Chapter 10 - Survivors

Nfirea woke up in an unfamiliar place, his blood pumping as his tired eyes shot open. His last memories were of a blonde woman and a bald old man attacking him, and the adventurers he hired being knocked out. A quick inspection of his internal self suggested some bruises and possibly strained tendons, along with signs of having used magic for extended durations of time despite not remembering any of it.

He slowly pushed himself up, glancing around as he stretched his upper muscles. There were rows of messy beds and people in clergy-like garbs tending to people. The row of large windows on the opposite wall was filling the room with bright sunlight as if to counter the panicky emotions swelling within him.

One of the clerics noticed him and approached him in a hastily manner.

"Mr. Bareare, you're finally awake." The woman with already graying hair greeted him, propping him up.

"What happened?" he asked with growing agitation, increasingly nervous.

"Please remain calm. You have been through a lot," she answered, smiling calmly.

"What happened? Where am I? What about the rest?" Nfirea all but leaped out of bed. His legs refused to listen to his urgent orders and wobbled the moment his feet touched the uneven wooden floor. The woman rushed over and grabbed him just before he fell over, holding him upright.

"Mr. Bareare, please calm down!" She retorted in a stern, motherly tone. "Your friends are waiting, and the priest will explain everything."

"My friends? But they… are they alive?"

He held onto the woman's shoulder and took careful steps, baby steps, that the cleric supported.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch their names. A pair of good-looking foreigners and a red-haired priestess. Word is that they rescued you from that nasty undead-loving cult."

"Rescued me?" Nfirea cried. The memories were hazy at best, but he did recognize the trio the woman described.

"Let's go, they're waiting. Like that, one step at a time."

She gently guided him out of the ward towards the priest's office, he limped the way there. As they got to the priest's office, a loud woman's voice could be heard through the door, screaming and shrieking.

"Why the fuck did you burn the body before the boy could say his goodbyes!?"

The woman, undeterred, opened the door and allowed Nfirea in just as the priest replied to Buku's question.

"We couldn't afford to leave any dead bodies lying around. You must understand that, as the-. Ah, Mr. Bareare, you finally awoke."

The priest and the three adventurers turned their attention to him as the cleric gently guided Nfirea to a chair, quickly leaving the room afterward. She always had more patients to handle, after all.

"What happened?" Nfirea once again inquired, growing increasingly anxious as he was, completely ignored.

With the adventurers and the priest bickering over each other, he slowly got the whole picture. It was one he was horrified at, but seemingly the truth given the intensities of the figures of authorities firing back and forth.

He had been targeted because of his renowned magical talent, kidnapped when he returned home, and stolen away into the night. The people he hired, Peter, Dyne, Ninya, and Brita all went missing, but by the sheer amount of blood found in his home, it was safe to assume they were killed in battle against the kidnapper.

His grandmother Lizzie was found to have died days before officials investigated his home upon tip-off by the foreigner adventurers. The commotion was about her body getting burned before proper passing rites could be administered, something most natives prized as their last respect for the dead.

His grandmother had wanted to be given rites, as had her mother, and her mother before as far as they could trace back. The public officials, in their zealousness to prevent the town from yet another undead assault from within, had roasted her body to ashes and tossed her remains into a pile with other hundreds of victims. There would be no such thing as recovering her body for rites now.

Meanwhile, he discovered he had been kidnapped by the cult of Zurrernorn, and used as some sort of conduit for an artifact that summoned the hordes of undead which had attacked the city from the graveyard. Hence he felt he had used magic - he had, tremendous amounts as he had summoned hundreds upon hundreds of undead to attack the city.

The remainder of the people he hired heroically rescued him, and the artifact was destroyed by a God who performed a miracle and saved the city. The foreigners, now lauded as heroes and blessed by a God, had rescued him from the cult's grasp and brought him to the healing ward, one of whom was standing beside him.

After hearing the whole retelling, he slumped down and muttered, "So many people died because of me."

A moment later he started to sob, filling the office as the others fell silent. There was a time to argue, and there was a time to not. They had their time to grieve, it was now his.

"So many dead. Granny, adventurers… They all died because of me."

Buku quickly knelt before the boy and embraced him, softly whispering, "Nfirea, listen to me. Nothing that happened is your fault. You were used by evil people. Be angry and sad, but don't blame yourself, none of this was or will be your fault."

For a time he couldn't tell, he sobbed and sobbed in Buku's embrace, unable and unwilling to stop. The tears kept flowing until there was nothing left, for hours as he grieved. Grieved for the innocent, nameless people he never knew who died from his potential, grieved for the adventurers he had become friends with after hiring them, and grieved for his grandmother, who would never wake him up with breakfast again.

Afterward, she helped him get home, or more to what was left of it. In the confusion of the recent events, everything of value had been ransacked, whether by criminals or adventurers, and all that remained was the smell of blood and decay after confiscation by the city guard for investigation of the crime.

Nfirea wandered through the house, aimless and without a goal, for a few minutes before lifelessly stating, "I'm sorry I can't pay you now. I'll set up a debt with the guild so you get your fair share."

"There's no need. Buddy, don't think about it right now, okay?" Pero replied. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and continued, "Remember, our friends wanted to work with you, so don't worry about money right now. We'll take care of everything."

