Sorry for taking so long, I got the flu and couldn't write. Here's chapter 3, enjoy.

"Iga, no sudden movements."

"Sorry, sir," A figure wrapped in raven black dropped to the floor, joining his already sunken comrades. Their soaring chests hugged the charred stone below with extreme patience. The rocky spikes plaguing the backdrop would've earned a trembling breathing rate from most. The golden markings plastered along their clothing were drowned out by the layers of ash and dust, courtesy of the hot air around them.

"What do you see, Commander Hattori?" One of the four figures on the ground lifted his head.

"Those Golems just won't move," The only standing member of the group gestured to the colossal piles of magma standing a few hundred feet away, "They outnumber us nearly four to one. We stand a better chance at simply avoiding them; however, if we do so, our expedition's runtime will exceed its given limit."

"Sir."

"Yes, Nagato?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if we split up?"

The group's leader focused his gaze on the towering giants in front of him, "Hm… perhaps," Hattori climbed down from the ledge he stood atop, "Alright, Nagato, Iga, Goemon, you three will head east. If Kawakami and I are eliminated, you are to return to the tomb's surface using one of the two [Teleportation] scrolls given to us by Lady Shalltear," Hattori fished a sealed manuscript from one of his attire's hidden pockets, "Also, you are to head to Nazarick no later than three hours from now. You'll draft a report on your findings and hand it to me. Once that's done, I'll merge it with my own and pass it to Lord Demiurge."

"Understood, sir!" One of the three aforementioned ninjas accepted the parchment.

'I must thank Lord Mare for the bandanas; they're handier than expected,' Hattori's eyes locked onto the green bandana hanging off of Iga's arm, 'Lord Cocytus also went out of his way to designate names upon us… To think that a mere Mercenary Monster such as myself would receive such a privilege!' Hattori's mind fell prey to his master's benevolence whenever he stared at his handkerchief.

"As quick as ever, I see," Once he snapped out of his thoughts, his three subordinates were long gone.

"What'll we do, sir?"

"We'll continue north. With some luck, we'll find something that isn't rocks or lava."

'Huh? W-Where am I?'

Bell clutched his head tight. The only thing he could feel was the pulsating beating of a set of drums echoing inside it. Bam, bam. Bam, bam. It reverberated on repeat, like a broken record player, 'O-Ouch,' He felt around, trying to find the magic switch that would turn off this horrid pain.

'Huh?' He opened his eyes, 'A bandage?' A long strand of cloth hung from his head as if it were yet another strand of his white pallid hair. Beyond it lay an ocean of blue so dim his eyes struggled to grasp it, '...Am I… Outside?' Bell looked closer, 'No, that's the mural above the Dungeon's entrance. Wait! The Dungeon? How? I was on the Fourth Floor last time I checked, how'd I make it back to the entrance?!' His mind went into overdrive. The pain berating his head was swept away, instead being replaced by confusion and worry.

Bell sprang up like a rapidly blooming flower. His gaze moved around faster than he could process. His eyes turned left then right, left then right, like a grandfather clock's pendulum, yet nothing surrounding him made sense, "Huh?!" When he looked down all he could see was more cloth akin to the one resting on his head. Was he on some sort of stretcher?

"Easy there, kiddo."

"E-excuse me?" Bell turned to the man sitting next to him. His hair and clothes were beyond saving. countless holes and stretchmarks rid his shirt whilst chunks of dry and near-invisible hair littered the makeshift bed below him.

"You're also injured, kid. It'd be best if you took some rest. You just woke up, after all," The man's bruised arms told him to lay back down.

"W-what exactly happened, sir?" Bell pushed his back against the wall behind him, ignoring his elder's advice.

"No clue!" The man let out a hardy laugh, "Ouch," He clutched his chest with one hand while tightening the bandage around it with the other, "I don't remember anything that happened today. I must've hit a rock or been beaten up by some random monster. I only know that my unconscious body was found on the seventh floor by a group of retreating adventurers. I was dropped off here and have been taken care of by those guys over there ever since," The man pointed at a group of robed individuals assisting a pair of grievously injured men.

"..."

"What about you?" The man's attention shifted to the boy before him.

