A Golem proceeded to open the glass case that held the Deacon named Render and, with all the grace of an emotionless automaton, shoved him onto the floor. As he hit the floor Render immediately awoke in a panic. Upon realizing he was still in one piece he sat up and took stock of his surroundings. He had vague memories of the days after approaching the structure, including a brief conversation with a cherubic half-elf boy. He had strawberry blond hair, and a bright white tunic, embroidered with a golden eye on its right breast. The tunic was held in place by a golden rope at his waist, and lithe legs sprouted from beneath it. He asked about the government, culture, economics, and religion of the Slane Theocracy. Then he remembered being placed in the case and feeling an otherworldly peace, it was as if he never had a good night's rest up till now, and he already vaguely missed the feeling.
Returning to his senses, he quickly realized he was inside a temple in a city within the Slane Theocracy. Seated around the table were two of the six Cardinals that lead the country, at least they appeared to be based on their ornate robes and from descriptions he had heard of them. Scattered about the room were people that appeared to be adventures, based on their attire and the air of strength that radiated from them. They all seemed frozen in place. Looking back at the case he had been stored in he saw a gruesome sight. Two halves of an androgynous man with long brown hair, wearing a once finely crafted set of armor, were being laid on the floating slab and the glass case was replaced.
As he stood, he realized there was a tense feeling of malice emanating from everyone in the room, not directed at him, thankfully, but at the cloaked figure sitting opposite the Cardinals.
"Render," The cloaked man turned his face to meet the Deacon, who was very quickly becoming more and more visibly nervous. "You have been of great help in my plans thus far. I owe you much for expounding on this world and its inhabitants, in thanks I will offer you a gift, choose wisely."
That was all the hooded man appeared to want to say. This only confused Render even more, he had never met this man, and now it appeared the Cardinals and adventurers' anger had shifted toward him. He had felt a presence looming over him, ready to end him if he wasn't cautious. His instincts were screaming that this situation would only become more dangerous the longer he waited so he said the first thing to come to his mind.
"My life!" He shouted louder than he meant to.
"Oh… Alright then. Granted. Please see yourself out. Oh and don't make a fuss when you leave, understand?" The hooded man grinned a cheerful grin. It was incredibly out of place for the atmosphere.
As he shuffled over to the wall closest to the door and made his way out of it he saw the atrium to the inner sanctum was filled with the unconscious or otherwise unmoving bodies of six more adventurers, as well as several dozen members of the Slane Theocracies military. They were being guarded by three golems, similar to the one who had freed him. Made of beautifully carved and stained woods. Inlaid with rare stones and precious metals. They stood as motionless as the statue that graced the room. As soon as he had passed them and confirmed they were not going to attack he proceeded to sprint with all his might out of the large doors that acted as the temple's entrance. Once outside he continued to run. He was not sure what to do, while he was sure he needed to get help, for now he only felt like he needed to run. Taking alleys at random, going into businesses and out their back doors. He was too scared to start shouting, too scared to cry for help. Eventually he reached a dead end. Exhausted, covered in a cold sweat, and terrified but unsure of what, he began to retch. With his head bent low, his medallion hung in front of his eyes, it was then he noticed that this was not the gift that his father, and his fathers father had passed down throughout the generations, but a rat's skull. He grabbed it and ripped it off of his neck in disgust.
This common consumable, an Amulet of the Rat Tamer, if worn without mental protection, caused the wearer to feel fear, and paranoia. If the wearer was immune to fear, or used some item to negate it, then it allowed the user to summon and control up to a dozen Swarms of Rats, before being consumed. Being that this particular instance of the item was cursed, once removed, it would emanate a shriek that summoned several swarms of rats to attack whoever had removed it, then it would turn to ash.
"I told him not to make a fuss." Said Omniculus as he looked at the mirror of remote viewing before him. He made sure to angle the mirror so that everyone present could watch as the man they'd seen leave just a moment ago was attacked and devoured by hundreds of rats, some of which were as large as a human thigh. "What, not even a grimace? You all must be used to it I guess." Tomohito was not sure where his malice towards these people was actually coming from. These were human beings, with lives and minds. But deep in his gut he couldn't feel anything but paranoia and disdain for them.
He sighed, "Well if you aren't going to react then I guess there is no point in acting out a whole scene is there…?"
With a mental command the golem opened the other case and once again pushed its occupant onto the floor. The first mate looked gaunt, and paler than a man who lived on the sea should.
"What…where am I-" the golem unceremoniously crushed his head underfoot.
After a moment of silence. "Really? Nothing?" Omniculus looked tiredly at the group. "And you probably call yourselves heros…"
The Beholder race was a highly intelligent one, but one that lived in fear of the unknown. They were terrified of anyone unlike themselves, paranoid beyond reason. Even two beholders allegiance to one another was liable to dissolve over the tiniest infraction. At least that's what the Beholders in Yggdrasil were like. It seemed to Tomohito that this rigorous sense of mistrust and hatred might be a holdover from the game, changing his actual personality to better fit the monster he had become. He would have to be more careful, since he did not have a reputation as a dangerous individual to cross, nor did he have alliances with any guilds or nations that could provide him protection or defend him. If he met someone truly powerful he would need to be willing to act kind and trusting, as much as the idea scared him.