"Do you have any other relatives? Someone you could stay with for now?" Buku asked, worried.

Nfirea shook his head. Save for his grandmother, there were none that he knew of. She never talked about what happened to his parents or if he had any other relatives, and nobody had reached out to claim him or at least interact with him.

All he knew was his grannie, who was gone. The last of his known bloodline, to say the least.

"Do you want to stay in the city?" Buku fired a follow-up question, trying to move the conversation along.

"I have nowhere else to go," Nfirea replied, glancing around with growing desperation. These kind strangers were willing to forget his debt, but that didn't mean he had anything to rebuild his business with.

He would have to take heavy loans just to restock materials and repair the equipment. That was if anyone would be willing to give them without enslaving terms attached to it due to his desperation. And the heavy loans would be saddled with him for decades since the nobility enjoyed their practical monopoly over the kingdom's finances.

"Our friends are protecting Carne village. We could help you set up a lab there, and you'll be closer to the girl you like," Buku chimed in with a somewhat cheerful tone.

"What will they ask of me in return?"

Even in his grief and hopelessness, he was no fool and he wasn't about to be taken advantage of. It simply sounded too good to be true, that somebody would swoop in and save him at his lowest.

"You'll have to help our friends learn how to use all the herbs that grow in Tob and assist them in developing new kinds of alchemical potions. Don't worry, they'll pay you a fair wage. Does it sound acceptable?" Buku asked, concern seeping into her voice.

"…Yes. Thank you." Nfirea was still suspicious of these foreigners, but there weren't many available options at the moment since, even if they forced him to work for a roof over his head and meals, he would be close to Enri.

His next few days were hastily spent in preparation for his departure. His beloved late grandmother's house wasn't easy to sell on such short notice, and the merchant who agreed to buy it on such short notice clearly didn't pay a fair price, but it was better than the literal nothing he had besides the clothes on his back.

After purchasing a new horse, old but still working from its farm days, and a run-down carriage with enough supplies to last him at least a few weeks, he and the trio of adventurers set out to Carne.

Unlike last time, the journey was virtually uneventful, but there wasn't any delight found in such a peaceful moving trip. No ogres attacked their carriage, and no bandits tried to rob them, but no grandma was there to support them in spirit.

Same as the last time, they were greeted by armed goblins, but since they recognized the group's members there were no problems entering the village.

"Enfi, you're back so soon?" Enri excitedly ran up to the carriage but paused when she witnessed how disheveled Nfirea looked.

"Enfi? Did something happen?" She asked, meeting the boy's reluctant gaze.

"I'll be living here from now on. Granny died and…" He quickly retold the recent events, giving time for the others to consolidate their stuff.

"Enfi, I'm so sorry," Enri whispered after hearing what he went through.

"Enri, was it? Can we ask you to watch him while we set up his home? Yuri should come to help us any moment," Buku expressed to the girl, stepping down from the carriage.

"How do you know about Miss Yuri?" Enri asked, her eyes widening.

"We work for the same people she does. Nfirea has been hired by them as well, but he'll need time to grieve, and a friendly face during this time wouldn't hurt."

Buku waved at Yuri, who was watching from a distance. The maid approached the group and promptly addressed Nfirea. "Mr. Bareare, your new accommodations have been prepared. You will find a communication orb on the kitchen table. Please contact Lord Tabula when you are ready to speak with him."

She motioned for Nfirea to follow, walking towards one of the houses that was left empty after the attack.

The boy climbed out of the cart and followed the maid, being accompanied by Enri. Not entirely recovered, he leaned on Enri for support, which she was only happy to provide.

The living space prepared for him was on par with what he was used to back in the city, and the laboratory was far beyond what he had available before as an alchemist. Truth be told, he wasn't even sure what many of the devices did and would have to read the provided manuals on the side as outlined by the maid during his tour of the household.

The structure that used to house six people, an entire family, was now repurposed just for him and him alone. Most of the space that hadn't been used for necessities, such as the lavishly decorated kitchen and bedroom, went to the laboratory, easily the largest room in the building.

Upon the kitchen table, they found a darkly colored glass ball, glittering almost unnaturally under the bright room's light.

To avoid making his new, mysterious employer wait any longer, Nfirea picked up the ball and attempted to activate it. After holding the orb for a few moments, a sliver of his magic entered the dark sphere as it grew brighter, eventually dimming into a spiral of purple and gray.

"Greetings, Nfirea. My name is Tabula Ooal Gown, and I am looking forward to working with you. For now, take as much time as you need to grieve and rest. Contact me through the orb when you feel you are ready to begin work." A deep, guttural voice greeted him. He couldn't see who Tabula was, but he was sure Tabula could see his fresh streaks of tears.

"Thank you," Nfirea replied, almost in a whisper. Most new employers wouldn't care for his health, setting him to work immediately. An employee who wasn't working was useless, after all.

After his acknowledgment, the orb went completely dark again. Now understanding that the only requirement was to talk while holding it, Nfirea placed the orb back on the table.

Enri stayed with him for a few more minutes, explaining the daily ongoing activities of the village. After she eventually left, Nfirea collapsed into the too-comfortable bed, lifelessly staring at the ceiling.

