Chapter 17: A New Form
The wilderness on the 8th Floor went from apocalyptic infernal beings to the most angelic creatures one could ever hope to see. The diversity was so that no player of any race had any weakness to exploit. With this tactic, there was no advantage, only stronger or weaker. That is why no one passed this floor. It was designed with the sole purpose of destruction. The 8th Floor alone could conquer Nazarick alone with all the 41 members present. At least, that is what Ainz thinks.
When greeted by the familiar working station of Demiurge, he saw that he made quite the upgrades on his construction.
"Demiurge, I see you have developed the construct further." He says while looking at the thing. Demiurge bowed as soon as Ainz was in his presence.
"Yes, Lord Ainz. As you can see, I have improved the crystal's quantity and the contraption's overhaul stability. Now it should be able to hold on to the staff's power." He said, Ainz massaging his chin while inspecting the machine.
Floating in the air was a round golden object, much more developed than the prototype Demiurge created a while ago. It had not one, but seven additional crystals that would try to suck up the energy the staff would emit on fusing with the leaf.
"Very well, Demiurge. Then let us get to it." He removes his staff from his inventory and places it in the middle, just right under the floating ball. With his hands free, he finally takes out a [Leaf of Yggdrasil], which he created a while ago. It flickered golden as if it was sensing the staff nearby. He lets go of the leaf as it floats toward one of the last free orbs. As it closed in, both Ainz and Demiurge watched in anticipation of the experiment as it unfolded.
The leaf slowly began to merge with the staff in the bright light. Ainz couldn't help but feel a sense of awe as he watched the two objects become one. The power that was being released from the fusion was something he had never felt before. It felt like it could destroy anything and everything in its path. He knew that this new form of his staff would be incredibly powerful, and he was right.
"The experiment was a success. Well done, Demiurge," Ainz said as he approached the staff, grasping it, and the moment he touched the World Item, he could feel it again, the need to add another ability. 'This time, I know exactly what I want. Something more extraordinary.'
"I am not worthy of such praise, Lord Ainz," Demiurge reassured, but Ainz was too focused on the staff to hear him any longer.
'The best ability yet.'
With a push of his finger, he chose the ability he wished, one of the more powerful ones the staff saved up. Its potential and vast area to use are exceptionally large, almost too op for a World Item. But that was what they were, after all, World Items, things that could change the fabric of reality.
A dim light emerged from the staff, but nothing more. But the unseen changes made to the staff were immense compared to its appearance. Ainz could feel it.
'Another overpowered ability. Now to test it.' He thought. In a moment of self-reflection, he turns to Demiurge, who patiently waits for his master to say anything.
"Good work, Demiurge. For now, I will be in my chambers:" He informed the Arch-Devil, who bowed as Ainz entered his personal room with the help of his guild ring. "Finally, peace at last." First, he let the staff float away, making himself some space for the experiment that was to come.
He watched the staff with anticipation, he himself growing more nervous by the second. He knew this would change everything and nothing at the same time. But he had to try it out.
"Well, here goes nothing." He picks up his courage and activates his new ability.
"[Race Shift]"
He did not know what would happen if a menu appeared or he had to form his new form himself, but soon everything seemed clear.
'Interesting. There is no particular menu, only a visible character.' Before him was just a human, floating around and spinning in a cycle. He guessed he needed to do the rest manually. 'Now to change its appearance.' He tried to click on the avatar, but nothing happened. Then, as he used his hands and imagined the changes, he saw the avatar before him transform. He could drag the body upwards and manipulate its height or wave over its hair to change its color or the complete overhaul look.
'Rather good. But how do I change the race of the avatar?' He needed not to think longer. As he focused on it, a short menu appeared in which he could scroll down from A to Z with all various races, most of whom he didn't even know about. 'Mmh, maybe a… dragon!' At his words, the list sped up to select the race he wanted, and Ainz was surprised it worked. Before him was now a sculpture of a dragon. 'I can be a dragon!? It was practically forbidden in Yggdrasil, but it seems this world follows different rules.'
He changed the form to many things, from a demon to a giant, an angel, an insectoid, and in the end, just an elf. 'I can also save these forms individually and create a sort of save file. But what happens to my racial classes? Will they just get replaced if I choose another heteromorph? And what about if I want to be a human? Do they just disappear?' He thought first to test the ability with a heteromorphic being rather than gambling on a humanoid and losing the racial classes he worked so hard for.
