1 From One Hell to Another Part 1

Yggdrasil was ending, and with it, years of grinding. The end could not be stopped in any way possible, only by the one that owned Yggdrasil, of course. Ragnarok would come and destroy all, eventually. Yet one familiar Overlord stayed until the end to witness its withering, with no friends left beside him.

Momonga sat on his throne, the famous [Throne of Kings], a World Item awarded to the guild because they conquered The Tomb of Nazarick on their first try. The wall behind the throne was decorated with giant crystals almost reaching the ceiling. In front of him were the NPCs' Momonga gathered for the end.

HeroHero came to say goodbye but didn't stay any longer. At last, everything would change when the clock would hit midnight. A part of Saturo's life would just disappear. If for the better or the worst was not known to him.

"Albedo, the Guardian Overseer. Let's see your settings…So much information. Tabula was a maniac about these descriptions. Huh. She…a bitch? That's Tabula for you. But this is too terrible to let it be like that. Let's change something."

Momonga used his guild weapon to gain admin status and modify her settings. A menu popped out in front of him, and he began scheming. "Let's see. Delete that and add something new?"

*She is deeply in love with Momonga*

"Oh god, this is so embarrassing. I'm just stupid for doing this. But who will rob me of some fun at the end of the game?"

Momonga deactivated the console and looked at the banners that adorned the throne room from above. They all shone in an unearthly beauty, probably an effect of the game.

"Each banner is from one member. There is Me, Touch Me, Sazuko, Ankoro, HeroHero, Pero, Buku, Tabula, Takemikazuchi, Talisman, Genjiro…"

"Good times. I will never forget them."

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…

00:00:00

00:00:01

Darkness. There was only darkness for Momonga. Even when he tried to open his eyes, he could not see. His voice wanted to talk, yet he could not speak. His sense of feeling was not there at the moment; there was just nothing. He was sentient, but not. Momonga was trapped in his mind and couldn't do anything against it. Suddenly he appeared to be in a dark place, illuminated by scattered white orbs. Then, a voice rang out.

"How? How did you enter this place? How did you enter my realm?"

A deep tone filled the surroundings. Momonga looked around to see who spoke but only saw an expanding darkness. He wasn't sure who was talking, but it certainly wasn't pleased that Momonga entered his realm without permission. Momonga didn't dare to say a thing yet. 'Who in the world is that? I thought Yggdrasil ended. Is this some hidden entity? Maybe a dev!'

"Tell me, fellow Outer One. Even for one of us, it is impossible to breach one's domain. What in my glorious name are you?"

Momonga felt like the entire world was resting on his shoulders. The pressure was off the charts, yet he felt no damage. He knew he had to say something, or it would not end well for him. And to his luck, his undead nature allowed him to think properly even with the high pressure he was surrounded by.

"I am Momonga... And who are you?" 'What is happening?' These words left Momonga's mouth with no question. His mind constantly in search of some exit from this place.

"I...You don't know who I am. This is most disappointing. But you are an Outer One, and it seems you just recently arrived, somehow. I am what people call the Greater Will. But I asked you a question at the beginning. How did you even reach my dimension?"

Momonga was confused about the name of the entity. He never recalled hearing a being called the "Greater Will." But didn't want to seem disrespectful toward the unknown entity. "Well, I don't know either why I have come to this place. Must have been a coincidence." 'Where did I pull myself into? I need to leave! Secret boss, maybe? But I can't detect any life!'

"...I see. So it was random."

"...Exactly. If I disturbed you, I will leave right now." Momonga didn't want to be in this place anymore. He hoped the entity would let him escape his realm. 'Oh god. This is going to be my end. If he decided just to attack me, it would be over. But how did I land here from the throne room? But its interaction let its speak for itself, probably a smart AI or something the devs have been working for.' Momonga looked around to see if he could find something of interest, yet wherever he looked, it was just darkness.

