Chapter 296: 296 "Ainz Ooal Gown
Time briefly rewound to several minutes earlier.
Shifting the view from the ground to the sky, amidst the night cloaked with the moon and stars, between the clouds, a figure quietly appeared.
"It really is... so beautiful..."
With a voice filled with awe, the figure slightly lifted their head, exposing their visage fully to the moonlight and starlight.
It was an imposing warrior.
The reason for describing the figure as a "warrior" was that they were clad in a suit of armor.
The armor was pitch black, as if forged from obsidian, adorned with gold and purple patterns, making the armor appear both dazzlingly beautiful and extremely valuable.
This valuable armor covered the figure’s body thoroughly, from the upper to the lower body, and even the feet were armored, the only exception being the head, which was left exposed.
However, if anyone had witnessed this sole exposed head, they would undoubtedly let out a scream of sheer terror.
Because it was not a human head, but a skull.
Yes, a skull.
Without flesh, without facial features, just a stark white bone. The dark eye sockets shone with two red lights, signalling to others that this skull was alive.
This towering warrior with a skull for a head, clad in pitch black armor, was the player who had recently crossed over from "YGGDRASIL" to this world, the protagonist of the original story—Ainz Ooal Gown.
No, that’s not correct. He was not Ainz Ooal Gown yet.
Ainz Ooal Gown was the name of the guild in "YGGDRASIL", not his personal name.
His real gaming name was Momonga, and he is still called Momonga now. It was only after he began to set foot in this world and interact with its inhabitants that he would change his name to Ainz Ooal Gown.
Of course, to others, it seemed rather inconsequential.
Whether he went by Momonga or Ainz Ooal Gown, it did not change one fact.
That is, he was a player who had crossed over from "YGGDRASIL", a level 100 ruler of death capable of using more than seven hundred spells.
Originally, he should have been an ordinary human.
But, in "YGGDRASIL", he did not choose the human race for his character; Instead, he chose to be a heteromorphic being and thus became an undead.
As a Magic Caster who became an undead to study the ultimate magic, he belonged to the highest tier of death rulers.
This was him, now known as Momonga, who would later be called Ainz Ooal Gown.
"This really is another world."
Momonga, floating high in the sky, marveled at the beautiful night scene before him while repeatedly expressing his admiration.
"Neither the modern world nor ’YGGDRASIL’ had such a spectacle, especially the modern era, where the environment has suffered serious pollution, preventing the sight of such beautiful scenery."
"If Blue Planet-san were here, he would be very happy, right?"
"After all, he loves this kind of beautiful, unpolluted nature the most."
While saying this, Momonga’s tone suddenly turned low and despondent.
"Where is everyone now?"
"Has everyone, like me, come to this world?"
"Or..."
Although it was just a fleshless skull, the tone of deep sorrow, coupled with Momonga’s dejected appearance, still faintly conveyed an expression that seemed incredibly melancholic.
Being alone in this world as a game character, it seemed normal to exhibit such emotions.
However, to say that Momonga was alone in this world was somewhat inaccurate.
Indeed, only Momonga was the player who crossed over.
But accompanying Momonga wasn’t just his current strength, identity, and various armed items; there was also a guild base and a group of NPCs that were originally just data.
"Lord Momonga."
A voice came from below, awakening Momonga from his sorrows.
The speaker was a man of around 180 centimeters tall with a sun-tanned, dark complexion. He wore an English-style suit, giving off the impression of a highly efficient business professional or a lawyer.
His voice was calm and pleasant to the ear, easily evoking the image of a "gentleman."
However, this gentleman exuded an evil aura and had a tail covered in silver metal plates extending from his back, with six pointed spikes at the front, and behind him were massive black membranous wings damp with moisture—a genuine heteromorph.
Especially the face of this gentleman—it was not human but that of a frog.
Undoubtedly, he was not human but a heteromorphic being, a different entity.
"Demiurge."
Momonga called out the visitor’s name.
He was one of the NPCs who had crossed over to this world with Momonga, the Guardian of the seventh floor of the Great Tomb of Nasalik, a top-tier level 100 demon—Demiurge.
"You are flying too high, Lord Momonga."
Demiurge, with his large membranous wings, floated respectfully behind Momonga and said so.
