***Spoilers for up until the most recently translated volumes. Also if details are off I am sorry, this was just for fun. (2/22/2024 update, I wrote these first two chapters literally a year ago, I'll probably rewrite them now that I have a little better idea of what I'm doing. Thanks for reading!)***
Five of the six cardinals of the Slane Theocracy spoke in hushed tones as they awaited for the final member to arrive at the inner sanctum.
"Decem must have been hiding his dark elf twin heirs deep within the forest of Evasha in some unknown or otherwise unimportant community. How else could our intelligence network overlook them? They have single handedly changed the tide of the war. At this rate they will collect the elves and dark elves under a single banner and become an unignorable force. It's unprecedented.``
"There were rumors from the Empire that a similar set of twins acted as liaisons for that Undead Sorcerer, that they serve under him."
"The Empire is still not to be trusted, this may be a tactic to force us to treat the elven nations as if they serve Ainz Ooal Gown."
"That, and the undead naturally detest the living, surely he would not employ those children?"
"It is worrisome no matter the truth behind it…"
At this moment footsteps of the Cardinal of Earth Raymond Zarg Lauransan could be heard approaching.
"I have a report." He said, his eyes void of emotion. "I would like you all to help me make sense of it."
"Is it some form of ransom note for the return of Antilene?" Dominic Ihre Partouche said. He knew it would not be, that would be far too fortunate for the Slane Theocracy. The others smiled bitterly.
"If she is alive then Decem is no doubt using her in his further attempts to create powerful heirs…" Said Berenice Nagua Santini with disgust seeping into her tone.
"No, I am afraid this report has to do with a matter that has just arisen. One that needs attention more immediately than the situation in Evasha."
All of the Cardinals scanned the paperwork laid before them with a mixture of dread and curiosity.
"Could it be?" The Cardinal of Darkness, Maximilian Oreio Lagier, said. The first to grasp the meaning of the circumstances.
"Another perhaps?"
"As we had mentioned before, the timing of Ainz Ooal Gowns appearance does follow the scriptures. Therefore the appearance of this structure off the southeastern coast may also be in line with them." Yvon Jasna Delacroix, the Cardinal of Light, said calmly.
"That or it could be something designed by that Undead. Some form of weapon?"
Raymond then spoke, "Here is what has been observed. For the past three days the structure, a 150 meter tall, 100 meter wide stack of 13 individually rotating stone disks, has been floating in the sky several kilometers off the coat of our major port city, Porderak."
"The Thousands Leagues Viewer suffered from an extreme bout of confusion for several hours after attempting to scry on the structure and its interior. Likewise when any vessel, be it fishing, government, or military disguised as commercial, approaches within half a kilometer of the structure the crew too are sent into a confused state. For the most part this state fades after the vessel has passed by the structure. There has been one case where a cabin boy seems to have become permanently disoriented. I believe the strength of the individual as well as duration exposed may lead to more severe and prolonged symptoms."
"Perhaps mind fortifying spells and items will allow a reconnaissance unit to investigate."
"I agree with that idea, also due to the possibility that this is a trap derived by That Undead, I vote that the Windflower Scripture diverges from its current mission in order to ascertain if this structure belongs to Him, or if some new force has arrived. Also, if this is a new entity, we should make preparations to utilize them against Ainz Ooal Gown."
The others looked sternly at Berenice, but they understood her reasoning. It was not impossible that the being that had made an appearance was human, and if the scriptures were to be believed there were human "Players" from this strange land before time called Yggdrasil that could fight the Undead Sorcerer on even footing.
"If this is a trap set by Ainz Ooal Gown, then it may be prudent to send a contingent of the Black scripture. A floating fortress off our coast is more than an idol threat, it may be capable of much more than simply causing confusion, if it were to travel over land."
"We may lose them."
"If they died it would be no issue, however if they are captured like Antilene you would be correct."
"Antilene was alone, she did not follow orders and did not act as a unit. Working as a team the rest of the Black Scripture would be able to either escape or avoid capture through other means."
"I will also go." Maximilian stated. "If our prayers have been answered and another God-like being has arrived, I would like to attempt to persuade them to ally with us."
"As will I" said Berenice Nagua Santini.
"All in favor that the Black Scripture send a division to investigate this matter, and that Maximilian and Berenice attend in an attempt to possibly forge an alliance?"
The vote was four to two. So it was decided. Maximilian, Berenice, and a Contingent of the Black Scripture would leave for the southeastern coastal city immediately.
One Month Earlier, sort of.
The young man cried. He didn't really care if anyone heard. He cried as he put on his VR helmet for the last time and entered into the world that he had spent nearly half of his life in.
"No-Lifer" "Trust Fund Baby" "Hikikomori" "Agoraphobic" "Recluce" "Leach" "Spoiled" All of these things were terms used to describe Tomohito Nakamura, he had been very lucky from birth. But instead of working toward becoming a lawyer for his fathers lucrative firm, he chose to widdle away his youth in the World of Yggdrasil. The day it came online, when he was only fourteen, he immediately began pouring money and time into it. He enjoyed the power and notoriety that he quickly gained within the game. It became a part of him. In the real world though he never cared to try, his father didn't really care if he was there or not, provided he stayed out of the way when he brought one of his secretaries home.
But now the end was coming, unstoppable and all consuming.