When comparing the merits of allying with the Slane Theocracy, a human nation with resources, influence, and a military, or to seek out the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown, Tomohito was hard pressed to decide. He was used to pretending to be a human, The Ring of Humanoid Form had been expensive, but the way non humans were treated in Yggdrasil made it necessary to do business. The Slane Theocracy seems to embody that principle to a degree more extreme that the Players did. Considering the fact that elves are treated as slaves, when in Yggdrasil they were human enough to blend in with human society. If they ever found out what he was, they'd surely become his enemy. Serious conflict needed to be avoided whenever possible, the simple fact was that other than Asterion and 24 Clockwork golems, all of whom were loyal to whoever had "I am" and not him specifically, he was not very strong.
Ainz Ooal Gown. Once one of the top ten strongest guilds in all of Yggdrasil, he knew quite a lot about them, and he could safely say they would be more powerful than any army of humans, especially if the humans here were actually the strongest the Theocracy had to offer… He knew that its members had also been humans in the previous world, and that if they were here they were now made up of grotesques like himself, meaning they wouldn't turn him away simply for being a monster. There was one more reason, a secret bargaining chip, that would ensure that Ainz Ooal Gown would cooperate. There was an issue though, he had to assume Ainz Ooal Gown, the undead magic caster these people were referring to, was actually the Overlord Momonga, he fit the description, but why change their his name? Had the other members of the guild changed their names as well?
In the end more information was necessary but because he was worried about the Captain attacking him if he said or acted incorrectly he decided that he should conduct a preemptive strike. Then he could try to contact Ainz Ooal Gown and get in the casters good graces. He could collect information about the world in the meantime.
"What did you expect us to do?" Asked Strongest Man, thoroughly shaken from his fixation on the fine wine.
"Talk! You are supposedly the strongest people in the nation, surely you have valuable information rattling around in your heads. You didn't ask me to stop, you didn't ask me to spare his life, no offers to bargain. I can be reasoned with you know… Maybe I didn't make it clear. I want to know about the 6 Great Gods, where their gear is, how you all got ahold of a world level item. If you have more, where they are, what they do, stuff like that. Is that so hard to understand?"
"Keeping that information out of the hands of people like you is worth the lives of a few men." Said the man called Maximilian, who immediately realized his mistake.
"Perfect, it's a numbers game then, I can work with that…" He stepped over to the door and looked into the atrium. He then closed the door and whispered, "What about the 40 soldiers in the outer room? Is it worth their lives?" He stared at Maximilian as he asked.
"Ye..Yes, those men have been chosen for their loyalty, and willingness to give their lives to the defense of this country." Maximilian said with a scowl.
"I see." There was the sound of muffled screams coming from outside the room. Ripping, tearing, and snapping accompanied the screams. After roughly a minute the doors opened and the three remaining golems, covered in gore and viscera, were dragging behind them the still magically paralyzed bodies of the other 6 members of the Black Scripture. The two Cardinals, as well as The thousands Leagues Astrologer, could see the spreading pool of blood and the mangled corpses of the members of the Holocaust Scripture. Everyone who could not see it could still smell the mixture of iron and offal. The Golems had simply ripped them apart.
"Alright, I've not got much time on these spells so let's make it quick,how about the population of this city? That's something like 8,000 people by my estimate."
The room was silent.
"...I'm not hearing anything useful…" Omniculus pinched the bridge of his nose. "And will you stop silent casting things." He said to Infinite Magic. "It's giving me a headache… Plus I equipped an automatic disruption aura for any close ranged combat based spells before we met. So it's a waste of time to try."
Infinite Magics half lidded eyes squinted in surprise. How could he sense the use of silent magic? It was designed to be undetectable. Also she'd never heard of an "automatic disruption aura" and felt strongly that he was making it up.
"Well I made the threat now I have to follow through, it's a real shame I wanted to at least check out any libraries first but you've all forced my hand. I only have the two stasis chambers, so which of you wants the other one? Besides you two of course." He pointed at the Cardinals.
"..." Every member of the Black Scripture said nothing, each was a veteran of countless battles. They were highly skilled, they had the best equipment, the most grueling training, they were the Slane Theocracies trump cards. And this weasel of a man had trapped them and was treating them like children.
The Second Seat of the Black Scripture, called Time Turbulence, from his position on the floor, noticed the flower of blood and cracks in the far wall, and the lack of the Captain, so he asked "Where is the Minotaur Lord you mentioned? Where is the Captain? Why can't we move?"
Infinite Magic responded "This is the spell [Hold species], however I would have to guess he casted it at 7th level or above. The Minotaur is here, it's invisible. And the Captain is in one of those cases."
