"Time is the only thing mortals don't have enough of." Ancient One.
Unknown Place, 965 b. N.
10 years passed since Miriel started searching for the hidden High Elf city. The progress was slow, yet the goal was rewarding. With Remmel at her side, she could venture the plains faster than on foot.
As she made her way into a dense jungle near the western coast. Miriel was sure to find the hidden path within the tropical forest.
"That stupid old man gave me such an unreasonable map! How should I know? I had to fold the map into a specific shape to get the right location. And I couldn't even find him to get any kind of revenge. Maybe he finally died of old age. Who knows?"
While talking with herself, Remmel was listening to her talks with curiosity. They were walking through the forest to find an entrance, one that would lead them to a secret place.
"There, can you see that, Remmel?" Before them was a sealed cave entrance. Miriel was sure of it that this was the secret entrance to the city. "This whole time I thought it would be on the surface, yet these elves build it underground! If I had thought of this sooner, I would have been here in two years."
Remmel inspected the seal with his superior sense. It was a huge stone door with many engraved symbols. It would seem to need some specific item to open the entrance, yet Miriel didn't want to waste any more time searching for some artifact that probably is the end of the world.
"Remmel! Be so kind and destroy this door for me."
The wyvern did as instructed and first used his claws to damage the door, and then his own body to move it. Yet the creature failed.
"You lazy bird, Remmel. Do I have to do everything, don't I? " "[Explosion]"
The seal was engulfed in a sudden flash. And once the dust settled, the stone gate was no more to be seen.
"Let's go, Remmel."
They both entered the cave, not knowing that they would have to travel a long time. And at one point, they had to decide if they would choose if they would go to the right or the left. Miriel used a spell to determine which one was a trap and went to the opposite one.
"We should watch out, Remmel. This cave system is full of traps and, from the looks of it, there could be monsters down here."
Remmel understood her worries. He would, of course, protect her if something would attack her. But at the end, they walked for hours only to arrive at a disappointment.
"What! A dead-end, but I was clear this would be the right way!"
Yet there was something suspicious about this wall. Remmel could feel that something wasn't right and decided to touch it. And as he thought, he went right through it.
"Remmel, you're a genius. If I hadn't touched it, I would not have known it to be an illusion."
A few meters after the illusionary wall, they finally found something else than stone and dirt. It was grass, and the surrounding space was getting bigger. Even afterward, trees appeared, and the cave ceiling looked like the sky at night. Full of stars. One could think they just entered Nokron, the Eternal City.
"Do you see this Remmel? I think we're near."
After turning for the last time, they saw the unbelievable. An ancient underground city was before their eyes. Even when 200 meters away, they could see its beauty. Buildings with beautiful curved architecture and artificial waterfalls. Tall buildings seemed more like towers, and the further away the structures were, the more they reached the sky.
"You see that, right, Remmel?"
It was clear to both of them, yet Miriel just wanted to confirm it.
"...Let's go."
Both walked forward to what seemed to be the entrance of the city. It was a massive closed gate decorated by a large tree with leaves covering the entire surface of it. They couldn't see the insides of the city yet. And before they could get any closer, a voice stopped them.
"Stop, Outsiders! Who are you, and why have you come here to this city?"
It was clear that they would suspect her. It wouldn't be common to see visitors at such a place.
"My name is Miriel. I have not come to cause any problems. I just seek knowledge on how to reach the Tomb of Azhul."
"So you are one of the brave ones to venture to the Holy Tomb. Very well, you may enter the city. But don't cause any problems."
The massive gates opened, and the high elves were finally able to be seen by her. It was a city full of elves, which had all elegant-looking robes and uniforms in white and blue colors. They stared at her for a while, but she didn't mind them too much. More looks were on the wyvern that followed her. It was not rare to see a companion, yet never have they seen a wyvern as one.
"Stop!" Again, she was stopped by some sort of Elven knights. They had full plated golden armor with a tree as a sigil. Their hair was a long and had a natural blond color. "You, outsider! You will meet one of our Sages in a short time. Please follow us to your waiting room."
