The Sage Ch02: Making Myself at Home

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Beta-read by morde24, OoalGown, Hermes, Priapus and TheDonFluffles

The Guild of Gamers: The

Chapter 02: Making Myself at Home

In the end, only one stood out amongst the rest.

I don't know what a Nazarick is, and it might seem a little silly to go right back to being a dark lord so soon, but…

I wasn't a good leader. I'm not too proud to admit that. Sure, I won, but I did so through a mixture of overwhelming power and a willingness to go to crueller depths than my enemies.

My rule was a bloody one, and it was because of my inexperience and lack of political talent that I spent the first couple of centuries squashing rebellions and fighting off invasions.

I had experience in court, I was the royal mage and a noble after all, but I cared little for the day to day political nonsense and preferred to stick to my magical experiments than deal with simpering nobles and demands of the royal family.

Then the civil war broke out, and I got so fed up with being hounded by the loyalists and revolutionaries alike that I simply left, changed my name and face and joined the first crew that was sailing out.

I was a better sellsword and later pirate captain than I was a dark lord, but with age comes experience, and with my newfound youth comes a chance to try again.

Unsure how the book works, I simply poke the page I want and watch as the portal flares up and turns from purple to a deep blue.

That probably means it worked, right?

Heading towards the portal I step through it and wince as a rush of information regarding the tomb and its inhabitants enters my mind, it's not painful but it's decidedly unpleasant.

Nazarick is the headquarters of the Guild Ainz Ooal Gown, a Guild my new 'employer' has rewritten history to make me a founding member of. The Tomb and its inhabitants have been forcibly relocated to a new world, and it's my job to guide them.

This works for me, Nazarick seems like a fine place to make my new home.

It's interesting to know that my new bosses can just rewrite the history of an entire world to suit their whims, and only reinforces my decision to join up with them.

There was only a single person in my old world capable of warping reality to any significant extent, and that was me. My edicts, to be exact; the manifestation of my will upon the very world. I find it strangely refreshing to be so utterly outclassed, it is indeed lonely at the top.

Arriving in my new playground, I find myself seated on an extravagant throne, a beautiful raven-haired woman clad in a provocative white dress curiously staring at me from between a pair of large white horns that curl from her head.

My new knowledge reminds me that this is Albedo, Overseer of the Floor Guardians that defend my new lair.

"Lord Black? Are you alright?" Albedo asks as I turn from her and scan the room, spotting a butler and seven maids kneeling at the bottom of the steps that lead to my throne.

The Pleiades Combat Maids and their leader Sebas Tian, my mind reminds me. What a handsome man, it's good to see another distinguished fellow with a proper beard. There are too many baby faced youths nowadays, we old-timers should stick together.

Of course, he's a proper butler and I'm just a scraggly old pirate, so I'm not sure I match up to him in the distinguishment department, but the point stands.

Not replying to Albedo, I reach out with my magic and chuckle as I feel my surroundings, the vast empty planes surrounding Nazarick.

What a perilous position we find ourselves in, so exposed to the curious eyes of the locals of this world, that's assuming the local magic users felt the immense amount of power it would take to transport the massive multilayered dungeon that is Nazarick.

"I'm fine, Albedo, better than fine," I say, stroking my beard. "In fact, I'd even say I'm excited," I chuckle, making her blink and tilt her head in a cute manner.

"I'm sorry, Lord Black, I'm not sure I understand. May I ask what has excited you so much?" Albedo asks in a submissive tone, making me grin.

"You didn't feel it? Our home, this great tomb, has just been transported to a new world. And a new world means a new adventure," I say, feeling the energy of my youth returning to me at the concept of an entirely new world to play with.

"W-what?! How could I not notice that? I apologise for my weakness, My Lord. Is this an attack?" Albedo asks quickly as the maids and Sebas become more alert.

"Oh I don't think it's an attack, I think it's an invitation, and I'd never be so rude as to refuse it," I say, before calming myself down somewhat. "But you're right, we should be more alert, as exciting as this is. Sebas, why don't you take those cuties with you and make sure we don't have any unwanted visitors showing up before we're ready to host them?" I ask, laughing to myself at the blushes that appear on the faces of the maids behind him. "Don't engage any curious visitors without my permission, just stay on watch for now."

"At once, Lord Black," Sebas says, bowing deeply before he pauses. "To be certain, by 'those cuties', you did mean the Pleiades did you not?" He asks, making them all look at me in embarrassment.