"That is not necessary. I believe fate brought you to me. You see, never have I had someone visit me here. I could only interact through small actions in other worlds but not be there completely. But you arrived here and made it to where nobody else could. And your power is also extraordinary. You are truly worthy of the name Outer One in every way. And that has come to my attention."

"...And why is that so?" 'Can't he just leave me alone? Think Momonga, think! How can I teleport myself out of this place when I don't know where to go? Maybe back to Helheim could work.' He tried to cast a gate, but nothing happened.

"Because you, fellow Outer One, are incredibly powerful, dear Ruler of Death. And that is why I want to make an agreement with you."

Ainz was not happy with where this conversation was leading to. He didn't wish to forge some deal with any deity yet. 'Shit! This could end bad! Where's the logout button!' He looked around to see his guild weapon in his left hand, making him less nervous. "And what does this agreement include exactly?" Ainz asked back to this god. He must be careful not to provoke him in his realm, or the AI would probably recognize it as a form of provocation. It could become dangerous for him if he did so. But he noticed that the being couldn't harm Momonga in any physical way. It could not even manifest a physical form. But that didn't mean it wasn't powerful.

"There is a world that needs order. The inhabitants of that world have failed to destroy the chaos. And you, fellow Outer One, can be my tool for restoring the balance in that realm. You will be awarded as the lord of that world if you fulfill my mission."

For Momonga, it meant becoming this being's subordinate. Yet he didn't want to become a slave to this entity, not yet, even if he had to fight it. "I cannot decide this at the moment. I am somewhat confused, but I will think about your "request" undoubtedly. But now I would appreciate being brought back from where I came. Please respect my request." 'This is how an Overlord acts, right? Even if I don't seek a fight, I'm not getting beaten by this... thing. Maybe it's a player roleplaying? It could be a world item that allows him to perform such a trick on me, and when I don't act accordingly, I get killed instantly. But I doubt it.' As he said that, silence took over the dark dimension. It was sure that the Greater Will didn't take this too lightly.

"When myself commands it, it will be done! But you are an exception. It seems I cannot force my will upon you. But know this, I will return and ask you once again. For then, be prepared. Now..."

'What's happening?!' Momongas vision went white, yellow, black, and many other colors blinded him when the Greater Will removed him from his realm. Luckily, it didn't kill Momonga.

For him, everything seemed distant. He didn't have any control over where exactly he would land. But he had a feeling it wouldn't be the best place. The instant he regained consciousness, he asked himself the same question.

'Wait... Is this a church? I'm not back in Nazarick, that liar!' Momonga asked in disbelief. He found himself in an unknown church of sorts. Again, there were no windows on the walls but holes in the ceiling. The interior seemed to have been destroyed by a fight that happened inside.

'That's a corpse?' Momonga inspected the body. It looked like a woman in some sort of priest's clothes. He wondered how this poor woman exactly died. But the detail she had was incredible. Somehow he could smell her rotting corpse. He could smell everything.

'Did an update happen while the server shutdown? Because I get all the senses, I would have in the real world here. I know for certain that this is a dead body. But somehow, I feel nothing. Is this normal? At home, I would always get ill when I saw something near dead or blood, but that completely went away. And I wonder if I can use magic here. And why not also see how this woman died.'

"[See Death]"

This spell would allow one to witness the death of the targeted corpse. It was very effective in solving some mysteries but mainly was used to gather information about the killer, like class, abilities, and race. It would show only the murderer and the victim in a mist form of blue. 'It worked! My magic works! And now, let's see what happened here.'

He looked at the appeared spirit that waited for something. The girl was sitting on the bench for a couple of seconds before she eventually looked to the entrance of the church where the killer entered. "Interesting." A man with a mask came in and stabbed the girl multiple times, leaving her to bleed to death.

'A horrible death. Why did this happen? And then it looks like it is a nun that died. Whoever did this isn't of the holy kind, that's sure.'