So much had happened, and it would take a while until any sense of normalcy could return. He needed time.

X

After all the holy texts were poured over by dozens of priests for any clues about who the God of Life and Death could be, the Slane Theocracy leadership, in the form of the six cardinals and Pontifex, had gathered for another meeting.

After each rewatching multiple times the scenes Thousand Leagues Astrologer had recorded, there was no denying that the feat of cleansing could be only achieved by either a player or an extremely powerful Godkin, who would place the newest entity on par with the Black Scripture's extra seat Zesshi Zetsumei. The strongest weapon the Theocracy had, and their ultimate trump card and it had suddenly been equalized in the span of under a dozen minutes.

Once everyone had settled, Zinedine was first to speak, "It's safe to assume that this being is a player, and the likely culprit behind the Sunlight Scripture's disappearance. From what we know, I believe it can be deduced that this player has a pro-human stance, but for reasons unknown has chosen not to reveal himself fully."

"I could not find any mention of him in holy texts, but the fact that he announced himself as God makes me believe he is planning to build a new religion around himself," Yvon stated with a grim expression, fingers tapping on the table.

He flipped through the pages of the notes he held in front of him and continued, voice lowering as tension rose.

"Even more splintered in their faith, humanity won't survive. We can't be sure of this player's motives, and thus I propose to take swift action. We must contact him and either convince him to join the pantheon of our Gods, or use holy artifacts to control him directly. He will serve humanity one way or another."

"Yvon, we don't know where this player resides. And any sort of probation to make him show up is guaranteed to destroy any chance of peaceful cooperation," Raymond claimed, standing up. "We have not yet verified it to be a player either."

"I agree with Yvon. An action must be taken, we cannot take the chances that they are not a player. Raymond, are the Black Scripture and Kaire available?" Pontifex asked, sounding tired from the debate. His advanced age had been showing more and more during the last few stressful days, but none could blame him. The appearance of a player was bound to reshape the face of the world to at least some degree, and he, as the guiding arrowhead of mortal humans, held the most responsibility to guide his kind through these tumultuous times.

The constant turmoil due to recent events was starting to take its toll, forcing the old man to skip the necessary periods of rest for a human of his age and workload.

"They can be deployed within a day, but I would recommend a careful approach and wait for the player's appearance before taking action. Also, an investigation into the appearance of organizations called the Research Guild is necessary. I believe they may be connected to the God of Life and Death, given the timing of appearances," Raymond declared.

"If that is the case, we are dealing with an entire group of players. Their secrecy is concerning, particularly with their displayed powers. I would like to hear your plan," the Pontifex sighed.

Reports about this mysterious group were rather sparse at best since the nobles of Re-Estize were reluctant to talk about what transpired when the guild's representative visited King Ramposa. They wished to keep their power to themselves.

One thing was clear: the outcome of the interaction and the meeting afterward wasn't beneficial for the Kingdom of Re-Estize.

"I will send out Kaire and most of the Black Scripture to investigate, try to get in contact with either the God of Life and Death or members of the Research Guild through our merchant connections, and try to open a suitable diplomatic channel with the group. If it fails, then we can try to take control of one of them, but I believe it would be better to take a conservative approach. If we fail, that would make them our enemies, and that could cause the deaths of thousands."

"Anyone against this proposal?" Pontifex announced.

"While I won't vote against the proposal, my personal stance would be to wait and see their next steps and only then take action," Zinedine claimed, fumbling with his paperwork.

"At worst, we could be facing a Greed King situation, only with even more cunning players. If we let them take root without knowing their motives, it could spell doom for humanity," Dominic groaned, knowing the debate could circle for hours if they kept at it.

"Whatever the case is, we can only pray that our decision turns out to be the right one," Pontifex closed the discussion, motioning for the members to leave. The members left shortly after.

X

After escorting Nfirea to Carne, Pero, Buku, and Lupus returned to E-Rantel to attend a meeting with not only the Adventurer Guild's guild master but also the mayor and the guild master of the Magic Caster guild.

Their accomplishment couldn't be overlooked, even if they weren't declared the chosen heroes by the God who saved the city, which they had. The local church was in uproar and refused to acknowledge them, but their achievements were why they had been called in.

Now, sitting in one of the guild's meeting rooms, they faced the three men who seemed to be handpicked to appear as different from one another as possible.

Pluton Ainzach, a former adventurer, was a strongly built man in his forties, muscles toned from battle. The caster Theo Rakhesir was an extremely thin, neurotic-looking man in his thirties, shivering slightly despite his robes. And the mayor of E-Rantel, Panasolei Gruze Day Rettenmaier, was an old, bloated mass of a man with hair so thin his scalp was reflecting candlelight.

{ You know, they look like a comedic trio from some slapstick comedy. Ten gold on the fat guy breaking the chair. } Pero messaged his sister, internally cracking up at his joke.

Buku pretended to sneeze to not laugh out loud. { Stop it, you idiot. We need to take this seriously. }

{ Hey, I'm just saying. }

Studying the weird expressions on the adventurers' faces, Pluton let out a tactical cough and began to speak. "Although it is highly unusual to grant adamantine rank so early in an adventurer career, due to recent circumstances and the impossible feat you three have performed, I would like to present you with your new guild tags."

