted to argue, to shout him down and reason her way out of it. But she didn't. The man in black was right. The catastrophic end of her guild, her online band of comrades who stuck with her for over five hundred years in this world, was her fault.

"Had you not toyed with their hearts, you would not be here. We would not be here. You'd still have the world in your hands, ruling an empire and being adored by legions of grateful humans who would be living together, united as one. But no. Your little games caused your friends to tear each other's throats out, literally in some cases. The wars and constant resurrections exacted their toll. Had you not done this, you'd have seen those pathetic tyrannical dragons slithering out of their hiding places, smelling your blood in the water."

"I know," Olivia grumbled, but her sunglasses-wearing friend pressed on.

"You allowed yourself to succumb to the nature of your demonic body and made yourself a vindictive goddess of evil. In those early years, those people would've gladly given their lives for you. They loved you! But no. When the Dragonlords came calling, they threw open the gates and welcomed them as saviors who came to stop the evil demon queen."

"I get it…"

"You were the one who used the [Bone of Thanatos] to change your race after all-"

"I know!" Olivia snapped, her eyes flashed a pale green and the flames in the fireplace jumped and burst, threatening to escape the confines of the fireplace and swallow everything in the room. However, the ghostly woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The flames receded and shrank back into their proper place.

Silence reigned in the room for a few long moments. The man in black only stared at Olivia, the night-black lenses gleaming in the firelight.

"I know," Olivia murmured, feeling mad at herself and the phantom sitting beside the fireplace. "It's all my fault. Everything. We had the world on a string and we screwed the pooch. I...I wish I can take it all back."

Silence returned, accompanied by the soft ticking of the antique clock sitting on the mantle.

"Oh?" the man in black said, lifting an eyebrow.

"What?"

"It's just...this is the first time in a very long time that I've heard you own up to a mistake."

"Yeah, well, the one good thing this whole experience gave me was plenty of time to think and reflect."

"Indeed," the man in black grinned.

For the first time in a while, Olivia smiled a little.

"I'm glad that you've stayed here with me, Heisenberg," Olivia sighed, reclined in her coffin. "It's...It's made my time here much more bearable."

"Oh please, how many times have I told you? Heisenberg was my father. Call me Klaus. You were in a deep, dark hole, my dove. You needed a friendly face and I was but one of the few."

"At least you weren't my dad or…Heather." Olivia shivered.

The man just let out a hearty chuckle.

As the two continued their discussion, neither of them noticed the arrival of two interlopers who had come bearing news from the outside world.

---

Ben and Anna, the two remaining necromancers of the E-Rantel chapter of Zurrernorn, stood close to the door and kept very silent. Neither of the two wanted to disturb the Weeping Woman when she was in the middle of one of her...episodes.

Although the two were overjoyed that the ruthless and terrifying ghost allowed them to live, neither of them enjoyed their tenure as indentured servants to the ghost of a mad woman. The two didn't know how long they've been stuck here in this cool and damp tomb, but it felt like weeks. The first few nights were rough. The two were trapped in a holding cell, forced to watch as the ghostly woman left and returned periodically, dragging paralyzed and unconscious creatures to feed off of. She fed upon her prey right in front of them, as if to show them what would happen if they crossed her. Neither of the necromancers even dreamed of attempting to escape. They meekly bowed their heads and swore to obey her.

From then on, it had been rather pleasant. So long as they stayed within the tomb and did their chores, the Weeping Woman left them be. The two had the run of the place, and, with a bit of cleaning up, it was rather comfortable. Corridors and tunnels stretched out in several directions, going on for a short distance before stopping abruptly. There were a handful of rooms in total. Some were nothing more than tiny earthy chambers carved into the dirt, while others had walls of stone and dusty old furnishings. While exploring, Anna and Ben observed the Weeping Woman. The ghostly woman would traverse the corridors and tunnels, glowing faintly and mumbling wordlessly to herself. She'd go in and out of rooms. Sometimes she'd stare at one of the two frightened necromancers. Other times she'd say something that neither of them understood. Her actions were strange, but not entirely random. The ghost had a pattern. At the start of every day, very early in the morning, she'd leave the tomb and venture above ground. The Weeping Woman would be gone for most of the day and would return with an unconscious creature in tow. Another thing would be her end of the day routine. At the end of every day, she'd retire to the only room in the underground tomb that had doors. She'd open the doors without her hands and drift inside and lock herself inside.

It was the one room in the entire tomb they were forbidden from entering, save for dire emergencies. The one time they tried to sneak a peek ended badly, with Ben nearly wetting himself.

Over time, the ghostly woman began to change. The more she fed, the more...human she became. Her pale, translucent form grew more solid and ceased glowing. Her eyes became hard and more alert, like a seasoned warrior searching for potential enemies. With each passing day, the ghost was able to speak louder, longer, and more coherently. As of yesterday, the undead captor of the two necromancers was able to hold a conversation with her prisoners. Although those lasted a few minutes, it was a startling improvement over her hissing and spitting out a few words at a time.

Despite the improvements, the Weeping Woman was still prone to...peculiar behavior. Like holding lengthy, one-sided conversations alone in her private chamber. Which was what she was doing right now.

"I see," the ghostly woman said, lying in a large dusty coffin, staring at an empty chair beside a stone relief of a hideous grinning demon.

Ben and Anna stared at the ghost for a moment. Her expression was serene and she appeared to be smiling. It was rather unnerving to see.

Having the opportunity to see what was inside the private chamber of the infamous Weeping Woman, Ben took a good look around him. He was a little disappointed. The necromancer imagined a trove of gold, jewels or even ancient artifacts that held power and value. Instead, on the other side of the pair of heavy oak doors was what looked like a lonely old chapel. Spacious and musty, the chapel had a high ceiling and was lined by thick stone pillars. There were rows of ancient looking pews, occupied by dozens of inhuman skeletons shrouded in cobwebs and dust. Torches in sconces lined the walls, all bearing a ghostly green light, giving the chapel an eerie and unholy light. At the far end of the gloomy chapel, upon a raised dais, was the ghostly woman, lying in her open casket like a slumbering maiden in a fairy story, awaiting her prince.

The most unsettling feature of the chapel was not the hundreds of hideous demonic faces that decorated the walls and ceiling, laughing and grinning at them. It was the skull. Hanging on the far wall, above the ghost and her casket, was the skull of a demon. The skull was roughly equal to a human's in size. It sported large curved horns and adorned with ribbons of faded gold. Set into its forehead, between it's vacant eyes, was a violet stone which gleaned in the ghostly light of the torches illuminating the chamber.

"I know!" the ghost chuckled at the grinning stone demon on the wall. "I tried to tell him but he just wouldn't listen!"

"P-Pardon me…" Anna said, softly. The young necromancer was hesitant about interrupting the ghost while she was in the middle of something. The last time they interrupted the Weeping Woman, the ghost was very unhappy about being disturbed. However, this was an emergency.

"Excuse me!" Anna said, louder this time.

The Weeping Woman's smile vanished in an instant and a tense silence filled the chapel. The ghost rose from the casket without use of her arms or legs. Hovering over the casket, the ghost turned to face the necromancers. Her serene expression was now hard and severe.

"What?" the ghost demanded.

"T-There is a fairly large party making their way toward the tomb!" Anna squeaked.

"Composed entirely of Toadmen," Ben added, keeping his eyes down. He did not want to look the phantom in the eye, lest he incur her wrath.

"Toadmen?" the ghost repeated, a frown appeared on her lips.

"W-What shall we do?" Anna asked, obviously nervous.

Neither Ben nor Anna had ever left E-Rantel before, save for the occasional journey to the royal capital of Re-Estize or a nearby town. They weren't accustomed to dealing with monsters themselves. That sort of work was reserved for Adventurers. They had heard stories of all sorts of monsters in the Great Forest of Tob, including the Toadmen of the Great Lake. Unlike the goblin and lizardmen tribes, the toadmen were cautious and kept to themselves for the most part. While not particularly strong, the amphibious demi-humans made up for this deficiency with ferocity, cunningness, and ingenuity. Centuries ago, they fought the lizardmen tribes over territory and drove them out. Anyone who trespassed on their land was never seen again. To hear of toadmen on the march was unusual and troubling. If the toadmen were marching to battle, trouble is sure to follow.

The ghostly woman hovered in the air for a long moment, a ponderous look on her face. After a few moments, the Weeping Woman smiled.

"Let them come," the ghost told her subordinates.

"A-Are you sure?" Anna asked.

"Of course. It's been a long time since I've had visitors. Let's roll out the welcome mat for our amphibious friends."

---

"How much further?" Hadas asked the High Priest. The young toadman dabbed the sweat off his brow with a cloth. Although it was a warm and sunny day, the prince was dressed in a rough tunic and heavy cloak that made him sweat. He'd have cast aside the unnecessary attire, had they not helped conceal him with the greenery around him.