'Right, but what to change into? Mmh, I should change into another undead first.' He selected a different kind of undead, one that still had flesh attached to it, and it was quite amusing to create the avatar for that form. He changed the size to appear a little taller than before. The pale skin stayed the same as the red eyes. The only thing he changed was the hair to match his skeletal visage. White hair, long at that, reaching his shoulders. 'I've always wanted long hair. And with this form, it seems quite fitting.' He continued forming the avatar, making the build slender but muscular, his face handsome but still masculine with the same jawline that he possessed at the moment. He would guess this form to be around 24 years old, if not older. Why did he go with such a young-looking body? He wanted to exploit everything he could. Most would consider him an inexperienced young magic caster, but they would be far too wrong about that. If he could create an undead resembling a demon, he could manipulate the enemy to use holy or light spells against him instead of fire-based attacks. As most know, demons are resistant or completely immune to most forms of fire. Thus he could eliminate his potential weakness, that is, fire damage.
"This should be it." He decided that he had finished sculpting his new avatar. But before he went on, he checked something first. On the left side of the avatar was a button called [Save]. 'So I can save forms. Better save my current avatar before I lose it completely.' He pressed it, and a small screen appeared, asking him what he wanted to call his current form.
"I'll name my current avatar… Momonga." He said and saw that under saves, the name appeared as he stated. 'Now that is done.' He thought, looking back to the avatar. 'It's time to see if I can become a Vampire.'
"[Race Shift]" He said, suddenly feeling a tingling sensation all over his body. He looked at his hands, seeing muscles form over his bones, going all the way to his fingers, slowly forming pale skin that reflected light just as well as his skeletal appearance. He went to quickly touch his face, first going right through his mouth as it wasn't entirely formed, but soon, he felt the touch, unlike when he touched something with his skeletal hands. It was different, just like with his natural body. It wasn't as if a barrier was between him and the world. No, he could feel this.
"Incredible…" He removed his robe to see his sculpted self in the mirror, seeing that he was precisely the form he had made before. Deep red eyes, sharp-edged ears, long white hair, a pale but masculine face, and a body formed like a god. 'I look incredible! Look at these muscles!' He tried flexing them, feeling the intensity rise in his muscles as he struck pose after pose. 'And down here, I definitely did a good job with that.' He almost forgot the sight when being a skeleton for so long. But that was of lesser importance right now.
'If I change race, I should lose my racial classes, right? But do I get new ones? The racial classes should be equal to the ones I had before. Meaning I should be… A True Vampire? Like Shalltear or not? But since I have [The One] racial class, I should have a rarer class.' He tried to focus on finding out what he was but sadly found no menu appearing to his wishes. 'Seems the staff hasn't all the solutions. Some things I simply have to find out myself.' He looked at himself in the mirror and cast appraisal magic on himself, removing his ring first so that it worked. 'So it is true, I am indeed [The One] now. It gives all sorts of bonuses. One is more control over all vampiric races. But because of that, I lost my [Eclipse] class, or so I should.' He decided to test out his theory.
"[Time Stop]" He cast, feeling slightly different from when he cast it in his Overlord form.
'Just as I thought. It isn't as proficient anymore. No [Eclipse] class means no mastery of time magic. So this means I am currently five levels less than before. Still, I should have the stats of a level 100+ player, but classes in only 100 levels. Meaning I need to learn some specific classes only for vampires, or I'm pretty weak as one. But since I'm actually at a higher level, I should be able to learn or replace my lost levels. I still have the experience from them, but they just float around. Mmh maybe heading to the library could offer me some insight. But wait?! Can I even go outside with this form?! If they see me, they won't recognize me right away. Better put on the mask too.'
Soon, he was clothed back in his divine robes, the [Mask of Envy] already resting on his visage as he was ready to leave his room.
'I'm good to go now.' With a swift flick of his fingers, he appeared inside the Library of Ashurbanipal. Surrounded by shelves that went high up until they weren't visible any longer, Ainz turned his head to see an all-familiar Skeleton Mage right at the entry.
"Titus, I will be looking for some books. Do you have anything on vampire and vampire-related classes?" Ainz asked, and Titus nodded.
"Yes, my lord. Follow me." He said as he hovered towards shelf after shelf, looking for the right one.
"Ah yes, right here, Lord Ainz," Titus said, pointing to the vampiric section. His voice was ever so rough.