He put his attention in the middle of the church where a statue of an unknown person stood. It was a female, yet no deity he had seen before.

'This isn't any religion I know of. Maybe I will find out more about this place later. First, I want to exit and finally see the sky.'

The Overlord went to the entrance and pushed the doors to the side. As they opened, he was met with light.

'Is that a castle? It's certainly big. And what is that huge golden tree in the back? Looks like the world tree in miniature. It must be something important, then...Ugh. There is so much I want to know about these things! But the most important question is still where I am.'

As he walked away from the church, he stopped at what was seemingly the abyss right under him. A mist covered much of it, so he couldn't see all the way down.

'I'm on top of a cliff. And they built this church on top of such high mountains, with no connection to what I think is the mainland. Why does everything make less sense?'

Momonga observed the place he was for a moment. The sky was so clean, and no pollution could be found. Yet he couldn't stop believing that this was just an illusion. But he felt the feeling of smell quite certainly.

"This world... looks like Midgard."

He stopped staring into the sky and continued to the left. There was a bridge leading towards a yard. And as he entered the place, yellow walls appeared on each exit. He tried to touch one, but it wouldn't let him get through.

'So these walls are preventing anybody from leaving when entered. Brilliant.'

A creature jumped onto the platform he was on. Its limbs were more than two, and it was hideous. It seemed it used a rapier and a shield as its weapon.

'What is this creature? It got about five arms or more. But I don't even know how strong I am in this world! Should I test a weak spell first? I would have been dead right now if it was stronger than me.'

The creature closed in on Momonga. It used its rapier to try and pierce him. But to stop it, he used a low-tier spell to counter it.

"[Fireball]"

The fire engulfed the monster, yet it was still barely alive, its skin black as coal yet moving. Momonga used such a low spell on purpose to find out if the creature was strong or not. 'It took so much damage from such a weak spell. This guy isn't strong enough to even scratch me.'

Momonga stopped at one point to wait for the creature to attack. It jumped in the air toward him and landed a couple of hits. Yet none had any effect and didn't even move him from his place. The creature was too low level to even damage Momonga. But the beast wasn't smart enough to run away or stop its advance.

"Now. It is my turn, you multi-armed monster!" "[Energy Drain]"

The life force of the creature went right into Momonga. It was like gas that was absorbed by his bones. Momonga could feel the monster's essence entering him and giving him experience points.

"Weak. Very weak."

He had killed it. Something told him this creature should be strong. Yet he disposed of it in one minute. Then he felt a feeling he somehow recognized.

'I received the items from this creature right into my pocket dimension. So it is somewhat connected to this world. How practical! I can collect many things with this method without needing to pick them up.'

Out of nowhere, light engulfed him again. It was not something he appreciated to be teleported again. He was going mad, he thought.

'What! I am getting teleported!? But that should be impossible to perform on me?! Don't tell me it is this "Greater Wills" work. But I have countermeasures against teleportation! It must be another form, maybe from this world. I should buff myself for safety.'

"[Greater Magic Resistance] [Extend Magic: Bless of Magic Caster] [Draconic Power] [Greater Full Potential] [Greater Hardening] [Greater Luck] [Greater Magic Vision] [Greater Resistance] [Heavenly Aura]"

'These should suffice. I can add more if the situation gets critical.'

And he was again brought to another place. This time, it was in an underground, hollow cave with much space. It had many things: trees, water, and even ghosts. Yet Momonga didn't have enough time to focus on that as someone entered his view.

"Greetings. You have finally arrived."

He saw a horse with two horns on its head, mounted by a girl in a robe and a red cape. He couldn't possibly be mad at this girl, or was it her fault he was brought here? He wasn't sure.

"Thou are not what I expected to find here."

"Well, I also didn't expect to be brought here. But who are you exactly?" Momonga asked, being ready for an attack every moment. His mind was on the verge of releasing the most potent spell upon the maiden. And this he did.