"Not much further, my prince," Gellin the High Priest wheezed, leaning against his gnarled staff. "Just at the top of this hill and straight onwards."

"Thank the gods!" Mozit, the Captain of the Royal Guard, grumbled as he paused to look behind him at the few remaining members of the group.

The group was relatively small, numbering only seven in total. All were dressed in matching green cloaks that were specially made to help conceal the wearers, blending in with the forest around them.

"Wouldn't it have been easier if we had brought our mounts?" a young toadman asked. This one was dressed in flowing green robes. "We'd have arrived at our destination in no time and be home before dark."

"Indeed, I suppose it would've been easier," the elderly High Priest admitted, glancing at his apprentice. "Although time is of the essence, we cannot afford to draw too much attention to ourselves. We must move swiftly and silently through these woods, avoiding detection."

"Why?" the young demi-human asked, obviously confused.

"Because," the captain of the guard growled in a low voice, "our scouts have reported that our old enemies have joined forces with a dangerous new ally."

"Who?"

"A powerful magic caster by the name of Ainz Ooal Gown," Gellin answered. "He commands the loyalty of many dangerous creatures, included among them are countless undead and a great beast called 'Cocytus.'"

"How dangerous are they?"

"We know that this Cocytus creature single-handedly bested the finest warriors from the Dragon Tusk Tribe," Prince Hadas answered grimly.

"What?!" exclaimed the cleric in training, causing everyone to shush him. "How can that be?"

"We don't know," Mozit said, keeping his large eyes peeled for anything unusual in the forest around them. "All we know is that they were defeated and they now swear fealty to this undead mage."

"And it is likely that their gaze will soon turn toward us," Prince Hadas said with a frown. "While I am confident of our chances against our old foe, I'm not so sure if we can handle a monster that bested the Dragon Tusk Tribe so easily."

"Especially if he has a vast army of undead at his disposal," Mozit added.

"By the gods," the young cleric breathed, his green flesh turned a deeper shade of green. "I-Is there anything we can do?"

"That is why we're here," Gellin told his apprentice calmly. "We've journeyed all this way to seek help."

"From whom? Who could be powerful enough to save us from this Cocytus and his master?"

"Arkuroth," the elderly toad whispered with reverence, which sent a shiver down everyone's spines.

The young cleric's eyes bulged. "Arkuroth? You don't mean...as in Mother Night? The Queen of Darkness herself?"

"The same."

"B-But she's dead, right? A-At least is no longer on this plane of existence? Didn't she renounce her claim to this world and withdraw to the Underworld?"

"That's what the songs say," Mozit said, scratching his chin.

"That's one interpretation," Gellin said with a slight nod. "However, there are some songs that say she visits the surface world on certain nights. But that's mostly rumor and conjecture. What is known is that there is a shrine dedicated to her in these woods. Some say that those who seek a favor of the dark goddess can be heard if they make an offering there."

The young toad cleric nodded in understanding, though his expression showed that he was troubled. The Queen of Darkness, while a member of their pantheon, was not as popular as the other gods. Most of their people worshiped the goddess of the lake, the god of the forests and of the hunt. However, that didn't mean she didn't have followers. While not widely worshiped, all the tribes of the Toadmen always remember to pay tribute to the goddess of death and night when the Winter Festival comes around. After all, she was the reason their people survived to this day, having protected them from the wrath of the Dragon Emperor, Erunaq Azsamarudum.

Arkuroth was a being that was both adored and feared. She was unpredictable, cruel, and was not the type one would turn to unless they were truly desperate. Mothers would tell their children to behave, lest old Mother Night come while they're asleep and drag them down to her home in the Underworld. If they were going to her for help, then the situation must truly be dire.

"How do you know that this will work?" the young cleric asked Gellin.

"We don't," the elderly High Priest admitted, "but it is worth a try. War is coming, whether we want it or not, and there may be a chance that Arkuroth can help us."

"I see…"

"I don't like it," grumbled the Captain of the Royal Guard, "but what choice do we have? I've seen the aftermath of this Cocytus and I would not wish that to happen to our people. Who knows, maybe-"

Captain Mozit paused and held up a gloved hand, causing the rest of his companions to pause.

"What is it?" Prince Hadas asked the experienced warrior.

The toad warrior held a finger to his lips and the group were enveloped by silence. They waited for a few moments, listening to the world around them. A gentle breeze swept through the forest, causing the trees to sway and the leaves to rustle. Gellin and his apprentice both held their breath. At first there didn't seem to be anything, but before the young toad cleric could speak, a voice called out.

"I found them!"

The young toad's head snapped over and saw a young looking dark elf astride a giant green lizard creature. The dark elf was clad in a white and gold vest over red. At first he mistook the elf as a boy, but the more he looked and judging from the sound of their voice, he realized that the elf was female.

The dark elf turned her head and waved to someone as she shouted, "They're over here! What should I do with them?"

A deep voice responded from the depths of the forest, rumbling like thunder, "Capture the leaders and dispose of the rest."

"Okay, Cocytus!"

"Shit!" Mozit grunted. He looked to his companions and roared, "Run!"

Before the young toad cleric could process who the elf was and what was going on, he and his companions broke into a full sprint. They raced up the hill, scrambling over rock and tree roots, trying to put distance between them and the elf girl.

"Running away? That's not going to help, but hey, at least this will be fun!" the elf's voice could be heard, echoing after them.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Prince Hadas muttered, stumbling and hopping forward.

Behind them, the howling of a large wolf echoed, followed by the rumbling of rapid footfalls and the crunching of branches could be heard. The young toad cleric threw a glance over his shoulder and saw all manner of dark shapes racing through the forest, pursuing them. His bulbous eyes widened and he refocused on the path ahead.

Faster! Faster! he screamed in his mind. They had to get away! The young toad began uttering prayers in his mind, hoping that the gods, any god, was listening.

At the top of the hill, the toadmen pushed on, save for Captain Mozit and his two subordinates.

"Captain!" Prince Hadas cried.

"Go! Keep going!" the captain croaked "Get out of here! We'll try to draw them off. Just get the hell out of here!"

The prince hesitated for a moment, but nodded. Gellin and his apprentice raced with the prince onward. Although the toadmen were fast, the prince and his companions could feel that their pursuers were still hot on their heels. The young toad cleric's heart hammered away in his chest, his lungs burning like fire. Part of him wanted to give up and hope that their pursuers were merciful, but he knew that it was highly unlikely. He could feel them getting closer and louder. He could feel a hot, rancid breath on the back of his neck.

"There! Through there!" Gellin yelled, pointing ahead to a stone archway leading out of the woods and into a sunlit clearing.

With a final surge of energy, the young cleric, the prince, and the High Priest raced through the stone archway. The brilliant light of the afternoon sun hit the apprentice's eyes, briefly blinding him. His foot hit something solid, causing him to stumble and fall.

The young toadman groaned and pushed himself up. He discovered that he had landed face first in some tall grass. Looking around, he saw Gellin and Prince Hadas several yards ahead of him. The young cleric rose to his feet and felt something warm hit the back of his head. Slowly turning, the young toadman felt his blood run cold.

Standing only a few inches away was a large black wolf with glowing red eyes. The wolf let out a low growl, its breath smelling like rotting flesh.

The young toadman's mind went blank. Although he knew that this creature was dangerous and that he needed to run, it just didn't click. His body was frozen and numb with fear.

"Volan!" Gellin cried.

The wolf opened its great mouth, it's jaws large and powerful enough to snap him in half. Although he could've tried to run or jump away, the young toadman knew that it was hopeless. The wolf or one of it's companions would catch him. Volan closed his eyes and felt a strange calmness. He waited for the killing blow.

But nothing came.

Instead, Volan felt a bone-chilling cold sweep over him and heard a low whine. The toadman opened his eyes and saw the wolf, mouth closed and its head lowered. Like a frightened puppy, the enormous canine backed away, it's ears pulled back and whimpering. The wolf retreated and scampered away, as if it were being pursued by something. Volan stared in confusion.

"Volan!" Gellin cried, rushing to his side. He embraced his apprentice. "Thank the gods! You're alive!"

"How did you do that?" Prince Hadas asked.

"I-I don't know," Volan answered softly. A breeze swept through the clearing, this one colder than the previous one moments before. A musty, earthy scent reached their senses, as if it were trying to get their attention.

Volan heard voices whispering softly, causing him to look around. The clearing was devoid of any other life. Large stones and fallen trees littered the area like corpses. Clouds began to gather above them rather quickly. A little too quickly. Directly behind them, at the opposite end of the clearing, was the opening of a cave. It was a misshapen hole yawning open, like the mouth of a skeleton waiting to gobble something up. In the mouth of the cave was a person.