He pushed forward a small decorated box with three adamantine plates inside.

"However, there are a few questions we wanted to ask you."

"Sure, we'll try to answer whatever questions you have," Pero replied, leaning back in his seat.

"How did you become so strong?" Was the first and most obvious question Pluton asked. He recognized their power, above all else.

"My brother and I were born strong, and trained for years, almost nonstop, to become who we are today," Buku replied.

"I was granted power by Gods, and I am guided by my God," Lupus added in, eyes slightly fervent at the chance to even indirectly praise the Supreme Beings. They were Gods, something she wouldn't miss the chance to laud for.

"I see," Pluton remarked, noting they mentioned little. Perhaps suspiciously little, but he understood wanting to keep their training secrets.

That is how it usually went; some people were just born strong or had the potential to reach the peak of humanity, and achieved it through hard work. Religion could give people the strength to persevere, and he was a testament to hard work.

"Can I rely on your team staying in E-Rantel? The Guild would be willing to pay you a negotiable monthly compensation if there are no jobs you could take."

"We are not in a hurry to leave, but would that mean we can't take jobs from other cities?" Pero asked.

"You see, threats that would require an adamantite level team to handle don't happen that often, but when they do, it's paramount that they're handled as quickly as possible. Obviously, the guild masters of various branches cooperate to lend their best teams to one another if need be, but keeping one nearby would rest the minds of every citizen in the city."

{ Free coin for us while we choose how we want to integrate into human society? } Pero shot a message over to Buku.

{ I see no reason not to. It also gives us an excuse for investigating various parts of E-Rantel if need be, given our reputation. As for if we need to leave, we can cancel the contract. } Buku quickly replied.

"In that case, sure, we can settle in E-Rantel for the time being." Pero agreed to the proposal, his sister nodding in approval a few minutes later.

"Excellent," Panasolei spoke up, a hard exhale rippling through his massive figure and shifting his chair.

"On behalf of E-Rantel, I would like to award you a property in the form of a three-story mansion with a sounding garden in the backyard for your role in saving the city. And so long as you reside in this property, you do not have to pay taxes as stalwart defenders of the common people."

{ They are kissing our asses hard. } Pero sent a message to his team.

{ They're simply acting in their self-interest to keep us around in case their asses need saving. But having a nice place for operations is nice, especially if it's free. We can lend it to Ulbert as a favor for giving us the entertainment if he ever needs it. } Buku replied.

{ Definitely, the old goat probably is watching us and already scheming how to use it. } Pero commented on Ulbert's growing habit of getting his goat snout into everything.

The three leaders did ask more questions, but they mostly were related to the battle in the cemetery. Pero and Buku were more than happy to tell their mostly true story, having agreed upon it hours before.

Theo wanted to know if there were any other dangerous artifacts besides the crown God destroyed. If there were any others, it was in his and the city's best interest to keep them under magical containment and study.

Buku obviously remained silent about the orb she picked up from the Head Lich's corpse and kept it in her inventory until she could give it to Ainz. She reported nothing else of note that they knew of.

Additionally, there were many questions about the God of Life and Death, to which the trio gave only vague answers, much to the disgruntlement of the three interrogators. Any information would help when handling the church, which would inevitably send their response to any sort of religious irregularity.

In the end, the duo received a massive payout that was large enough to live comfortably for years, even when living a minorly splurging lifestyle, for the natives of this world of course. They had more than enough money to replicate this hundreds, if not thousands, of times over in Nazarick.

After the meeting had ended, they gave a quick inspection of the gifted mansion and reunited with the doppelganger playing as Lukrut. The living space was decorated with a disturbing amount of gold, catering to the tastes of the nobility, which to be fair they practically were in all but name and taxation privileges in terms of influence.

All four individuals settled around the large table in the dining room as staff and undead from Nazarick began to pour into the house, preparing it to become Ulbert's primary base of operations within E-Rantel.

"The Swords of Darkness are presumed dead, and I dissolved the team," the false Lukrut dutifully reported.

"Great. You can remain with a team for a while until something else comes up," Pero replied, stretching on the chair.

The constant travel had worn him out, with Lupus and Buku faring no better. It was a unanimous decision to return home and resume their duties. The experience had been new, but once its novelty had worn off the lower quality comforts had become an irritant to all of them.

"So you're leaving your team in my care?" Ulbert inquired the moment he appeared through the gate.

"For now. We might go on adventures from time to time," Buku replied.

"It's fine as long as you don't royally screw up my plans," Ulbert replied while sitting down with them, sighing.

A maid crew quickly revealed and served massive plates of food and drink for the adventurers, courtesy of Ulbert, who knew they missed being pampered by Nazarick's extensive staff.

The trio dug in with ravenous appetites while the doppelganger just sat there. Doppelgangers didn't need to eat, after all.

"By the way I might need to borrow that pet you brought to Nazarick as a consultant for an operation," Ulbert stated, observing the reactions of his peers.

"Why do you need him?" Pero retorted, clear suspicion of Ulbert's real motives evident in his tone.

"I'm planning to send Sebas to the capital with one of the Pleiades maids, and they could benefit from a local who can help them fit in better."

"We need him present for Ninya's resurrection and then be around while she adjusts, so you'll have to find someone else," Pero replied, shutting down Ulbert's idea.