Inside the Virtual World he sat, in the interior chamber of the massive labyrinth, floating in the Icy tundra of Jötunheim along some dragon infested mountain range. He looked and admired the massive collection of knowledge he had accumulated over these years. He watched the clock slowly approach its zenith, and as his fingers began to lose feeling in the real world he sat silently remembering how happy he was in this world.
Then he woke up with a start.
For some reason he was terrified to fall asleep. Regardless of the warm air, the soft golden embroidered cushion underneath him, and the Clockwork golem band playing gently nearby.
"Hmm, that's odd." he said to no one in particular. Looking at a nearby clock the time clearly read 00:32. He had dozed off before the servers closed but for some reason he was still in Yggdrasil. It was then he noticed that several things were off. First the warm air and smell of water hit him, his room was mildly well kept, usually by maid services, so this smell was not coming from there. He looked around frantically before finding something shiny enough to reflect his chosen face in and stared in surprise when he saw his face move as he dictated, something not possible in the original game of Yggdrasil.
"I must have died…" Tomohito, for a moment, looked solemn but then an ecstatic grin ripped across his face and he danced and twirled, his gray cloak, embroidered with a thousand different eyes of golden thread, whipped through the air and made him think.
"Why is it warm, I was in a tundra…" His question was answered as he teleported to the top of the massive, multistoried, ever changing labyrinth that he called his home. In every direction, Water.
Since any direction was as good as any other, he decided to have his home move northwest, assuming the sun still moved in the same direction as it did on earth, hopefully he would find land eventually, if not he really was not bothered.
For the next several weeks he explored his home and performed many experiments. Technically it was not his home, he was just its current occupant, being that he had made it to the center of the labyrinth and slain the last occupant while they were using the item it was meant to protect. The Developer Daedalus had designed this labyrinth to house the world level item "I am." Each floor rotated independently of one another, and, at seemingly random, the layout of each floor would shift making it painstaking to traverse or accurately mark traps. The entrance, being on top, was guarded by four large clockwork golems, proficient in hand to hand combat and the use of time related spells. Making up a core in the center of the middle most three floors was a form of sanctuary. Here there was no shifting layout or death traps. And this was where Tomohito had made his home. The walls were lined with books on every subject related to the DMMO-RPG Yggdrasil, information he had collected, bargained for, stolen, discovered, or inferred. This knowledge he considered far more valuable than the treasure that littered the floor, perhaps even more valuable than the God level equipment he equipped in his natural state.
Tomohito Nakamura, whose in-game name had been "Omniculus", was an infamous information broker. At level 100, his build was a mismatched patchwork of many different classes, all of which were meticulously chosen in order to utilize the world item that he had worked so hard to obtain. He was a Master Thief, Head Merchant, Head tinkerer, Chronomancer, Ranger, among other classes. All of his skills and natural abilities were chosen in order to aid in his information gathering.
"I am" is a world level item, a ring, that while worn allows the user to project their consciousness outside of their body and move it freely about. This apparition can move at a brisk pace, can see and be seen, hear and be heard, but is unable to directly physically interact with the world in any way. No items, save perhaps some world level items, spells, attacks, or traps can interact with or deter this ghostly visage. The ring may only be equipped while inside the inner labyrinth, and removal of the ring will force the consciousness back into its body. Also, each time a new individual claims the ring for himself by slaying its current user, another level is added to the labyrinth.
Since "I am" prevents the user from being able to engage in combat it is thought of mainly as an information gathering tool. At least, once Tomohito got ahold of it, everyone else began to understand what he had seen from the beginning.
Information was the most precious commodity in all of Yggdrasil, in a world where everything was left up to the players to discover, information was coveted. At one point he had been part of a notable guild, Three Burning Eyes, whose mission was to collect the secrets of other players and guilds though any means necessary. Eventually that guild was dissolved, however the information gathering networks, unbeknownst to those that destroyed it, remained somewhat intact.
Information on things as mundane as how to properly mine an ore for the best accumulation rates, to highly coveted Guild secrets like the creation of world level items or the weaknesses of world level enemies. These were the things Tomohito Nakamura sought with every waking moment in Yggdrasil. "I am" made this only so much more enjoyable.
On any given day he may be hired by one guild to divulge information about another guild's layout, possible traps, NPCs, and Players' loadouts. For him it was a simple matter of walking up to their base and taking a stroll through it. His varied classes allowed him to easily identify traps, the equipment and abilities of NPCs that guarded the base, and any Powerful individuals not explicitly attempting to hide themselves. If members of the unfortunate guild saw him approaching, it was not uncommon for them to attempt to bribe him to lie or reveal who hired him so they may preemptively strike. Accepting bribes was something he had only done on very rare occasions, namely once, it would be hard to foster trust if he was known for being sleazy. As it would be costly to completely redo a guild base, his appearance at a guild's door was akin to a death sentence.
In terms of compensation, information flowed both ways. Loot, items, clothing, and data crystals were nice, but secrets were what he loved the most. And those with a level head knew that lying to him would be a poor decision, because any given day he could take a stroll through their base just as easily.
This knowledge was what overflowed from the many bookshelves that resided in the labyrinth's inner sanctum. Easily tens of thousands, perhaps in the hundreds of thousands, of pages of information about the game, its creatures, its players, their bases, about gear, skills, levels, items...
And now he was somewhere new. He looked forward to whatever awaited him.