"Of course," I reply simply, watching the six of them all react in happiness and embarrassment. The red-headed girl gives me a grin, the blonde a sultry smile, both black-haired ones practically turn red in embarrassment, the shortest one doesn't seem to react, but I can see her shaking slightly, and the one with the orange hair that goes down to her waist barely reacts, even as the slightest blush appears on her cheeks.

I think I'm going to like it here.

"It will be done, My Lord," Sebas says, remaining the consummate professional, which in turn makes the others shake off their happiness and embarrassment as they try to become serious again, remembering the situation.

As they leave, I lean back on my throne as I start to make a new plan. What to do, what to do.

A part of me wants to immediately jump into the excitement, to test the strength of the warriors and mages of this new world, but the older, wiser, part of me stops me.

"What about me, Lord Black?" Albedo asks, drawing my attention towards her, fidgeting in place.

"Give me a second, Albedo. I'll have orders for you soon," I say, watching her deflate slightly as her wings droop.

Ahh, so that's what she meant.

"Are you jealous, Albedo?" I ask, making her straighten up in embarrassment as her eyes widen. "Did it make you unhappy to hear me call other girls cute?"

"O-of course not, Lord Black! I would never be so-" Albedo starts. I see, I know how to deal with these types, I've been around the block a few (dozen) times.

"Are you lying to me, one of the supreme beings?" I ask playfully, making her freeze as she pales rapidly.

"I- I'm sorry, Lord Black! I was jealous, even though it isn't my place to be," Albedo says quickly, falling to her knees.

Hm, the people of Nazarick are rather fanatical to their 'supreme beings', and since I'm the only one who made the jump…

"Is that so?" I ask a grin forming on my lips. "Perhaps you need to be punished."

I know a thirsty girl when I see one, and a good leader ensures his subordinates' needs are seen to.

"I do, please discipline me for my disrespectful behaviour, Lord Black," Albedo says, entirely seriously as I roll my eyes.

Well, if that's what she wants.

"Very well, Albedo," I say, my tone stern as she looks up at me, shame on her face. "Come here."

As I gesture for her to come closer, she quickly moves towards me, standing within arm's reach.

"Lay across my lap and lift your dress," I order, making her eyes widen and her cheeks flush as she immediately obeys, gripping the bottom of her long white dress and lifting it as she bends over my lap, revealing her long pale legs.

As her skirt comes up and over her frankly amazing ass, wrapped in some black lacy panties, I place my hand on her back and gently push her down.

I know she's incredibly strong, but being treated like a child like this is more psychological than it is physically painful. I bring my hand down on her silky smooth buttocks, making her yelp quietly as I start to spank her, putting some of my magically enhanced strength behind my blows.

Not enough to actually hurt her, but enough to give those alluring pale cheeks a hint of red. I stop, my hand on her buttocks as I gently rub her behind, catching the sultry moan that slips out of the succubus.

She's not a succubus like the ones in my world, her skin isn't red or purple, she doesn't have a tail and her wings are more like those of an angel, feathered even if they are jet black (rather than the leathery wings of a devil), but she's a succubus all the same.

"There, that'll do," I say, giving her ass a squeeze as I make her stand up with an impish smile.

"My Lord?" Albedo asks, her face burning in shame, embarrassment and lust.

"You aren't allowed to lie to me, no matter how embarrassed you may be," I say sternly, making her look down in shame. "But you have nothing to be embarrassed about, Albedo. You are a beautiful young woman."

Watching her turn bright red, I have to scratch my chin in slight confusion. A succubus that's so embarrassed by such a basic compliment?

"I won't lie to you again, my lord. I swear it," Albedo says immediately, her face burning red.

"Good girl," I say, rubbing my chin. "Tell me, Albedo. Who am I to you?" I ask, watching her tilt her head again.

"You are the last of the Supreme Ones, the only one who remained with us. You are our Lord and Master, our God," Albedo says, no hint of hesitation or doubt in her tone. "I would do anything for you, as would any member of Nazarick," she continues, her words getting increasingly passionate.

Sage Skill

[The Truth Seeker]

As the Sage, you cannot be deceived. Illusions do not affect you, and you will always know when people are attempting to deceive you.

"I see, I'm glad to hear it. Albedo, I might just take you up on that," I say, giving her a slow once over, my attention making her preen happily.