"[Silent: Time Stop]" The world turned black and white, just as he knew it. But the girl didn't move, and neither did anything else. Only he was able to do so.

'So no countermeasures. Good, but she doesn't seem hostile.' The Overlord circled the woman, slowly looking her up and down, but he concluded this was someone he never saw before. 'Could this be a player? Or an NPC, perhaps. Maybe I should play along.' He went back to the position he activated the spell and waited until its time was over. Suddenly the world turned to colors, and the girl continued.

"I am Melina. Finger Maiden. I must confess. I never foresaw that something like you would appear." She said into Momonga's face, who was somewhat confused. But then Momonga was sure of what she was talking about. Skeletons weren't accepted at most places, and it seemed she was certainly not expecting an undead to come here.

"Likewise. But can I ask where I am right now?"

The girl lifted a brown, but didn't want to be rude towards him and told him what he wanted to hear.

"If you ask. You are in the Lands Between. Why thou appeared here, I cannot tell."

The young girl hopped off her horse and took off her hood. She had reddish hair and one eye closed with a tattoo on her eyelid. Her face was one of natural beauty. She could almost compare with the maids of Nazarick. If he were a mortal, he would fall in love the instant he saw her.

"And why are you here with me? Did you get teleported here as well?" Momonga asked her, but she turned her head.

"No, I was awaiting a Tarnished in this cave. Yet instead of such a person, thy arrived."

Now, where did he hear that name before? He didn't, but it rang a bell in his head. Somehow he knew what it was.

"And now, what do you plan to do?" Momonga asked the woman. 'Maybe because I am not this "Tarnished" she will act more hostile. But it doesn't look that way. It seems she isn't anti-undead after all.'

"It goes against the Golden Order to grant you the strength of runes. Even when you are not a Tarnished, it is possible to give you this access."

"I do not know of such runes. Would you care to explain, if you may?" 'Runes? Like the ones dwarfs use?' He tried to sound gentle but almost failed. Yet the girl didn't seem influenced by that at all.

"Runes are a way to strengthen one's power. Gain Runes, and I can strengthen you with them."

For Momonga, this was a weird situation. Out of nowhere, this girl wants to grant him the ability to get stronger. But even if it went against the order to do so. 'I sense no resentment from her. She is completely devoted to granting me this access to these runes. Maybe I could gain from this. "I am as strong as I can get. But I would like to know more about this offer.'

"I assure you it isn't harmful. I only need to touch you to grant you this strength." She wanted to touch Momonga's hands. Now it was getting out of hand, as she reached for his. . First, the Greater Will that tried to enslave him, and now this girl that wanted to maybe be his slave? He was not sure of what to think. Too many scenarios circled his head right now.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't harm to let you."

She smiled shortly and came closer to him. He could see how big he was compared to her now that she was nearer. He reached for her hand, and she did the same. Her hand began to burn as soon as she touched it, and she released a cry of pain.

"What is thy reason to hurt me? Did you not say you wished to let me? Why?" She looked at Momonga with a confusing yet betrayed look.

Momonga didn't know what exactly had happened. But when he looked at his fleshless hand, he realized what he just did.

"Forgive me. It was my mistake. I didn't deactivate my Negative Touch when you gave me your hand. Wait. Here. Drink this potion." 'I forgot! I hope this doesn't make her too mad! It would be a pain to force her.'

Momonga took a red potion out of his storage, which shocked the girl even more. She has never seen someone open a rift in time and space before. But this being could.

"I hope for you this is not a poisoned potion?" She asked, growing suspicious.

"I assure you. This is but a healing potion. Drink it." 'I feel everyone who gets a healing potion from me asks this question. NO dammit! It isn't poisoned! Or is it my beautiful face that scares them? Maybe.'

She gulped down the red liquid, and her hand regained its standard color. A sensation overcame her body as the green light slowly healed her.