Two Weeks Later
The Spindle twins were anything but spindly, with their stout frames and muscled torsos many joked that they had dwarven blood in their veins. The jives did not stop their crewmates from respecting them, however, as they were strong as oxen when moving cargo. The two had been working on ships for years, trying to earn enough to gain citizenship into the Empire, where people with dwarven blood were a protected class. Working for the Slain Theocracy had its merits but naturalizing to the empire was their common goal.
Currently employed on a Carrack called the Lady Undine, they were only about 5 days away from port in the southeastern port city of Porderak, when something appeared off the port side. The Barrelman was the first to spot it. A massive tower like structure, it wouldn't be more than a day before they would pass within a kilometer of it. It had the paranoia of the crew at an all time high.
The resident Deacon, Render Kileele Vonmusal, felt that this discovery required further exploration. After speaking privately with the Captain and First Mate. The Spindle twins were volunteered to act as oarsmen for Render, who was a faith based magic caster, and for the first mate. They took a dinghy and attempted to approach the structure. They did not want to allow the Lady Undine too close, lest the structure crash into the ocean and sink it.
This was unfortunate for those four, as once they crossed the invisible border, each was consumed by confusion.
The Captain watched through his telescope, as it appeared all four men decided to take a break several hundred meters from the base of the tower.
"What the hell are they doing?" He asked the other crewmen gathered on that side of the boat to watch them.
"Weren't they supposed to get right up to it and the Deacon would fly around it?" Said one of the crew.
"Looks like they've decided to just sit there… Are they alright?" Murmures from the crew reaffirming their beliefs that this was a mistake filled the air.
"Why did we even have to stop here anyway? We aren't adventures."
"I'll bet the Captain just wants the lion's share of whatever treasure might be inside."
"That or to increase his standing with the church." The nearby crewmen conversed in tones just loud enough to allow the Captain to hear their discontent.
It was then, as the rowboat drifted into the shadow of the tower, that a thick mist began emanating from its top. Even though it was mid-day this fog was thick and rolled with purpose down the sides of the tower encompassing the small boat.
"It's magical in nature, that's for sure…"
"Aye. Ring the bell! Let them know which direction to head to get back to us." The Captain shouted in a voice fit for a veteran of the unknown.
The Captain and crew watched in horror as something moved through the fog, only its outline could be seen, its shadowy form bulky with many appendages, moved down the side of the tower and below it and into the tower's shadow, then presumably back up again the other side.
Within minutes the strange cloud dissipated and all that was left below the tower was the drifting rowboat. The Lady Undine nearly tore itself apart as they fled, they pushed their masts so hard.
Having spent several weeks experimenting with items, spells, abilities, and the NPCs that guarded the labyrinth, and deciding that either this was the biggest lake on the planet, or the ocean was freshwater, Tomohito hit a stroke of luck. A ship was approaching, or passing, it was hard to tell on the water. In preparation for visitors he halted the towers' advance and, after thoroughly preparing, attempted to scry on the vessel. To his surprise there were no countermeasures, no tracers, resistances, false flags, concussive blasts, nothing.
"Strange…" As he watched the crew stare with fear and confusion. "Why are they approaching me still if they are so ill prepared?"
Simply from scrying he could see that these people lacked any powerful items, the only individual of note appeared to be a religious individual who had staff and an amulet. Tomhitos innate abilities informed him that these items reduced the amount of mana required to cast faith based spells and could imbue allies around the user with courage several times a day, respectively. The clothing was not enchanted in any way, nor was the tome he carried. Also, the Captain appeared to have a tattoo that fortified his charisma when activated, a nice little booster shot of charm when he needed to get a handle on the situation perhaps?
Strangely, he felt a sense of disdain and paranoia as they approached. As if he was sure they meant to cause him harm. He wanted to lash out at them as they drew nearer, but his thirst for understanding won out. Just as he was gathering Clockwork golems, with the ability to cast flight, to conduct a raid, a boat was lowered to the sea (lake? He was still unsure) and it approached.
The natural field of Confusion generated by the tower was a deterrent for anyone who would be unable to survive the most mundane of the traps held within it. Anyone level 30 or below would be unable to approach after half a kilometer distance without their vision and menus going on the fritz. The closer someone got, the stronger the effect, therefore unless you had an item, a racial skill, or some other ability that nullified confusion, entering and attempting to move through the labyrinth, which was ever changing, was a fool's errand.
By how quickly the four men were affected, he had to guess their levels were in the single digits, perhaps the teens at the most. As they drifted underneath the tower he, while standing atop it, opened a jar-o-fog, a common item that could create a cloud of thick fog that was supernaturally unaffected by normal winds and that lasted about 5 minutes. After decent cover was created he disabled the ring that allowed him to take on the appearance of a human and jumped over the side. His body swelled, his limbs split into tentacles that terminated in small buds, and his face expanded and contorted until a single large eye, and wide mouth, filled with razor sharp teeth remained. The gray cloak that had covered him seemed to stretch over his spherical body and become the leathery gray hide of a Beholder. In this form it was child's play to fly down and capture the dazed group. Now he had test subjects, sources of new information.
