Hey Guys! Crescent Rider here and I am back with another chapter.
But before you all begin, there is something that I want to talk about...
In one of my stories, I once told everyone I've thought of working on an original fiction story. And that's when I realized that I had been working on some Original Stories in the past.
Although most of them are Rated E for various reasons, rest assured that everything I make is fictional and I don't condone these actions or scenarios in real life.
For those who seemed curious enough to see what I've written. Go to AO3 and my profile there is 'TheRisingDryad'. You'll find the other stories I've made there.
That is all I have to say, and enjoy the chapter!
Forest
(Name Change: Hope will be referred to as Nadja)
While Aura fetches the Wise King of the Forest, Momon, Nabe, and Nadja return with the others and Ninya is somehow close to the latter.
Especially the Spellcaster is curious about Nadja's raven and her knowledge of the arts of magic. As some of her knowledge was never recorded in the Magician's Guild.
Hence, Nadja created a lie to provide a plausible answer to Ninya's curiosity...
"You studied other kinds of Magic from different areas?" Ninya repeated, "All by yourself?"
"Yes, but some places to learn magic are hard to navigate due to traps, monsters, and other obstacles," Nadja said, "To make things easier, I had to use a few familiars to get through the trouble easier than alone,"
Munnin then nuzzles his head against Nadja's cheek, "Why do you think I learned so much for being an independent Magic Caster?"
Ninya expresses awe at Nadja's experience and wonders if he acted independently, he could learn more than what's limited from the Magician's Guild. But if he did, he wouldn't have met these people he calls friends.
However, Ninya wishes to learn even a little knowledge to achieve his personal goal besides the creed of the Swords of Darkness.
Before he could say, they soon hear the birds flying from a distance, and everyone was alerted by this. Lukrut places his ear against the ground and feels the vibrations, "This is bad. Something big is coming this way,"
"Could it be the Wise King of the Forest?" Nfirea presumed,
"It's definitely it," Nadja remarked, and all eyes were on her, "And it's coming in fast,"
"Please leave the rest to us," Momon requested,
"Understood," Peter said,
"We shall depend on you," Dyne followed,
Swords of Darkness then proceeds to gather Nfirea's things for him, and the latter turns to Momon for a moment, "Momon-san,"
"What is it?" Momon inquired,
"Try not to push yourself too much..." Nfirea told,
"Yes. Now leave the forest quickly," Momon replied,
With that Nfirea and the Swords of Darkness left while Nadja joined Momon's side, "Guess the only thing left to do now is face this Wise King of the Forest. To be honest, I'm quite tempted to see this creature firsthand if it's considered a magical beast of legends..."
"Aside from your opinion, without witnesses, they won't know if it was the Wise King of the Forest," Momon said, "Maybe I should cut off one of its legs,"
"I'm afraid that isn't something you should do, Momonga-san," Nadja said while the name was spoken out of habit, "If you want positive results, I suggest you beat the monster into submission instead of cutting it into pieces,"
"I'll take your word for it," Momon said,
"Here it comes," Nadja said, as an attack from the woods came right at Momon,
He draws his greatswords and blocks what appears to be Wise King's tail. As soon as he pushed it back, the tail withdrew into the forest, and a voice echoed throughout the area, "You were able to completely block my first attack. Admirable, it is,"
"It is?" Momon repeated in confusion,
"Now, trespassers of my territory. If you leave now, I will not give chase in respect of your admirable defense," The Wise King stated, "What action do you wish to take?"
"A foolish question," Momon remarked, "Do you not show your face because you lack confidence? Or are you shy?"
"Such cocky words, those are," The Wise King remarked, "Then, feast your eyes upon my form and tremble with awe!"
What comes next was the Wise King of the Forest emerging from the woods and towers before the three.
"No way..." Nadja muttered in disbelief,
"I-I can't believe it," Momon followed with the same tone,
The Wise King of the Forest giggled at the tone of their voice, "I sense the dismay and fear from underneath your helm, I do,"
"Let me ask you one thing..." Momon requested, "Don't they call your species Djungarian hamster?"