"Now we can try again, don't we?"

The girl nodded and touched Momonga's hands. As she made contact, she almost went unconscious, but Momonga could hold her before she hit the ground. For Momonga, it felt like a romantic scene where he saves the girl from falling. But in his case, he isn't the beautiful prince but the Overlord of Death.

"Wha–What are you? S-Such power is beyond a Demi-God! It cannot be!" She said out loud, her disbelief visible.

The change of expression surprised Momonga. She didn't seem to keep her emotionless face around him anymore. But he was happy to have broken her sense of reality. This proved that she didn't know of any more powerful beings than himself or these Demi-Gods.

"I have sensed your power from afar. Yet I thought of it as nothing but false. However, when I touched you, I sensed the powers of Death itself..." She told, but Momonga was confused about how she could do so. Did he have a ring for this purpose, or was it that she had an ability giving her insight into his stats?

This would be a normal reaction if a mortal felt it. And Momonga possesses not only a class called the Ruler of Death but also a status called "The One". This status originated from defeating the deity Cainabel, the god of the Bloodline of Origin. It would grant one to be the successor of his race. Ulbert Alain Odle and Peroronchino argued about who should get the item to become "The One". Yet Momonga secretly used it on himself to become the successor of his race. Undead. The two of them didn't talk for a week with him after this, but the hatred didn't last long, and they quickly forgot about that. He didn't do such shenanigans often, but he wanted to know if he could become the successor of his race.

"It would seem so. Are you feeling better now?" Momonga asked her.

"Yes, I do."

The girl left the arms of Momonga and stood before him again. She regained the strength to do so, which was expected after the time she lay in his hands. Momonga hoped he didn't scare her too much.

"You did not answer my previous question. Of what kind are you?" She asked, now a severe expression overcame her face.

"If you have never seen one of my kind before, then let me explain, I am Undead. And perhaps it is a mistake to tell you this, but when my world ended, somehow, I was taken to this world. And somehow stranded here. Do you maybe know something about this?"

"...Thou are an Outer One. Legendary beings not from this world. That is why I sensed so much power from you." Her mouth was open and let much warm breath escape as she said this sentence.

And Momonga was familiar with that term. It was the same thing the Greater Will called him.

"Indeed, I am not from this world. But I hope this doesn't disturb our agreement. If you have any more questions, you may ask, but I would like to continue with what you wanted to do. You said you would show me a way to get stronger, right?"

"I did. Yet, I will not know if it will work for a being like you. The Runes accept ones that require power. You have a tremendous amount of power."

"That thinking will not bring someone far... Even I desire to gain power beyond my current. One can never be powerful enough." Momonga thought of Touch Me, the one he could never beat in a duel, even with preparations and all kinds of items. He lost every time. Warriors were too strong when combined with the suitable classes and against mages. But he never really used the staff against him, so one possibility was still there for him to win.

"Greed is the downfall of many. Yet, I will try to give you access to Runes... Hold my hand again."

Their hands connected, and Ainz could feel something happening. It was a tingling sensation he felt, but no damage. Then, it went away, and he could feel a connection he didn't have before.

"Do thou feel it?" Melina asked.

Name: Momonga

Yggdrasil Level: 100

Rune Level: 0

[Error in Calculating Stats]

[Stats Temporary Locked]

[Temporary Stats Loaded]

Attribute Points

HP 60/Vigor: 62

MP 100+/Mind: 99+(123,5)

Agility 40/Endurance: Unlimited(42)

Phy. Atk. 35 + Phy. Def. 70/Strength: 99+(106)

Resist 95/Dexterity: 96

Mag. Atk. 90 + Mag. Def. 95/Intelligence: 99+(185)

Faith: 0

Special 100/Arcane 99.5

Total Yggdrasil Level: 713+

Total Rune Level: 0

HP: 1912+

FP: 691,6+

Stamina: Unlimited

-I-

[Locked Stats]

Vigor: 240

Mind: 400

Endurance: Unlimited(42)

Strength: 420

Dexterity: 380

Intelligence: 740

Faith: 0

Arcane: 400

Total Level: 1.340(+42)

HP: 7.600+

FP: 2.376+

Stamina: Unlimited

"...Melina. There is something wrong with my stats. They are locked." He was disappointed. He expected this to be as such. The Greater Will wouldn't allow him to roam in this world with his full power for some reason. Maybe this was his way of saying he should accept the deal and would so get his stats unlocked.