The Younger of the Spindle twins regained his senses as a puff of smoke, that smelled of flowers and vanilla, was blown into his face. He blinked and opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it again when the situation presented itself. He was sitting on a lavish cushion with his legs crossed and a world class beauty, with deeply tanned skin and raven black hair, was sitting across from him. She held in her hand a pipe connected to, what he knew from description only, to be a hookah, something every common in the nation to the south-east. She wore fine thin silken clothing that left little to the imagination, and which had golden embroidered eyes all over. As he realized where he was staring he quickly averted his gaze, it was then that he noticed his surroundings. He was atop the floating tower, not just him and this woman but solid, finely crafted tables covered in alchemical tools, racks of majestic weapons and armor, large fish strung up with their intestines on display, and just out of his reach on either side of him were two, two meter tall, figures made from fine metals, luxurious woods, and jewels. If he listened he could hear faint, rhythmic ticking coming from both of them. They were still as statues but he instinctively understood that at any time they could animate if he acted out. The last thing he noticed was a slight weight on his head, he reached up and felt a tiara resting on his head.
As Banal Spindle started to remove the tiara, he noticed it was stuck fast as if it were a part of his skull. Seeing the woman make a relieved sigh at his failure, he yelled.
"What the hell is going on here?"
The woman replied with a surprised expression, "We can understand each other?" As she spoke more smoke poured from her mouth and wafted over to Banal. As it drifted into his lungs he was calmed and felt as if this woman's words were very important. Such was the effect of the enchanted hookah, charming an individual who breathed in the smoke expelled by another, without letting the affected party know a spell had been cast.
"Yes, sorry about that, I got a bit excited."
"Ah good it worked that time. I have some questions for you, I would also appreciate your assistance in some tests."
"Sure, anything for you, I'm Banal Spindle by the way, I've never met someone as beautiful as you. I'll bet you'd have rivaled that Golden Princess if the Kingdom was still around."
"Uh huh, So where are we?" The woman asked.
"We're on top of some kind of magical tower, is this your home?"
"No, not that I mean where is here? What's this land called? Where was your ship going? Are we over an Ocean or some huge lake?"
"Oh, yes we are a merchant vessel for the Slain Theocracy. Our ship is about 6 days from shore I think… Did they leave us? Sorry um what else did you ask? "
"I attempted to contact them, using you four as some kind of bargaining chip for information but they fled before I could catch them unfortunately…"
The Woman was actually Tomohito utilizing the Ring of Humanoid Form. A Cash Shop Item that allowed him to take one of several customizable human forms. While in these forms he could equip clothing and items that a beholder couldn't, it was also convenient when dealing with human clients back in Yggdrasil. This item had several major drawbacks, first being that if he transformed back into a beholder, any item he wore that clashed with his Beholder Race, would drop to the floor. Second being that in human form he could not utilize racial abilities, such as telekinesis and antimagic. Third, while he was still considered a level 100 being, his stats were reduced to that of a level 70 human fighter. These would rise again as soon as the ring was deactivated, though damage taken in humanoid form could carry over into his beholder form so it wasn't a free extra lifes worth of hp and mp.
Over the course of the next hour Tomohito got what he could out of Banal. From topics such as currency and politics, to legends and folklore. All the while he made notes in a blank tome. And as the Charm spell was beginning to wear off Banal asked:
"By the way, where are my brother and the others that were with me?" A sense of dread crept into his mind as he realized how strange the circumstances actually were.
The woman, standing up and reaching over towards his head replied: "The First Mate and that Priestly fellow are tied up by their hands hanging over the side of the tower, I don't have any sort of holding cells, so it was the best I could come up with. I need to speak with them after we are done to get confirmation about some things. And answer some questions that you could not. As for your brother…"
She removed the cursed mind fortifying tiara from his head, and his world quickly began to swirl and distort as the confusion took hold again. The words she said sounded warped and grating to listen to.
"I couldn't hooooold Asterion back unfortunately, but don't wor…ry you'll be reconnected sooooon…" With a mental command the clockwork figures lifted the now drooling man and tossed him into the opening in the center of the top of the tower, the entrance to the Labyrinth.
After making thorough preparations in defense of the confusion emitted by the tower, the members of the Black Scripture as well as the two Cardinals, arrived at the port city of Porderak via teleportation. From there the Cardinals direct subordinates contacted the city's shipyard and commandeered a vessel for their mission. The shipyard foreman was also instructed to post a bulletin stating that no vessels should approach the structure without express permission of the Church. Afterward the Cardinals and their security detail occupied the city's temple and awaited the return of members of the Black Scripture.
The Captain of the Black Scripture, as well as Quaiesse Hazia Quintia "One Man Army '' stood at the bow of the Schooner. The other three members resided below deck, invisible and masking their presence.
"I can see why they've asked us to investigate, rather than the Windfall Scripture." Said Quaiesse with a smile. "The aura of death spilling from this thing reminds me of Antilene when she focused her killing intent on me at our first duel." He recalled with an exaggerated shudder. "What do you think it is?"
"The Cardinals hope that it's some sort of vessel for a powerful human, someone that might be capable of stopping Ainz Ooal Gown. If the rumor that some sailors were abducted is true then I believe whatever is inside there is not human. That said, I personally don't believe Ainz would let a ship escape if he were to invade, nor would he wait off the coast of a city if he intended to attack."
As they approached everyone, the Black Scripture and the soldiers acting as crew, donned magical items meant to fortify their minds. It was not long after that a light pressure, similar to a mild sinus headache, began affecting the soldiers. As the ship drew closer some of the men sat down and cradled their heads.
"It would seem more powerful protection is in order." Said the Captain, who personally could sense the pressure but was not pained by it. "Commander, you are authorized to use scrolls prepared for this event."