"Thank you, Titus. You may resume your other duties now." Ainz said, and Titus bowed and disappeared behind his desk, doing whatever he did in his time as the Librarian.
'Vampires Weaknesses and Strengths, Blood for the Blood God, How to beat Cainabel, Vampire 101, Dracula's Diaries, Vampire-related Classes, Different Vampire Races, Origins of Vampires, Castlevania's Crossover Vampires, and Vampire Skills.' Ainz went through all the books he found interesting as he threw each one of them inside his pocket dimension. Many other books were left, but he didn't think he needed them. With a swift turn, he returned to his room on the 9th Floor. He removed book after book, putting them on his large desk.
'With what do I start? Mmh…' He looked at each book, deciding it would be good to start with Vampire's Weaknesses and Strengths. 'Ah yes, vulnerability to silver, as it is the only thing that can really harm and damage me in this form. But everything else is the same as being a skeletal type undead.' He put the book away, as he did not find anything he didn't know already.
'Vampire-related Classes, this one might do.' He opened the book, its cover in a dark red as two fangs in silver were portrayed on it. There seemed to be an effect on the book that made it seem to be surrounded by blood all the time. 'This is it. Mmh, [Blood Lord] seems more of a mage-oriented class that enhances my blood-oriented abilities and spells, whereas [Lord of Darkness] gives me more power over darkness-aligned spells and creatures. [Bloodsinger] allows me more control over blood, even using my own blood as a replacement for mp, draining my hp with it. Or [Night Seraph], it grants the skill of passive flying with wings and overhaul strength under the night sky to martial and magical prowess. An all-rounder, so to speak. But for that I need a job class I don't possess. But [Blood Lord] or [Lord of Darkness] is in my ability to achieve. The only requirements for [Blood Lord] are to be a [True Vampire] and a [Sorcerer]. For [Lord of Darkness], I need [True Vampire] and [Ruler of Death]. A shame there isn't anything time-related, but I guess I need to rely on that with my Overlord form.'
Ainz felt picky between [Lord of Darkness] and [Blood Lord]. Both were suitable overhaul classes, one strengthening his already affinity to darkness while the other granted him more overhauls of vampiric skills and spells.
'A dilemma once more. Since I'm a Vampire now, why not choose [Blood Lord]? I need skills that would suit this form, or it would be useless.'
He was sure of it. He wanted the [Rare] class called [Blood Lord]. He knew Shalltear had a similar class, but only in [Advanced High]. But she had other [Rare] classes that Ainz didn't, warrior classes, to be precise.
'But how do I do this? The staff had an answer before. Maybe it will now as well.' He grabbed the staff, focused on his level menu, and noticed he had gained a new level in his locked racial class, one in [Master Tactician] and one in another locked class.
'Cool, level 2 in [Master Tactician] gives me a new active ability called [Counter Plan]; it allows me to find a way out of a situation or trap faster. Nice, but not needed at the moment.'
What interested him right now was the locked screen on his [Eclipse] class, which he couldn't use as he wasn't an Overlord. He tried to click on it. A new menu appeared because of that.
'Pushing buttons always works. Now, it seems I can replace my [Eclipse] class with an equal class. But it doesn't really give me any examples. But that doesn't matter. I already know what class I want.' He entered the following class, and seeing the system of the staff accepted his input, his previous class was now replaced with a new one.
'So it seems I possess the class just like that. [Blood Lord], let's see what you do.'
He pushed on the new class, expanding the menu to show everything he gained from it.
[Blood Lord]
Lv 1:
+15% magic resistance
+10% blood-related spell damage
+10% magic damage
+20% blood control
-[Blood Bending] A skill to control the blood of living things. It only works on beings lower than level 40.
Lv 2:
+25% magic resistance
+20% blood-related spell damage
+20% magic damage
+30% blood control
-[Vampiric Touch] Touching a living being with this skill will allow any advantage over the target, from mind control to lowering its stats. High-level beings won't be affected.
Lv 3:
+35% magic resistance
+30% blood-related spell damage
+30% magic damage
+40% blood control
-[Eyes of the Night] Just by looking at a living creature, the target will be forced to transform into a creature of the night. It only works on beings lower than level 40. Beings from level 40-60 will experience hallucinations, dread, and fear effects. Beings over level 60 will feel almost nothing. Beings over level 80 will not be affected by any of the previous effects.