"Please do, my lord," Albedo says immediately, pushing her chest out towards me. "I'd be honoured to serve you in any way you desire," Albedo says, her breathing speeding up slightly. Yeah, that's a succubus alright.

"In time, my dear, but for now I have come to a decision. I want you to call the Floor Guardians save Victim and Gargantua to the throne room. I wish to discuss my plans for the future of Nazarick with them," I order calmly, my mind made up.

"At once, My Lord," Albedo says with a deep bow, even though I sense some disappointment in her as she leaves to fulfil my orders. Watching her leave, I start to cast a spell, projecting my mind outside of my physical shell as I look down on the world from the sky. I always did have a talent for this kind of scrying magic.

Technically, all scrying magic falls under divination magic but I like to keep them separate, scrying for the present and divination for the future and the past.

Of course, I also caused a lot of trouble with divination magic. Once I worked out there were spells that allowed you to ask the very gods questions, I found entirely too much entertainment in bothering deities with inane questions.

Oh great god of war, what should I have for breakfast?

Heh, the gods were always a humourless bunch, except for the Goddess of the Hearth, she always had legitimately good recommendations for meals. I spared her temples as thanks. Smart lass, that one.

Still, the Tomb stands out like a sore thumb, the only landmark in the plains we have been dropped in.

Well, I can work with that.

I can see a village and a forest in the far distance, the closest piece of civilization that I can sense with my spells, which is encouraging since they're likely not to have noticed our appearance yet.

Peasants are often too busy with their lives to worry about anything other than what's going on inside their little village.

Still, moving my projected mind towards the village I cast a couple of spells on it, nothing major, just some simple ones.

A couple of scrying spells so I can keep an eye on them and a spell to detect magic users. If anyone has noticed us, it'll be the mages of this world and as that village seems to be the only piece of civilization nearby, they'll likely stop there if they come to investigate.

It doesn't take long before the Guardians start showing up, not wanting to keep me waiting as a pair of short dark elf twins arrive, one of them hiding behind the other as they approach my throne.

Aura Bella Fiora and Mare Bello Fiore, the twin guardians of the Sixth floor. For a moment I doubt my new knowledge… isn't Mare supposed to be a boy?

Aura is a tomboy, she might dress in masculine clothes but she's clearly a girl, but why is Mare wearing a skirt? After a moment I put it out of my mind, he's an elf and even the manliest male elf is prettier than most human women, so it shouldn't come as that much of a surprise. It's why their women always go for human men, or orcs, or dwarves. Anything to avoid the men who make them insecure in their femininity.

Trust me, I'm an expert when it comes to elvish women; I can correctly identify the gender of an elf 95% of the time.

Next, the massive insectoid guardian of the 5th floor shows up: Cocytus. He's an impressive one, that's for sure, we didn't have his kind back in my world.

The bespectacled devil in an orange suit that follows is far more familiar to me, Demiurge the guardian of the 7th floor. Devils I know, I've dealt with them a great many times as allies, enemies and lovers.

As Kuro said, I'd have lived a lot longer if it wasn't for my fondness of Succubi. I regret absolutely nothing.

The gothic lolita that shows up alongside Albedo makes me chuckle internally. Why do vampires usually dress in a way that screams 'I'm going to drink your blood'? Shalltear Bloodfallen, the guardian of the first, second and third floor.

Still, I can't blame her. Everyone here was designed by my 'fellow' supreme beings, which is an interesting concept.

My first conquest would have been a lot easier if I could just create my own generals instead of having to recruit them.

As they all gathered at the foot of the stairs towards my throne, they each bowed before me, their supreme one as they awaited my commands. If only I had such loyal and talented followers from the start in my original world.

"Lord Black, I've gathered the guardians you requested," Albedo says, her head bowed.

"Excellent, Albedo. Now I'm sure you're all aware of the situation we have found ourselves in," I say with a calm smile, seeing no surprise or confusion on their faces. Albedo has likely already told them about our little relocation, assuming they didn't notice themselves. "I have thought hard about how I want to proceed, and I have come to a decision," I continue, pausing for dramatic effect.

Being a dark lord is 50% presentation and 40% unadulterated violence, there's a bunch of mostly unimportant stuff in the other 10%.

Sometimes people get the balance mixed up and use more violence than presentation, announcing their status as mere warlords with delusions of grandeur.

