11. Collecting first information

Ainz Ooal Gown, formerly known as Momonga and the last of the Supreme Beings, could barely contain his excitement. Ever since his game avatar, and the dungeon he and his friends owned, had been materialized into a bizarre parody of his own world's past he had been exposed to many things. From the realization that he was no longer human, to the existence of magic and the skills from the game and finally the newly gained sapience of the NPC's. All of that had impacted him deeply but nothing had been even half as important as what now unfolded in front of him.

"I-it's done milord. Ca-can I go now?" spoke the man, one of the technicians captured at the mutant internment camp.

Ainz knew that Neuronist Painkill and her subordinates had been looking after him since the man's capture almost five days ago, but that was not an excuse for being pushy. Especially at a time like this.

"We will see. For now Demiurge please see that he is taken back to his lodgings."

Demiurge, efficient as always, hurried to comply. With but a handwave a lesser NPC, a mercenary demon if Ainz's memory didn't fail, entered the room and took the technician by the arm, ready to escort him back.

"P-please I did what you wanted, please don't make me go" pleaded the man as he tried to break free of the demon's grasp to no avail. While the mercenary was low level when compared to Ainz or any of the guardians, it was still above level fifty and its strength compared to the technician's as a man's compared to that of an ant.

"[Silence]" Demiurge's command mantra thankfully put the man's blabbing to an end. While Ainz could understand the technician's unease, he also found his behavior quite annoying.

"I said you will be rewarded for your cooperation and you will," spoke Ainz, doing his best to maintain the regal tone he remembered the NPC's used when giving story quests in YGGDRASIL. "For your cooperation your life will be spared and new accommodations given. Do you understand?"

The man nodded at that, his face a rictus of fear as his eyes darted first to the door that would lead him back to where he came from and then to Ainz and Demiurge, only to finally set on the demon that held him on an adamantite grip.

"Then don't worry about anything. Everything will be alright" Ainz patted the man in the shoulder , hoping his discomfort wasn't noticeable. Thankfully the technician seemed to relax at that.

"Now please do leave this room."

"Take him back to Neuronist, see that she keeps giving him all her care, as it seems our guest still need to learn proper respect," Demiurge's voice was as controlled as always, yet a clear undertone of anger was obvious even to Ainz himself.

As the man was lead out, soundlessly screaming his lungs out, Ainz once again wondered if he would ever get used to his newly gained deference from everyone that surrounded him.

I would really like it if they stopped being so excessive with their need to "respect" me. If only they could talk to me normally… He sighted at the impossibility of that. While he still held out hopes of the NPC's eventually changing for the best evidence suggested they wouldn't.

Regardless, he couldn't be distracted by such negative thoughts. Not now when he had finally managed to gain one of the things he had yearned for since coming to this mad new world.

"If you forgive my imprudence I would like to know something, Ainz-sama?" Asked Demiurge, curiosity clear in his voice.

"Ah, Demiurge. It is strange for me to know something you don't, but I guess for once I may have the pleasure to be the one imparting knowledge and not the other way around."

Ainz words were clearly honest, but sadly Demiurge still refused to believe them. Not that Ainz had any hopes of changing the demon's opinion anytime soon.

"Please no, Ainz-sama. I am the one always needing for you to explain your ideas and share your wisdom. My mind can't but grasp the most basic tenets of any of your plans, much less their full scope!" There was something almost comical in the way Demiurge hurried to apologize. The normally impassive demon overwhelming with embarrassment while trying to apologize for imagined slights.

"As you say Demiurge," accepted Ainz, trying to put an end to the demon's discomfort. "What are your questions then?"

While Ainz couldn't see Demiurge's eyes he was sure they were literally sparkling right now. Even if Ainz could feel nothing but shame when asked about his "plans" he knew Demiurge felt nothing but delight and was thus forced to put on a smile and answer as expected.

"Then if you may allow it, my question is twofold. First I would like to know why we have chosen this location, as while I understand the need to keep dangerous experiments away from Nazarick this one seems innocuous enough. My second question pertains exactly as to what is that which holds your interest so much, Ainz sama?"

While the first question was both easy to answer and to understand as far as Demiurge was concerned, Ainz actually had to stop and think about how to best answer the second one. While the concept wasn't exactly hard to grasp, especially for a mind as sharp as Demiurge's, it was still a relatively difficult one for someone who but a short time ago was limited to the game world of YGGDRASIL.

Taking a deep breath, even while he needed no air, Ainz prepared to explain his "plan". At least this time he actually had something of his own to share.

"Well, you see, Demiurge. While your comments about operational security regarding experiments are well founded and it makes me happy for you to take such into account," Ainz knew that it was the job of a good boss to give credit where credit was due and Demiurge's continued diligence when exercising his task was simply commendable "in this case it is less about how it could directly damage Nazarick and more about how it indirectly could. That's the reason why this facility was built in the first place.��

The such named "facility" was a construct of Mare's Earth magic and the skillful work of Aura directing hundreds of Nazarick's mobs. Ainz had originally planned to use it to house the freeded mutants but his plans had eventually changed. Deciding instead to make it Nazarick's forces forward operating base.

Now that close to a hundred of Nazarick's numbers worked there. The now named "Moria", as the young mutant Emma had baptized the facility, boasted a lot of the equipment captured from the mutant detention facility and amongst it one key item that had caught Ainz's attention the moment he had read about it.

"The item itself, well…"

Ainz softly stroked the focus of his and Demiurge's interest. It was as unassuming as it was important. Both giving a sense of worthlessness like some kind of joke item while at the same time holding power immeasurable.

"Well, you better see for yourself."

The process of initiation of said item was easy, especially after the human technician had worked with it. It lacked the finesse and power of the ones Ainz was familiar with but it nonetheless worked as intended.

And it was like that, with barely a soft chink that it finally started. A little manipulation on Ainz's part, all while Demiurge observed flabbergasted, and it was done.

Ever since Ainz had discovered his previous life was over he had not despaired as he had nothing to lose. He lacked a family or possessions, no one would be waiting for him on Earth. He missed nothing but for two things, his friends and fellow guild members, who had stood with him for a decade and but one of the one good thing the twenty second century had to offer.

"It works!" Ainz was so elated that he felt his limitator kick in. His happiness quickly lessening to barely an ember of what it previously was.

"Then what is that, Ainz-sama?" Asked Demiurge, still as confused as before.

It was not as streamlined as the one's Ainz was used to, nor was it as powerful or versatile. It lacked many basic features and its ergonomics were depressingly bad. But it was still here, it was still real and Ainz now had it in his power, working at a hundred perfect efficiency, or so the technician had assured him.

"This, Demiurge. Is an information management device, also known as a computer and it allows us to connect to something called the Internet," Ainz theatrically pointed at the now working machine "and you will learn about it soon. You will learn everything you may ever want to."

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AN: This is kinda "filler" chapter. But I'm approaching this story in a more "episodic" way. So instead of continuous arcs I may try some scattered one-shot chapters every few ones. I'll probably post something much larger next time. Until then, hope you enjoy! (also, write stuff of your own if you want ).