The Commanding officer of the military unit controlling the ship gave a kurt "Yes sir." in reply and proceed to gather the men who were succumbing to the field of confusion. A short time later a [Mental Fortitude] spell gave the men use of their faculties without issue.
Upon arrival at the Structures base a contingent of casters, hiding below deck up until this point, cast invisibility and fly and began reconnaissance. At the same time something very unusual occurred.
A ghostly apparition moved outward from the center of the Structure's surface, as if breaching the surface of a pond, and approached the ship. It was a translucent visage of a human man, of medium build with uncommon facial features. His face was clean shaven with bright round brown eyes and a genuinely excited grin. He wore a flowing cloak that was inlaid with hundreds of eyes embroidered with golden thread. Beneath this were a gray, loosely hanging shirt of high quality that clung at the wrists, along with black trousers that did the same, and boots of elegant craftsmanship. Out from beneath the hood of the cloak sprouted brown hair. He leisurely floated toward the calculating group.
"One apparition. Possibly a ghost or spirit, prepare ethereal countermeasures." Quaiesse said under his breath to the invisible members of the black scripture below deck, namely "Infinite Magic."
"There is no need for that." Shouted the mysterious form as it closed in, stopping a mere 10 meters from the ship. "You should also recall the individuals who are flying about my place of residence. There is little to gain from doing so." His eyes had the glint of someone who was anxious.
After a few moments of silence the Captain decided it would be best to keep this "thing" talking in order to gain any information they could. But before he could even open his mouth.
"So, um, are you all adventures? I mean you five, the two of you and the three invisible guys below deck? I'm pretty sure the rest of you are military for the Slane Theocracy, am I right?"
He dropped the old fashioned way of talking very abruptly. Thought everyone on board.
"Sorry, I am new here… Um, pleasure to meet you. I am The Omniculus, I guess. At least that's what I used to be called. I don't know if that title is still accurate, I mean i like that name and all but it might be reaching at this point, and here i go rambling again, sorry…"
The members of the black scripture were still on guard but from their experience this person seemed genuinely flustered, so it was getting somewhat difficult to take them seriously. Infinite Magic and Strongest Man surfaced from below deck, along with Heaven and Earth, who remained invisible and continued to hide his presence.
"Well, anyway… Welcome to my home, I am sorry that I cannot allow you to enter, but seeing that you traveled all this way I would love to speak with you."
At this point the men surveying the structure returned with a report. "There appears to be an entrance on top of the structure. It is guarded by four ornate Golems. Other than that the top is barren."
The Captain heard this and then asked, "Omniculus you say? You are scaring the citizens of this city. What brings you to this coast? Are you a servant of that Undead? Also, who are you to dictate where we go, we were sent here to explore this structure and find anything of value." Being that this thing believed they were adventures he had decided it was best to pretend to be an adventuring party for the moment, if it meant they could gather more information.
"Again, I am sorry however, if you choose to proceed you will die. I would much rather us speak and learn from one another. In truth, I stationed my home here in hopes that some powerful adventures would approach so that I could discuss the state of things with them. That and I don't know what undead you mean… Is there some sort of calamity brewing?"
He stated that they would die as if it were a matter of course, it wasn't the bluff of someone worried for their life, nor the boast of an arrogant monster. Perhaps it was unable to gauge the power of its opponents? By what measurement was it making this assessment?
"Do you believe we are so weak that we could not defeat you in battle?" Yelled the Strongest Man in a mocking tone.
"Hmm, I did not say that. What I will say is my home is well equipped for handling intruders. Not even I could guarantee your safety if you trespassed."
At that moment a headless body of one of the scouts, who had been surveying the tower, splashed into the water not 20 meters from the ship. At this "Omniculus" looked visibly upset.
"I asked you not to allow those men to fly around, one must have landed on the top of the top floor and the guardians attacked him. I am very sorry." With this he bowed his head.
With a nod from the Captain to the nearby Commander the scouts were recalled and funneled underneath the deck, where they became visible once more. From this interaction they learned several things, mainly that invisibility meant nothing to this individual and his defenses, also that a single attack could kill an elite member of the Slane Theocracies military. There may be some credence to this man's accusations.
"What makes you think we aren't strong enough to face your home, Lord Omniculus?" Quiesse asked cheerfully.
"Well if the quality of your gear is reminiscent of your abilities as adventurers then I am sorry to tell you but you are too weak."
Everyone within earshot was incredulous. Under their helmets, all of the nearby soldiers made faces of either confusion or disbelief. Meanwhile the five members of the Black Scripture, only four of which were visible, stood staring at this strange being of light, looking to see any hint of sarcasm on its face. When they found none, Infinite Magic instantly messaged Raymond back at the Inner Sanctum in the Slane Theocracies capital, as well as Maximilian who was inside the nearby cities temple, with Berenice as well as the Thousand Leagues Astrologer. "Capable individual. Wants to negotiate. Unknown strength. Can't Sense anything." She kept the message as short as possible to reduce the chance of an error occurring.
The Omniculus eyes flicked toward Infinite Magic as she did so, but only briefly.
"This gear is of high quality, we are top ranked adventurers who can afford such luxuries, why do you insult us in this way?" Asked Quaiesse, who had caught on to the adventure act, with his usual cheerful demeanor.