[Hold Species] allows those captured within it to talk, but that is all. If It had been cast at anything lower than 7th level many of the Black Scripture had countermeasures in place to resist it, ever since their run in with that Vampire that is. They had been trying to buy time to allow the spell to end, as it usually lasts only a minute, then they would have attacked all at once, but since they still couldn't move, the next best thing was to share as much information as possible.
"And I presume Mr. Dark and Dreary over here is our man from the Structure?" Beaumarchais "Divine Chain" said, his face smeared with blood from being dragged through the pool of it into the room.
"Afraid so. He said he doesn't work for Ainz Ooal Gown. When he heard the name though his whole demeanor changed and that's how we ended up here…" Said the Thousand Leagues Astrologer, tears starting to form in her eyes, the bloody mess in the outer room reminding her of a far more terrifying massacre she had seen several months previously.
"Alright, that's enough chatting, please. I'll pick for you if you don't choose."
"Get fucked by your Minotaur." Cedran, "Myriad Barriers," spat. Then he literally spat, with all the force he could muster without being able to move his neck. It was actually pretty impressive, however Omniculus simply moved his head to the side to dodge it.
"Fine, fine. Umm…" Unfazed by the provocation, he stared intently at several members around the room. His eyes occasionally glanced out into space as if noticing something of interest there. One of the unoccupied golems occasionally picked up their items or equipment and stored them in a sack Omniculus had given it. "I've seen some of the weapons and gear you have, but a lot of it is new to me. More and more questions. [Gate]." A yawning obsidian semicircle opened on the far wall, its swirling interior keeping its destination a mystery.
Suddenly Time Turbulence was lifted from the ground by a golem and forced into the other glass case.
"Let go of me you stupid c-" The case closed and he immediately fell into a supernatural sleep.
At the same time the two cardinals were picked up and carried toward the portal.
"Ok those two seemed most dangerous, I've got the government officials, I've got the strange equipment, as for everyone else… I am sorry things didn't work out." He reached forward into nothingness with his hand again and withdrew a black sphere that seemed to warp light around it. He proceeded to toss it, however its momentum quickly abated and it leisurely floated toward the center of the room. He has the audacity to waive goodbye as he and the golems, with their quarry, left through the portal.
The Gate Closed, and everyone felt the magical barriers holding them fade.
"Infinite Magic, can you do something about that?"
"Sort of…" She said, "...Just a second… He's gone now so I should be able to-"
A moment later, a sphere of the deepest black imaginable consumed the temple and grew to consume the surrounding city. Electrical arcs emanated from its surface. After a short while the sphere shrank and vanished, leaving behind a ruined city, its streets littered with the skeletons of those who appeared to have died decades ago.. The buildings that had been encompassed were overgrown with plants and trees. The ship's in the harbor rotted and sank, and had become the basis for a coral reef.
Omniculus, and the two Cardinals watched from the top of the tower. "I am sorry that I appear to be acting needlessly cruel."
"You don't appear to be, you are!" Shouted Berenice Nagua Santini. "Do you have no compassion for your fellow man? What do you hope to gain by being so destructive?"
"These were several reasons I acted in this manner, among them I felt this would be a good way to attract the attention of powerful individuals that may want to form alliances. I may seem a bit aloof but I am not to be trifled with. I kept you two alive because I need the information you have. Now that we have some time, I will act more drastically." His eyes, staring at the spot the black sphere had occupied, looked regretful for a moment, but his expression hardened again quickly after.
Tomohito could not use much magic but he had accumulated many noteworthy items over the years, he had actually just used an extremely powerful item, a 10th Tier version of [Tempus Unum] named that by its creator because it sped up the flow of time in an area so that a period of 100 years passed in a single moment. Its use against humanoid races was readily apparent, and he hoped that the adventures couldn't be revived if they died of old age. While it had been a very costly decision, he hoped that if he made himself seem powerful enough the Slane Theocracy wouldn't make a move against him while he was inside their territory. He was not sure if those people were actually the strongest in the nation, in fact he doubted it as a matter of course, but a show of overwhelming force was often a good deterrent, At least it had been for the United States since 2138.
The world around the remaining Black Scripture shifted, they had been teleported to their rendezvous point 2 kilometers north of the port city, on a hill overlooking it.
"That was embarrassing." mumbled Divine Chant.
There was a flash in the distance. A noise like a thunder clap assaulted their ears. The Sphere consumed everything around it like a gaping maw.
"What is that? I've never seen anything like it." Whispered the Thousand Leagues Astrologer, her eyes brimming with tears for the thousands of lives destroyed in an instant..
"Infinite Magic, please send a message to Raymond." Someone said quietly.
"What do I even tell him…" They all watched as the sphere shrank and faded, leaving behind a very quiet city.
"Just report what happened… We will figure out the rest later." Heaven and Earth said in a tone that implied exhaustion. "What's the damage?" He looked at the group of people around him.
"He took two of my rings, two of my favorite rings but only two. So my combat abilities should not be severely affected." Quaiesse replied.
"He took my sword, he was so scrawny he couldn't wield it if he wanted to." The 6th Seat of the Black Scripture complained.
Strongest Man also looked displeased, "And my headband. That brat is on my shit list."
