Good Work Deserves a Reward!

"Is that so..." Imina nodded, then spread her hands with a light laugh. "Well, I am a bit curious, but I know you wouldn't harm us."

"Of course not, Imina. Once this job is over, I'll explain everything to you," Arche replied with a smile. Her companions' trust gave her a deep sense of comfort.

Under Arche's guidance, the group of four passed through the dim corridor and arrived in a magnificent arena.

Seeing the starry sky above, Hekkeran's face lit up with astonishment. "A night sky? Arche, is this really underground?"

"It is. Everything above us is a simulated night sky. If you were to fly upward, you'd hit a barrier," Arche explained.

Although each level of the Great Tomb of Nazarick was distinct in its environment, they were ultimately confined spaces, separated by invisible walls that created the illusion of boundless worlds.

If Arche wished, she could tear apart this false sky with a casual gesture, merging this jungle level with the icy rivers of the fifth floor.

"That's incredible. It looks no different from the outside world," Roberdyck said in amazement as he took in the surroundings.

"Not sure how they managed to do it, but it sure sounds impressive," Imina remarked casually.

Unlike the original story, Imina and the others displayed no trace of fear upon arriving at the arena under Arche's leadership.

While they were equally shocked to see the audience stands filled with golems, their reaction was one of amazement at the apparent wealth of the tomb's owner rather than dread.

Golems, magical constructs often used as guards or laborers, were not uncommon in this world. However, their creation was exorbitantly expensive, affordable only to the wealthiest nobles.

Now, seeing hundreds of golems occupying the audience stands, they couldn't help but marvel at the fortune such a collection must represent.

"Hey!"

A crisp voice suddenly rang out from the VIP balcony above, and a small figure leapt down from a height of over ten meters.

Without the aid of flight magic or tools, the figure absorbed the impact with ease using only their physical prowess.

What appeared before Arche's group was a young dark elf with short golden hair, heterochromatic eyes, dusky skin, and long ears.

Rather than a boy, the figure was actually a girl who preferred wearing men's clothing.

"A dark elf?" Imina's brows furrowed slightly at the sight of the newcomer, especially noting her striking heterochromatic eyes.

In elven culture, heterochromatic eyes were a symbol of royalty.

Though Imina was a half-elf, she was well-versed in elven traditions. Seeing this young dark elf made her wonder if the tomb had ties to the dark elf royal family.

Before she could dwell further, the dark elf—Aura Bella Fiora—grinned brightly and announced in a loud, clear voice:

"Challengers, enter the arena!"

Her youthful voice echoed across the arena, accompanied by the synchronized stomping of the golems in the audience.

The rhythmic, thunderous sound, combined with Aura's declaration, brought a vibrant energy to the once-silent coliseum.

"The challengers are the foolish intruders who dared to enter the Great Tomb of Nazarick! Their opponent is none other than the supreme ruler of Nazarick, the great and almighty Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown!"

As her words fell, a skeletal figure clad in a black robe emerged from another corridor of the arena.

Behind him walked a woman of unparalleled beauty, with horns on her head, black wings at her waist, and an exquisitely curvaceous figure dressed in an alluring outfit.

As the two approached, the golems in the stands ceased their stomping and began clapping. The thunderous applause echoed throughout the arena, perfectly befitting the grand entrance of a king.

Aura's voice rang out again:

"Oh! The duel assistant is our beloved overseer of guardians, Albedo!"

When Ainz and Albedo stopped a few meters away from Arche's group, Ainz waved his hand, silencing all the golems. The arena returned to its initial stillness.

The entire sequence of events—the grand entrance, the applause—embodied the quintessential essence of dramatic flair. Truly, Ainz Ooal Gown was a master of theatrics.

While Hekkeran, Imina, and Roberdyck were awestruck by Albedo's extraordinary beauty, Arche's attention was focused elsewhere.

To her, Albedo's looks were nothing remarkable. Having been surrounded by the likes of Eriri's unparalleled beauty, Albedo paled in comparison. Even Arifureta and Shinobu had an edge over her in terms of appearance.

What caught Arche's attention was the striking resemblance between Albedo's black wings and those of Jibril. The only difference was the color.

She had watched the memory projections several times but had never made the connection until now.

"Oh? It seems you're not afraid of my presence. Or perhaps you believe you can escape?" Ainz asked, his tone tinged with curiosity as he observed the unflinching quartet before him.

By now, Ainz had a solid grasp of this world's power levels. The only question remaining was whether other "players" existed here.

With the strength of Nazarick, he was confident they ranked among the world's strongest. The only potential threat lay in the possession of World Items.

However, it was clear the Foresight lacked both players and World Items.

Even if they possessed World Items and matched the guardians in strength, they stood no chance of survival in Nazarick's domain.