"I am sorry that I have insulted you. You see, my specialty is in threat assessment. I am an information broker, knowledgeable in items, places, people, and lore… Or at least I once was, and from what I gather the world has changed in many ways. Please tell me, does the Slane Theocracy have collections of knowledge that I may pursue in order to better understand the world?"
"I suppose that depends on who you ally yourself with." Said the Captain. "If you gain the trust of the Slain Theocracy through your actions then you might find yourself on the receiving end of a treasure trove of knowledge."
"I see. So that is how it is. Also I have yet to ask your names, may I have them?"
Infinite Magics remarked to the others openly, "Possible fey entrapment, be careful how you reply."
"I am not a fey creature… But I appreciate that level of caution."
"If you don't mind us asking, what are you then?" Asked Quaiesse, seizing the opportunity.
The figure looked at the group quizzically, then it began methodically checking the number of its fingers, feeling the tops of its ears, even touching its chest, before answering bluntly. "I am a human, right? I have the same kind of body as you all don't I? Five digits, rounded ears, no tail, no scales. Also I am a man, if you were going to ask that next."
"Then why do you look like a ghost?" Asked the Strongest Man.
"I've projected my consciousness outward while keeping my body safe inside my home. I am a bit paranoid you see, while I would love to talk face to face I am just being careful, same as you."
"Is that some kind of skill? Or perhaps a spell?" asked Infinite Magic.
"I'm afraid that is a level of information that I would have to charge a lot for. Speaking of which, I have answered a great number of your questions. Would you mind answering some of mine? You said I could have access to knowledge if I gained your trust, how can I prove that I am trustworthy?"
"I said the Slain Theocracies trust, not mine." The Captain said, noticing the trap, whether intentional or not. "For starters you could speak with us directly."
"That is a lot to ask for…" Tomohito Nakamura knew the Captain was carrying a world level item, since he could not ascertain the qualities of his gear, nor his abilities. The rest however were not a threat to him, even if he appeared to them functionally as a level 70 human in his basic robes. Basic in the sense meant legendary class gear, which was the maximum this form could equip. Still his quest for knowledge surpassed his paranoia, if only briefly. "Would you mind if I brought some protection? I will also bring a gift, as an apology for the guardian killing one of your men!"
The figure acted human enough, thought the members of the Black Scripture. They looked at one another.
"Are you sure about this Captain?" Asked Heaven and Earth, whom Onmiculus had been observing in a fashion that suggested that he was a little insulted that he continued to attempt to hide his presence.
"I am willing to bet he is more powerful than we have been able to ascertain. That being said, if he wished to attack us he could have done so already. Body guards or not, be on guard." He then loudly said: "We do not mind, please come to meet us, I look forward to shaking your hand."
"I see, alright then… I will be right down." His face showed worry, but he smiled and nodded. His visage then disappeared.
Several minutes passed. Then three figures descended from the top of the tower. Two appeared to be similar to the ornate Golems described by the scouting party. They were made of a complex mix of fine woods and rare metals. Gold, silver, adamantite, among others which none of the black scripture could recognise. Their chests contained a myriad of cogs and springs, as well as stones that glowed with magical power.
Infinite Magics quickly stated, "Those golems have potent combat abilities, magical in nature. Golems that can use magic, I never would have imagined…"
In each golems arms were a quarter cask sized barrel, made of a dark sweet smelling wood.
Between the two and lagging behind ever so slightly, was the man whose illusory image had been displayed before them. All three ascended via the fly spell and landed softly upon the ship's deck. The listing of the ship forward, however, showed that the size of the golems belied their weight.
"Um, hello!" Said the strange man nervously. He bowed, but kept his eyes open and his face toward the crowd of soldiers and the Black Scripture.
Could this person really be what the scriptures were referring to? Will he be able to help us defeat the evil undead sorcerer Ainz Ooal Gown? He does not seem like a hero. All these thoughts and others raced through the Black Scriptures' heads. Perhaps we are just unable to see it, that is why it is important for us to bring him back to the Cardinals. So that they may determine if he will be of any use to us.
"If you all wouldn't mind helping me get in contact with whoever is in charge, I would be happy to offer you these casks of wine!"
He sounded like a merchant… His actions confounded those who watched him.
"Well it's not poisoned." Said Heaven and Earth, using his skills honed throughout his lifetime as an assassin. "Other than being alcohol that is."
"Of course it's not, this is from my personal collection. I received it from some very powerful individuals, as a down payment on a job. At that time they were about 800 years old I believe, I am unsure how old they are now though…"
Again those in attendance were slightly baffled. 800 year old wine? A man who lived in a floating fortress might just have such a thing, but still…
The Strongest Man approached, aware of the strange sense of power emanating from the man and the golems, but not detecting any malice, and grabbed the cask offered by one of them. "Thank you very much, don't mind if I do!" He then proceeded to push his thumb into the side of the barrel like a tap might be hammered in and brought it to his mouth.
As he took a sip his eyes shot open. He immediately pulled the barrel from his mouth and said: "Oh…"
Everyone else onboard the ship, save for Omniculus, looked at him quizzically.
"Incredible. Someone get me a glass, this is meant to be drunk from a glass! What a fool I was, planning to chug this… this… elixir of the gods!" He sat on the ship's deck cross legged, carefully placing the barrel next to him. He stared in awe. Completely letting his guard down.