"If you were to leave my sight on a whim, it would be troubling for me."
Demiurge’s respectful tone did not suggest a restriction on personal freedom; rather, it was an expression of concern for the safety of his lord and master.
"...Is that so? Then I am truly sorry."
Momonga, shedding his earlier depression and loss, apologized to his subordinate with a voice full of compelling force.
"No, it was merely my unilateral concern, and there is no need for Lord Momonga to apologize." Demiurge, bending at the waist in mid-air like he was bowing, continued to speak respectfully, "On reflection, how could an invincible existence like Lord Momonga possibly need to worry about safety?"
"After all, it was but a wishful thought of mine. Only by seeing that Lord Momonga is safe and sound can we rest assured."
"Therefore, there’s absolutely no need for Lord Momonga to apologize. On the contrary, I should be the one apologizing for making the Supreme Sovereign, such a lofty figure, concern himself with my trivial worries. It is utterly inappropriate."
Demiurge went on and on like this. The respect and adoration in his tone were impossible to conceal.
"Is, is that so?"
Momonga suddenly seemed somewhat overwhelmed, stuttering in his response, but he still forced himself to continue, not revealing anything less than ruler-like in the presence of his subordinate.
As the guild leader of "Ainz Ooal Gown," the ruler of the Nasalik Underground Tomb, the object of all NPCs’ allegiance, Momonga was very strict with himself—he had to maintain a dignified presence in front of his subordinates at all times.
After all, he had just been transported to this world, where these NPCs were formerly just data without even a hint of intelligence, let alone life. Now that they had all come alive, if they felt he was unfit as their ruler, they might unite to rebel against him.
This was something Momonga wanted to avoid at all costs.
The Nasalik Underground Tomb was a place jointly created by all the forty-one Supreme Sovereigns, the players of "Ainz Ooal Gown," and it was the crystallization of the past comrades’ efforts left to Momonga.
Therefore, including these NPCs designed by his comrades, Momonga hoped to care for and protect them well, to ensure their eternal preservation.
If, due to his own reasons, he caused the NPCs to doubt his abilities and incite turmoil within the Nasalik Underground Tomb, the problem would be far too significant.
Having no other choice, Momonga, an average office worker, could only persist in showing the qualities of a competent ruler to demonstrate his capability.
Even though... it was exhausting!
Holding back the impulse to sigh in his heart, Momonga gestured to Demiurge and said,
"Don’t call me Momonga in public. We still don’t know the situation in this world. We need to avoid accidentally revealing our identities, understand?"
Momonga’s words, of course, did not elicit suspicion from Demiurge.
"Yes, what should I call you, then?"
"... Dark Warrior."
"... Huh?"
"Call me Dark Warrior."
"... Understood, from this moment on, I will address you as Dark Warrior."
"Thank you, I appreciate it."
Having indulged in a moment of adolescent fantasy, Momonga was ready to head back to the fortress.
Just at that moment...
"Master!"
Demiurge belted out loudly.
"...!?"
Momonga too, abruptly halted in his tracks.
And below the pair, a burst of flame suddenly lit up, transforming into a streak of fire that pierced the night sky, shooting upwards violently.
Before long, the fireball swept past in front of Momonga without slowing down, and continued to hurtle upwards.
"Lord Momonga!"
Then Demiurge rushed to Momonga’s side, emitting a terrifying aura.
That aura completely swept away the clouds surrounding them.
"Don’t panic."
In contrast, Momonga had calmed down.
"It’s not aimed at us, no, to be precise, they didn’t target us; they just wanted to get our attention."
Momonga had realized this point.
"Who is it?" Demiurge asked with a dark face, suppressing his rage, "An enemy?"
"Not clear," Momonga, his eyes glowing red, murmured, "From the looks of it, they probably want to talk to us."
"Should we make contact?"
"We are not yet fully prepared. Might recklessly making contact with the people of this world cause problems?"
"But this seems like a good opportunity."
Many thoughts flashed through Momonga’s mind, resulting in a brainstorm.
"Alright."
It wasn’t long before Momonga made a decision.
"Demiurge, use [Message]to inform Albedo and all the Guardians to raise the alert level to the highest."
"We, will meet with them."