"I could send them both. Didn't you say the girl was looking for her sister? I could use my network to find her if they do a good job in assisting Sebas."

"You were the one who suggested keeping them in Nazarick. What's with the change of heart?" Buku glanced up from the plate and asked.

"Ehh… I…" Ulbert tactically broke into a coughing fit, knowing it would do little against his fellow guildmates.

"Quit bullshitting. What have you planned?" Pero fired.

"I'm running an experiment on how well humans and other locals could be teamed up with Nazarick natives for various operations. Since those two have and will work for one of you, they're perfect test subjects. Of course, I did prepare a spell that would prevent them from leaking any secrets."

"You're taking them under your wing, right?" Buku questioned her brother.

"I guess so. You know what, I agree to lend them, but they need a few weeks to be prepared, and I'm picking the Pleiades who go with Sebas."

"I can work with that. Just don't take too long. I want to start expanding in Re-Estize capital as soon as possible." Ulbert switched to a more businesslike demeanor, nailing his roast beef.

"Sure buddy, if Ninya will be ready for it. She likely won't be in the best mental shape after what that blonde bitch did to her."

"You know, she could fit right in with Demi and the crew. Some light brainwashing and we have a nice tool to use. I watched you deal with her. She was somewhere on the head warrior's level."

"Fuck no! She stays where she is!" Pero shouted, almost spitting out the food he was chewing. "Brainwashing is a last resort!"

"Okay, okay, just a suggestion," Ulbert stated, raising his hands in mock surrender.

He then got up, motioning for a maid to move in, and added. "I'll be off then. So much to do, so little time."

"We'll be following soon," Buku declared.

The adventure had come to an end, and there wasn't much point lingering around any longer. The sirens' call of the luxuries waiting in her quarters was becoming stronger by the hour.

X

Ninya's remains were defrosted, cleaned, and quickly delivered to the general laboratory on the ninth floor for Ainz to resurrect her. Resurrections were best done with fresh bodies for the mental sake of the revived, after all.

As another space recently added to Nazarick, it didn't have permanent personnel or much action going on. It had opened up the possibility of adding more floors, something Ainz definitely kept in mind.

This newest addition was made solely so that Nazarick's residents had a place for experimentation, whether it be testing summons, practicing new spells, or cooking alchemical and regular ingredients. Considering that Tabula's laboratory was created for his personal use, there was a need to have a public one as well, and it was occasionally used by himself when experimenting with magic or maids when experimenting with new dishes.

Ainz, Pero, and Lukrut stood around the metal table, staring at the girl's pale corpse, which was still wrapped in a thick silken cloth for her privacy. Returning to life would be traumatic as is, even without her awakening naked in front of multiple other people.

Pero was in his Itsuki form, so the girl could see two familiar faces upon awakening. Ainz, on the other hand, was in his natural overlord form, for God-of-Life-and-Death purposes.

"Be ready, she will likely go into shock once the dizziness fades away in a few moments," Ainz stated as he placed his arm on Ninya's forehead, casting [True Resurrection].

Ninya slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few moments later, reviving from the impossible becoming possible.

"Whshere am… who…" she mumbled, nearly incomprehensibly as she instinctively reached for … who knows.

"Welcome back. Relax, you'll be dizzy for a while," Pero stated in a calm, authoritative, and reassuring voice, taking a step closer.

Ainz took a step back, stating, "I'll leave her in your care. She'll need time to get used to Nazarick."

"Sure buddy, we'll take it from here," Pero replied.

Ninya slowly sat up, instinctively holding on to the silk cloth so it wouldn't fall. She glanced at the two standing figures, paying no mind to Ainz, who had teleported away just before she noticed.

"I… hhow did… whwhere am I?" She still spoke sluggishly, having not fully recovered her wits.

"You're in my home. Take it easy, returning to life is not easy. You just got resurrected." Pero whispered, dropping the bombshell that woke her out of her stupor almost immediately.

"I died?"

"You did. But we can talk about it later. Relax and try to get used to being alive again."

Ninya blinked a few times, still trying to comprehend what was going on as her memories came rushing back.

The monster with the face of a beautiful woman had tortured her and stripped her of all her dignity, and then the memory became blurry. She needed more, but her attention was redirected elsewhere.

Remembering that the woman had torn off all her clothes, Ninya glanced down, noticing the attempt at clothing that didn't fully hide her proportions.

"You found out?"

"Don't worry about it. I ain't going to ask for a reason. If you want to be a boy, I'll think of you as one." Lukrut exclaimed, comforting her by slapping her on the shoulder in his usual manner, albeit slightly lighter than normal.

"Hey! That hurts." Ninya yelled at him, attempting to wave him off with one hand as the other held down the silk.

"Sorry." He laughed without a shred of regret in his voice, hastily backing away. Messing with a woman about her body wasn't anything a man who wanted to survive the night did.

Ninya glared at him, but quickly returned her attention to her surroundings.

"Where are Peter and Dyne? You got them too?"

Pero scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"About that… You were the only one who wasn't turned into a zombie. We can't bring them back until we figure out how to do it."

"But how did you resurrect me? I shouldn't be strong enough."

"That's easy. True Resurrection can bring back anyone, no matter the level," Pero stated.

