Chapter 1: A New World
I walked together with the elderly butler Sebas as we exited the tomb. The sound of our footsteps and the clank of my staff echoes throughout the empty halls as the undead guardians dare not make a sound as we pass. Despite his immaculate posture, I sensed that Sebas is rather nervous in my presence. Why is that? Oh! I forgot to turn off my Aura of Despair. The moment I turned it off, he sighed in relief.
"Haah… My thanks, Valdamir-dono."
"Don't mention it. It would be troublesome if my aura alerts all creatures outside the tomb and made us unable to negotiate." I said as I take a mask from my inventory and wear it. It's a rather featureless white mask with nothing but two holes as eye sockets and a smile, which still made it ominous.
"So… how do you feel, Sebas-dono?" I ask him curiously, trying to find out if he noticed anything different than… before.
"I'm perfectly fine, Valdamir-dono, if that's what you're asking." He answers but not quite answering my question.
"Do you feel anything… different than before you were brought to the throne room?" I continue subtly probing.
"I… don't feel any different from before, Valdamir-dono."
"Hmm… Is that so?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Hmm… perhaps… Hmm…" I didn't answer him as I drown myself in my thoughts on the way to the entrance. He does not pry any further.
So the NPCs didn't notice their newfound independence. Interesting.
As we step out of the tomb, instead of the expected poisonous air from the marshes of Helheim, we are greeted by fresh air and a clear and starry night sky. Sebas is understandably shocked at this revelation. Even I didn't quite expect this even though I know we have left the game world and into reality. To think that we would be transported to another world entirely.
"V-Valdamir-dono. This is…?" Sebas, unable to find answer on his own, tried to ask me a question, though he is still trying to find the right word.
I continue taking steps forward until I stepped on the green grass of the grassland that has replaced the swamplands, confirming that they are normal grass and not the spiky grass native to Helheim.
I took a breath (or at least emulate the act without lungs), feeling the magic in the air. Ahhh… How I miss this feeling.
"Valdamir-dono. Do you know what's going on?" Sebas says, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"We have been transported to another world by unknown means, Sebas-dono..
"Another world? That makes sense as we are no longer in the swamplands of Helheim. But what could've caused this?"
"Something at the level of World Item or higher. Nothing else could've caused this." I reply with the knowledge of the game, though I doubt that theory myself as I know they are… were nothing but in game items. But if they've become real as well…
"World Item!? Then we must-"
"Calm down, Sebas-dono. Our current task is to survey our surroundings and make contact with the native creatures of this world. Let us finish our task and return to report it to Momonga-sama."
"Very well, Valdamir-dono."
We resume our walk to survey the grassland surrounding the tomb's entrance and unfortunately found no living creatures besides the grass and some small ordinary insects, which cannot be negotiated with. After several minutes of walking we decided to return… and that's when Momonga himself contacts me using the Message spell.
"Yes, Momonga-sama?"
"O-Oh? Valdamir? How goes your survey?" Momonga's voice echoes in my mind. The nervousness in his voice does not escape my notice. I give him points for trying to not lose his cool though.
"It's proceeding smoothly… though without any concrete results. May I request your permission to extend our search beyond 5 kilometer radius?"
"N-No. I don't think it's wise to do that just yet. Just return to the tomb and report your findings. I will be waiting in the Amphitheater on the 6th floor with the rest of the Floor Guardians." Still too paranoid, eh? No matter. We shall go out eventually. In time, this world shall become our plaything.
I do hope he will not be a coward who holes himself up in his tomb forever though.
"Understood, Momonga-sama." With that he cuts off the spell and both of us return to the tomb.
Both me and Sebas arrive at the Amphitheater, a coliseum-like building illuminated by perpetual lights, which made the place look almost as bright as day even though the artificial sky above us is currently night-time, coincidentally the same as the outside.
There's a charred remains of something at the center of the arena but I'll ignore that. Perhaps Momonga was testing his spell or something.
We walked to where everyone is gathering. All Floor Guardians, with the exceptions of Gargantua and Victim are present.
Momonga stood on the higher platform with the Floor Guardians kneeling before him. As I thought. They are completely and fanatically loyal to him. Swaying them to my side and starting a rebellion is unthinkable. Betraying him is unthinkable for them. Even I can feel it by instinct despite my independent thought.
"Ah. You've arrived, Sebas and Valdamir."
"Indeed, Momonga-sama." I say as we both join the other guardians in bowing.
"Now then... stand up and tell us your report."
"As you wish." I say as I stand up and begin explaining my findings. The other guardians listen to my report without standing up.
"Firstly, the land outside Nazarick has been transformed from poisonous marsh into grassland."
"Grassland?" Momonga says in barely concealed bewilderment.
"Yes, Momonga-sama. In fact, there are no sign of the poison swamp of Helheim anywhere. Both Sebas and me found no sign of intelligent life form within 5 kilometer radius. Even the night sky resembles that of the 6th floor's and Midgard's night sky."
"I-I see. What are your thoughts about this?"
"I believe we have been transported to another world, my lord." I say my hypothesis, which make the Floor Guardians gasp with their heads still down.
"Is that so? Do you perhaps… have any theory as to what could've caused this?" Momonga asks with barely concealed concern.
"I cannot say exactly what could've caused it as I couldn't detect any residual magic outside the tomb. But whatever magic brought the tomb to a new world has to be something on the level of World Item."