"I-I was on the Fourth Floor when…" Bell closed his mouth, 'Would he believe me if I said I survived encountering an army of monsters? Probably not…' The young boy sighed, "-when I lost against a small horde of kobolds. They came out of nowhere! I must've been knocked out."

"Oh? I wonder how you're still alive!"

Bell hugged the wall a bit more. The man closed in on him, looking at him as if he were some rare specimen, "It's not often a monster leaves its prey alive! Count your lucky stars, my boy. You're one blessed fella! Ah, sorry," It wasn't long before the man backed away.

"Don't worry! A-anyhow, how long have I been out?" Bell tried to find some sunlight, yet no matter where he looked, the only thing he could see was the orange shadows of the torch-ridden walls around him.

"This old body of mine has been lying here for about five hours. You were already here when I arrived. But if you're wondering what time it is: it's 11 pm."

"Huh!?" Bell's red eyes jumped out of his head, 'I entered the Dungeon around 2 pm! How could I be out for so long? Wait!' A little gasp escaped the young boy's mouth, "I-I gotta go!" Bell placed his hand on the rock wall behind him, he still couldn't move properly.

"Woah, woah woah!" The stranger beat him in the race to stand up, "At least let me help you. Those legs of yours are in no shape to walk!"

"I-I gotta get home! I must see if my Goddess has returned!" The panic and worry in Bell's voice were crystal clear.

"Don't worry kid! She's got to know you went into the Dungeon, she'll probably send someone else from your familia to look for you."

Bell's shoulders sunk, "T-That won't happen…"

The man raised his eyebrows, "...I won't pry, but fine. If you're that determined to leave. Who am I to stop you? I'm sure that if you manage to run, in the state that I am, I won't be able to stop you," The unfamiliar individual shook his head in disapproval, yet the calm look in his eyes put up no fight, "Here, take this, at least. You'll crumple the moment you exit the gates if you don't."

'A cane?' Bell grabbed the offered stick, "Thanks."

"Also, go register your name with that woman from the guild. Apparently, there's a lot of unaccounted-for adventurers," The man gestured to a slim elvish figure on the opposite side of the hall.

"T-Thanks. Speaking of names, may I know yours, sir?"

"Martin Strader. How about you, kid?"

"Bell Cranel," Bell dropped his head, "Thanks for the guidance and cane, I appreciate it, Mr. Strader."

"No need to thank me, kiddo. As you said, your Goddess is probably worried about ya, so hurry back home. It's gettin' late."

Bell nodded before beginning his long journey towards the Dungeon's exit. Life would be easier if he could simply walk across the room, yet the vast spiral staircase in its center made it quite difficult, 'Was the Dungeon's entrance always this big?'

"I'll reiterate, entry into the Dungeon is prohibited. In accordance with the Adventurer's Guild's emergency procedures, any adventurer that is caught passing into the First Floor will be fined 50,000 Valis. Fines may exceed 2,000,000 depending on the amount of members within a party." Bell's thoughts were swept away by the speakers plaguing the chamber.

"2,000,000 Valis?" Bell screamed, "W-woah!" The sudden shock nearly caused Bell to fall head-first into the stone staircase on his left. The unending flight led into the mouth of the inexplicable wonder that was the Dungeon resting in Orario's belly. Each step was wide enough to fit at least seven adventurers, but there was still enough space to walk around it, even if barely, 'I can't even walk properly?'

"Bell? Is that you?"

Bell turned his head to the worried voice.

"Oh, my Gods it is!"

Before he could respond, his figure was assaulted by unforeseen touches, "Are you ok? When did you wake up?" A hand stuck to his forehead, checking its temperature, a pair of fingers twisted his arms, scanning for any bruises or cuts, Bell couldn't process it all properly.

"E-Eina?" Bell stared into the emerald eyes of the elf before him. Their gleam was filled with anxiety, worry, and wonder, "I-I'm fine, nothing a few potions can't fix."

Bell watched as the tightness in the woman's features disappeared, "Oh, that's good," Then, as quickly as it left, it reappeared, "Oh sorry, how rude of me! Please, sit down! I assume you just woke up, no? After what you must've experienced, you should rest a bit," Eina guided him to a small cushioned chair next to her little makeshift office near the building's exit.