"What is True Resurrection? I haven't heard of such a thing. What is going on? Who are you?" Ninya grew frantic.

"I'll explain everything about what I have found out. But first, we need to get you some clothes and food," Lukrut sighed.

"Sure, bring her up to speed, and when Ninya is ready, bring her to my office," Pero replied, teleporting away.

"Can you stand up?" Lukrut asked, leaning forward.

Ninya slowly slid off the table and landed on the stone floor that didn't feel as cold as she expected. It took a decent amount of willpower, but she managed to remain standing, relying on the table's frame for support.

Clutching the silk cloth that was her only cover for now, she declared, still sounding a bit sluggish, albeit probably more from regaining physical mechanics than mental mechanics. "I'll manage."

"Great, but if you feel dizzy, lean against me. Oh, and I have to warn you not to stare at all the monsters, they don't like it."

"Monsters?" she questioned, confusion flashing through her youthful face.

'Right, she probably didn't even register that the boss was undead.' "No one will hurt us, but you need to know we can't be rude either. I kinda made a deal of both of us for you to be brought back. Let's get you something to eat, and then I'll explain everything."

"Sure," Ninya nodded, not fully comprehending what was going on as she latched onto Lukrut.

Lukrut first led her to the changing rooms, where a set of clothing similar to the one she wore before was prepared for Ninya. She walked the whole distance, staring at the floor and refusing to acknowledge the inhuman creatures. The clothing fitted perfectly as if brand-new, yet somehow worn in comfortably.

Then came the cantina. She effectively tunneled her vision, refusing to glance anywhere besides Lukrut or her rapidly emptying bowl.

She, following Lukrut's example, ate quickly, even if the food tasted so good it felt like a crime to not savor it. The many pretty women in maid outfits and the masked men in manservant suits mostly ignored them.

Lukrut did his best to explain everything that had happened during the time she was out, and that almost no one in Nazarick was human in the meantime, particularly during the meal. When they finally reached her assigned living space, Ninya could barely hold it together, shivering.

She laid down on her bed and stared at the ceiling, unmoving, while Lukrut stood against the wall, arms crossed.

"So we can't even leave and have to work for them? What about Itsuki and the rest, are they like us?" She inquired, almost accusatory in tone.

More memories had come back, the deaths of her teammates and her own torturous death. She wasn't even sure how to act now that Lukrut knew the truth.

Sure, for now, he was acting rather considerate, but knowing that he had flirted with any woman he had come across, it was up to debate how long he would remain cordial.

"No, they aren't human. Itsuki, it turns out, is actually called Pero Ooal Gown, and is the God of Murder. Akari, or Buku Ooal Gown, is the Goddess of War. Both of them are among the leaders of this place, two of five."

"Gods? Are you making stuff up?" she accused Lukrut, doubt lacing her offense.

"I'm serious. This place is run by five Gods. The guy who resurrected you is the God of Life and Death and is the head guy of this place. As far as I know, he is the "highest-tier undead," whatever that means. Oh, and just in case, address them as Lords. The locals can become hostile pretty damn fast if you don't."

"U-undead!?" Ninya half-screamed, half-mumbled.

"Yup."

"What will they do with us?"

"Pero, shit, I should train myself to not slip up, I mean LORD Pero is kinda our boss, and from what I gathered, we'll have to help them in covert missions. He's still the same chill guy, but it will take time to get used to his true form."

"This is too much… Lukrut, am I just delirious? Are you some sort of angel that is helping me cope with the pain that monster is inflicting on me?"

"This is real. I held your corpse in my arms. Shit, I…" Lukrut stopped and let out a sigh. "When they offered to resurrect you, I agreed to work for them. They are very reasonable despite being monsters."

Ninya slowly sat up, her expression darkening. "What happened to that… woman? Did she get away?"

"Nope, Lord Pero got her, and got her BAD. He didn't give me details, but she's getting tortured somewhere in this place, and apparently, I don't want to know how. Even Lady Buku refused to share details."

"Good. I hope that bitch doesn't die too fast for what she did," Ninya spat, forcing herself to sit upright.

'She was never this bloodthirsty, even towards nobles,' Lukrut thought. "Hey, you alright? I can't imagine how bad it was, but you know…"

"I'm fine!" Ninya sat up, giving her friend a resolute stare that left no room for further discussion. "You said we need to go talk with our new boss."

"Are you sure you are ready?" Lukrut asked with a concerned tone, offering a hand.

"No point dragging it out," Ninya muttered as she stood up, her legs wobbling a bit once again. She took a few steps before almost falling, having refused his hand.

Lukrut caught her and stated, "Hey, you gotta take it easy. Sleep it off for now. I'll talk with the boss and be back for you in a few hours."

"I… fine," she reluctantly agreed and allowed her friend to guide her back to the bed. It took mere moments for her to fall asleep, her mind plunging her into the depths of rest.

X

Hell was the only way Clementine could describe the place she was in, even if it wasn't perpetually on fire. Rather, it was her nerves that were perpetually on fire, blazing like the strongest flames she had set alight in the past, and then some.

Her torturers, Neuronist Painkiller, and her assistants simply called tormentors, had shown her that what she had done to her numerous victims was nothing in comparison to their ability to inflict suffering. First-handedly.