She complied, and they brought her to a tall tower. One could say that it was the highest tower in the city. Many steps later, she found herself in a comfortable room with a beautiful elven design. Everything in the room was made of the utmost quality mortals could ever produce. Yet nothing compared to the Eternal Tower innards.
"You will wait here until the Elder Sage is ready to receive you."
"Sure. I'll wait here."
Remmel had to wait outside the enormous tower because of his size. He put on a bit of resistance, yet Miriel was able to calm him.
-Wow, this went really fast. I just arrived in this city, and I'm already meeting with some sort of leader. This Elven efficiency is really something.-
She looked out of the window to appreciate the wonderful sight of artificial waterfalls and Elven architecture. And everything was so white and golden in this city, as if no dirt existed. The people also seemed happier than the humans in the city she visited. It seems there aren't even criminals here. This could be described as the perfect city with a perfect system.
Not much later, a door opened and revealed a tall man with an academic blue uniform. Like every other elf seen, long, blonde, straight hair adorned his head. His eyes were as blue as the ocean and his skin was smooth like silk.
"Welcome to our glorious city. My name is Thendriel Devorbin, and I am the High Sage of this city, or as you would call it, the leader of this place."
The elf was very tall, even taller than the other elves Miriel saw in the city. But it wasn't uncommon for High Elves to be tall.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Miriel, and I am grateful to be here."
"It is nice to meet you, Miriel. Yours is indeed a beautiful name, that means daughter of the jewel or shining lake. We are happy to receive your visit in this wonderful city. Yet before we discuss further, why don't we sit down over there?"
The High Elf pointed at a balcony with a table and two chairs on each side.
"I wouldn't mind sitting down after the long journey."
"It must have been difficult indeed. This was made on purpose to not let any strangers into the City of Awentil."
"So this is what the city is called. I thank you for the information, Thendriel Devorbin."
"You can leave the formalities aside. Thendriel is enough. We elves usually address each other with our first names. The last is only here to honor the great High Elf."
The two sat down on the highly decorated seats, with a view of the entire city before them.
"I can't stop thinking how beautiful this place is."
"Indeed. But surely you haven't come here to only appreciate the view."
"Ah, yes, of course. I have read in ancient texts that there is a tomb of a powerful elf named Azhul. Unfortunately, I didn't know where it resides. Yet the same text stated that there exists an ancient High Elven city in which they hold the secret of how to access the tomb. I traversed long to find this place, and now I'm finally here. I still can't believe it truly."
"You should believe it. Aren't you here now? Can't you touch and feel everything around you? I can assure you this here is real and not an illusion."
"Thanks for the confirmation. It's still a bit much to handle. Ten years if been searching for this."
"Well, nobody would have thought that the mythical city is underground. But let us talk about your reason for being here. You want to know more about Azhul, do you?"
It wasn't clear to her if this was a trick question. Maybe they took great pride in the tomb's safety and wouldn't let any outsiders in? How would she know?
"Also that, but more on how to reach the tomb."
The elf laughed, but continued shortly. "Forgive me, it was just your question that build up a bit of laughter in me. For one to enter the tomb, they have to first understand who Azhul is. Do you see the grand picture between the two doors over there?"
He pointed to the right side, where the picture resided. With 5 meters in height and 7 meters in width, it took up most of the walls' space. Drawn on it was an elf with pale skin, white hair, and red eyes. Unimaginable beauty was the only thing to describe the elf. Around his head was seemingly a halo representing his divinity.
"Yes, how could I miss such a gigantic painting? But what does it have to do with Azhul?"
"As I said. One has to know Azhul first. At the beginning of our flourishment, Azhul was the one leading us to the glory you see in this city right now. Azhul was but one of the many names he possessed, yet it is the one most known. He was praised like a god, and when he left our world, our ancestors build his tomb to honor him for eternity. In it, they put a legendary weapon that once belonged to Azhul. Yet he left it to us for our protection. But the weapon was so powerful that they sealed it in the tomb to never be used again."
Miriel was both listening to the elf and watching the painting with curious eyes. She could swear that its eyes moved for a second.