The young toadman frowned and stared at the figure standing there. The figure was clad in black and had long black hair. Two obsidian eyes set into an elegant marble face stared at them. The figure lifted a pale hand and beckoned them over, before retreating into the darkness of the cave. The frightened and confused toadmen stared after the ghostly figure, unsure how to proceed. Every fiber of Volan's being screamed at him to stay away from the figure and the cave. However, judging from the distant sounds of howling and shouts, the young toadman felt like they had no other choice.

Volan shared his thoughts with his master and the prince, who both reluctantly agreed.

"Nowhere to go but forward," High Priest Gellin murmured as the three toadmen hurried toward the cave as the sounds of bloodthirsty warriors and beasts drew closer to the clearing.

Inside the cave, the three toadmen ventured as far as they could inward. They needed to put as much distance between them and those chasing them. At first the prince worried that they were cornered like rats. Fortunately, the cave was deep, stretching onward beyond their limited vision. High Priest Gellin conjured an orb of light, pushing back the darkness a little.

The three toadmen pushed on with Gellin in the lead. The cave's ceiling was low and the way grew narrower. In a matter of moments the path began to slope downward into the earth. For a moment, Volan felt as though he were in the throat of a giant monster. His assumption wasn't too far off, as he spied figures and shapes just beyond Gellin's meager light.

Gellin's foot bumped into something, causing him to stumble. He looked down and went ridgid.

"Watch your step," the elderly toad cautioned his companions, his voice wavered a little.

Volan wondered what his master meant, until something crunched under his sandals. Looking down, the young toad cleric saw that he had just stepped on the bone-dry and brittle arm of a dead goblin. The hideous green creature's flesh was grey and shriveled up, like a raisin. It's eyeless sockets stared up at the ceiling, it's mouth hung open as if it were screaming. The young toadman felt a chill run down his spine. He did his best to keep himself from vomiting and hurried after his master and the prince.

The deeper they went, Volan was horrified to see, littering the path, were piles of bones and desiccated corpses. The corpses belonged to all manner of creatures including ogres, trolls, goblins, and various animals. The young toad swore he saw what looked like a Frost Giant, though it was nothing more than an enormous, humanoid skull. Volan swallowed hard and muttered a prayer of protection to the gods. If this place was what he feared it was, they were going to need those prayers answered.

A gust of cool air swept over them, coming from ahead of them. The three toadmen stopped, startled.

Something in the corner of Volan's eye made the young toadman pause. He turned his head and saw nothing but the legion of still, unmoving corpses that surrounded them. Although it appeared that all was still and silent as the grave, the young cleric couldn't shake the feeling that the dead were watching them as they passed. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the head of a shriveled human woodsman turn slowly toward them. To make matters worse, Gellin's orb of light began to flicker.

Despite his best efforts, the High Priest's magical light source sputtered out. Before the light finally died, Volan caught a glimpse of the heads of several other corpses turning toward the three intruders.

Darkness enveloped the three toadmen. Volan felt his heart race. He heard soft voices whispering and hissing all around them. The voices grew louder and closer.

"Stay back!" Prince Hadas cried, drawing his sword.

Volan crouched low and covered his head, not wanting to lose his head as the prince swung his blad wildly. There was a loud crunch and a low groan, followed by another and another. It sounded as though the prince's attacks were finding their mark. Unfortunately, it didn't sound like it did much to stave off their unseen attackers. The whispers grew louder, joined by chattering teeth and shuffling.

There was a crack, followed by the lound clang of metal on rock.

"No! No!" the prince screamed but his voice was quickly smothered, becoming muffled.

Gellin tried to conjure up more light and fight back with magic but his voice too was quickly smothered by a wave of loud whispers and shuffling.

Volan groped about, trying to find his master and the prince, but he felt something solid and powerful grab his arm. The young toadman tried pulling his arm free, but soon felt himself being seized upon by a dozen or so other hands and arms. Before he knew it, Volan felt himself being gruffly dragged across the hard, uneven ground. His head collided with something hard, causing his head to swim and buzz. Eventually, the young toadman felt himself being pulled downward. After a brief feeling of falling, Volan felt an intense cold, before landing on solid ground once more.

Dazed and lightheaded, the young toadman looked around. Fortunately, there was light now. He didn't know how or when light appeared but he was grateful to be able to see once again. That was until he got a better look at his surroundings.

Gone was the pitch black cave full of dessicated corpses. In its place was a spacious and grim chapel, illuminated by rows of torches and braziers with emerald flames. The chapel was a chilling sight. The walls were covered with reliefs and carvings of demonic faces and figures, dancing, laughing, and killing. Volan looked and saw, lying beside him, were Prince Hadas and Master Gellin. The young toadman crawled to his companions and checked on them. Both were unconscious but alive, though the prince sported ugly some cuts and bruises.

The prince's eyes flew open and he bolted upright, gasping for air. Looking around, the well dressed noble's eyes were wide with fear.

"Where-Where are we?" he demanded "Where's my sword?"

"I don't know," Volan told his companion. He looked toward Gellin, who was stirring. "Master, where...are we?"

The elderly toadman blinked his big orange eyes and looked around. For a moment, the High Priest wore a pensive expression but it slowly transformed into awe. Gellin bowed his head, clasped his hands together and began murmuring in the ancient language of their ancestors.

"Master?"

Gellin opened his eyes "We're here...We've arrived."

Volan and Prince Hadas stared at the old toad in shock.

"You mean…?" the noble began.

Gellin nodded. "Indeed we are, my prince. This is the shrine of Arkuroth, Mistress of the Underworld, Goddess of Night and Darkness."

Volan felt a shiver travel down his spine.

Looking around, the young toadman didn't expect the shrine to one of their gods to be so...gruesome. Of course, Arkuroth was not widely worshipped. She was given the fear and respect she deserved but very few truly devoted themselves to the dark goddess. If the chamber was an indication of who and what she was, Volan could see why she was a being that was widely feared.

Twisted faces of anguish decorated the pillars that lined the chamber, along with scenes displaying creatures of various races being subjected to all manner of torture and anguish. Rows of pews and benches were arranged before a raised dais, populated by armored corpses. The corpses belonged to mostly humans and goblins, save for a few elves and what looked like a War Troll that was slumped in one corner, an enormous iron cudgel lying across its lap.

In this eerie chamber of death and emerald flames, Volan felt his eyes drawn to a single point before them. On the other side of the chapel, upon a raised dais, was a long, sleek coffin made of night black wood. Although everything here looked ancient and decrepit, the coffin looked as new as the day it was made. Hanging above the coffin was the skull of a demon. It sported large curved horns and a violet gemstone, roughly the size of an egg, set in the forehead.

Volan stared at the skull and then looked at the coffin. Realization dawned on him.

"This isn't a shrine," the young toad murmured.

"Hmm?" Gellin said, looking at his apprentice.

"This isn't a shrine...it's a tomb."

The two elder toadmen looked at the young cleric in confusion. There was a loud click, causing the three frightened travelers to jump. Before them, the coffin's lid shifted a little and slowly creaked open. Volan immediately knelt and prostrated himself, remembering the stories about the dark goddess and how any who dared to look upon her would be turned to stone.

Despite his lifelong fear, Volan's curiosity caused him to look up a little.

The lid of the coffin was wide open now and putrid green smoke spewed forth from the dark depths of the coffin. A pale, claw-like hand emerged and grabbed the edge of the coffin. Soon, a lithe and dark clad figure arose with the smoke.

The young toadman's heart skipped a beat. The figure that climbed out of the coffin was a vision of death. Clad in all black, the figure hovered a foot off the ground. She stood higher than the toadmen, tall and proud. Although her face was shrouded by a vail, her shape indicated that the creature hovering before them was female. The temperature of the chapel dropped sharply, causing the torches to flicker and a thin layer of frost spread across the floor beneath the creature's feet.

"Who dares disturb my slumber?" the woman hissed, her voice was rough and scratchy.

"Forgive us, oh Queen of Darkness!" Gellin squeaked. "We didn't mean to disturb you, b-but we've come before you in our people's most desperate hour!"

The woman in black tilted her head. The veil made it impossible to discern what she was thinking or feeling. Her silence gave him the courage to continue.

"A-A new threat rises in the horizon, and the enemy is drawing near to our shores, threatening everything we hold dear!"

"What is that to me?" the woman growled, her voice became low and guttural. "Wars come and go, nations rise and fall. If it be that the sun is to set upon your people, why should I intervene?"

"O-Our people could die!" Prince Hadas snapped.

The woman's head snapped to the prince, who immediately lowered his head in fear.

"All things die, some sooner than others. You have ventured all this way for nothing. Go."

There was a click and a creak coming from behind the three supplicants. Volan looked and saw a pair of doors open, revealing a dark and empty corridor.