Lv 4:
+45% magic resistance
+40% blood-related spell damage
+40% magic damage
+50% blood control
-[Bloodform] Allows the body to become blood itself, thus losing all weaknesses to certain alignments and elements. But at the cost of wreaking one's racial strengths. One can act normally in this form, but the damage by magic doubles, but physical damage to oneself is almost impossible.
Lv 5:
+55% magic resistance
+50% blood-related spell damage
+50% magic damage
+60% blood control
-[Blood for the Blood God] An ultimate skill that, after 6 seconds of casting time, allows one to become invincible for a further duration of 30 seconds. For the duration, blood will be drained passively, lowering the hp but not actually receiving any damage from incoming attacks. After use, it has a 50-hour cooldown.
'Mmh, not as good as the [Eclipse] class. I mean, the ultimate skill is quite neat, but killing everything, even bypassing immunities, is something I like more. Being invincible could have the same effect, allowing me to cast spells after spells on my target, but that doesn't help when the timer runs out, my target isn't dead already, and I'm on low hp. But, well, it is an experience nonetheless, being a vampire. I should test it some time, but not for now.'
Before him, a similar menu appeared. In the middle was his old avatar, floating.
'Now, let's save this form first. But how should I call it, mmh… I'm not creative with names, so simply Alucard will suffice.' He entered the given name, and his form appeared in the save files beneath his Overlord form. 'So, now let's turn back.'
"[Race Shift]" He said, but the ability didn't seem to respond. Nothing did. He panicked, not knowing why the transformation didn't take place, his arms and legs still being made out of flesh. He recognized something was wrong. Very wrong.
"What is going on?" Accidentally saying it too loud, a maid entered his room, her face full of worry as she came running. It was Cixous, a blonde-haired maid in her typical uniform.
"Is everything alright, Lord Ainz? Ainz turned to her, unknowingly of his current appearance. But as she saw the expression on her face, he knew she had seen his form already. "L-Lord Ainz? Is that you?" She asked, her jaw open as she saw a completely different person, yet handsome, in the divine robes of her master. His long white hair, black eyes, and red pupils made her notice him to be her master. But the sudden shock she felt at seeing a body made out of flesh on her master's body was too much for the poor maid.
"Yes, Cixous, there is nothing wrong. But, I must please ask you to keep this a secret. You know, about this." He pointed to his face and arms, hoping she would catch on. But she was somehow entranced by his appearance that she almost didn't get what he said.
"Of course, Lord Ainz! I will not say a word! Or I will say you simply practiced illusion magi-"
"No, Cixous, simply say nothing. Even if Albedo asks you if something happened, you will be quiet as a rock. I don't want anybody to notice this until I fix this issue, understood?" He knew if this information were to go viral in the Tomb, Albedo would put the whole Tomb upside down to find him. For what would come next, even he didn't know.
"Understood, Lord Ainz!" She said, standing like a statue, waiting for her lord to dismiss her.
"Good. You may leave my chambers now." He said, waving her away as she exited his room.
"Finally. That was close. If it were Albedo, I would be dead meat by now. Or rather, really worn-out meat." He decided to go back to see what was wrong, and as he remembered the effects of one of the abilities, he knew what the problem was.
'I thought [Time Defiance] would also work on these abilities, but one world item nullifies the other and has no effect on it. Meaning I can't change after one whole day.' He let that thought sink in, knowing he had to endure a day without anybody noticing.
'Maybe I'll leave the Tomb as Momon so no one will see my face.'
"Yes, that will work." With a snap of his fingers, he was back in his Momon armor, his greatswords already on his back. "Cixous, are you still there!" He yelled, and soon the same maid entered his room once more.
"Yes, Lord Ainz? How can I be of assistance?" She asked, but she didn't wait long.
"You may inform Albedo that I depart as Momon." He said and was gone from Cixous's eyesight.
"Very well, Lord Ainz…"
On the surface of Nazarick, Ainz could finally smell the air with a real nose, or to some extent, real.
"Finally, some natural smell. I can feel things much better now. Ah yes, E-Rantel it is. That was my plan." He quickly cast a [Perfect Unknownable] on himself and teleported to his residence in the city. It was a simple house that he bought with the money of adventuring but wasn't actually there most of the time. It was more of a place for him to enter when going to Nazarick and leaving. Just then, heard a knock on his door, an unusual phenomenon.
'It appears I am here at the right time.' He went down the stairs and opened his door, only to see a small, masked Sorcerer before him.