"So Azhul is praised by all the elves in this city. Yet they did not build the tomb here. Why?"
"Many would think so, young Miriel. You see, the tomb is located at the safest place our ancestors could think of. That being said, even here, it wasn't safe enough for them."
"For me, it seems very safe here. But when your ancestors found a better place, where would that exactly be?"
Laughter again fell upon the High Elf. "Forgive me once again. You couldn't possibly know of it. The tomb of Azhul is not accessible at all times. Every 700-800 years, the entrance to the tomb opens, and we can enter the holy site for a week until it is inaccessible. Sadly, you came too late to see the holy site and must wait the given time until you are granted passage. For us High Elves, time is not an extreme problem. Yet I sense that you will be able to wait as long as we can."
Miriel was devastated. All this for nothing. She made the effort, so she could wait centuries to enter the tomb.
-Whaaaaat!? Maybe he is joking, right?- "You are not telling me the truth, are you? This must be a joke."
"I can assure you, Miriel, my word is the only truth you will hear. Yet, there is another requirement to access the tomb. For one must also possess the blessing of a spirit to not be petrified the instant one is entering the tomb."
"Ahh, yes, perfect. Another quest."
She thought it would become easier at this part. Yet she was completely wrong.
"Unfortunately, there is no other way that I know of. But we would gladly help you with this task, Miriel."
"What? Are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a burden for you, Thendriel."
"You have to understand. This is something I would love to do." He said with a smile at the end, which made it something suspicious.
"Thank you very much. But how do I start exactly? I don't have any experience with these so-called spirits."
As an arcane magic user, she was not versed in any spirit craft.
"Spirits are elemental beings. Each of them is different, yet the same. Each one of the four elements has a spirit that grants a blessing to those who have a connection with them. If you are more connected to water, the spirit of this element will bestow its blessing on you. Legends say they were once the four pets of Azhul, and he gave us the ability to receive these blessings and enter the tomb."
"And how do you get such a blessing? I understood that the spirit most connected to you will bestow it, but how do I reach them?"
A good question for a naive girl.
"The answer is right there, young one. Look at the painting closely."
At first, she didn't see what he was talking about. But then she could see the secret of the portrait. As Azhul is standing on a hill, the stars of the night were clearly visible in the background. His left hand was on his body, which was enveloped by a majestic gold and blue robe. But his right hand pointed at a star that had multiple colors, like a rainbow.
"Now I understand it. He is standing under the star at which he is pointing. That is the location of the spirits, if I am correct?"
She looked at Thendriel with hopeful eyes.
"You are right. In his mercy, he showed us the way to them. If you look in that direction, you should see the rainbow star, or how we call it, The Star of Colors."
She looked in the distance to search for a star in thousands. It was a miracle that in this underground place, stars were visible in the sky. Maybe they were artificially made or showed the actual stars of the universe. It took a while, but she located the star eventually.
"There it is. Wow, it really is like in the picture."
"For us, it is the most beautiful star in this sky. The great underground plains are wide, and it will take you a while to go to the location you seek. But I have seen your companion, and distance should be no problem for you. With a wyvern at your side, it will be like a walk in the park."
"He's a great help when it comes to traveling. So I guess I should be heading to these spirits right now?"
"Well, you are in no rush. You can go whenever you want."
"I prefer to have it done. I want to meet with these spirits today."
"Then I wish you a great journey. And you are always welcome in our city, Miriel."
"Goodbye, Thendriel. I will be back soon."
Miriel went downstairs and left the tower with her companion, flying to her next goal. Thendriel, on the other hand, had something else to do. He went into a room nearby the one in which he was talking to Miriel. He pulled a book on a shelf and a hidden entrance showed itself to him. Deep into the secret room, he kneeled in front of what seemed to be a throne. The room was decorated with all sorts of gold and relics. Yet the most important thing was not yet in there.
Suddenly, in the wooden throne carved with elven design, a person appeared out of thin air. White silver hair, pale skin and red eyes made the elf stand out from others. It had a majestic blue and golden robe, befitting of an Elven Sage.
"I trust you took her in your care, Thendriel?"