"Please!" Gellin pleaded. "We beg you, for the sake of our loved ones. You must help us!"

"I don't have to do anything. Now go!"

"But-"

"Go!"

With a snap of her fingers, the armored corpses in the chapel stood to attention. They slowly converged on the three toadmen, grabbed them by the scruff of their collars and began to roughly drag them away.

Volan felt his heart sink when he saw his master's expression turn to one of pure horror and sadness. They came all this way, possibly losing three good individuals and pinned their hopes on their dark goddess. But now, they have to walk home empty handed and likely die in battle against this impossible new enemy.

Although Arkuroth was a fearsome and fickle goddess, Volan was strangely not ready to give up just yet. He blamed it on the possible concussion he was having now.

"Wait!" the young cleric said, struggling in the grip of an undead elven knight. "Y-Your majesty! Please, I don't know if you understand, but this war affects you too!"

The woman in black tilted her head and, surprisingly, lifted a hand. The undead guards stopped. Gellin and Hadas looked at Volan with fear and curiosity.

"Explain…" the woman in black growled.

For a moment, Volan was unsure whether or not he should've kept his fat mouth shut. However, he realized that they had nothing left to lose, so he continued.

"T-This enemy has already conquered our ancient foe, the Lizardmen. They are ruled by a powerful undead by the name of Ainz Ooal Gown, who seeks to subjugate all the peoples of this land, perhaps even beyond. Our people have seen what his soldiers can do, particularly his general. Although no direct threats have been made toward us, many of us can sense that war is coming. We don't stand a chance."

"I've yet to see how this concerns me."

"I-It concerns you b-because you are the Goddess of Death! This Ainz Ooal Gown proclaims himself the Supreme Ruler of Death. He seeks to supplant you."

"Perhaps, though he sounds more like a power hungry fool than a god. However, if he wishes to call himself a god, then so be it. I'm neither vain nor jealous."

"Maybe so, b-but he doesn't care nor respect your power or your wishes. He may seek to harm you. His army is already on the move. They have attempted to waylay us during our journey and may be converging on this place as we speak."

The woman in black went silent. Volan was not sure if it was a bad or good thing but he continued on, hoping that he could say something to change her mind.

"Please, Lady Arkuroth, we beg you. Help us, even just a little. While many of our people are no strangers to war, our chances of victory seem slim. We don't wish to be subjected to a cruel being like Ainz Ooal Gown or to be annihilated. We also don't wish to trade one god of death for another, especially one who will treat us like chattel. You are our goddess. We are eternally indebted to you, for you intervened on our behalf when the Dragon Emperor rampaged across these lands and have shielded our ancestors during countless catastrophes. Please...please help us once more."

The ghostly woman remained silent, though the temperature and mood of the room seemed to shift. The cold faded a little and the undead released the three toadmen from their iron grips. Arkuroth lowered herself and glided toward Volan. The young toadman swallowed hard now that the goddess of death was a few inches away from him. The scent of dust and rot filled his senses.

"You speak the truth," the goddess of death finally said, her voice was silky soft "...Very well. I shall intervene. But not because of your flattery."

Volan frowned in confusion but he was glad that his words seemed to have gotten through.

"Don't celebrate yet," the woman in black cautioned "Before I intervene, I need you and your companions to do something for me first."

"Anything!" Gellin said, sounding relieved and willing to do anything. "Just name it and we'll do everything in our power to do it."

Arkuroth gestured toward the skull on the wall. "You must break the seals and free me from that gem."

Volan, Gellin, and Hadas looked at the skull with interest. The youngest of the three toadmen looked at Arkuroth.

"Free you?"

"Yes. I am ashamed to admit that I have been indisposed for these many years and my power has been severely restricted. I cannot sufficiently fight this enemy nor protect your people with the gem intact. Set me free and I shall vanquish your foes."

Volan and Gellin reluctantly approached the skull. The skull didn't seem unusual, though the gold ribbons tied to the horns and the gem began to glow. The gem glowed with an eerie, violet light while the ribbons held a faint white glow, denoting holy magic. Volan recognized that the ribbons were holy seals, fairly powerful ones at that. However, when he touched one of the ribbons, the young toadman could feel that much of its power had waned. Although he was hesitant to release a death goddess, Volan thought of Captain Mozit, of his family, of his people. If they were going to preserve their way of life and stave off these invaders, they'll need every advantage they can get.

Taking a deep breath, Volan pulled out a small knife from the pouch on his belt and began to saw away the ribbons from the skull. Gellin joined in as well. In moments, the last of the ribbons was torn away and left to fall to the ground. The violet gemstone embedded in the skull began to glow brighter and thrummed with power. Volan wedged his knife beneath the gem and tried to pry it off but failed.

"Destroy it…" Arkuroth hissed, sounding a little impatient. "I can sense your enemies drawing close."

That got the two clerics worried and they tried to come up with a way of doing so. Gellin came up with the solution.

"The spell!" he told his apprentice. "From the ancient text, the one we practiced!"

"Are you sure? B-But what if it doesn't work?"

"It will, if we work together."

Not wanting to waste time, Volan nodded. The two toad clerics focused on the gem and positioned their palms over the gem. Drawing upon every ounce of magical energy they had, the High Priest and his apprentice uttered the incantation in unison.

[Medium Break Item]

A blue magic circle appeared over the gem and cracks quickly formed along its surface.

"Again!" Gellin croaked, sweat beginning to form on his brow.

The two cast the spell again. The cracks lengthened, deepened and widened. Still not enough.

"Again!"

The spell was cast again and this time. Both the High Priest and his apprentice forced every ounce of energy they had.

CRACK!

Volan blinked and saw, to his relief, the violet gemstone on the skull split in half. The two halves of the gem fell from the skull, shattering into a million glittering pieces once they hit the ground. Moments later, the fragments ceased glowing and became nothing more than colorless shards. For a moment, time seemed to stand still. Then a powerful burst of violet light and energy erupted, filling the chapel and sending the two toad clerics flying in opposite directions.

The young toadman's vision was filled with light and his head rang loudly. A few moments passed and the blinding light and overwhelming power faded. Seeing spots, Volan blinked furiously and looked about. The undead guards remained standing, like statues. Prince Hadas was sitting on the ground, his back against the far wall of the chapel, looking very astonished.

Across from him, Volan saw Gellin, who was recovering from the unexpected explosion of power. Turning his gaze toward the skull, the young toadman's eyes widened.

Hovering there was Arkuroth, though she looked more...solid. Her pale flesh had some color to it and she was now standing on the ground with her own two feet.

The woman in black gazed at her hands silently, flexing her fingers slowly. Reaching up to her veil, Arkuroth pulled it aside, revealing a human's face. Looking at Volan, the woman in black smiled.

"Thank you," Arkuroth said warmly. She turned her gaze toward the door leading out of the chapel. She licked her lips "Now then, I'm feeling a little peckish."

---

Aura Bella Fiora sat astride Quadracile, her pet Itzamna, and scanned the forest as the giant six legged lizard carried her onward.

"I'm sure they went this way," the dark elf ranger said aloud. "I mean, that's what that toad said."

"D-Do you think he might've lied?" Mare asked. The dark elf's twin brother sat behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"Maybe, but this was the direction that they were traveling. Right?"

Aura looked to her right, toward the Lizardman commander who walked at her side.

The Lizardman commander, a gruff lizard with maroon scales, nodded slowly.

"Indeed. I believe this was the direction that your wolf returned from pursuing our prey."

"O-Oh," Mare said, nodding slowly.

The dark elf twins were currently in pursuit of a small party of Toadmen, accompanied by a small force of Lizardmen and Cocytus. Although they had originally planned to venture into the Great Forest of Tob to capture and catalog any unique species of plant or animal, the twins were ordered to assist Cocytus with his military campaign.

Following the subjugation of the Lizardmen tribes, Cocytus had begun making plans to expand northward, to claim further territory and subjugate the region to Lord Ainz's benevolent reign. To the north dwelt the Toadmen, a race of demi-humans that dwelt on the shores of the Great Lake. For centuries, they have had a fierce rivalry with the Lizardmen, who they drove out of their lands as they migrated southward. Although they've been at peace for years now, the Lizardmen have never really forgotten the harsh and humiliating defeat that they were dealt by their enemy. Now that they've been brought into Lord Ainz's service, some of the Lizardmen were more than happy in assisting their new overlord prepare for war against their ancient rivals.

Which brings them to now. Not wanting to alert their enemy and wanting to collect any vital information needed, Cocytus had sent out small scouting parties. Composed of Lizardmen, who know the region better than most, and beasts under Aura's control, these parties were sent forth to observe key enemy positions and report. Along the way however, one of the Lizardmen noticed some movement, which turned out to be a small party of Toadmen departing from one of their outlying villages. The Lizardmen recognized some of the Toadmen, one of them being the son of the High Chief and his captain of the guard. Not wanting to lose an opportunity to capture a vital target, Cocytus divided his forces. Leaving some of their Lizardmen, the icy giant and the dark elves led the rest into the woods to follow the prince of the Toadmen and his companions.