"Our relocation to this world was unexpected, but I see it as an opportunity, it is for that reason I've decided to conquer this world," I say, watching their reactions as their eyes widen. "I am a greedy man, and I want to add this world and its inhabitants to my belongings. I intend to rule this world, and I will require all of your assistance to conquer it."

Last time I declared I was going to conquer the world, my words were met with disbelief and doubt. Admittedly that was because I declared it at my favourite tavern and my crew thought I was just very drunk, boy were they surprised when they realised I meant it.

This time, the reaction is rather different as excitement and awe spread through the room, the devil in particular seeming awestruck at my declaration.

"Of course, Lord Black. We will help you spread the glory of Nazarick and the last Supreme Being to this entire world!" Demiurge says excitedly, practically shaking in anticipation. The others make similar declarations, somewhat more subdued than Demiurge, but excited all the same.

"Thank you. Of course, we don't know how powerful the inhabitants of this world are yet, or let alone the different kingdoms and factions we will have to deal with, and as such I intend to focus on information gathering and securing our home to begin with," I say with a wise tone, making my experience clear.

I was too aggressive in my first conquest, I didn't try to gather information on my enemies or really try to defend what I conquered, entirely focused upon going on the offensive.

In my defence, it worked, but it's still not the best way to approach things.

"Firstly, we need to deal with the fact that Nazarick is extremely exposed at the moment, and while my plan will draw attention onto us, I intend to make sure that just finding Nazarick will be a challenge for those who would attempt to harm us," I say, getting their attention. "Mare, I will be requiring your assistance in the first stage of my plans. I intend to terraform the plains around Nazarick into a dense jungle, between the two of us I have no doubt we can handle it," I say, watching Mare straighten up even as he shivers under my attention.

He's a nervous sort, then? I have knowledge of who they are and an idea of what they can do, but I don't know their personalities.

"I-I won't let you down, Lord Black," Mare says quietly, getting a rough pat on his back from his sister, making him almost fall over.

"I know you won't, don't worry. Between the two of us, creating a jungle shouldn't be a challenge," I say, giving him a warm smile.

He's an archdruid apparently, and this isn't my first time doing something like this. The last time I altered the landscape it was to turn the forests and farmlands of one of the holy kingdoms into an inhospitable desert, after all, why fight what I can simply starve?

"As for the rest of you, for now I simply need you to raise your alertness, watch out for any invaders or infiltrators, especially you Shalltear, your position as the guardian of the first floors means it is essential that you remain vigilant," I say, making her curtsy with a smile.

"Of course, not even a single insect will slip by me. I'll have my minions triple the watch," Shalltear promises as I stand.

"Excellent. I am going to take Mare and immediately start creating the jungle to conceal our presence before anyone manages to notice us. Demiurge, Albedo, I'll leave handling Nazarick's security to you two, I know you won't let me down," I say as I approach the small dark elf and offer him my hand. "Now then, Mare, let's get to work."

As he takes my hand, I teleport us both to the outside of the tomb. This should be fun.

— Albedo —

"So that is the ambition of the last of the supreme beings?" Demiurge asks himself as they watch Lord Black teleport himself and Mare away.

As he left, the overwhelming magical pressure coming from their lord disappeared with him, and she wasn't the only one who let out a sigh of relief as his immense magical power stopped pushing down on them.

She suspected Lord Black didn't even notice the aura he was putting off, which only made it more impressive. The sheer amount of magic inside his seemingly human body was unbelievable. Truly, he stood at the pinnacle of the supreme beings.

"Of course, anything less would be unbefitting of a supreme being as powerful and wise as our Lord," Albedo replied immediately, fidgeting in place as she remembered the feeling of Henry's firm hand on her backside.

If only he'd torn away her clothes and taken her then and there…

"Naturally, and if our lord desires this world it is our duty to give it to him," Cocytus rumbles, his excitement barely noticeable aside from the increase in mist coming from his icy carapace.

Henry Black was their lord, the only supreme being to remain with them when all the others, even their own creators, left. It went without saying that he held their absolute loyalty and adoration. His wishes were their duties, his whims their obligations.

Beyond that, she couldn't deny that Henry's excitement at the idea of a new world was infectious, and she wasn't alone. Cocytus was no doubt wondering what warriors he could fight, Aura would be curious about the creatures of this world, Mare the plants.