"What?! Could it be you know of my species, that you do?" The Wise King exclaimed in surprise,
"Y-Yes. How should I put this? One of my old allies had a pet that looked just like you," Momon elaborated,
"Oh!" Nabe expressed,
"Alas! If there are others of my species, I want to know, that I do," The Wise King said, "If I don't make offspring, I fail as a living creature..."
'Hearing the voice of a monster this size is so cute...' Nadja commented,
"No, well. It'd be impossible with your size," Momon stated,
"I see, that I do," The Wise King expressed in dismay, "How unfortunate, that is it,"
"Sorry," Momon apologized,
"It's fine, that it is," The Wise King assured, "More importantly, we should stop the useless banter and fight for our lives, that we should!"
Momon, on the other hand, was tapping his sword on the ground in disappointment with this reveal, "I was expecting more from the name 'Wise King of the Forest'..."
"I was expecting something different, like a Dryad or a Treant," Nadja remarked, "Not an enormous hamster,"
"Trespassers of the territory I rule! Become my food, that you will!" The Wise King continued,
"Hearing it talk so big is so cute," Nadja openly remarked, then turns to Momon, "Momonga-san, you wouldn't mind if I test this Wise King?"
"Why?" Momon inquired,
"For one, I'm curious as to why the people of this world call this hamster 'The Wise King of the Forest'," Nadja elaborated, "And two, I want to see its features in actions. Especially that tail since that isn't an original part of the Djungarian hamster,"
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Momon inquired,
"I am sure," Nadja said, "And between me and this hamster, It wouldn't be much of a problem,"
Momon thought about it for a moment while looking back at the hamster. He too learns that some of its parts aren't indeed that of an original Djungarian hamster and possibly belong to a variant of monsters instead.
Hence, he doesn't know much of its capabilities even when it's a complete letdown. Also, he wants to see what little Nadja can do after being inactive in Yggdrasil for so long...
"Alright, but when you're done. Let me know," Momon said, "I'll handle the rest,"
"Understood," Nadja said, pulling out a collapsible staff with a transparent crystal from her inventory box, and extending it to ready herself against this threat, "Alright, Wise King of the Forest. Let's see what you've got,"
"Pledging to fight, I see? Then know you shall feel my might, that you will!" The Wise King declared, charging forth like a whirling boulder at Nadja,
Munnin flies off of Nadja's shoulder and watched from the branches, while the latter chants a spell in mind. As soon as the Wise King reaches Nadja's range, and barrier appears and pushes it back a few meters.
The barrier was a sphere and becomes transparent a few seconds later. This was one of Nadja's passive abilities called [Arcane Chrysalis].
Though ranked as a low-tier ability, the barrier has a duration limit and absorbs the damage. What makes this useful for Nadja's standards is the capability of absorbing damage even when said damage is over the shield's limit and grants her the window of opportunity to retaliate or escape from an enemy.
In the New World, Nadja had to test if it showed any signs of change. And the results were given...
For the Wise King, it felt like hitting its head against a hard wall.
For Nadja, she calculates the impact, the amount of damage received, and the shield's total limit. She hums in response to the calculated amount.
'Huh? That much damage? For its size and strength, I can assume that this monster's level is 30 or a bit higher,' Nadja calculated, 'But the latter isn't possible...'
"Impressive, that it was," The Wise King remarked, "But how will you fare against this?"
The Wise King lowers its head for a moment, then gives a gullible look towards her, "[Charm Species]!"
Though such spells wouldn't work on the likes of Nadja and the others. It did, however, give the Wise King a brief opening as it attacked with a whirl of its tail and hits hard against Nadja's barrier.
'Not bad, but I think I've seen enough,' Nadja directs her staff towards the Wise King, "[Forced Wind]"
Nadja then conjures a strong wind force that pushes the Wise King back. It wouldn't hurt it since it's such a low-tiered spell in her book.