"...You know what happened?" Bell couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"How could I not?" Eina stared into Bell's confused face, "Ah, right. I should probably explain. You were out for what I assume to be most of it," The uniformed elf adjusted the glasses slipping off her face, "According to the adventurers that managed to return conscious, swarms of monsters began spawning at absurd rates. Furthermore, monsters that usually hunt alone, such as War Shadows and Infant Dragons, had no problem grouping up," Eina spoke with concern, "Strangely enough, the target of these monsters weren't the adventurers…"

'So I wasn't the only one who escaped alive? Thank goodness,' Bell breathed a long sigh of relief, "That's good… But…"

"Don't overthink things, Bell. You're still injured," Eina reached into her pocket, "I grabbed this at home in case I got stuck with some extra paperwork, but I think you'll make better use of it," The brown-haired elf tossed a small granola bar towards her advisee.

"You're handing me your rations?" Bell tried to hand over the snack back to its original owner.

"Keep it, Bell. I've already tasked someone else in the guild with bringing some food for the injured," Eina watched confusion flood the boy's face, "They said they'd be bringing me and the other workers something to eat as well."

"I-Is that so? Thanks, Eina," Bell tried to eat with eloquence, yet the ravaging hole in his stomach prevented him from doing so.

Eina chuckled, "You should head home, Goddess Hestia is probably worried sick," The Elf's gaze wandered. The hall was flooded with confused adventurers and their gods. Everywhere she looked, her eyes were met with worried faces, '...Perhaps she fell asleep again. At this point, everyone in Orario knows what's going on.'

"Are you certain? I'm sure I could help, no?" Bell looked at Mr. Strader and the men surrounding him. Laying on the floor, the most they could do was move their heads, 'If the adventurers were not the monster's victims, why are they all so injured?' His mind began to race with infallible thoughts of uncertainty.

"Yes!" Eina grabbed Bell's battered hands, "You're one step away from going to the hospital, Bell! If I were to push you right now, I'm not sure if you'd be able to stand up again!" She tried to pinpoint one of his injuries, but the vast amount of wounds overwhelmed her train of thought.

Bell looked down. His chest plate was battered and filled with craters the size of his fist. The tattered shirt beneath mimicked the pale skin below, barely clinging to his body. He moved a portion of the bandage covering his ribcage to the left, exposing the world to an ocean of cosmic purple, 'She's right. I'd probably be useless,' Bell sighed, "Alright."

"..." Eina shook her head, "Don't look so disappointed," Flashing the boy with an awkward smile. She moved closer, "You know what? I'll take you to the guild. It isn't that far from your home and I'm in great need of some more documents… How about it?"

"-Ah!... sure, thanks, Eina."

The duo began to move past the waves of huddled adventurers.

It took an injured Bell nearly half an hour to return home.

"How irritable…"

Ainz's skeletal fingers swam across the veiled water encompassing him, "It's as if my un-life's some sort of cruel joke. Do my efforts mean nothing to whatever gods wish to punish me? Nazarick was on the verge of greatness! Toppling Re-Estize was supposed to be the catalyst that boosted the Sorcerer's Kingdom to greater heights, instead, everything my children and I worked for has been snatched away… Again," The Skeleton's voice echoed across the empty spa resort's electric bath.

Ainz moved closer to the pool's edge, choosing to caress the feline statue on his left, 'Well, whatever…' The Overlord let out a long, drawn-out sigh of exhaustion. The embers of life left his body years ago, yet the vexing feeling of fatigue remained constant, 'Still… I can't say I'm not annoyed,' Ainz thought to one of his guests, 'Demiurge spent an untold amount of days concocting the Holy Kingdom's takeover… To think the fruits of his labor are to go uneaten,' Then, the face of another of his children swam through the river that was Ainz's train of thought, 'Mare was looking forward to utilizing the resources around Re-Estize's capital to enhance the kingdom's quality of life. Seems like the legion of Death Knights I lent him will be stored away on the third floor once more…'

Ainz's hand -which lay atop the sculpture created by one of his friends- stopped moving, 'Speaking about Death Knights: What happened to the Undead still residing in the New World?' Worrying thoughts began to race through his head, 'Fluder mentioned that the creations of the Eight Greed Kings went on a rampage once their masters disappeared…' Ainz pictured the squad of Death Knights he gave to the Dwarves as a gift rampaging through their underground home.