"That is unfortunate. The Runes are meant to be given to Tarnished. Their kind cannot become as powerful as you when they reach their limit. Yet you far surpassed it. The Runes cannot calculate your strength anymore. I believe that if you seek the great runes, you can obtain your power once more. And on your way, you may even become the next Elden Lord these lands so crave."

This could also be a possibility. Yet Ainz was still wary of what to believe.

"Elden Lord? Is it a title won through battles? Or does it have a deeper meaning?" He wanted to know more about this.

"It does. One who holds all the fragments of the Elden Ring has the right to claim the title. The Elden Lord is the one who will bring balance to the Lands Between. Bringing order where now chaos lives." She explained, and Momonga listened carefully.

Momonga thought of it as a selfish goal. Yet he didn't have any other plans at the moment, and he needed information. 'Would that Greater want to make me the Elden Lord? If I know more about this subject, I might accept his offer. But everything seems unclear now. I still don't know what this is, reality or still a game.'

"I see...You can surely provide me with information about this world, Melina. I am not fond of going into an unknown land without preparations. If you wish, I will, of course, compensate your troubles." 'This would make her more likely to give me what I desire. Everyone wants compensation, after all.'

"That is comprehensible. The place where we reside at the moment is the Lands Between. It is here where the Erdtree resides. The Erdtree is an embodiment of the Elden Ring. Yet it was shattered, and the Demi-Gods have claimed all the fragments for themselves. The Golden Order seeks to bring back order into these lands, yet it has failed and now pursues the help of the Tarnished descendants of the first Elden Lord and his knights. The Greater Will, an Outer God, controls the Golden Order and requests the Tarnished back to this land. Yet you arrived in one's place. And no, I desire nothing, as I was raised only to serve. But thy name would provide enough if you wish to tell."

At that, Momonga was hesitant. Did he want to tell her his name or an alias? He decided on the latter, yet it wasn't as much of a nickname as a second name. "My name... is Ainz Ooal Gown. Remember it well." He told the maiden.

"A mysterious name thy have. But no wonder this world is a weird place after all.

"If you say so. And thank you for the brief explanation. Yet, I would rather follow my purpose than a prophecy of this realm. But your request will stay in my mind. There is nothing I would forget."

"I have expected such to be your response. Yet I have no intention of enforcing my will upon you. It is more of a request from my side. And with the title Elden Lord, you might gain more information than you seek." She tried to give him a vision of the subject by using knowledge as a critical point.

"I see...I will keep it in mind, Melina... Yet, I have one last request. Do tell me, where are these great runes right now? I would need this information if possible. It would save much time, and my deepest thanks."

"That will be the last thing I can provide for you... Here. Take this map. I inscribed all the locations of the great runes on it... Now, I have to say goodbye. May your enemies fear your strength."

"Wait! Do–"

Melina disappeared and left only blue light behind. That was most possible, an aftereffect of teleportation.

'Great. Now. Where do I begin? Ah, yes, recheck my stats and inventory. Maybe something has changed, and it has. This isn't the interface of Yggdrasil. I can access it with my mind as if I imagine something, but it is real.'