While the forces of Nazarick were good at tracking, these Toadmen were good at blending in with their surroundings and covering their tracks. They lost their trail a few times, but fortunately, Aura and her beasts picked up their scent and found them.

The Toadmen ran, which delighted Aura. She had been bored with all this following and silent observation. She wanted action. While half of their prey managed to escape, Aura's pets captured the captain of the guard and his soldiers. Cocytus questioned them thoroughly, and, once he was satisfied with their answers, allowed Aura's pets to devour them.

As the beasts finished off the Toadmen remains, Aura was surprised to see Fenn, her black wolf, rushing back to them. Not only was the wolf empty handed, he looked...shaken. The great black wolf was whining and whimpering.

Aura remembered that the captured Toadmen mentioned something about a shrine of some sorts and became intrigued. Whatever it was and what it meant, the dark elf ranger knew that they needed to check this place out. Cocytus agreed with Aura and eventually decided that they should split up and approach this shrine from multiple directions. Should there be an enemy force lying in wait, they'll be expecting them to approach from the East. The Vermin Lord would circle around and approach from the west while Aura and Mare continue their current trajectory, until they meet at the shrine. This would allow them to catch the prince and anyone else he's with by surprise. From there, they divided their forces up and went their ways.

Although Aura was confident of their chances, something in the back of her mind was uneasy. As they journeyed on toward the shrine, the dark elf ranger cast an occasional glance at her wolf. Fenn loyally followed along, though the great black wolf grew more hesitant the deeper they went into the woods. At first, she thought little of it but she noticed dark clouds gathering unusually quickly above them.

The dark elf ranger blinked and looked up. She ordered Quadracile to halt, which in turn caused the Lizardmen to stop.

"I hear...something," Aura answered, not really sure how to answer. Aside from the natural sounds of a forest, the dark elf could hear a faint sound being carried on the wind.

"I don't hear anything."

"Nor do I," the Lizardman commander agreed.

"Shh!"

Everyone went still and listened. It was faint at first, but everyone slowly could hear a voice coming from up ahead.

"It sounds like...singing," the Lizardman commander said slowly, tilting his head.

"Who or what could be singing out here?" one of the Lizardmen wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Aura frowned, "but we should check it out."

After having Mare apply the necessary protection spells over her and the others, Aura urged Quadracile onward. The Lizardmen followed. Through the bushes and trees, the dark elf twins and their demi-human subordinates came upon a clearing. The clearing was spacious, blanketed by tall grass and littered by large stones. In the middle of the clearing was a booth made of flimsy wooden boards, painted yellow and red.

Sitting behind the booth's counter, beneath a sign with a hand painted on it, was a woman. The woman was striking, with long raven hair, flawless pale features and dark eyes. Clad in all black, the woman sat there, singing aloud to herself.

"Love, oh love, oh careless love," the woman sang "You fly through my head like wine. You've wrecked the life of many a poor girl, and you nearly spoiled this life of mine!"

Aura frowned at what she was seeing. Who was this woman? What was she doing here in the middle of the Great Forest of Tob? Why was she singing as if there was nothing wrong in the entire world, despite there being a giant, six legged lizard, an enormous black wolf and a sizable force of demi-human warriors before her.

Although she was confident of her abilities, their numbers and Mare's spells, Aura decided to exercise caution. After what happened to Shalltear, Lord Ainz had urged everyone in Nazarick to be extremely careful.

No matter how small a chance, Lord Ainz's voice echoed in her head, should you ever feel that you are in danger, retreat and call for reinforcements.

The dark elf ranger considered pulling back, contacting Cocytus and Lord Ainz about this. However, there could be a chance that she was being paranoid. Maybe this woman was some crazy person and was completely harmless. If she was, Aura really didn't want to bother Lord Ainz or any of the leaders of Nazarick. Besides, she still had a World Item at her disposal. Although it was only to be used for dire emergencies, [Depiction of Nature and Society] is more than enough to deal with a single woman, should she prove to be dangerous.

"Hello!" the woman in the booth called out to them, noticing their presence. "Step right up, don't be shy! I don't bite."

"I-I don't like this," Mare told his sister.

"Neither do I," Aura muttered as her hand inched closer to her whip. What didn't help was Quadracile going berserk, hissing and whimpering as her beast saw the woman.

"Well come on! Come a little closer," the woman beckoned with a warm smile. "It's just been so long since I've had visitors. Feels like centuries!"

"No thanks!" Aura called out to the woman ."We're perfectly fine right where we are."

The woman frowned a little but shrugged. "Alright, suit yourself. So, what brings you all the way out here?"

"We were following some Toadmen. You wouldn't happen to have seen any around here, have you?"

"Toadmen?" the woman tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It's been so long since I've seen one of those. Such sweet little cuties."

The Lizardman commander snorted, which drew the woman's eye. "Something on your mind?"

"I wouldn't exactly call them cute," the Lizardman growled.

"Different strokes and all that."

"Who are you?" Aura asked.

"Me? Nobody really, just a lonely fortune teller."

"Kind of a weird place to be telling fortunes, isn't it?"

"I suppose so, though I really do enjoy the peace and quiet. That is, until an undead with an overinflated sense of importance decided to come into the woods and pick a fight with me."

Aura scowled. "What do you mean by that?"

"I think we can drop the formalities and get right to the point. You serve the one called Ainz Ooal Gown, correct?"

"Yes."

"And what are his intentions? Why does he seek war with the Toadmen?"

"Lord Ainz is the leader of the Forty-One Supreme Beings and the rightful ruler of this world! It is our privilege to spread his glory and bring all peoples under his rule. Those who don't shall be punished."

The woman's smile was gone completely. She stared at the dark elf ranger for a long moment, before turning her gaze toward the Lizardmen.

"What about you? Do you honestly believe this? Are you willing to lay down your lives for some corpse king and his petty ambitions?"

The Lizardmen shifted uncomfortably. Although they swore loyalty to Ainz, it had only been a few weeks since they began to serve the Overlord of Nazarick. Many among their people, including the warriors accompanying the twins, were still coming to grips with the new order of things. Most were glad to not have been totally wiped out and were surprised by the conditions of Ainz's rule. Some, however, chafed at the changes their society was enduring and the idea of being ruled by a foreign leader. An undead one no less. But what can they do? Not wanting to offend the mighty Overlord or his subordinates, the Lizardmen each nodded and gave their assent.

"Whatever Lord Ainz wishes, it is our duty to fulfill it," The commander of the Lizardmen stated plainly.

The woman in black shook her head slowly. "How disappointing."

"What do you know?" Aura sniffed. "Lord Ainz is the greatest there is! He is wise, all powerful and kind!"

"Invading someone else's home and subjugating an entire race to servitude!" the woman laughed coldly. "How charitable! 'Surrender or die!' 'We shall teach you our peaceful ways by force!' I may not have met him, but I have a feeling that I understand this Ainz fellow a little better than you."

"Have you seen the Toadmen or not?" the Lizardman commander demanded.

"Ooh, testy. Yes I have, but I'm not telling you where they are."

"Fine," Aura smiled. "We'll just have to beat the answers out of you."

The woman in black gave the dark elf a vampiric grin, showing off a set of perfect pearly teeth. "You're welcome to try, Happy Meal."

Aura pulled her whip free and gave it a crack. Loyalty and training overcame fear as Fenn charged at the woman.

The great black wolf bounded toward the woman, hellbent on ripping her to shreds. To her credit, the woman in black didn't budge. She sat in her booth, staring at the wolf as if it were a minor curiosity. In a matter of seconds, the wolf pounced on the flimsy little booth, crushing it and throwing up dust. The wolf snapped his powerful jaws and clawed madly. The wolf soon was enveloped in the dust. Aura watched, feeling satisfied- until there was a flash of light and there was a loud whimper. The dark elf ranger focused on the chaotic dust cloud and discovered that Fenn had ceased his attack. Everything had fallen silent.

A gust of wind caused the dust to clear, revealing Fenn. The large wolf was lying on the ground, immobile. Towering above him, her mouth hanging open and strands of colorful energy streamed into it, was the woman in black. The woman's body was glowing violet as Fenn's glowed red. Aura watched, to her horror, that the great wolf's body slowly began to shrink. His night black fur slowly lost its sheen and began to turn grey.

"W-What is she doing to him?" Mare breathed in shock.

"She's...she's draining him!" the Lizardman commander said, a hint of realization in his voice. "Oh gods, it-it's her!"

"Who?" Aura said.