"Ah, hold on, I have some suitable glasses." Said who else but the strange man who brought the casks. He then proceeded to reach into thin air, where his hand disappeared. At this every other person on board, beside Strongest Man, tensed and readied for an attack. However, out of the void he proceeded to pull several ornately designed crystal goblets. With designs so intricate that each would not be out of place in the hand of a king. Their bases were lined with gold and each depicted some scene from ancient folklore which no one who saw it recognised.
He proceeded to, carefully, with his eyes on the Captain, walk over and hand the Strongest Man a glass. He then picked up the cask and artfully poured an appropriate amount of wine.
"Would anyone else like some?" He asked.
Everyone was sure some sort of enchantment had taken hold of Strongest Man, so they withheld.
"...Well, there is plenty to go around, I'll leave these glasses here I suppose…"
"What do you make of it, Infinite Magic?" Asked the Captain.
"I can't sense anything, not even something unidentifiable. I don't know."
Strongest Man proceeded to, daintily, sniff the wine in his glass, then take the smallest sip, in order to prolong the time in which he could enjoy it.
"Umm, sorry, please let me be frank. As I said I am an information broker, I will be happy to divulge anything you'd like to know in exchange for compensation, preferably in the form of useful information. To start, I'd like to know who you are, since you are accompanied by the military I assume you aren't actually run of the mill adventures. Is that correct?"
The look in his eye had hardened, not into the gaze of a predator per se, but to that of an alchemist who was studying the effects of a new potion.
"And what if we are not?" Asked Quaiesse, who was immediately silenced by the Captain. "You are correct. We work for this nation's government. That means cooperating with us gets you closer to information provided by the government. Does that appeal to you?"
"Very much so. Please introduce me to your handlers at your earliest convenience then."
"Alright, but first free our comrade from whatever spell you've put him under."
"Truly I haven't done anything like that, this is some of the best wine I had to offer, and I am doing so in earnest… He is simply enjoying it."
The Captain's instincts were telling him that this was the truth, they also said that it was important for the Cardinals to meet this strange man, but that he was not to be trusted implicitly. Therefore he made the difficult decision to have the rest of the Black Scripture, as well as the Holocaust Scripture, convene in the port city in order to eliminate this strange man, should he take any direct action against them. He did this with a single, predetermined hand signal that was otherwise completely benign. This signal provoked Infinite Magic to once again cast message and relay the urgency and severity of the situation.
"Unknown Danger. Send Black. Send Holocaust." This was the message she sent.
Once again, Omniculus' eyes, including those sewn into his robes, flicked toward Infinite Magic. But only for the briefest of moments.
They approached the docks in silence, not for a lack of trying on the part of the newcomer. "So, do you guys know the gestation period of elves to half elves to humans? I mean I know a human is nine months but what about the others? How do you classify Subhumans? Do special abilities regain their use at midnight or at sunrise? Does a weapon continue to be enhanced if it breaks into pieces?" And many others. He, Omniculus, held a tome in his right hand and a strange writing utensil in his left, and wrote in a language no one else could recognize.
Once they were ashore, he said something no one was expecting.
"Oh umm, there were several people that approached my home while it was traveling this way, two of them succumbed to confusion, however I managed to save the other two. I attempted to hail their ship and return them but I was unable to catch up to them in my ethereal form." With this he waved his hand and a Gate opened behind the members of the Black Scripture present. Before they could react, two floating glass cases, pushed along by two more golems, appeared. They carried the sleeping forms of, according to the reports, the first mate and the Deacon.
"These two are being held in stasis, I can release them now that we are far enough away from my home."
While he had questioned them intensely about the state of the world he had also allowed them to be subject to a tremendous amount of confusion, so he was not worried about the possibility that they might be interrogated.
"Ah, that's great, I am sure their families will be pleased!" said Quaiesse, still smiling, but more than a little worried.
As these cases appeared though the gate, a 5th tier spell, the shadow that fell behind this strange man seemed to grow. Everyone around him could acutely feel the sense of danger that emanated from him, even if he acted aloof.
The Holocaust Scripture had dispersed themselves around the city, concentrated on the temple, which they knew this dangerous individual would be making an appearance at. They watched, making their presence hidden, their figures invisible. Unfortunately the futility of invisibility had not been properly conveyed. The mission had to continue regardless. Whether the Stranger didn't notice the Holocaust Scripture surrounding him, or he did and didn't mind, was irrelevant. What was important was introducing him to the Cardinals.
The inner sanctum of the temple was more akin to a meeting room, per regulations. An ornate stone table surrounded by equally ornate chairs, under the light that shone through the window over the statue of an angel.
The Stranger stepped inside the room and looked around, checking each corner. He then spoke.
"Greetings, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
He was accompanied by two clockwork Golems who specialized in magic as well as the leader of the Black Scripture. Shortly after, the other members stepped inside. The Captain leaned up against the far wall.
"Greetings" said Maximilian. "I am Maximilian Oreio Lagier." "And I am Berenice Nagua Santini" The two cloaked figures said.
"I am Omniculus, I suppose. I specialize in information gathering. I must say, this is an awful environment. I wish we could have conferred in a courtyard or market, even with all those special operations guys around… Assuming they are your men of course."
Sensing that this was not a bluff, Berenice said "Yes they are our men, just an added precaution you see. This is a populated area, and we have had the issue recently of some unwieldy individuals, so we hope you do not decide to cause any trouble."
"I had not planned on it." The Stranger said and the golem to his left set down the quarter cask it was still carrying. "Here is a gift for the trouble I have caused you all. It is not much but I hope you are not restricted by your religion in its enjoyment."