She then collapses her staff, stores it in her inventory box, and turns away from the Wise King of the Forest, "Alright, I'm done,"
"How was it?" Momon inquired,
"There wasn't much to expect to be honest. But when it attacked after casting [Charm Species]," Nadja and gives a side glance at the Wise King, "I'll give kudos for its intelligence,"
"I see," Momon understood
"Bold to ignore me, That you are," The Wise King remarked, and attacked with its tail once more,
Only this time, Momon steps forward and parries the strike as he steps in between it and Nadja, "I'm afraid that's enough of you for one day,"
Momon then directed his other greatsword toward the Wise King, "Skill, [Aura of Despair]"
The greatsword is soon engulfed with Momon's Aura, then direct towards the Wise King, "[Level 1]"
What followed was the Wise King letting out a squeak from the effects of Momon's Aura, then it tumbles onto its back, "I-I concede defeat!"
"In the end, it's nothing more but a beast," Momon remarked,
"Are you going to kill it?" Aura asked as she was sitting on the branch, and Munnin was staring at the Dark Elf, "If you are, I was thinking I'd want to skin him. I think his skin would make a nice hide,"
Nadja and Momon turn to the Wise King and they see it holding onto its own tail and displaying a pleading look in its eyes.
the two players glanced at each other, then sighed before turning their attentions toward the Hamster.
"Well, I vowed to Nfirea to not kill it, So..." Momon clears his non-existing throat, and straights his posture, "I am Ainz Ooal Gown if you pledge your utmost loyalty to me. Your life will be spared,"
With those words, the Wise King sprung right up and started cuddling its large head against Momon, "I-I thank you sincerely! I shall repay your kindness with my absolute loyalty!"
Nadja giggled at its response but thought nothing of it as the matter was resolved in the end. Muninn soon flew right back onto Nadja's shoulder.
Aura was told to go back to Nazarick, and the rest took the Wise King of the Forest to Nfirea and the Swords of Darkness. Momon assumed that he wouldn't get much reaction to them seeing a giant hamster as the supposed Wise King of the Forest.
Nadja remains neutral and mounted the Wise King's back with her legs crossed as she followed its backside quite comfortably as a pillow.
A Few Minutes Later...
"This is..." Nfirea remarked in utter surprise, then he was followed by Swords of Darkness, "The Wise King of the Forest?!"
"Please be at ease," Momon assured, "He is under my command and will not lash out of control,"
"It is as my master says, it is," The Wise King said, "The Wise King of the Forest will follow Master down his path. I will not cause trouble to all of you, that I will not!"
Nadja still smiles at the Wise King's voice, then the following words from Ninya surprised the two players, "Amazing! What a giant magical beast!"
'Huh?' Momon and Nadja muttered in confusion,
"I feel great strength and wisdom from him!" Dyne commented,
'Great strength and wisdom?' Nadja repeated in confusion, and looks down at the hamster, 'Just what are they even talking about?'
"You accomplished so many feats. I can see why you take Nabe around with you," Lukrut commented,
"We would have been massacred. As expected of Momon-san. Amazing," Peter praised,
"Nabe, what do you think?" Momon questioned rather nervously,
"Putting his strength aside, his eyes seem to gleam with power," Nabe commented,
"No way..." Momon muttered in disbelief,
'There isn't anything special with this hamster, to be honest. Could it be that anything foreign to the inhabitants is considered great?' Nadja assumed as she cupped her chin in thought, 'I'll ask him as soon as we return to Nazarick...'
"Momon-san," Nfirea called out, "If you take that magical creature from this area, won't monsters start to attack Carne Village?"
Momon turns to the Wise King, "Well?"
"There's a chance, there is," The Wise King said,
"No way..." Nfirea muttered, "Th-Then, Momon-san. Can I become a part of your team?"
"Huh?" Momon reacted in confusion,
"I want to protect Enri and Carne Village!" Nfirea desired, "Please teach me even a sliver of your strength! I have some confidence in pharmacy and I can carry your things! So, please?"
"In other words, you want to get stronger as a magic caster?" Momon presumed,
"Yes!" Nfirea responded,
After a brief period of silence, Momon starts to chuckle loudly, "No, excuse me. I'm not laughing at your determination. I understand how you feel and will remember it. However, you cannot join my team,"
"I see..." Nfirea said, and looked rather disappointed,
"Though, I will lend my strength to protect this village," Momon vowed, and Nadja smiled, "I may need your help as well,"
"Yes! Please let me help!" Nfirea replied with utmost confidence,
However, his soon spread to a certain individual, and his attention was directed towards Nadja, "Nadja-san!"