"Do you all believe what he said, that we have no hope?" Asked Divine Chant.
Everyone was silent for a moment, "I'd say we are strong, but it's the difference of measuring something with centimeters versus meters when it comes to beings like that." Said Thousand Leagues Astrologer.
The others looked at her, they had all read her report from the battle on the plains, as well as her observations on the destruction of the Kingdom shortly thereafter. They all also just witnessed a city become a ruin on a whim. It was difficult not to feel disheartened.
"That hardly matters." Heaven and Earth said calmly, "We still have a job to do. Humanity is not going to be trampled underfoot without a struggle. Also, Omniculus appears human enough, so he might share weaknesses with humans. Poisons perhaps, we will have to surprise him, we have the advantage that he thinks we're dead… Four Great Spirits, Strongest Human, using that adventurer scale what rating would you give him?"
"He has the aptitude to make use of very powerful spells, that or use items with the equivalent properties of said spells. As a magic caster I would rate him about 180." Said Four Great Spirits, a human caster who had passed into the realm of heroes.
"I agree," Said Infinite Magic, having finished her message spells. "I used silent magic to cast [Detect Magic] and [Identify], his clothing was on par with the Captains. As you all saw he was able to detect my casting, an ability I was not aware existed."
"In terms of combat, we didn't have any real opportunity to see him fight, but his level head and his willingness to commit violence should not be ignored. He claims to be an information broker, and those guys usually avoid battle. So I will be generous and call it 90, in terms of non magical combat. The Minotaur, Asterion, is comparable to that Vampire Honyopenyoko, so 300."
"Then our best bet is to ambush him while he is isolated and keep him from using magic. Fighting in close quarters or assassinating him without allowing him the time to use items. We will need a distraction to separate Asterion from Omniculus."
"Logically speaking, we know he will be heading toward the Capital, he was very adamant about getting a hold of information about the country. Then he will attempt to ally himself with Ainz Ooal Gown, probably using that information, or worse, use the remaining sacred items left by the 6 Great Gods, as leverage. We cannot allow that." The Thousand Leagues Astrologer, a natural genius, had already determined the best course of action, but was hesitant to speak of it. "Infinite Magic, please teleport us to the Capitals Temple immediately. "
Omniculus looked for weapons or magical items on the two Cardinals, who were being held in place by the golems now that [Hold Species] had faded. He left on the rings that they had worn to combat mind altering magics, so that they would be able to speak while inside the field of confusion generated by the Labyrinth. This frustrated him a little because he couldn't use his [Charm] eyestock on them, if he decided to transform.
He spoke quietly to himself, something that tended to happen during long periods of isolation, like being lost at sea. "The Deacon mentioned legends of the ability to revive the dead, fortunately the stasis chambers prevent [Resurrection], so I won't have to worry about that. It was a gamble that the boy's armor was not the world level item. If it was, Asterion wouldn't have been able to cleave through it and we'd have lost the element of surprise, but it's still better to figure out what it is and what it does before trying to remove it. Asterion!" He looked around, almost frantically, Asterion, currently at his normal height of two meters tall, dropped "Perfect Unknowable" and appeared before him. "Ah, hello… Yes, would you please take these two cases and put them in my room?"
"You said I can't go in there." Asterion crossed his arms and put his weight on one leg, his massive battle ax propped lightly on his shoulder. He exhaled through his snout, causing the large golden septum ring to flutter as if it were light as a feather.
"Only when I'm in there using the ring, I said, plus have you ever heard the term bull in a china shop? Just be careful please. And don't touch my books, they are organized just how I like them, it's not messy!" He said to the Minotaur, who rolled his eyes, as he moved toward the opening in the center of the top floor of the labyrinth, escorting the floating capsules behind him.
Being the Keeper of the Labyrinth, Asterion innately understood the layout of the structure and could traverse it without fear of getting lost or triggering any traps. This made him a serious threat to intruders, and was something Omniculus envied somewhat, but "I am" allowed its owner to teleport between the entrance and the center of the labyrinth, so he didn't complain.
Now he turned his attention back to the cardinals, who were being held down. The golems grabbed hold of their jaws and forced their mouths open. "I couldn't find evidence of cyanide capsules embedded in your teeth, or of hidden knives in your shoes, but I am sure you could find a way to kill yourselves in order to avoid answering my questions, so I am going to invest a hefty sum into learning what you know. I'm having to do this because the deaths of others don't seem like enough to convince you to speak up."
"Jussh ash us, wu'll tulk!" Berenice spoke as best as she was able. The only reason she could say this now was because only the two of them remained, due to the curse all Cardinals and members of the Scriptures willingly accepted, that meant he would only get three questions each out of them before they died.
"You had plenty of opportunities before, why the change of heart?" He then teleported away before either could reply, a few minutes later he returned, holding a large ornate glass jar filled with a blue glowing liquid, embedded into it was a pearl earring with red pulsating cracks throughout. Two purple and gray creatures moved around inside it. They had slimy, soft bodies, and many long thin tentacles.