"Arkuroth, the Goddess of Darkness! But-but she was only just a myth!"

The dark elf scowled. "I don't care who or what she is, no one feeds on my Fenn. Attack!"

Without waiting for a reply, Aura let out a battlecry and spurred Quadracile onward. Mare held onto his sister tightly as the six-legged lizard charged into battle. The lizard moved with astonishing speed, quickly closing the gap between the forces of Nazarick and the supposed Goddess of Darkness. Once they were close enough, the dark elf twins leapt into battle.

Quadracile charged like a raging bull, but the woman sidestepped his attack effortlessly.

"[Thorn Bind]" Mare cried. A wild tangle of thick, thorny tendrils exploded from the ground beneath the woman and wrapped around her, enveloping her completely.

However, to their shock, the woman stepped through her bindings and was completely unscathed.

"Is that all?" the woman in black, her dark eyes shined maliciously. "I really didn't know what to expect, but I was expecting something more."

"How about this?" Aura growled, launching herself at the woman and attempted to deliver a bone-shattering kick. However, the dark elf was frozen a few inches from the woman's head. With a gesture, the woman in black sent Aura flying backwards. The dark elf ranger tumbled to the ground but quickly recovered.

By this time, Quadracile had circled around and attempted to attack from behind. The enormous lizard opened its mouth and unleashed a bolt of lightning. The brilliant arc of magical lightning. One moment the woman stood there and it looked as though the bolt was going to hit its mark, but a second later, the woman was gone, and the lightning bolt sliced and burnt through the trees behind her.

Aura, Mare and Quadracile looked around them, searching for the woman in black.

Where is she? Aura growled. It didn't look like she used a teleportation spell or [Gate]. It was as if she just disappeared entirely, as if she were never there at all.

"Lady Aura, behind you!" the Lizardman commander bellowed.

The dark elf ranger spun around, coming face to face with the grinning woman in black.

"Peek-a-boo!" she said cheerfully.

Aura jumped back, surprised. She quickly reached into her inventory and pulled out her bow, To Your Heart, and an arrow. By the time she nocked the arrow and was ready to fire, the woman in black was gone again.

"You know, this is by far the most fun I've had in centuries!" the woman in black laughed, her voice echoed through the clearing. "Being cooped up in such a small space and having your brain scrambled can be a real drag. But then you guys came along! Oh we're going to have so much fun!"

"Really?" Aura said, scanning the clearing around her cautiously "I was going to say the same thing. You're different from the other humans I've seen so far. You're a lot stronger."

"That's because I'm not human. I'm something far worse."

Thunder rumbled above them as a light drizzle began to fall from the cloudy skies.

Aura glanced at the sky. "Really? Well then, I'm going to have a lot of fun capturing you. I'm sure Lord Ainz and Demiurge will be pleased to meet and experiment on a weird creature like you."

It was then that the woman's voice whispered directly into her ear. "I'm not going back into a cage and you can't make me."

The dark elf spun around but saw nothing.

A loud whine sounded, causing Aura to look toward Fenrir. The weakened wolf's body began to glow purple as it shakily got up. The wolf's eyes flew open, revealing a pair of burning violet eyes.

"Fenn?" Aura said in a worried tone.

"Fenn's not here right now," the strange woman's voice emerged from the wolf's open mouth. "Care to leave a message?"

The dark elf stared in horror. The woman was in Fenrir! But how? Was this like what happened to Shalltear? No. No this was different. Something about this woman was wrong; unnatural, but strangely familiar. Just what is she?

Before Aura could ponder the possible identity of the woman in black, the possessed wolf took off like a gunshot. Streaking past, the dark elf ranger watched in stunned silence as the wolf attacked the Lizardmen. In seconds, Fenn was upon Aura's subordinates and began tearing through them like a knife through hot butter.

In a single bite, the possessed wolf tore a Lizardman warrior in half. It tossed the bisected pieces at his comrades, painting them with his guts, before continuing the slaughter. A slash here and a bite there, the Lizardmen were like lambs to the slaughter. A few managed to block and evade, but the others weren't so fortunate. The commander of the reptilian warriors already had his blade in hand and managed to flank the wolf. With all his might, the seasoned warrior used a Martial Art and swung his energized blade. Unfortunately, the blade merely bounced off the creature's greyed fur.

The wolf spat out a half chewed and badly wounded Lizardman and turned to the commander. The unfortunate Lizardman stared at the possessed monster, dumbstruck. The wolf's mouth pulled back into a smile.

"My turn," the woman purred, before sinking Fenn's teeth into the commander's shoulder.

The lizardman screamed in anguish and struggled to free himself from Fenn's powerful jaws, but it was all in vain and far too late. Aura watched with fascination and surprise as the demi-human warrior began to age, shrivel, and wilt. In a matter of seconds, the reptilian warrior's scaly body sagged, growing leathery and discolored. Wrinkles appeared around his eyes and his eyes grew grey and cloudy. Before Aura could react, the lizardman was nothing more than a lifeless, withered husk. The possessed wolf hurled the drained corpse aside like a broken toy. The possessed wolf looked around at the remaining Lizardmen, who at this point were backing away and were on the verge of deserting. Nobody moved for a long moment, not wanting to draw the wolf's attention to them. However, the wolf acted before its prey did. Fenn seized upon the nearest lizardman, biting down on the frightened warrior's head, taking it off in one clean bite. In an instant, the spell was broken and the remaining lizardmen attempted to flee. But the possessed wolf wasn't going to let a single one escape. With each new kill, the insidious violet aura that surrounded the possessed wolf's body grew thicker and darker.

As she watched the slaughter unfold, Aura felt an overwhelming sense of dread and fear wash over her. Like an icy waterfall, the dread started from the head and went on down through her limbs all the way to her fingers and feet. The only time she's felt something this powerful or deeply was when she was in the presence of Lord Ainz.

Aura knew that she had to move, that she had to keep fighting. But she didn't. She stood there and watched as one of her treasured pets tore the remaining Lizardmen warriors to pieces. Those that weren't reduced to gorey chunks were drained in the same way their leader was.

"Ah," the woman said, sounding satisfied. She tossed aside the last reptilian warrior, its shriveled husk struck a nearby tree with a loud, sickening crack. "How refreshing. Honestly, I'm glad that I listened to those little toads. Such a scrumptious selection of snacks!"

The wolf turned its attention toward the dark elf ranger, it's hateful violet eyes gleamed. "But I want more~"

Move! Move! Aura screamed in her mind, commanding her limbs to move. Nothing.

The wolf let out a fearsome growl and charged. Fenn was a streak of black and violet, moving faster than before. Aura remained paralyzed, watching in shock and horror as she stared into her once beloved pet's jaws.

"[Earth Surge]!"

Ironically, it was Mare who stepped in under pressure. The ground rumbled and shook before a powerful surge of rock and dirt was sent hurtling at the oncoming wolf like a tidal wave. Despite this attack, the wolf opened its mouth and unleashed a blood-curdling scream that made the hair on Aura's neck stand at attention. Accompanying the scream was a steady stream of violet, magical energy that punched a hole in the oncoming wall of earth.

Time slowed as Aura the possessed wolf sailed through the opening, mouth agape and ready to gobble her surprised twin, who stared at the oncoming beast in shock.

Gritting her teeth, Aura managed to force herself to ignore the numbing dread and move. She had to rescue her brother. No matter what, she could and would not allow anything to kill her brother. However, despite being close by and managing to move, Aura realized that she wasn't going to reach Mare in time.

As the wolf got closer to her twin brother, Aura was stunned when her pet Itzamna intervened. A bolt of lightning from the six-legged lizard lanced through Fenn's side. The wolf was knocked off course and sent tumbling across the ground.

Taking advantage of the change in fortune, Mare used a stronger binding spell to seize the possessed wolf.

"[Shadow Grasp]!"

Shadowy tendrils arose from the ground and ensnared the wolf, binding it's legs together and holding it down to the ground. In a matter of moments, Fenn was completely trapped.

Aura blinked and looked over to Mare. The dark elf ranger smiled.

"Thanks for the save!"

"N-No problem."

"No, really, thanks! You were awesome! You saved my life."

Mare blushed at his sister's compliments.

Aura turned her attention toward Fenrir. The grey streaked black wolf laid there, immobilized and breathing heavily. It pained the dark elf to have to treat a creature that she tamed and trained like this. But this was a very unusual situation. Now that Fenn was immobilized, the question now is how are they going to free him from the woman's influence? The best thing she can do is bring this...thing to Lord Ainz. He'll know what to do.

The dark elf ranger looked to her brother, who seemed to have the same idea as her. With no more hesitations, she reached into her inventory and pulled out an item. Although it was only meant to be used in a dire emergency, Aura believed that this was one of those times.