Equipment Menu

Armor:

-Ainz's Divine Sorcerer Robe-

[Divine Class]

-Ainz's Divine Cloak-

[Divine Class]

-Ainz's Golden Circlet-

[Divine Class]

-Ainz's Golden Necklace-

[Divine Class]

-Ainz's Divine Gauntlet-

[Divine Class]

-Ainz's Divine Belt-

[Divine Class]

-Ainz's Divine Boots-

[Divine Class]

Rings:

-Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown-

[Divine Class Artifact]

-Shooting Star-

[Divine Class Artifact]

-Resurrection Ring-

Unknown Class

-Divination Protection Ring-

Unknown Class

-Behavior Disturbance Ring-

Unknown Class

-Trap Resistance Ring-

Unknown Class

-Ring of Mastery Wand-

Unknown Class

-Spell Sealing Ring-

Unknown Class

-Magic Boost Ring-

Unknown Class

-Mana Regeneration Ring-

Unknown Class

Talismans:

None

Weapons:

-Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown-

[Guild Weapon]

Requirements:

Status: [Guild Leader]

Scaling:

Strength: B

Intelligence: A++

Arcane: B++

Dexterity: B+

Faith: -

-Red Orb of Momonga-

[World Level Artifact]

Requirements:

Status: [Momonga]

Scaling:

Strength: Possibly C-B

Intelligence: Possibly B-A

Arcane: Possibly A

Dexterity: Possibly B-A

Faith: -

-Time: A

'So my items adapted to this world's system. I got a new tab called Talisman. Never heard of such a thing. I will look into it later and see what I can equip. But I really want to know if I can level up right now or when I will be able to do so.'

As Momonga looked at how many runes he needed, he stood still for 10 seconds without thinking. Just later, could he properly analyze what was standing before him?

'Why. WHY? Just look at that!?' Ainz was furious.

Current Runes: 104324

Needed Runes: 11543235

Yggdrasil Level: 713+

Rune Level: 0

'Dammit! Where should I get all the Runes from?! 11 mil. Just for a level up… It wouldn't seem that the cost is always so high, as I'm already probably beyond the lvl limit these runes would have provided.'

Ainz facepalmed at this realization. He was happy that he could even level up. However, the cost of it is tremendously high.

'Am I just that much stronger than these Tarnished that I have to start at fricking 11. mil Runes to level up from Level Zero?!'

A green aura enveloped Ainz and forced him to calm down. He didn't want to, but he couldn't resist it.

'It will take some time, but with a spell that could boost the drop of these runes, I could get to level 10.'

He asked himself if it was even possible to put points into endurance because he is undead and has unlimited stamina. 'Endurance does help in wearing heavy armor. This means even I, as a sorcerer, can wear heavy armor at some point. But I don't have any better armor than my current divine gear... Means no points go in there for now.'

Another vital point also interested Ainz. 'Faith must be the equivalent of divine spells, or how much strength I can fuel through divine spells. So I should technically be able to conjure divine spells when I put points into that category. What also makes me nervous is that if faith incantations don't act like normal magic and bypass my High Tier Magic Immunity, it could be a real problem for me. If I encounter one, I should test this but be cautious not to get killed.'

To be overly cautious was not always good, but it provided safety. Ainz wasn't ready to die in this world. So he wanted to be one step ahead. He needed to know what had happened to him and why he was here.

'I think it is time to explore this land in the name of Ainz Ooal Gown! But first, let me change something.'

Ainz opened his inventory and took out his Mask of Envy, and also equipped his gauntlets. He didn't want other people to see his bony persona. So he decided to adventure as a masked but overpowered Magic Caster. He knew his race was not welcomed everywhere, so he thought to have made the right decision for now.

'Close my robe, and I am completely human-looking. Perfect. Now to get out of here.' He noticed that there was a golden tree on his right. But it was more of a small bush. Its wood was not thick enough to count as one. As he came closer, he saw something underneath it. 'A golden seed? It could become useful in the future. Who knows?'