Who knows what Shalltear was thinking, and Demiurge's mind was a mystery even to her, but their own excitement was clear to her.

This was the dawn of a new era for Nazarick, and while the disappearance of their creators left them feeling lost, Henry would guide them into a new age, perhaps even a better one. As heretical as the thought was.

She couldn't help the bitterness in her heart at her own creator's disappearance, was she not good enough for Lord Tabula? Was Nazarick not good enough?

She still didn't know why so many of the supreme beings had left, but it didn't change her duties. She was made to serve the supreme ones, if only one remained, then she simply had to serve him with her entire being.

"Shalltear, I shall send some of my servants to reinforce the first floor, I have no doubt you can handle your duties, but as Lord Black said, we must ensure not a single rodent slips through the cracks," Demiurge said, his tone brooking no argument.

Shalltear frowned for just a moment, none of the guardians particularly liked the others interfering on their floors, but this was a special occasion and she simply nodded a moment later.

"Very well, I'll have my vampire brides work with them," Shalltear said with a calm smile, making Aura snicker slightly.

"Aww, you can play nice," Aura teased, Shalltear's smile wiped away in an instant as she glared at Aura.

"The hell did you just say, bitch?" Shalltear growled, her calm demeanour vanishing immediately.

"…I'm leaving, someone else can deal with those two," Cocytus said simply as the two started bickering, turning and walking away without hesitation.

Cocytus had no patience for the pointless squabbling that often occurred when those two met up, and she didn't blame him.

"I also have preparations to make, so I'll leave this to you Albedo," Demiurge said with a slight smirk and a shrug.

Demiurge didn't care, he just enjoyed making other people deal with unpleasant things.

Still, that was how his creator had made him, it was why she couldn't say any of them were flawed. They were made as their creators wished.

…but she didn't particularly feel like dealing with their nonsense either, and trying to stop Aura and Shalltear from arguing once they had started was an exercise in futility.

"I suggest you two take your petty squabbles elsewhere, it wouldn't do for you to show such a pathetic sight to Lord Black," Albedo said, making them freeze as they realised where they were arguing.

"Tch, you have a point," Shalltear admitted, straightening up and giving the smug-looking Aura a glare. "Don't think this is over, brat," Shalltear growled as she opened a gate, heading through it as Aura shrugged playfully.

It was just the way they were made, but that didn't make them any less annoying at times like this.

— Henry Black —

I'm starting to understand something about these Guardians. Their skills are made for combat, and while they have some skills that can be used for other purposes it's not what they were designed to do.

But that's fine, it's the job of an old goat like me to teach the younger generation and these guardians are all practically children when you think about it. It's the least I can do for them.

Sage Skills

[Words of the World]

It is the duty of a sage to spread their hard-earned knowledge, and as such you possess the ability to pass on your knowledge and skills to those you deem worthy.

Now, I am an Arch-Druid myself and I could quite easily grow an entire jungle around Nazarick, but Druidic magic isn't the fastest and it'd take time for it to grow since I'd have to work with nature.

But I'm more than just a Druid, and I have a trick up my sleeve.

It's time for an Edict.

I have to be specific, Edicts are far more powerful than even my most powerful spells, and I'm careful to mark out the exact area I want to terraform.

If I'm using an Edict, I might as well go all the way and make it a big one, populating the jungle at the same time as I create it, and the area I'm going to cover is vast. I can make non-magical creatures easily, and weaker monsters to inhabit the jungle and trouble anyone who decides to wander my newest addition to this world.

The harder it is to find Nazarick, the better, so the larger the jungle the more area they'll have to cover just to track us down. Covering my bases, I weave a ward into the very jungle that blocks all forms of divination magic that are cast without my permission.

This is why I won in my old world, despite my frankly incompetent early decisions. Edicts are just too powerful, how do you face someone who can simply declare that all the food in your empire will rot? That the animals of your kingdom will grow rabid and feast on your commoners?

Kings who declared war on me not a week prior threw themselves at my feet and begged me to stop my edicts, offering me their crown, their queen, and whatever else I wanted to spare their people.

People quickly learnt that facing me in outright combat simply wasn't viable, I would have cast an edict within hours of the war starting, so they moved on to subtler methods to fighting my regime.

That's what I want to avoid this time, the years of squashing rebellions and schemes.

But for now, it's time to introduce this world to the wonders that are my edicts.