"World Item…" Hearing the word World Item gave Momonga concern, which is understandable as they are overpowered game breaking items in Yggdrasil… perhaps more so if they became real like us. In fact, anything bearing the name "World" on it is guaranteed to become overpowered in Yggdrasil, be it items, weapons, spells, skills, class, etc. According to the lore, they were fragments of worlds from the World Tree Yggdrasil which were fashioned into items and powers. The reason they were mere fragments was because they were devoured by a world eater, leaving only nine worlds left on the World Tree.
They are obviously rare considering their power but the guild Ainz Ooal Gown have 11 in their possession, the highest number of World Item owned by a guild in the history of the game… or at least in the server I existed in.
Momonga was right to be concerned at my theory. Even I am starting to be concerned at the thought of a higher power being the one behind us being transported into this new world… though the daredevil inside me is… quite excited at the thought of committing deicide.
"Momonga-sama. May I ask you of our next move?" I ask him before he could drown himself deep into his thoughts.
"Valdamir-dono. Momonga-sama is thinking. Please do not interrupt him." Albedo says with barely concealed malice. What's wrong with her?
"A-Ah… For now we need to conceal the tomb. Does the grassland have any hills?" Ignoring Albedo, Momonga-sama reply to me.
"No, my lord. It is a flat grassland. But I believe we could get away with creating fake hills using Mare's earth magic if you so wish." I reply, understanding his wish of creating hills to hide the tomb because using illusion magic to do so would be too costly.
"Then… Let's do that. Cover up the walls of Nazarick with earth as well and leave only the top exposed."
"B-But my lord! Are we to dirty the great walls of Nazarick with filth!?" Albedo exclaims.
"It is fine, Albedo."
"If that is your wish, my lord."
"Mare. Can you do it?"
"Y-Yes! I can! You can leave it to me, Momonga-sama!" Mare, the petite elf boy wearing girl's clothing, reply nervously.
"Good. For now we must focus on obtaining more information about this new world. I'll leave that up to Guardian Overseer Albedo and the Defense Commander Demiurge! You shall both form teams to scout the outside world!"
""As you will, Momonga-sama!"" Albedo the demoness in white and Demiurge, the devil in a suit, reply in unison.
"And finally… I ask you… What do you think of me? Starting from Shalltear and Valdamir!" Oh? Still paranoid and didn't believe how loyal your NPCs are, did you? You shall see firsthand of how loyal they are… so loyal that I couldn't even think of swaying them to betray you.
"The embodiment of beauty! Your beauty surpasses any in the world! Even jewels pale in comparison to your snow white body!" Shalltear exclaims with excitement. As expected of a necrophiliac. Momonga conceals his reaction well enough but I know he must be bewildered even with what he knows about us. I bet he wants to facepalm right now.
"Valdamir!" Looks like it's my turn. Now, how shall I lick his boots? Oh, I know!
"You are a sage of unmatched intellect, wisdom and power! Your prowess in the mystical arts is unrivaled! You are the leader of the most powerful guild in all of nine worlds! You are the greatest killer… a bringer of death with unthinkable amount of body count! And above all, your cunning-"
"T-That's enough! Cocytus!" Momonga cut me off as he is flustered at how much I've licked his boots and told Cocytus to continue. I tuned out whatever bootlicking they say as I thought about my next move. How shall I provoke him into conflict with the locals? I guess that would be easy. As rich as Nazarick is, we still need to replenish our supplies or we will run out of stock of everything eventually.
But we need to know what kind of resources can be collected in this world? Will we find the high grade resources, like the ones that exist in Yggdrasil, in this world? Can we strengthen Nazarick's forces even further?
Surely we can. Like parasites, we shall pillage this world of all its resources.
"And finally… Albedo." Oh. It's Albedo's turn already.
"The man who rules over the Supreme Beings, and our highest, most exalted master. In addition, the man I love most deeply."
…. Did she say love? Is that what he was doing with her character before we were transported to this world? My man Momonga… you have good taste in women. But too bad you're gonna be stuck with being unable to act on it with your undead body! Ha ha ha!
"I-I see. I have heard and understand your opinions. Then, I shall hand the tasks that were once performed by my former comrades to you. Carry them out faithfully." Momonga says as he teleports away, most likely cringing so hard. If only I can see his reaction from suddenly bearing such huge responsibility and expectations.
Only after few seconds have passed that the Guardians stood back up, each with different reactions to him.
Heh heh heh. Things are going quite well. I look forward to committing acts of villainy in this new world. No longer will I be restrained. I shall bring despair to the poor inhabitants of this world!
Author's Note:
Here's the first chapter! I hope I can do something unique with this fic as Overlord is already a story with villain protagonist. Will Ainz-sama be more evil than in canon due to Valdamir's guidance? Or will he resist? We shall see.
Note that this fic's update will be slow because I have to focus on my other fanfic, The Necromancer in Shadow, which is a The Eminence in Shadow fanfic. Go read that one too if you're interested. It already has over 100 chapters.
Sonic-Shine: Very whel
Thanks! Hope next year when I come back I see a lot of neat stuff from you
Answer: Will be waiting for you. When you come back, I hope you will like what I've written.
zakan: Nice concept!, I love to read the story.
Answer: Thanks! I aim to please!