Knock knock

"Speak," Ainz turned his gaze to the large door, preventing the invigorating steam around him from escaping.

"Lord Ainz, the yuzu bath is ready. The Capybaras are fed, and I've made sure that the water is to your usual liking."

"Thanks, Tsuare," Ainz rose from the depths of the pool, "[Create Greater Item]," Ainz's marble-like bones disappeared under the soft fabric of an ornate black robe, "[Destruction Water]." The unending droplets of sizzling water hovering over his skull and ribcage vanished.

"You should enter Cherenkov's Pool, your sisters should already be there," Ainz was quick to close the door behind him, "...Sebas won't be available any time soon. I've entrusted the safety of the ninth floor to him, sorry."

The young maid's face turned a bright pink, "T-That's f-fine, My Lord. There's no need to apologize! I completely understand," Tsuare stepped to the side, allowing her master passage through the narrow hallway separating the numerous baths in the tomb's spa resort.

"Also, remember to give the golem outside the bath the correct password. Pestonya is currently assisting Aura and Mare, so it'll be a while before the use of a resurrection spell is possible."

"...Right," Tsuare knew Ainz meant no harm, yet the ice coating his words made the just-spoken sentence seem like a threat, "Ah! That reminds me, Lady Aura wished to inform you that the lockdown of her floor has been completed. Also, she wanted me to mention that the Lizardmen under Lord Cocytus' command have all been relocated to the sixth floor."

"They have?" Ainz turned to the maid for answers.

"Yes, My Lord. It appears it had something to do with the fifth floor's "unwelcoming" environment."

"After you exit the baths, tell her to make a list of all the Lizardmen present within the tomb. I'll have to give them a visit one of these days and apologize for the inconvenience…" If Nazarick were indeed transported to another world and not just an inescapable underground complex, Ainz'd have to personally apologize for having them spirited away from their families in such an unprecedented way.

"Very well, My Lord," Tsuare rushed to open the door leading to the yuzu bath.

…

"...Like I said, the idiot challenged me to a duel! I wanted to decline, but she didn't give up! The bastard forced me to fight her in front of the entire church!"

"Hem hem. Is this the same Remedios who insulted Lord Ainz?" A monotone voice bounced off the heated waters inside the room.

"Yeah! She continued to spout blasphemy for days on end! I swear, no one takes her seriously anymore…" Neia lifted a hand to her head, accidentally dropping one of the yuzu inside the bath, "Oh, sorry, let me get that real quick," The young clergy member reached to pick up the citrus fruit on the ground.

"Eh?"

"..." Ainz stared at the two girls swimming in the citrus-infested waters.

"LORD AINZ!?" The nude girl froze. Her physique was covered by the numerous bulbous fruits in the room, yet the panic on her face matched that of a cornered prey, "W-W-W-W-What are you doing here, My Lord?" Neia rushed to grab a towel perched atop a nearby Capybara.

"Lady Neia, Lady Shizu!?" Tsuare almost dropped to the ground in panic, "Lord Ainz reserved a quarter of the resort's baths! Did you not see the emblem plastered on the entrance?"

Cz turned to look at her master. The flames in his eyes hid behind the hollow darkness present in his sockets. The tomb's Overlord turned away faster than lightning, "Ah… Eh…"

"F-F-Forgive us, Lord Ainz! We'll get out immediately," Neia rushed for the room's exit, her left arm clinging to the Automaton behind her.

Ainz watched as the two women disappeared into the resort's unending hallways, "..."

"Please forgive me, My Lord! I should've clarified to others that you'd be staying here!" Tsuare dropped to her knees. Her uniform soaked up the thinly coated layers of warm water enveloping the stone floor.

"It's… Fine," Ainz helped the Human girl up, '...What the hell just happened?' Ainz's Undead nature allowed him to process the unraveling events around him at light speed, yet the situation at hand sent him into a state of confusion rivaling that of unconsciousness, 'Eh?' it took nearly a minute for his [Emotional Supressor] to take effect.

"I think I'll head back to the throne room… I have more important matters to tend to."

Before Tsuare could protest, Ainz teleported away.

"...Lady Pestonia's gonna kill me!"