Feeling the item with her hand, the dark elf ranger grabbed it and pulled it free from her inventory. In her hands appeared a large red scroll that was tied up with string. The scroll was half as tall as Aura and was lighter than it looked. Although it didn't look like much, the scroll was a World Item known as [Depiction of Nature and Society].

The scroll allowed the wielder to capture a target and store them in one of the one hundred painted worlds within the scroll. It was a handy ability, which was saying a lot considering how it wasn't the scroll's primary ability. It was able to cast powerful illusion spells and bring things from the paintings into the real world, manifesting a variety of effects upon a selected target. Neither Aura or Mare were sure what this creature was, but from how it was able to affect them and cause such harm, they knew that it was dangerous. By using [Depiction of Nature and Society] they'll be able to safely contain this new threat until they return to Nazarick.

The wolf lifted it's head and gazed at Aura. It eyed the scroll and looked surprised.

"I'm sorry Fenn," Aura murmured as she tugged the string and unfurled the scroll. She selected a vivid portrait of a volcanic landscape and murmured the incantation that Lord Ainz taught her in order to activate the scroll.

Nothing happened.

The dark elf ranger blinked in surprise and tried again, uttering the incantation louder and slower.

Nothing.

"What the?" Aura growled.

"What's wrong?" Mare asked.

"Something's wrong. It should work but for some reason it's not."

Aura continued to try using the item, but each time nothing happened. She grew more and more frustrated. She also noticed that an amused look appeared on the wolf's face. The ragged, greying creature trembled and let out a raspy, halting laugh.

"What's so funny?" Aura demanded.

"Oh, nothing," the woman said as black smoke leaked from the wolf's nostrils and mouth. The smoke pooled on the ground beside the wolf and rose, becoming the woman in black. "It's just that a World Item like that is quite dangerous. In the right hands, that would've been enough to stop me. But, unfortunately for you, old habits die hard."

"W-What do you mean?" Mare asked.

The woman in black smiled, "It means that you aren't the only ones carrying such devastating weaponry."

Aura's eyes widened in shock, realizing what the woman was saying.

"No…"

"Oh yes. You never know when a World Item will come in handy, especially if your enemy has one of their own or secretly practices Wild Magic."

Realizing that their primary and most effective method of disabling their enemy was out the window, Aura and Mare moved to attack. The woman in black was faster. She raised a hand and wordlessly cast a spell. The twins were immediately enveloped in ink black aura. The aura was suffocating, with Aura struggling to breathe as felt her muscles tighten, rendering her immobilized.

"Now then," the woman said, licking her lips, "allow me to finish my snack, and then we can get to the main course."

The dark elf twins watched in horror as the woman turned Fenn and opened her mouth wide. Despite their best efforts, Aura and Mare could do nothing but watch as the woman fed upon the greying remains of Fenrir. Slowly but surely, Fenn withered away like the commander of the lizardmen and his comrades. The wolf's fur lost the last of its color, becoming solid grey and his flesh saggy and wrinkled. As the wolf lay dying, Fenn let out a low whine before going silent and still.

Aura stared at Fenn's unmoving body, dumbfounded and horrified at the sight of her beloved pet.

"Fenn…" she said softly, tears welling up in her eyes.

The woman in black let out a loud and satisfied sigh, as if she had completed a delicious meal.

"That really hit the spot," she said aloud, slowly turning toward the two captive elves, "but I can sense that the two of you are far more powerful than Mega Mutt here."

She leaned in close and sniffed Aura and then Mare. The dark elf ranger gritted her teeth and struggled to move her body, but every inch of her body rebelled against her commands. As the woman passed them, Aura caught a whiff of dirt and rot.

"Hmm…" the woman said, closing her eyes and smiling "Oh yes, you both smell so...scrumptious. However, I have a few questions that need answering."

"We'll never talk!" Aura spat. "We would rather die than betray Lord Ainz or talk to a ugly bitch like you!"

"I know. That's what I'm counting on."

The dark-elf ranger gave the woman an odd look, whose face began to change. Her complexion turned ghostly white and her features became more skeletal and emaciated.

"Please do struggle," the woman growled, her voice was a raspy growl. "It makes things far sweeter."

Before Aura could process what the woman was saying or what sort of creature she was, the woman's mouth dropped open and began to drain both of the dark elves. At this point, Aura's survival instincts were in overdrive as she struggled to wrench herself free from the woman's dark spell. However, as she continued to struggle, the dark-elf ranger felt her strength and her willpower slowly ebb away. Colorful strands flowed from Aura and Mare and into the woman's gaping maw. Aura's head grew light and dizzy as more strands of mana and energy flowed directly out of her. Random images flashed through her mind, images relating to her duties to Nazarick, Lord Ainz, Albedo, Mare, Shalltear.

Glancing sideways at Mare, Aura saw that her twin brother was putting on a brave face and doing his best to resist the woman in black. However, the dark elf ranger noticed that her brother was slowly fading, his eyes growing heavy and his body growing limp. Soon, Aura's eyes grew heavy and her mind threatened to slip into unconsciousness.

As the world seemed to slip into darkness, there was an angry roar and a powerful wave of cold that swept over the dark elf ranger. Aura blinked and found herself lying on the ground. She saw the woman in black gliding away as Cocytus lumbered into view, weapons drawn. Accompanying him were his party of lizardmen.

Aura blinked and she found herself staring up at the Vermin Lord's face.

"...Are you alright?" the giant insect warrior asked, his voice sounded far away.

"...M...Mare…" Aura managed to force out.

"...Alive. Weak, but alive…" was all that the dark elf ranger caught before sinking into darkness, tired but relieved.

---

["...despite being drained and weakened, they should make a full recovery"] Albedo concluded her report, via [Message].

["Good. Very good."] Ainz replied with a sigh. ["Keep me informed of their progress."]

["Yes, my lord"] Albedo said before cutting the link.

The Overlord of Nazarick sat in his room at the Shining Golden Pavilion, still dressed in his full plate armor. He had just returned from a job when Albedo contacted him about the attack on Aura and Mare. At first Ainz was outraged and furious over this attack. However, as he listened to Albedo's report on the situation, Ainz's anger turned to curiosity and worry. Unlike what happened to Shalltear, this encounter probably could've been avoided. Cocytus made it clear that the target for his conquest would be the Toadmen of the north. It was to be expected that they would run into resistance and retaliation. The problem was, none of them, not even Ainz, expected that their foe would be allied with something so dangerous and powerful.

Cocytus's reconnaissance mission suffered some serious casualties, namely Lizardmen and Aura's pet wolf, Fenrir. Ainz had supposed that they'd probably lose some of the Lizardmen, should they encounter the enemy, but he was astonished to hear about Fenrir and the twins. This enemy was able to not only control him, but drain him and others completely of HP and MP. Thankfully, Albedo and Demiurge were able to resurrect Fenrir. Aura and Mare were both shaken and weary, but alive. They apologized profusely for what happened, but Ainz couldn't blame them. He didn't anticipate that this world would have an enemy like this, especially one who possessed a World Item, if the failure to activate [Depiction of Nature and Society] was any indication. First another player with a grudge against Ainz Ooal Gown and now this. Ainz was beginning to feel that perhaps his attention should be focused more on the Nazarick side of things and give up Adventuring entirely.

No. No he shouldn't do that. Momon was a valuable asset and shouldn't be discarded just yet. They needed money and Momon could be useful in collecting information. After all, Adventurers have their own unofficial information network involving countless members of the guild. Perhaps someone else has run into this mysterious attacker. Albedo did mention that Aura recalled how the commander of their Lizardmen contingent had recognized their attacker, but couldn't remember exact details.

Ainz's thoughts turned toward the mysterious enemy who had just drained two of his subordinates. Although the overall identity of this woman was unknown, there was something eerily familiar about her methods. The Overlord pondered the descriptions Aura and Mare gave Albedo, the attacks that were used. Slowly, Ainz realized that he had encountered an enemy like this before.

Back on YGGDRASIL, in the game's earlier years, there was a type of undead who could do the same things this strange woman was able to do. Reaching into his inventory, Ainz produced a slim brown leather bound volume. Embossed in gold on the cover was the title: The Survivor's Guide to YGGDRASIL, Vol. 1. Although he was a quick study and had mastered the basics of the DMMORPG without the need for this book, Ainz kept a copy. It was part of a series of informational volumes produced by members of the World Searcher guild, combining information collected by players in-game and from various official sources. There were all sorts of helpful hints and tips, even after the numerous updates and patches added to the game over the years. Very handy for players, new and old. Flipping through its pages to the section devoted to character races, Ainz found what he was looking for.