The bloated figure in the dominatrix outfit and with enough fat to fill a half-dozen nobles, and the tall ghastly figures with very long arms, transparent skin with visible purple veins, and faces covered in featureless leather masks, had violated her in ways she wouldn't have even dreamed possible. If she was a professional, they were masters of legends, not that she wanted to acknowledge them as such.

For the third time, the abhorred Neuronist was inserting pain-amplifying needles in her flesh, enticing her to scream at the top of her lungs. If anything, her screams only encouraged the horrible monsters, and every time her vocal cords gave out and tore apart under the strain, a dog-headed woman in a maid's outfit healed her. How many times each part of her body had been broken until it had to be healed, she didn't know, only that the dog-headed woman was both her greatest savior for her sanity, and yet another horrid tormentor like the rest of them.

"You have such a pretty voice, you know. If not for Lord Pero's orders, I would have recommended you for the choir." The monster croaked with laughter, its gelatinous globs shaking tremendously with every word spoken.

Clementine couldn't even formulate a thought in her mind or retort anything else besides continuous screaming from the needles entering her lower regions. Her body couldn't spit out curses if she could formulate them, it was in so much pain.

An indeterminate time later, all sense of time had been lost by the assassin. As one says, given enough time, you can get used to anything. In Hell, why does it matter which day it is? It's still Hell.

Slowly and surely, through gentle suggestions by Neuronist and the dog-eared woman, she had accepted that this was her life now, even if she dearly wished to flee from the torture. Constant, endless, torturous pain was her only future from here on out. It would never end, no matter what she did or felt.

'How could this happen? I was so careful.' This question was constantly on her mind. Whenever her pain was enough for her to think. She never believed in any sort of justice in the world, refusing to believe the propaganda of the nobles and rich merchants. It was just a playground where the strong could do whatever they wanted to the weak, and the weak could only obediently kneel and die if the strong so wished. She had been on the strong side for years now, she knew this ironclad rule inside and out. If Gods truly existed, they had stopped caring long ago about the miserable lives of mere humans.

Clementine had prided herself as an apex predator, one who killed her prey however and whenever she liked. And now she knew the truth. Compared to players, she was nothing but a small helpless mouse to be used as a plaything. And worst of all, she made the revenge personal for a player claiming to be a God. Or maybe he really was a God? The notion of death itself had faded during the short time she had endured torture beyond mortal comprehension. Death would be a relief if she had her two bronze coins' worth.

As time went on, not that she knew how much time had passed, she listened to the bloated creature's ramblings about anything it could, piecing together what had happened, is happening, and will hopefully happen.

She was in a literal hell. Or more precisely, on the fifth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the realm of the monster Gods. As a member of the Black Scripture, she had read the holy texts, or at least pretended to read them for the most part. She knew the basics.

In the past, religion and belief in the gods had been utilized akin to when the first con man met the first fool, ensuring the elites' rule over the foolish masses. Sure, she knew Gods had likely walked the land in the past, and their writings were likely true, but never would she have imagined ending up in the depths of hell even the Gods could not conquer. Not even in her Black Scripture days, and certainly not after.

'This is my punishment. I angered a God. Lord Pero, please forgive me for interfering with your plans,' Clementine begged the deity whom she had offended, even if her voice only released croaks.

Her tormented mind slowly, ever so slowly, was guided by Neuronist and her own insanity, into believing that she was fully deserving of the punishment and that one day she would be cleansed, and the dark God would one day let her beg for forgiveness. Religion drives even the most logical and illogical, as history could testify, and she was no exception. Wars had been waged for it, and she was merely in the middle of her own mental war, one that she was losing by the thought process.

'I will pay for all I have done. I will pay. Please, my God, let me atone. Please let this sinner become clean again. Let me be cleansed into your instrument.'

The methods she was tormented were regularly switched around so she couldn't get used to them, perpetually keeping her nerves on edge and her mind fried. But there was one constant; the slowly growing piles of her skin, teeth, and nails that were removed before each healing.

Those served as an indication of how much she had paid for her transgressions. Gods were as brutal as they were merciful. She could clearly see her progress toward full cleansing, one scrape at a time. The pain she felt, the flesh she lost, was all cleaning her for her God, God Pero.

'God Pero promised I would never die. He waits for me to be cleansed. He knows I will serve him. My lord, please take this tribute, see my desire to atone.' She believed this prayer before each healing, knowing she would be purified once again, intent on sending her message to her Lord.

As time went on, and the concept of days and nights faded in the constant artificial light, more and more ways to worship her God came into her mind as constant blessings. Sometimes even Neuronist had been surprised at the wails she released, which turned into animalistic shrieks of obedience.

'He knows. Oh my great Lord, see me suffer for my sins. Let me be free of them.'

Soon enough, there was no need to just scream through her pain. She would sing hymns of her own making and recite loud prayers to her Lord. The one who had made her more than she was before. She was awakened to the truth. Neuronist reported this to Lord Pero, who told her to just keep going.

Bonus Story - Best of the Best.

The news of a new adamantite team getting their promotion traveled fast, so fast even the merchants could barely keep up. Until now, there were only two teams of such power in the whole of Re-Estize: Red Drop and Blue Rose, both of whom had held oligopoly over the best and most rewarding quests for years.