If the mages of this world didn't feel our arrival, they're sure as fuck going to feel this. As I cast my edict, Mare's eyes widened in awe as the dense jungle grows around us, massive trees shooting up and covering the night sky with the thick canopy, empty grasslands shifting as rivers and swamps take their place.

This is true power, the ability to make the very world yield and bend to my whims, and though we can't see it, this is happening for miles in every direction.

The jungle is no doubt already visible from the village I scryed, but I've made sure to not have it engulf the tiny settlement.

I imagine it's caused quite the shock, and certainly a lot of fear since the edge of the dark jungle will stop a mere stone's throw away from their village, but I have a plan for that as well.

The village is now trapped between my jungle and the forest that was already on their border, and I imagine they'll be feeling something akin to despair, or they will soon enough, but despair is a useful tool.

It would take an expedition weeks to reach Nazarick from the closest edge of the jungle, and that's assuming they know exactly where we are.

But I'm not even done yet, and with a second edict, I turn this jungle into a magical biome, no longer merely just a dark and dangerous jungle.

By infusing the very land with magic, I won't need to personally craft monsters to fill the miles of jungle, as the plants and animals I've already put inside it will become the monsters I need. In addition, magical plants will grow and both the animals and plants will be usable as potion ingredients.

They'll absorb the mana and transform, and as it's my magic, I'll be able to enforce my will upon them if I need to.

By the gods, how easy would my first conquest have been if I could cast edicts from the start?

In addition, I can use the ambient magic to give the entire region effects that will benefit me and my new people.

Firstly, anyone who dies in the jungle will rise again as an undead with a hunger for the flesh of those who do not belong in the jungle. The jungle will defy mapping, shifting and warping to confuse those bold enough to brave its depths.

I've also learnt something useful, I don't think this world has any real gods. Before, I'd have to engage in a battle of wills against the gods to enforce my edicts in areas they held power, but this time it went through with no resistance.

If there are gods, they have no power over this region and that's a very good sign.

"A-amazing, Lord Black!" Mare cheers, looking over the incredibly dense jungle that now conceals our home, making me chuckle and reach over to ruffle his blonde hair.

"In time, you'll be able to grow jungles or forests like this as well, perhaps not as fast as I can but I can see your potential, lad," I say, making him beam up at me. "Now let's get back inside unless you want to explore the place. The Jungle knows its purpose, the inhabitants of Nazarick have nothing to fear from its depths," I promise.

"I'm going back in, I know Aura will want to explore so I think I'll wait and go with her," Mare says with a small smile.

"Fair enough, I think that's enough work for today," I say, giving myself a mental pat on the back as we head back inside.

I'm well aware that there are subtler ways to hide Nazarick, but I've also learnt something important over the years.

Sometimes it's a good idea to shake the hornet's nest and see what comes out. I want to see how the people of this world react to this kind of magic, it'll help me decide how to move forward.

I need to learn the kingdoms of this world, the major powers and the key figures before I can make any real plan for world domination, but there is also one other reason.

I find it funny.

This world just had a giant cursed jungle pop up out of nowhere, I wonder how many people are running around like headless chickens right about now? How many glory-seeking idiots will come to my jungle seeking adventure and wealth, only to find death waiting for them?

Plus, those types tend to be fairly powerful so I can capture them and learn their techniques and skills for myself, to bolster the might of Nazarick.

Separating from Mare, I follow my new knowledge as I teleport towards my bedroom here, looking around the extravagant room.

Nice, fancy while still being tasteful. That's hard to pull off. Flopping down onto the bed with a chuckle, I smile to myself. I missed this.

Once you've conquered the world it's all administration and boring things. I was too angry to enjoy the conquest itself last time, too focused.

This time I'm going to take my time and enjoy the small joys that come with world domination.

Sniffing, I sit up with a frown. Why does my bed smell like Albedo?

Eh, she smells at least good. I'll think about it in the morning.

You know, if the food and drink here are as good as the beds, I could really get used to this.

A group of talented, loyal servants who see me as a living god, a comfy bed, and an entire world to conquer.

Life is pretty good.

Well, it's missing one thing. So, how does one get their ship from one world to the next?

— Bonus Scene — Gazef Stronoff

"Captain, what…" his vice-captain started, before trailing off. "How…"

He didn't blame him, what else could be said?