"Momon!" She said and jumped on him, clinging herself on. Ainz couldn't do anything but accept the forced hug, desperately trying to put her down as gently as possible.
"E-Evileye? What are you doing here in E-Rantel?" He asked, the vampire returning to the ground after she realized what she just did.
"I'm here with Blue Rose, actually. We're purging an 8 Fingers hideout in this city. You wanna join?" She asked, her tone diminishing to the end of the sentence.
"Mmh, if I can help, I will assist you and Blue Rose with your task." He said, and the vampire began jumping from excitement.
"Perfect! Follow me I'll bring you to the others." She said and dragged Ainz by the hand. He but obliged.
'When I thought some time off with Momon, I didn't mean hanging out with Blue Rose and this girl! This just gets things more complicated!'
Soon, they found themselves at an abandoned house. Evileye knocked on the door with a code, and a huge shadow opened, revealing Gagaran, that instantly hit Evileye on the back.
"Come in, Evileye! And you finally found your friend." Gagaran said while looking at Momon, smiling at what Evileye had in mind with the Raven Black Hero.
"Evileye told me you would attack an 8 Fingers hideout and brought me along. I hope that is of no inconvenience to you, Lakyus." Ainz said, entering the house slowly.
"Don't worry, Momon. The more muscle, the faster this is over. We already planned an attack, but since you are here, you'll tag along with Gagaran, Evileye, and me." Lakyus explained, Ainz listening carefully.
"Of course. Where is this hideout exactly?" He asked, and Lakyus pointed to the ground, where a trapdoor was located.
"Right under here. Quite clever, but we found it. From what we gathered, it leads to a system of tunnels all around the city, connecting to one basement. We just have to follow the route I made, and we'll find ourselves there in no time." Lakyus said while she took out a map with a clear route engraved on it.
"Then let us follow that path until we find these criminals." Ainz said, the whole group cheering at his words. Only the two ninja twins remained silent.
"C'mon! Just as Momon said!" Gagaran went to rip off the trap door and jumped on the floor, finding herself in the darkness of the underground tunnel. "Woah."
Soon, the rest followed, and Evileye quickly cast a light spell to allow the others to see. Ainz and Evileye had sight that could even see in the dark, but that would be rather suspicious of Evileye, even more so from Momon.
"Now, follow me!" Lakyus said and went in one direction.
'Right. Like I wanted to be here.' Ainz thought that. Suddenly, his thoughts were disturbed by a particular magic caster in the group.
"So, Momon. What have you been up to? I mean, I knocked on your door for one week, and you didn't open. Were you home all the time or just away? What did you do all the time? How have you been?" She asked and asked, walking up close to the Overlord, no, to the True Vampire. To some extent, just like her, but miles away if one would count power alone.
"I wasn't home if you're asking that. I was… Hunting." He said, hoping for Evileye to believe his short-sighted lie.
"Hunting?" She asked. The one thing Ainz didn't want to hear from her.
"Yes, hunting. I like to hunt… animals." Ainz explained, not trying to go into detail, or he would surely spill his lie.
"So, like hunting in the Great Forest of Tob, or more like rabbit hunting? She asked, Ainz's head steaming from her ridiculous curiosity.
"In the Great Forest of Tob, yes. I hunt monsters to improve my skills." He said, the girl looking at him, her mask hiding what emotion could possibly be behind it.
"Woah, Momon! You take your training really seriously! I like that on a man." She said, Ainz stiffing up as she mentioned the last part. He was unsure if the girl was hitting on him, and if she was, wasn't she like half of his age?
'I'm sure she doesn't mean it seriously.' He thought, but Evileye's gaze on him told something else.
"We're here! Evileye, come one now!" Lakyus said, and they both sped up as they neared what seemed to be a normal door. "This is the entrance to the basement. There is no other way inside except for other tunnels. We will enter in three, tw-" Before Lakyus could finish, Gagaran entered with a war cry, surprising the thugs inside while she thrust her hammer into each one of them.
"That's what you get!" Gagaran screamed as she continued her rampage. Left and right, many fell to her Warhammer, feeling the bludgeoning damage right in their faces.
Tia and Tina ignored any enemy they encountered and rushed for the human captives. Lakyus, Evileye, and Momon went on to help Gagaran, engaging in a fight with the criminals.
"Is that Momon?"
"That's Blue Rose!?
"Shit! Kill them all!"