"These are a variety of Nerve Swimmers, a parasitic Illithocyte. They are psychically connected to this miniaturized Elder Brain. I am going to have them infect you, then I'll be able to dig through your minds and get whatever answers I need. Please understand this is the result of your actions, because of you 8,000 people have died. Now I have to do this. It will be painful, and for that I am sorry." He removed the earring from its place on the jar and forcefully pushed it though his earlobe. The two creatures inside the jar stopped moving about, waiting. "The golems will heal you if you start to die, so don't worry. Afraid I can't do anything about your minds being consumed though." He picked up a Nerve Swimmer and placed it into Maximilians mouth.
"Huu-uh?!" There was movement, then a tapping, then a slight crack, then Maximilians nerves screamed. He convulsed and attempted to flail but the golems holding him were unfazed. Berenice watched in terror, then it was her turn. She struggled far longer.
It would take some time for the Nerve Swimmers to gain full control, in the meantime, he remembered, the books in the library might still be legible. That was another factor in his decision not to destroy the city. He procured several of the remaining golems and returned, it took some searching but eventually he did come across a building that held many tomes and scrolls. Using a magical eyepiece, he was thrilled to find stories, historical accounts, recipe books from herbalism to baking, among other things. The simple fascination with learning about the world quickly made him forget all the trouble he'd gone though and expensive items he'd used, once he was satisfied he used [Gate] and his golems to clear out the library, as well as the house of public records, and the coffers in the courthouse. By that time the Nerve Swimmers had completely taken over their host and his mind was flooded with information.
At this time in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz sat at his desk, looking over binders of information in relation to their upcoming battle against the Slane Theocracy for the sin of brainwashing Shaltear and forcing him to execute her. He was not actually paying much attention to the contents of the binders but just skimming them, he could do this because Demiurge, Albedo, and Cocytus were in charge of planning the slaughter. As his mind began drifting to thoughts of a slime bath, there was a knock at his door. He nodded to the maid who then quickly announced that Albedo and Demiurge were requesting an audience.
"Please, come in." Said The Mighty Sorcerer King Ainz Ooal Gown.
"Thank you my Lord." They bowed at the waist, the awkward angle of Albedo's blouse caused Ainz to avert his gauze.
"Raise your heads. What seems to be the problem…" He could tell there was a nervous aura about Albedo.
"My Lord, the spies from the Eight Fingers, who have been sent to develop a network in the Slane Theocracy for the purposes of information gathering, have sent us some strange reports." Albedo said "We were hoping to make use of your superior intellect to parse them, because our current conclusion is deeply troubling."
"Uh hm." Ainz nodded his skull slightly, gesturing for either of them to continue.
"A group on the southern edge of the Slane Theocracy, in the port city of Porderak, detailed an influx of gossip about sailors being abducted out at sea." Demiurge expounded "Shortly thereafter, their reports mention a massive stone structure off the coast. Lastly, our liaison received a hurried [Message] saying the town was swarming with members of the Slane Theocracies military elites. No further reports have been forthcoming from that group."
"That is troubling…" Ainz "Just to clarify, you have not sent any combat forces into the Slane Theocracy without my permission?"
"Of Course not my Lord." Both straightened their posture, in an effort to hide their fear at the thought of acting outside of The Supreme Beings will.
"Yes, I thought as much. I was just ensuring there had not been some miscommunication. According to our intelligence, was there not a floating city in a desert to the south? So other flying structures are not out of the question. Ah, but you both already know that." Ainz, who vaguely understood the implications of what he had heard, used one of his favorite lines. "Demiurge, please tell me what you believe the most likely scenarios are."
At this Albedo, just for a moment, pouted because he had not called on her to answer.
"Of Course your excellency, it would be my greatest joy." He grinned at the opportunity to prove how useful he could be to the last remaining Ruler of the Great Tomb. "As I expressed to Albedo, the worst case scenario, and always possible threat, are the arrival of powerful beings. As history has dictated, the arrival of notable individuals appears to be clustered, for example the 'Six Great Gods,' the 'Eight Greed Kings' and the 'Thirteen Heros.' Thanks to your Majesty's ability to read the mind of that wretch in the frozen prison, we were able to determine that it was not players, but their descendants, utilizing their world level items, that caused you such undue stress."
To Ainz, those last two thoughts seemed a bit disjointed, luckily for him Albedo wanted to contribute to the explanation. In order to showcase her intelligence as well.
"As you have already surmised, oh Lord, since we have not seen any evidence of these 'Players', as you've called them, in the recent past or present, then we might assume you are the beginning of a new cluster." Albedo looked at the floor for a moment, then back at the man to whom her heart belongs and continued. "It could be something else entirely, such as the discovery of a World level item, or perhaps the testing of one by a third party in the form of a terrorist attack on the Slane Theocracy, so I believe it is important that we consider all facets of the situation. " She rushed the words, because in truth she didn't want to believe another Player had arrived. If so, then the possibility existed that it was once of the other 41 Supreme Beings. The ones who left Momonga alone.