A Ghost, Ainz thought grimly. They were a type of undead who were weak to fire, vulnerable to holy magic and few else. They were known for being immune to most physical based attacks and numerous elemental attributes. One's best bet against a Ghost was a paladin, a cleric, or a mage of sorts. However, from Aura's description, Ainz had a sneaking suspicion that this woman wasn't just a run of the mill ghost. Running his finger down to the bottom of the page and stopped at a text box next to an illustration of a sinister shadowy figure.

"A Wraith," the Overlord read in his mind. "A high level specter born of darkness and pure evil. They despise light and all living things. Beware their cold touch and voracious appetite!"

His glowing orbs scanned the page for anything useful. Unfortunately, information about this race and it's classes was scarce. Ghosts were a very exclusive and difficult to attain race. Players couldn't just choose to become one. Rumor had it, players could become ghosts after they had secured a very rare item that would allow them to change races. Ainz had sought this item himself, but had failed. There were a few players who were said to have succeeded. Many have tried to question these lucky few, but were often stonewalled. After being pestered and targeted so much, these players isolated themselves from the general population of the game and formed their own informal guild, called The Children of the Grave, in order to protect themselves. This only added to the mystique of the race and the stoked players up even more. It didn't help that the developers themselves were tight-lipped about them too. It was all intentionally kept secret, as part of the countless mysteries waiting to be discovered on YGGDRASIL. Ainz had never met a player who was a ghost, but he met some who did. Ghosts were very dangerous, especially those who were high level. They were perfect for ambushes and utilized hit-and-run tactics, and had immunity from otherwise fatal attacks. However, the more powerful they become, the more secretive and dangerous they are.

Despite the secrecy and scarcity, players would come up with theories and share rumors about these characters. That was until Helheim Uprising, a massive in-game event that patched out a lot of things, including Ghosts, if the rumors were to be believed. Thinking back to those long ago discussions, Ainz remembered that one of the generally agreed upon attacks that ghosts used was [Drain]. The specific mechanics were murky, but the working theory was that Ghosts and other high level spectors, like Wraiths, were able to drain their opponents of HP, MP, and even EXP. What Aura and Mare described matched this concept. Ghosts were also known for possessing enemy NPCs and even player avatars, though how effective they are depended on the level of the player and enemy.

So now there's a ghost running around, and not just any old ghost, potentially another player. Ainz sighed and snapped the book close. This was beginning to be troublesome. So far he's met two other players and had gotten off on the wrong foot with them both. The first one wasn't his fault, however. That bastard seemed to have it out for him and his guild. This other one however… Perhaps she could become an ally. Aura did mention that the woman seemed angry toward Ainz, claiming that he was picking a fight with her. If he could make his intentions clear, maybe talk with her and extend an olive branch, perhaps this mysterious phantom could join his side. Or at least cease any hostilities toward him.

If she has no intention of being cooperative or standing aside, however, Ainz will have to deal with her as well. Ainz placed his book back into his inventory and began to formulate a strategy for a possible future encounter with this ghostly woman.

---

Ben and Anna trailed after the Weeping Woman as she glided through the darkening woods. The two young necromancers' hearts were beating very quickly, something they knew that their new master could hear.

During the battle, they were unnoticed by the lizardmen and by the two dark elves, courtesy of the Weeping Woman's presence. They were left in awe and horror at the sheer amount of power she held, and just how easily she dispatched and feasted on her foes. They had heard stories about how tough the lizardmen were, and although they hadn't heard much about these two elves, they could just feel and see their power...which didn't matter in the face of this woman's hunger.

If not for the large, insect creature interfering, they knew that those two dark elves would've dried up and crumbled away just like their exotic pet.

While the starving phantom distracted the elves and the lizards, Ben and Anna, along with the three toadmen, hurriedly cleared the tomb of anything useful and powerful. Fortunately, there wasn't much and it was all locked away in a single chest made of a heavy, silvery metal. Once everything had been cleared out, the elderly toadman Gellin used one of the items the Weeping Woman gifted him to cause the entire underground tomb to collapse. In a matter of moments, the sprawling underground complex was completely covered. All that remained was the cave, which only went underground for a few meters before ending in a wall of earth and rock.

The five followers of the Weeping Woman retreated into the woods just as planned. They dodged the horde of lizardmen, narrowly avoiding the battle hardened warriors as they came charging into the clearing with the lumbering insect warrior. Fortunately, they seemed to be preoccupied with rescuing the dark elf twins. The five waited for their master at the designated spot, by a small creek to the north. They waited for hours. The sky darkened, becoming an endless grey sea. As it began to drizzle and the temperature began to decline, Ben wondered if the Weeping Woman had been defeated. Perhaps that insectoid creature was able to, somehow, kill the hungry phantom. Unfortunately, this slim hope was dashed when the dark spector emerged from the shadows of the darkening forest, looking unscathed and very pleased with herself.

Without saying a word, she glided past them and carried on, heading northeast. The group of frightened and cold mortals followed their master, subconsciously knowing that was what she wanted them to do.

After having traveled a considerable distance, Ben managed to work up the courage to ask the Weeping Woman if they could stop.

"J-Just for a few minutes!" the young necromancer added hurriedly, "We-We need to catch our breath."

The dark phantom came to a stop, causing the others to stop as well. She hovered there silently with her back toward them. For a moment, Ben thought she was going to drain him right then and there. However, the ghostly woman waved a hand.

"Very well. You have five minutes."

Ben sighed with relief. He and the others set down the heavy metal chest on the ground and sank to the soggy ground, grateful for the brief respite. As they rested their weary bodies and frayed nerves, Ben noticed the three toadmen whispering among themselves.

"Something you want to add?" the Weeping Woman said aloud, turning a dark eye toward the demi-human trio.

They jumped in surprise.

"W-We were just discussing, oh Mistress of Darkness, our current route," Gellin sputtered, wiping sweat and raindrops from his brow. "We-We feel that this route is a tad...off the beaten path. The way back to our humble city is more eastward. Would it not be more prudent that we should proceed that way?"

The elderly toad pointed east, southeast.

"It would reduce travel time by a significant margin."

"I suppose it would," the ghostly woman admitted. "However, that's what our enemy would expect of us. Armed with the knowledge supplied to him by the lizardmen, there's a good chance that our enemy would be watching all known paths towards your city."

"Oh…" Gellin said, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Besides," the Weeping Woman continued, her gaze turning toward the north. "This little detour of ours will take us to see an old friend."

"Friend?" Anna asked, surprised.

"Well, not a friend, exactly. An old acquaintance, really."

Anna shared a concerned look with Ben.

"Who, if I may ask, is this acquaintance of yours?" Prince Hadas asked, voicing the question that was on everybody's mind.

"I don't really know his name. If I did, I probably forgot it a long time ago. But I believe that you all know him as the Demon God of the Forest."

Ben's eyes bulged. He felt a deep, unsettling chill run down his spine.

"T-The Demon God of the Forest?!" Gellin croaked. "B-But w-why?"

The Weeping Woman shrugged. "It's been a very long time since I last saw him. He must be feeling lonely. Plus, I believe he may be of some help in protecting your people."

"H-He will?"

"Mm hm. He knows me. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to help us!"

"But what if he doesn't feel inclined to help my people?" Prince Hadas asked. "What if he isn't pleased to see us?"

"Then he'll gobble you five up without a second thought and go on a violent rampage."

Ben felt his mouth go dry. This was suicide! The Demon God of the Forest was an immense monster whose power rivaled that of a Dragonlord. Unlike the rest of his kin among the Demon Gods, he was unruly and unpredictable. Driven by hunger rather than ambition, the Demon God of the Forest reigned unchallenged in the Great Forest of Tob for centuries. That was until the Golden Knight and the Thirteen Heroes intervened. Even then, they were only able to put him into a deep slumber.

Thunder rumbled above them, causing the ghostly woman to look up. Closing her eyes, the Weeping Woman ran her hands through her hair, smoothing it back. She twirled around, rising higher into the air and allowed the rain to fall on her solid form.

"Oh, free at last!" the ghost crowed. "Free at last! There's so much to do, so much to see, so much to kill!"

"Including this Gareth Silvertongue person?" Anna asked nervously.

The ghost pursed her lips. "Hmm, it depends."

"Depends on what?"

A sinister smile formed on her lips, "Depends on how bad he's been."

Ben shivered. He didn't like the look in her eye. Whoever or wherever this Gareth person was, the young necromancer pitied him. The Weeping Woman was now free to roam the world and wasn't going to let anything get in her way ever again.

---

(a/n: I know what you're thinking, Ghosts are a little OP and seem cheap. However, Ghosts were a race in Yggdrasil in the Overlord Web Novel. I thought I'd use it and expand on it a little bit. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review and all that. See you next time!)

(References)

(chapter title): song by Soundgarden

Volan's line when they arrive at the tomb- Lord of the Rings

Heisenberg- a bit of Heisenberg from Resident Evil Village and the Shadow King from Legion.