Each of the thugs screamed, attacking the adventurers with all they had, only for Momon to punch one through a wall and split another in half. Evileye used various spells to compel each attack on herself, and Lakyus used her flying swords to slice through the numbers.
Soon, none of the thugs were left. Some tried to flee, while others faced death rather boldly. One could see the intelligence of these criminals was extremely low, facing Momon and Blue Rose together. Some thought the stories were exaggerated, while others considered themselves more vital. And even more others were simply drunk and didn't even know they were fighting Blue Rose.
They retrieved all the human slaves and brought them to safety while city guards came and secured the perimeter. Outside, they celebrated the victory.
"Well, done, guys. Another 8 Finger hideout destroyed!" Lakyus said eagerly, the others cheering.
"And did you see Momon fight? He was amazing! He could…" And Evileye continued to speak of Momon's feats, but Ainz saw something in the background. Many men were walking in one direction, each carrying armor and weapons. That is when he realized something.
'Oh shit! I should declare war on Re-Estize in the throne room today! Seems like I can't hide it forever. I will simply stand my ground and tell the Guardians what I did.' He knew he had to leave. First, he needed an excuse for that.
"Excuse me, Evileye, Lakyus. I need to leave now. There is important business which I need to attend to. I almost forgot it as well. Today was a good fight, and I hope we will do more missions together." Ainz said, having found his way out of this one.
"No! Your leaving already!" Evileye said sadly, her heart broken by the news.
"Let the man do his thing, shorty." Gagaran reassured and nodded at Momon.
"Then we'll meet again, Momon. It was nice of you to join us. But I'll advise you to leave this city soon. The kingdom's going to war with a certain somebody." Lakyus said as she looked at all the levies leaving for the barracks.
"I thank you for the tip. But as protector of E-Rantel and its people, I will stay." Ainz responded. Gagaran smiled at hearing that. "If you excuse me. Have a pleasant day, Blue Rose." He said and walked away at a fast pace. And as soon as he was out of sight, he teleported to the surface of Nazarick, casting [Message] to a specific devil.
{Yes, Lord Ainz? Is there something I can do for you?} He heard the all too familiar voice of Demiurge in his mind.
{There is something. Where are you right now?} Ainz asked. The devil replied as quickly as possible.
{I am currently at your office. I have finished the report on the kingdom's military ability.} Demiurge said, and the connection between him and Ainz disappeared as his master stood before him.
"Lord Ainz." Demiurge said while bowing.
"Demiurge, I wish to discuss something with you before the meeting. There is something I need to ask you about, something." Ainz said.
"Everything, my lord." The devil replied.
"Good, now, look at me when I remove my armor." Ainz stated. Demiurge did as asked but wondered why. But as soon as the armor disappeared, no fleshless face was there anymore. Instead, there was a man, his features similar to his Overlord's face, but with long white hair and sharp ears. "I am currently in this form, but I cannot change back for the moment. A result of an ability I used." Ainz explained, and Demiurge could not fathom the power his lord had as he looked at his master with admiration.
"To change races that easily, my lord, you are truly supreme! But what seems to be the problem? Your appearance matches that of a supreme being, so I find nothing that could be wrong." Demiurge reassured, but Ainz thought to know better.
"You are right. There isn't something wrong with this appearance but what it can invoke. Albedo, you know I manipulated her feelings as I changed her sett-, her essence to like me to the extent of extreme lust. I was experimenting at that point, and now I find myself a victim of her trying to seduce me. I know the Guardians want an heir to Nazarick, but I do not wish to have one. At least not right now. So I ask you, do you think I should show my current appearance to the Guardians?" He asked. Demiurge seemed to already have an answer on his mind.
"My lord! If Albedo tries anything in the presence of the Guardians, we will protect you from her attempts. And showing that you can change races on a whim will only improve their picture of you. So there is no real downside, only a positive response." Demiurge explained.
"I see. Very well. Then I will appear as you see me right now. And it seems it is already time to go. Go on and join the others. I will come soon." He said, and Demiurge left for the throne room.
'Not what I expected. To my luck, this form had still suppressed emotions, not to the extent of when I was an Overlord, but still limited.' He looked at himself, seeing arms and legs. He still couldn't grasp it.
'I knew there were some items that could change races. Some of which we even have in the Treasury. But this ability breaks anything!' He knew how Demiurge reacted to his appearance but wasn't sure about the other Guardians. Would they still respect him now, even if he had a human form? He thought so, but he could never be sure. 'I guess it is time now.' He removed the staff from his inventory and opened a gate towards the throne room beside his throne. He waited a second for the NPCs to kneel and entered the portal.