"As I thought." Ainz lied "Naturally we need to be prepared for whatever contingency. How do you two plan to proceed?"
"Over the next few days our network will pick up hearsay of the fate of the city of Porderak, either from traders, speaking of miraculous signs and wonders or of survivors telling of the horrors that befell the city. From there we may ascertain the nature and strength of this new group, and then we may seek to make them subservient or simply crush them." With this last sentence Demiurge unconsciously clinched his fists.
"That will be a good start, if that is all I look forward to your report on the matter. Demiurge, you are dismissed. Albedo, a moment please."
At this Demiurge bowed deeply. He was unsure if this dismissal was due to his ability to comprehend his master's thoughts, and in having done so he'd needed no correction. Or, he feared, Albedo had better understood the situation and Lord Ainz was going to ask her in private how they might help Demiurge avoid coming up short in the future. But he had been dismissed, so there would be no answer.
After Demiurge had left, Ainz asked the question burning in his heart. "You both think it could be one of my companions, don't you?"
Albedo looked at the floor once again, "Statistically speaking, it's not impossible."
"I thought you wanted to investigate these types of matters privately, how did Demiurge become involved?"
"It couldn't be helped, I had already checked the Slane Theocracy of any evidence of the Supreme Beings, but whatever this structure is, it arrived from is outside the country. Since he was aiding in expanding the Eight Fingers spy information network, he received the report before I could."
"Well, it can't be helped, is your Special Operations Division prepared to move out, if we decide that it is necessary?"
"Unfortunately no, its primary members are currently acting in crucial roles for your plans my Lord."
"Hmm, well I am sure I could replace Pandora's Actor, as Momon, for the time being. But until we have confirmed it's a Player, let's leave Rubedo deactivated. And keep the contingent small for now, since we are preparing to invade we need to keep our assets flexible. Prioritize stealth, and information gathering, if it is a Player, fighting should be your last resort. Once we understand their abilities we can send a specialized squad to subdue them, if they are not one of my comrades, or welcome them if they are."
"I understand my Lord…Momonga." The last word she whispered with her head bowed low. Her heart burned silently.
"Alright, according to these two," Omniculus grabbed the heads of the two Cardinals whose skin was so pale and splotchy you could see the veins in their cheeks and necks. They had lines of dried blood emanating from their mouths and noses, and their eyes had rolled to the backs of their heads. "We are on a big ass lake, and we traveled right down the center the whole way. Good job me…" Omniculus was talking to both himself and Asterion, who had chained the two Cardinals to the wall just inside the sanctum of the Labyrinth.
"More importantly, If we travel southwest he will hit their Capital. From there we can get ahold of the "6 Great God's," who were definitely Players, equipment, as well as documentation about the plans this nation has for the others surrounding it."
"So we are going to leave the Labyrinth unattended?" Asked Asterion. In Yggdrasil he was bound to it, unable to leave it, although the pair had proven he could, he didn't feel comfortable letting it out of his sight.
"Yes, we need a safe place to return to incase of an emergency. Since those guys in the temple really were some of the strongest people in the nation, leaving it out on the lake, with the golems, will be safe enough. You've got your necklace equipped, right? Good. Also this thing is far too slow. We can make it there in about 6 hours via flight. But this thing would take a week or more. I feel like whoever put us here made it slower just to mess with me."
The two used moved to the top of the structure.
"I understand. One moment then and we can head off. [Wings Of Icarus]." Two large mechanical frames appeared on Asterion's back, attached to the leather harness that secured his shoulder pauldrons. From them sprouted thousands of long beautiful white feathers. "Will you be able to keep up with me in that form?"
"Yes, I have equipped an item to increase my flying speed." Said the Beholder, who was teleketically packing an infinite haversack with various items. "And before you ask, yes I tried to teleport there but it seems just knowing what the place looks like isn't enough, I suppose you have to visit once beforehand. Which makes sense."
The two flew southeast as night fell.
The remaining members of the Black Scripture, as well as the Cardinals convened in a cavern beneath the temple in the Slane Theocracies capital. Their expressions were grim, because they understood the decisions they had to make could end in disaster.
"Even with the use of the remaining relics, it will still be necessary to ask Tsaindorcus Vaison for aid. Our scouts watched his fight with Honyopenyoko, and I myself watched his battle with Ainz Ooal Gown." Said the Thousand Leagues Astrologer. "If he can distract Asterion, then we may be able to ambush and destroy Omniculus."
"While we do not like the idea of asking something that is not human for aid, we seem to be cornered." Said Raymond Zarg Lauransan "With the loss of the first and extra seats of the Black Scripture, the capture of the Cardinals of Darkness and Fire, as well as the loss of the relic the Captain was utilizing. The Platinum Dragon Lord may be our only salvation. That said, do you truly believe letting this Omniculus get so close to the capital will improve our chances? If we allow him into the city, it could be a repeat of what happened at Porderak."
"Since there has been no signs that the Cardinals of Darkness and Fire have died, we must assume Omniculus has gotten around the curse that bound them. If that is the case, he might already know the location and abilities of the remaining relics. Therefore we must take them somewhere else and use the capital as bait or, if necessary, a sacrifice. If we could get him into these caverns alone, we may be able to fight on even footing."