After all, each guardian wielded their own World Item.

"Nothing much, just thinking you're a bit of a weakling," Arche said casually, her tone light and unbothered. However, as soon as her words fell, a murderous aura erupted from Albedo.

"What? Did I hear that correctly? Did you just call me weak?" Ainz pointed a skeletal finger at himself, his tone tinged with incredulity.

As a skeleton, his face revealed no expressions, but his voice betrayed the turbulence in his emotions.

Arche, feigning seriousness, scrutinized Ainz from head to toe before nodding firmly. "That's right. Honestly, you're just a tad… pathetic."

For a moment, Ainz froze in place, seemingly unable to process her words. Then, behind him, Albedo, her anger having reached its peak, could no longer contain herself.

"Unforgivable!!! You lowly human! How dare you insult Lord Ainz like that? I won't forgive you!"

"Stand down, Albedo. Aura, Shalltear, don't you dare make a move either," Ainz commanded in a regal tone, halting the fuming Albedo, an equally enraged Aura, and Shalltear, who had just leapt down from the viewing platform.

"But don't worry," he continued, his voice carrying a chilling undertone. "I'll handle them personally. I won't take their lives just yet. I'll leave that pleasure to you later."

"Understood, Lord Ainz."

Though obediently retreating, Albedo, Aura, and Shalltear continued to glare at Arche with murderous intent.

The oppressive aura they had just unleashed had caused Imina and the others to tense up. While they trusted Arche's strength, they had never seen her exude such an aura before, leaving them slightly uneasy. Still, Arche's calm demeanor reassured them enough to stay silent.

"Ah, why am I even wasting words on such weaklings? I should just deal with you directly," Ainz muttered, almost like he was chiding himself.

Removing his black and red robe, Ainz revealed his skeletal frame, leaving himself dressed only in a pair of black trousers.

Around his neck was a massive iron collar, from which hung a thick chain that extended down to his ribs. Floating in the space where his stomach should have been was a glowing red orb.

Though Arche had seen this in her memory projections, it wasn't until Eriri explained it that she realized this "Flying Squirrel Gem" was a World Item.

Ainz then conjured a black shield and a peculiar black longsword. As in the original story, the magic caster planned to test his martial combat abilities against Arche's group.

Having observed Arche through surveillance, Ainz had seen nothing to make him take her seriously.

"Well then... I'm making my move!"

In an instant, Ainz appeared in front of Arche, his longsword slicing through the air toward her.

But before anyone could react, Ainz was sent flying back at an even greater speed. A thunderous crash resounded as his body slammed into the arena's stone wall, leaving a massive crater.

Standing where she had been moments ago, Arche remained unmoved, her fist outstretched from delivering a single punch.

Witnessing this, Imina and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief, their hands instinctively releasing their weapons.

In stark contrast, Albedo and the other guardians were utterly stunned. They couldn't believe their eyes as they watched their Supreme Being, Ainz, sent flying.

"Lord Ainz!!!" Albedo screamed, her voice filled with worry as she dashed toward him, Aura and Shalltear close behind.

The guardians who had been observing from the viewing platform also leapt down, rushing to Ainz's side in a panic.

To them, Ainz was the last of the Supreme Beings in Nazarick—a figure of utmost importance who could not be harmed under any circumstances.

Six figures of varying heights quickly gathered around the fallen Ainz. He lay amidst rubble, the arena wall behind him shattered by the force of his impact.

"Lord Ainz, are you alright?" Albedo and Shalltear asked simultaneously as they helped him up.

Seeing the extent of Ainz's injuries, Albedo clenched her teeth, her beautiful face contorted with rage, dark energy radiating from her.

The other guardians, equally enraged, burned with the desire to avenge Ainz, though they refrained from acting for now, focusing instead on his condition.

Ainz's skeletal chest and ribs were shattered from Arche's punch, with cracks spreading along his spine.

Were he human, such injuries would have been fatal. But as an undead, Ainz was still alive—albeit gravely injured.

While he could repair his broken bones, Arche's mocking voice interrupted him before he could begin.

"Is this it? Surely, no one actually thinks this is strong, right?"

In the months since joining the chat group, Arche had mastered Eriri's mocking skills. Now, she wielded them with perfection, nearly causing Ainz to perish from sheer indignation.

Her taunt didn't just enrage Ainz; even the guardians around him bristled, veins throbbing in fury at her cutting words.

Meanwhile, Imina and the others behind Arche were stunned. They had never seen this side of her before.

Watching the scene unfold from the first-person perspective of the livestream, Eriri was delighted.

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 8): Excellent work! A well-deserved reward!]

[Ding! Eriri (Level 8, Stage 8) has rewarded the livestream with 1,000,000 points.]

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