He went some stairs up and opened a double door. It was surprisingly light, and he could open it with ease. He landed in a catacomb, which reminded him of the first floor in Nazarick. 'This has similarities with the first floor of Nazarick indeed. Yet it lacks in build quality.' He continued to go through the catacomb and arrived at a bonfire of sorts. It was until, and he wondered why.

'What is this? Looks like a campfire to me.' He wondered what purpose it had but couldn't get any good idea about it. On his right side was a white transparent wall that served as a barrier. 'If I can't go right, I go forward.'

He went into the next room, which looked like the end of the catacomb. It had a round shape, yet no exit in sight. In the middle was a strange platform that seemed to be necessary. 'At first sight, I thought I wouldn't get anywhere from here. But you just have to look at the top. And this button here must be to activate this ancient lift.'

Ainz carefully stepped on the button, and the life started to go upwards. He wondered if this was made by magic or by pure mechanism. The lift went for a short duration until Ainz arrived at the top. He had to climb another staircase and open an iron door, this time not with his hands.

"[Telekinesis]" The door began to open itself, and Ainz could finally gaze upon this world.

"Beautiful grasslands." The only word that left his mouth. Even when Yggdrasil had such fields, these here were almost of the same quality. But Ainz quickly noticed the lack of color in this world. Yet the smell it provided countered that with mere realism.

As Ainz stepped outside for the first time, he noticed a person standing about ten meters away. He appears to wear simple white clothes with bloodstains on them. He also wore a mask like Ainz but colored white and very different from his own.

"Oh, yes…Hello there. Come to the Lands Between for the Elden Ring, hmm?"

His voice was seemingly trained in the arts of betrayal, but Ainz thought nothing of it as his mind was clear. Nobody could miss such an obvious hint. Ainz recognized the man from somewhere, and it didn't make him happy to find him here.

"And who are you, exactly?" Ainz asked the white-masked man, but he secretly readied himself to cast a spell anytime. But the man only inspected the majestic robes of Ainz, yet it was not visible because of the mask he was currently wearing.

Oh, I…I am Varré." His tone suddenly became more formal and serious. Gone was the sound of an arrogant man.

"Well, it is pleasant to meet you, Varré. My name is Ainz Ooal Gown. May I ask what such a man like yourself does here outside?" Ainz asked him, yet only because he knew nothing to talk about with him. 'Wait! This was the guy that killed that girl in the church! Now I remember! Still, I could see his features from the spell; yes, it's him.'

The suspicious man got more nervous, but nobody asked him what purpose he served in this position as it was in the middle of nowhere. He planned to make the next Tarnished maidenless, yet Ainz wasn't falling for his tricks.

"No, No…This has nothing to do with you that I am currently here. I was simply taking a walk in these beautiful lands here, you know." He thought Ainz definitely knew about his plans, and he had to escape to tell his master.

'I can smell something wrong, Varré. You won't trick me into doing anything. Unfortunately for you, I have all the passive effects and spells to be ready for any attack. And you are certainly not telling the truth. I have seen what you did to that poor girl in that church. You plan something, don't you? I still got buffs on me, so you're not stopping me now.'

"You have come to seek the Elden Ring, correct? No shame in it... Unfortunately for you, you are maidenless."

Silence enveloped the air. But then...

"Maidenless, you say..." 'What does that even mean? Does he mean I don't have a woman with me? No, this has a deeper meaning.'

"Yes... Unfortunately." Varré replied.

Ainz stared at the man. "Well, I am not interested in buying sex slaves. But I wish you a good day." He told the man and walked off, making him lose his sense of reality for a moment.

"Wha-? Yes, of course. How did he..."

It seems as if he didn't understand the words of Varré correctly. But to the man, it was clearly a hidden message to stop messing with him. Even when his words were far from the truth, he couldn't stop grasping their meaning.

And when he left, only Varré remained. He knew whatever was behind that mask was nothing of human nature. He couldn't feel any blood from him, nothing. And it scared him.