"Understood, I will contact the Platinum Dragon Lord and request his aid."
"Six hours is a long time, when you haven't got radio or anything to listen to…" Omniculus said in a voice that sounded both dignified and raspy, as if from an older gentleman.
"Radio?" Asked Asterion.
"Yeah, it's like magic music that travels through the air but you can only hear it with a special device. And the music is everywhere but no one else can hear it."
"Why not let everyone hear it?" He mused.
"It doesn't really work like that, and it's all types of music so anyone can listen to what they like."
"Magic is strange." Said the Minotaur flying with part mechanical, part organic wings.
"Look up ahead, someone has a campfire going, see the smoke?"
Even though it was well past 9:00 on a cloudy night, both the Beholder and the Minotaur could see as if it were midday. The area they were flying over was heavily forested, with many small hills. And as they approached they could, with their superior vision, make out a campsite hidden behind a hill just off the road. It was a cart and horse, three men and a woman. One man was armed with a crossbow, watching the direction of the road, another was dipping stew from a pot over the fire. The third man, and the woman were in a lovers embrace on the far side of the wagon.
"Vermin, they multiply like rats, about as tasty too." Mumbled Asterion, in this world Minotaurs considered humans food.
"Interesting…" Then Omniculus had a thought. "Hold up here I want to investigate something."
Asterion looked at him with a combination of disgust and amusement.
"Wait, it's not like that, I-I just want to confirm that human copulation is the same here as it was in the old world, who knows the male might get pregnant here or something… Stop looking at me like I'm a pervert, I don't even have genitals so I can't be a pervert…"
"Uh huh, whatever." Asterion said, "I'll message you if I see someone coming. Are you sure they can't hurt you?"
"Yep, they don't even have magical items." Omniculus said as he began descending, he then cast [Perfect Unknowable] and disappeared. As he approached he realized he had made an error.
"You filthy runaway bitch, how far did you think you could get? Huh, well? I'll bet your owner would love to have you back, such a pretty face. That said, runaways are as good as dead out here, what with all the wild animals. If we just find your corpse, who will think anything about it, worthless trash. Subhuman filth." The human man, probably a bounty hunter for runaways, or just a morally corrupt individual, was forcing himself onto a young elf boy. Young was a relative term, but he appeared no older than a 14 year old human, so perhaps 140? His ears had been cropped and he was wearing what had once been adequately well tailored clothing, now it was torn and bloodied, his face was bruised and swollen, his left foot was bent at an unusual angle. He'd probably been owned by a noble, but his attempt to flee had landed him in dire straits.
"Don't kill it yet, I'm next, remember?" The man eating stew said with a grin and a full mouth. All three men wore mismatched clothing and plain leather armor that only covered the necessities. All had Crossbows at hand and at the rate things were going, the elf wouldn't survive the night.
"Yeah yeah, shut up, you're ruining the mood." Omniculus hovered over beside the man crouched over the boy. He was conflicted…
'Why do I care about the fate of one elf, I just massacred an entire city'. That thought confused him further. 'That's backwards, why am I ok with either of those things?' He looked at the boy and his thoughts raced.
'Oh but if I save him, I'll have to do something with him or else this will just happen again wont it.'
'"And you probably call yourselves heros…" That's what I said to those guys when they let two men die.'
'Right but I never said I was a hero.'
'Why can't I be a little heroic? I don't have to help everyone.'
'Where does it stop though? What if they are out to get me, to try and hurt me, to trick me!'
'I don't think the elf boy can do much to harm me.'
'I've already done something terrible, doing something small like this is just to clear my conscience.'
'No, that's not it, I didn't give the humans of that city a second thought. What is this feeling? Why am I so confused?'
Onmiculus' musings were interrupted by the man getting up his position, readjusting his clothing, spitting on the boy, then walking over and slapping the raised hand of the one who had been eating.
"Tag, your turn."
This second man stood and began walking about the wagon, already adjusting his clothing. He went straight to abuse, clasping the boy's neck, the gasps of air were pitiful and sparse. There was the faintest word "please-." A faint pop. At that point Omniculus revealed himself.
Having a two meter wide ball of flesh and teeth appear beside your head would be traumatizing for most men, this one was no exception.
"M-Monster!" He shrieked as he flung himself backward, and proceeded to scrabble towards his companions.
"You call me a monster? Laughable. What? Are you so despised that whore houses turn you away?"
The man picked himself up and ran around the cart, to his allies who had readied their crossbows, he grabbed his from its place by the fire and readied it.
Slowly coming around the cart, with a large, toothy scowl. "This behavior disgusts me, please die without any fanfare."
Three crossbow bolts, aimed for his primary eye, found their mark. Or they would have, had they not frozen in mid air. The bolts had been stopped by telekinesis, and once released fell to the ground.
"Riveting…" He rolled his eye. Then aimed his disintegration ray eyestock at the three men and opened it for several seconds. When he was done all that was left was a blackened stretch of earth and the smell of burnt meat.