They'd arrived at the ruins of a burnt down village, too late to save the villagers from whoever was committing these attacks, only to watch an entire forest unlike any he had ever seen grow right in front of their eyes, moving towards them until it reached the borders of the ruins, where it stopped.

He planned to head to the nearest village in the hopes of protecting Carne village from whatever was committing these monstrosities to his Kingdom's peasants, and now he was only more sure.

Still, he needed to make sure he got word to the king about this… development? How would he even explain that an entire forest, denser than any he had seen before, he just sprung up out of nowhere?

He'd send a message back, he was aware of the possibility of him not returning himself after all.

He was no fool, he'd already worked out that the main purpose of these attacks was likely to lure him out into the open where the enemies of his king could kill him, the kingdom's strongest warrior.

But he had a duty to protect the people of Re-Estize, and he wouldn't flee and leave the commoners to suffer for his cowardice.

"I don't know, but it changes nothing. We move onto Carne village tomorrow," Gazef said, hiding his concern over the sudden forest.

He didn't know enough about magic to know what to do about that forest, or how it had grown so quickly, he'd leave that to people smarter than him.

— Nigun Grid Luin —

…what the fuck.

Why did the village he planned to have his men pillage suddenly have a new forest next to it?

Where did that come from?

It wasn't there yesterday.

Did he change his plans… no, he'd been given orders and his scripture never failed a mission, he didn't know where this forest had come from but it didn't change anything.

Gazef Stronoff would take the bait, and then he would die. He had nothing to do with the forest anyway, Re-Estize had no mages capable of such feats.

— Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix —

He hadn't felt anything, but then he didn't have the ability to use magic himself.

The first sign something was wrong was Fluder's breakdown, the old man bursting into cackles and turning to face the direction of Re-Estize, babbling indecipherable words until he simply collapsed.

The other mages hadn't been so highly affected but they all clearly felt whatever had caused Fluder's madness. Fluder was rumoured to be the strongest human magic caster, perhaps he'd sensed more than the others, but they'd have to wait for the old man to wake up before they could confirm that.

What he had already discovered was the fact that a jungle the size of a small kingdom had just appeared where there was once only grasslands.

Where did it come from? What did it mean?

He didn't know, but it would likely interfere with his plans for the next war with Re-Estize; he couldn't risk deploying his armies close to such an unknown.

Still, he specialised in turning inconveniences into opportunities, this would prove no different.

It was just a minor inconvenience to him, but the jungle was primarily in Re-Estize territory and having so much fertile land be turned into an inhospitable jungle had to be quite the issue for them.

Of course, that made it an issue for him when he expanded his empire's borders, but for now he'd simply start gathering information and bide his time.

— Henry Black's Skills —

[Ruler of the Stormy Seas]

As the Ruler of Seas, all the water of the worlds and all that dwell within them are yours to control. You don't need to cast spells to control water or ice, as they respond to your very will. All water-based creatures see you as their god, regardless of their power or intelligence. Likewise, the storms are yours to command and will form or dissipate according to your whims.

[Runic Perfection]

Through years of experimenting, you have crafted the runic tattoos that have greatly enhanced your human body, taking it far beyond the limits that most humans are stuck with. Your strength, speed and endurance have reached levels previously thought impossible for mortals. The runes can negate most poisons, dispel most magic, and rapidly heal you when you are injured.

[The Dark Lord's Edict]

Edicts are the physical and metaphysical manifestations of your will, and as varied and powerful as you wish. They can destroy cities, blight kingdoms, or drain the seas. Some are devastating on an apocalyptic level, while some are so subtle the victims never even notice it has been cast. When an Edict is cast, the Dark Lord chooses the targets, effect, how long it will last, and if there is a condition that will end the effect.

[The Master of Magic]

Centuries of studying and your own natural talent have made you a true master of magic, in all its forms. You can craft spells to suit your whims, modify existing spells and use spells from any branch of magic.

[Living Magic]

Through a dark ritual, you have absorbed the magic of several kingdoms, enhancing your magical core to divine levels. You have a near-limitless mana pool, which refills faster than you can deplete it.

— Sage Skills —

[The Truth Seeker]

As the Sage, you cannot be deceived. Illusions do not affect you, and you will always know when people are attempting to deceive you.

[Words of the World]

It is the duty of a sage to spread their hard-earned knowledge, and as such you possess the ability to pass on your knowledge and skills to those you deem worthy.