The Black Scripture as a whole glanced at Strongest Man, who stood by deep in thought, he had been this way since finishing his glass of wine, a process that encompassed most of the journey back to shore. When asked he simply said "It is good wine, it takes a while to appreciate its finer qualities." Needless to say, this was incredibly unlike him.
"If you two do not mind I would like to get straight to the heart of the issue." Omniculus said directly. "Obviously your men would not put up with me if I could not be of use to you." This phrase recontextualized the entire conversation the Black Scripture had had with this person. Everyone present looked at the man strangely. "If you will just ask what you need to know, I would be more than happy to tell you, assuming you can pay the fee. Since this appears to be a government run organization I am sure it will be no trouble for you."
"...Just to confirm. You have no ties to an undead magic caster named Ainz Ooal Gown?"
At this the strange man froze. A combination of fear, panic, and perhaps absurdist joy spread across his face. He then adjusted himself and said: "I have spoken with them in the past, but that was a long time ago. I do not work for Ainz Ooal Gown at this time." He stood ramrod straight. He had answered honestly, as far as anyone present could tell.
"So you know of Ainz Ooal Gown? What can you tell us about him? That and his "Great tomb of Nazarick"."
"I am afraid that knowledge is first rate, you will have to show me something irresistible for knowledge on something as valuable as that. For example I would gladly tell you anything you want to know in exchange for the equipment that man is wearing." He pointed at the Captain of the Black Scripture.
"We cannot allow that." Said Maximilian instantly. "What else would you be interested in?"
"Perhaps this nation has secret libraries of information about the world?" He looked at the two Cardinals quizzically. "State secrets are worth a handsome amount."
"Allow us to step aside and confer." The two said.
"Is he a spy?" "No, he's too blunt, a spy wouldn't waltz in and demand secrets. He is either a total idiot or the real thing, and considering he is from that structure I am willing to bet he could have pertinent information. Let's humor him for now and if need be we will have him killed later." They turned around and approached "Omniculus."
"Alright Omniculus, we will allow you to peruse our libraries, but you must expunge what you know of Ainz Ooal Gown. What are his weaknesses, flaws in his tomb's security network, how often can he cast his most destructive spells, and anything you think might be important."
"Where are these secret works held? Here or some other place? Also it will be easier to describe their abilities if I have a proper measuring stick, could you please introduce me to your nation's strongest warriors?" He asked in earnest.
With a bitter expression Berenice expounded "What if I were to say the people who greeted you initially are the strongest of this nation?"
"Then you have no hope." He said, staring directly into her eyes.
Everyone stood by, silently thinking about what this strange man had just said.
"To be honest, if these are the strongest people in the nation then I would be better off groveling to Ainz Ooal Gown… You better have some very interesting information to keep my attention."
"Surely you jest…" said Quaiesse. His smile plastered onto his face.
"No. I do not. You do not seem to understand, once 800 men more powerful than yourselves attempted to lay siege to Nazarick. They failed."
No one present had ever heard of a group so large of such powerful people, they were stunned. It was not written in the annals of history, surely he was exaggerating.
"In fact, since you all seem to be against him, I may earn some favor by delivering you to him. I am sure I can find these hidden troves of knowledge without you." His words grew somewhat frantic, he glared hard at the Captain.
The Captain had determined already that in terms of combat ability, this man was not a threat. He was certainly powerful, as in his body was strong, but he was no match for himself one on one. Still, everyone who heard him lowered their hips and took defensive stances.
Suddenly There was a loud slamming. The Captain, who had been next to the far wall, thought it quite loud and attempted to react by defending the Cardinals. However the noise had come from his chest. The wall behind him, made of solid stone, had become a spider's web of cracks. Embedded within it, having passed through his chest, was a great ax wider than a man was tall. The creature holding the great ax had to be three meters tall. It was a minotaur. Clad in high
quality amour and breathing raggedly, with a perverse smile on its snout. The Captain's lower torso and legs fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. It was not long after that his field of view began to shrink and he lost consciousness.
"Minotaur Lord, Fighter." Yelled out someone, in an attempt to spread information about their foe.
"Close but not quite. That is Asterion. He is the progenitor for the race known as Minoutarus, the protector of the labyrinth that is my home. He is also as pure of a barbarian as it gets. Now that the one troublesome individual has been taken care off I suggest you all surrender." The Omniculus spoke in a level tone, staring at the table. "I will have him kill you if I must, but Ainz Ooal Gown will have more use for you alive I am sure… I am sorry that your offer didn't pique my interests in time."
Since opening the Gate that allowed the two captured sailors though, Asterion had been following the group. This was the prearranged plan, due to the fact that the Captain of this group held at least one world level item. He had been hiding via the spell perfect unknowable, and when he was preparing to attack he had cast enlarge on himself, in order to grow from two meters tall to three meters tall, boosting his strength for the duration. As soon as he attacked, perfect unknowable was dropped, this allowed his fear effect to take hold of anyone whose mind wasn't defended. At the same time The Omniculus used several items in quick succession. The first was a scroll that blocked teleportation, the second was also a scroll that blocked [Message], the third was a powerful sealing crystal that contained the spell [Hold Species]. The combination of these three left the entirety of the Black Scripture, as well as the Holocaust Scripture, vulnerable. It did not take long for Asterion and the four clockwork golems to subdue them.