After checking the covered wagon for anyone hidden, he activated the Ring of Humanoid Form, taking the appearance he had with the members of the Black Scripture, he then walked over to the elf boy.
"Hello there, you're safe now. I'll protect you."
There was no response.
Omniculus crouched down, "Hello, can you speak?" He realized he didn't see the boy's chest moving. He brought a finger to his heavily bruised neck.
"Oh, I see."
After a moment he returned to Asterion,who was still hovering several hundred meters above the ground.
"Was it everything you imagined?" He asked with a sarcastic grin.
"Let's just go." Omniculus began moving towards the capital once more.
I was past sundown as Albedo, Pandora's Actor, and four Hanzos, arrived at the once vibrant port city of Porderak. Their covert mission was to determine the fate of the town, and the reason behind it. Ainz had authorized this secret operation stating; "Waiting for rumors to spread will be rather slow, please check the area and report your findings." Albedo's personal mission was somewhat more involved than that.
Albedo conducted a flyover, while the Hanzos scoured the city. Pandora's Actor proudly walked through the streets, guised as a member of the Slane Theocracy military. He was receiving the Hanzos' reports as well as speaking with anyone they met about what happened. The only people they saw were the scant few who lived on the outskirts of the city. They had quietly come, wielding lanterns, searching for survivors, or to loot depending on who he asked.
"The temple appears to be the epicenter of the attack." Said Albedo to Pandora's Actor via message, "Have the Hanzos secure the area and I will meet you there, we can look for clues inside."
Not long after, Albedo, who had donned her armor before leaving, landed by Pandora's Actor and removed her helmet. They could detect no signs of life, power, malicious intent, or traps coming from the closed door of the Temple. Regardless they moved cautiously.
Upon entering the temple they saw the bones of dozens of men, as well as scraps of moth-eaten cloth and rusted metal armor.
"It seems they were rounded up and executed in a show of force." Albedo calmly deduced. Not the least bit upset by the death of maggots.
"I agree, they were well equipped, for a human organization. Based on their equipment I believe they were adept at conducting assassinations, and perhaps dealing with terrorist threats."
"That sounds about right considering the reports, however the structure must have moved, either inland toward the Slane Theocracy or back out onto the lake. I'll have our spy network in the surrounding cities keep an eye out for it."
They walked through the temple, Pandora's Actor gingerly stepping over and around bones. Albedo, almost intentionally, stepped on them with her grieves, crushing them.
As the entered the back room of the temple, several things stood out. One was the Massive gash in the wall at chest height, which was surrounded by a spider web of cracks. The second, A quarter barrel cask of wine.
Pandora's Actor Tilted his head in confusion. "That wine, it's on par with the reserve collection at Clavu's Bar on the 9th floor. It's almost so precious as to be stored in the treasury."
"You can tell that much about its value from just looking at it? I should expect no less from the Guardian of the Treasury."
Albedo reached for and picked up the cask.
"Ah, crap…" Said Omniculus aloud, it had been about half an hour since they had continued their journey, and it had been in silence up until that point.
"What? Did you just remember something or…?" Asterion asked, grateful that Omniculus had decided to do something other than sulk.
"Yeah, I mean it's not a huge deal, but I mean, yeah… I left that cask sitting in the Temple. It's 900 years old now, ha ha! I don't want someone coming by and stealing it. That stuff was worth about 1,220,000 gold coins in Yggdrasil. Which isn't a lot really, but still it is a noticeable amount."
"And you were just going to give them to the humans?" Asterion shot him a sideways glance.
"Well yeah, I really wanted to try to get on their good side. Too bad those guys didn't take the opportunity to try it."
"Well, do you wanna go back and get it? Imean we could tele-"
"No, no I'm sure it will be ok…"
"You're worried we'll have to start the trip over aren't you?"
"Yeah. I don't know the criteria for being able to teleport back here. But that wine is high quality stuff… Alright let's try something."
Omniculus and Asterion dropped down to the ground below. It was thick forest, trees kept line of sight to around ten meters at most. Omniculus took the form of the strawberry blond half elf boy, whose two front teeth were missing, and began staring at the surrounding trees, rocks, roots, and dirt very intently.
"What are you doing?" as he landed shortly after Omniculus.
"I'm memorizing the area, I think that will let us use [Gate] to teleport back here. At least I hope it will."
After a minute he decided he'd done his best and summoned a [Gate] connected to the inner room of the temple. As he passed though he began saying to Asterion.
"I think I saw a beehive, I wonder if honey is common enough he-"
Several things were very apparent to Omniculus. First, the Succubus in front of him had a world level item, since he could not get any idea about the quality of her gear or abilities. Second, the Doppelganger, currently disguised as a Theocracy knight, was level 100, with gear to match. Omniculus had created a catalog of many thousands of players and guilds, obviously it was incomplete, but he had kept close tabs on players or guilds with world level items, when possible. The last known guild to own Ginnungagap, which she held in her right hand, was Ainz Ooal Gown.