"Yes?" Nadja inquired as she turns to Ninya,
"I-I..." Ninya was hesitant, especially when everyone stares at him. But after taking a deep breath, he continues, "I want to be your disciple!"
Everyone, even Momon, was surprised by this request. As for Nadja, she just opened her mouth as it was sudden but not unexpected...
"I know we've met for a short while, but I have a feeling that I will learn much more from you than what I've learned from the Magician's Guild," Ninya stated, "I assure you that I won't be a burden, and my talent will allow me to adapt to any lesson you provide. I promise you!"
Nadja hums in thought, crosses her arms together, and taps her finger against her right arm a few times. Sometime later, she asks him a question, "What is your talent?"
"It's called [Magic Aptitude]" Ninya responded,
"A talent that quickens one's progress in the ways of the Magic Arts," Nadja presumed,
"Yes!" Ninya replied,
"I find your request quite appealing, but..." Nadja glances at Ninya's friends, then back at Ninya himself, "What of your teammates? Do they accept your decision even if you are asking a complete stranger?"
Ninya was taken aback by this and stutters a few times. But Peter takes a step forward, "We don't mind!"
"Eh?" Ninya mouthed in utter surprise,
"Though Ninya is one of my teammates, I have no right to hold him back from what he desires," Peter explained, causing Nadja to giggle
"Hearing you say that, makes you think that I plan on taking him away from you," Nadja remarked, "But I don't plan on doing such a thing. If he stays by my side for too long, he wouldn't be able to experience anything himself,"
"Experience..." Ninya repeated, then gasps in realization, "Wait, you mean to say?!"
"After hearing your leader's consent, I'll accept you as my disciple," Nadja said, "But be warned, I won't be so soft with my lessons,"
Ninya brightens up, then he raises fists close to his chest and nods a few times, "I understand! And thank you for the opportunity!"
The other members of the Swords of the Darkness smiled, and so did Nfirea. As for Momon, he had other thoughts in mind...
*Ainz: Hope, are you sure to want to teach him? I doubt that it'll help us*
*Hope: Nonsense, this will help us plenty. Once I've finished teaching him a few spells, he'll provide information as well as attention that may boost my reputation after I've become an Adventurer*
*Hope: Who knows, I might even make a name for myself in this capital city*
*Ainz: I think I understand where you're getting at. But how do you plan on teaching him? You're not even a teacher too, you know,"
*Hope: I taught a few people in the game before. Why not teach one more*
This sentence had given the Overlord a recollection of the past when the game was still running. Back when Punitto Moe was active, he recalled him being thoroughly impressed with Hope's build as well as her playstyle and strategies when it came to PVP.
He even considered Hope as more than a Wild Card Player when it came to her exclusive class.
As for how much she learned in the other world, Ainz considered Hope a much more knowledgeable person than he is...
*Ainz: Alright, but try not to give too much information. The last thing I want right now is for people learning the existence of Nazarick.*
*Hope: Trust me, I won't mention Nazarick once...*
With that, Nfirea gathered the remaining amount of ingredients he needed and everyone prepared their departure back to the Capital City of E-Rantel with Nadja and the Wise King accompanying them...
That is it for this chapter, everyone! As for what comes next, you all know what it is.
But let's put that knowledge aside as I will tell you a bit more about Hope.
As it's revealed, [Supreme Mage] is indeed an exclusive class on its own. But it requires a few things to achieve said class, and its potential is limitless when used properly.
As for Hope's educational level in IRL, let's just say she didn't remain idly by from her previous condition as well as her time in Yggdrasil. Especially when a lot of books are replicated into YGGDRASIL. Not limited to Ashurbanipal...
The playstyle mentioned here may sound a bit exaggerated, especially when it's more than Momonga being labeled as a Wild Card kind of Player. But I promise I'll provide a reason soon.
And the last thing I want to mention is something off-topic. In my AO3 account, the one character I use the most there is a Foreign Being named 'Xenos' which means 'Stranger'.
That is all I have to say, stay safe from the virus, and I will see you all in the next chapter!