"Welcome, Lord A-" They said in unison but couldn't speak further as a person that wasn't their Lord sat on the throne. It was a man with pale skin, black eyes, red pupil slits, sharp ears, and long white hair. Their lord had a skeleton face, not the same.
"Who are you?! How dare you sit on Lord Ainz's throne!" Albedo yelled as she saw the man simply sit on the throne, only reserved for one person. But she couldn't stop feeling a sense of familiarity with the person. As if he was someone she knew. But she was far too clouded by her love for a certain Momonga to notice that similarity.
"Albedo! That is Lord Ainz. Do you want to say you do not recognize the Supreme One?" Demiurge said as he watched all the surprised expressions on the Guardians' faces appear. Mare and Aura were blown back, Shalltear smiled, and Cocytus seemed calm. Maybe he already knew it was Lord Ainz. And Shalltear simply felt it because she was a vampire? It would make sense if one would watch carefully. The man wore the same robes as Ainz, walked the same way, and held the guild weapon in one hand! Demiurge knew Albedo was guided by emotions, having expected to see Lord Ainz as an Overlord. When seeing an unfamiliar face, her hormones did the work and made her angry in response.
As Albedo heard what Demiurge had said, and it seemed so when she took a closer look. She relaxed again, falling to her knees the moment she realized.
"Forgive me, Lord Ainz! I have committed the highest crime possible! Let me atone for my sins as I take my life!" She said, transforming her weapon into an axe as she held it before her face. She could see her lord's facial expressions change for the first time ever as he seemed worried at first, then angered.
"That is enough, Albedo! Maybe it was my mistake not to inform you about this recent change. But you do not need to take your life. Nobody has! Is that clear!" Ainz said, the Guardians listening carefully, watching Ainz's face closely as he spoke those words. They never saw their lord with flesh, but now, it was something completely different from just hearing him speak.
"Y-Yes, My Lord." Albedo complied as she removed her axe from her neck.
"Now for the topic at hand. Re-Estize goes to war with us, and we will show them not to mess with Ainz Ooal Gown. We have an army of undead ready at my command and countless mobs to use as fodder. They don't know the location of the Tomb, but soon they will. Countless adventurers are searching for us, hoping to find a reward, gold. It is simply greed that leads them to fight against us. But we will show them the power of Nazarick! We will show them not to mess with us!" Ainz said, raising his staff in response as the Guardians cheered at his words.
"We have already informed the kingdom to meet us at the Katze Plains. They know we won't crawl away and that we will face them with all we can! They are hot-headed, fueled by greed for any reward or revenge. And that will be their downfall! They still don't know what we are or what they will soon face! I will show them the power of Nazarick, the might of Ainz Ooal Gown!"
I hope you like how Ainz discovers his new powers and that it has limitations and isn't all-powerful. He can change races, but only once a day.
The selected name for a form will be the player's real name, meaning it is not a lie if Ainz would call himself Alucard WHILE in his vampire form, any lie detection abilities would not trigger. But they wouldn't trigger in the first place as that is a sort of divination attempt, meaning nobody can even tell if Ainz is lying or not, even if he isn't good at lying.
discord . gg / h6cpJ5d3xh
Here's my discord invitation code. Join if you're interested in becoming a proofreader of my next chapters, or you just want to hang around. Both work.
Here is his current sheet:
Name: Ainz Ooal Gown/Alucard
Epithet: The One
Alignment: -500 Extremely Evil
Race: Undead(Vampire)
Lvl: 100(+)
Racial Level: 41+
-Lesser Vampire 15 lvl
–Greater Vampire 10 lvl
—Arcane Vampire 10 lvl
—-Original Vampire 5 lvl
[LOCKED]-⋏⟒ ⍀⍜ ⍜⎅ - 1 lvl 116/320
Job Classes: 66+
-Wizard 15 lvl
-Sorcerer 10 lvl
-Kronomancer 10 lvl
-Necromancer 10 lvl
–Ruler of Death 10 lvl
—Blood Lord 5 lvl
-Master Tactician(genius) - 2 lvl 44/480
-Armored Mage - 1 lvl 170.5/240
-Dark Knight - 1 lvl 166.5/240
-Unholy Champion - 1 lvl 126.5/240
[LOCKED]-Unknown - 1 lvl 142.5/400