This new team hadn't even chosen a name yet; so fast was their ascent to the very top of the adventuring world. This only served to enhance their reputation, rumors of their fending off, no, killing the great king of multiple forests spreading like wildfire.

The high-end taverns were ripe with gossip about the most recent events regarding the new heroes, and the events that preceded them. Ideal for intelligence gathering.

The Blue Roses were sitting around their usual table, waiting for their leader Lakyus. Save for two slender twin sisters, the rest of the four couldn't be more different.

The twins, despite both having fair skin, coral eyes, and blonde hair tied in tails, could easily be told apart. Even with both wearing their kunoichi outfits, consisting of a black half-breastplate over a sleeveless mesh bodysuit, Tina wore bright red accents while Tia's were dark blue.

Both sat at the same side of the table, watching their teammates argue over the drink choices. The loud and boisterous Gagaran was, as usual, dominating the conversation. The tall and very muscular woman, clad in crimson plate, was often confused for a man, and a very masculine one at that. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes, her hair kept from her face with a silver tiara that greatly contrasted the rest of her body.

The other was a petite woman who looked about twelve years old, covered from head to toe in a red cloak, and wearing an uncanny mask that covered her whole face. Known as Evileye, she was the oldest and most enigmatic member of the group. None knew that, though most mistaken her to be the youngest.

As the two tried to decide what sort of wine to order, and the twins spectated their antics with their usual stoic expressions, their leader Lakyus finally arrived.

Lakyus was a young woman with long blonde hair, green eyes, and pink lips that showed a healthy gleam. Her beauty fell short of Renner, the Third Princess of the kingdom, but overflowed with a different charm of elegance. Dressed in a modestly cut red dress, she appeared like she had come straight out of a ball for nobility.

"So, evil boss, what did you find out?" Tina inquired, sliding her the drink menu.

"Ugh, mostly pointless rumors about who is cheating on who. Chatting with noble ladies is such a chore," Lakyus replied, wrinkling her nose in discontent.

Although she had renounced her nobility to be an adventurer, her current status was no lesser, and many family friends still invited her to idle minglings. If anything, her adamantite status made her more influential than some of her acquaintances, with the threat of coincidentally neglecting being one of the most powerful verbal weapons in her arsenal.

"Why do you bother with those stuck-up broads? Nothing good ever comes of it," Gagaran asked in her usual crude manner.

"Sometimes I hear something useful. Everyone is still talking about the scene that happened with that mysterious guild representative. But I did hear some news about E-Rantel," she replied in a dignified manner, selecting her drink.

As her team perked up in anticipation, she continued. "No one knows what to make of one who saved the city. I can't, in my best conscience, accept someone calling himself a God."

"Hey Shortie, you had a theory, right?" Gagaran nudged the petite woman.

"Player. He had to be at least the level of them to pull off that sort of spell," Evileye replied, pushing the massive woman's arm away.

Lakyus nervously shifted around, hastily choosing a couple of drinks and ordering the rest for his group in nervousness.

As a devout follower of the God of Water, one of the Six Great Gods, she couldn't easily accept anyone calling him or herself a God. She quickly moved to the next topic, almost forcefully.

"As for the three adventurers, they had killed at least ten liches, including an elder lich. But they have a priest in their team, a powerful one at that. Also, rumors say that their warrior, a foreign woman named Akari, rivals Gagaran in strength."

"I need to test it out. Who's up for a trip to E-Rantel?" Gagaran raised her hand with a boisterous laugh.

"Calm down, muscle brain. What about the priest? She has to be close to your level to deal with liches," Evileye scolded Gagaran and then addressed Lakyus.

"No one knows. She's likely tier five, considering the rest of the team. But I'm interested in meeting them as well. Once the commotion has died down, we could take a trip to E-Rantel. Maybe she can give me insight on how to better handle my burden."

Her tendency to occasionally act unusually, even for them, was a concern to her peers. Like wearing meaningless rings or fighting against her dark personality, making her other team members worry about her actually becoming evil. She often remarked that she could feel her dark side becoming stronger, not that they could tell besides through continual observation.

Was it due to her owning Kilineiram, the cursed sword once belonging to one of thirteen heroes, or some other unknown reason? Nobody knew.

"If their priestess can cure you, then we would have to call you the Good Boss," Tina flatly stated, her deadpan, stony expression making Tia stifle a giggle.

Lakyus glared at both, raising her voice, "You don't know how it is to carry such a burden!"

"Then it's settled. Once we have a free week, we're going to visit them. If I can't beat Akari in arm wrestling, I'll just outdrink her to remind her of adamantite levels."

"You can't win against granny," Evileye remarked.

"No one can beat her. She kicked your ass too." Gagaran shot back, restarting a prolonged session of bickering.

Lakyus shook her head at their antics and raised her hand to get the tavern maid's attention. The recent event called for a few glasses of wine, the finest they had, just for herself.

Editing by aidan_lo

Proofreading by aidan_lo, Sluethen, Miracle of Gods, Aurodium, Sad_Smiles, Sapphire_Drake, LightFlan, Antilene, and nate051499j6.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2WmGKVU3XG2) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader (gives access to chapters months ahead of regular readers).