The being spoke in a majestic tone, which would show what kind of being it was instantly. Even when it was not physically in the room, its transparent appearance could not have been an illusion.
"Yes, my lord. She has come to us as you have foreseen. She is currently making her way to the four spirits, my lord."
"You have done well, Thendriel. You may ask for a reward."
"My lord, serving you is my duty, not something we, the High Elves of Awentil, would do simply out of joy."
"I see. You have proven your loyalty once more to me, Thendriel. And I hope you will continue to support Miriel in her quest."
"Of course, my lord."
"Now it is time for me to leave you alone once again. Let the light guide you, Thendriel."
"Nothing shall guide me except the light, my lord."
The person on the throne disappeared into thin air. And far away, a specific person was satisfied with the results. The being laughed at his evil genius scheme. "Excellent. Everything works so perfect. How could I guess that my Doppelganger form from the spell [Doppelganger Dream] would look like their dead god hahaha…" Ainz used his form to appear before the High Sage of the hidden city Awentil to gain his trust and performing his commands, and this before Miriel entered the city. If he did nothing, she wouldn't even have been able to enter. Yet, with corrupting the High Sage, he could let her believe she was let in willingly. "That naive girl doesn't even know how much I am helping her. And despite that, she seeks to destroy me. Exactly as planned."
Ainz transformed back into his undead form to not consume any more Mana. But it wasn't really necessary to do it. His Mana resources have increased in recent years through the faith of the villagers he saved. Yet, the most of his new power came from the elves in the city Awentil. By taking their role as their god, he could gain their faith and so more power.
"From the village I get a boost of 10% to my stats and from this city, which has more citizens and stronger believers, I gain an astonishing 50% boost. Who would have thought?" Ainz laughed at the realization. "When I get a 100% boost, I would have 200% power and could finally ascend back to a [Elder God/Deity] or [Higher God/Deity], but which do I choose?" Previously, Ainz was an Elder Deity with access to the Void Dimension. Something very useful as a deity. "I will choose to become an [Elder God/Deity]. Access to the Void is not a bad deal. I could store my troops in there."
It was indeed a good choice for Ainz. And when he would become an Elder Deity, he could also lose the debuff that halves his growth.
"It will take time, but I am sure I will ascend as an Elder God."
If Ainz wants to confront the World Eater, he has to be at minimum an Elder God or Higher God. Everything lesser would end in defeat.
"Overhaul I have a boost of 60% and I am missing 40%. Let's say, 10% will come automatically from the village and the elven city. Yet I will still be 30% short..." Ainz thought about it for a while, but found a solution right in time. "My high-tier summons are capable of sentient thinking, and their worship towards me is undeniable. With them, I will be able to get my 30% in no time."
In Yggdrasil, it would be impossible to let one's summons worship themselves. Yet in the new world, it seemed possible and exploitable. And Ainz was an exploiter in all means when it would come to such things.
"Who said a god has to play fair? I will use every advantage I can to strengthen my power."
Ainz was looking at his left hand, in which his staff resided. It is a relic of power that almost rivals a world item.
"Soon. The world will know the name Ainz Ooal Gown once again!"
Underground Plains:
The Star of Colors was now right above Miriel. As she looked up, its light blinded her momentarily.
"This must be it, Remmel. Please, be so kind and wait outside."
The wyvern complied, and Miriel entered a mysterious cave with many colorful crystals decorating its wall. She came into a large room where there were four big crystals in each direction. They all had different colors, symbolizing each of the four elements. The crystals seemed to sense her and glowed. But one glowed the most out of the four. It was a blue crystal that was far more bright than the other ones.
"That means the water spirit wants to bestow its blessing on me, right?"
She came closer to the crystal and touched it softly. The gem reacted, and light surrounded her, and she could feel something being applied on her.
"So this is how it feels like to receive a blessing. Makes me feel more lively."
Miriel expected a bigger show, but it seemed that this was all of it. She simply touched a crystal and received a blessing. No spirits came to greet her or any other miracles.
"I expected something less boring. But I shouldn't complain."
She left the cave disappointed but one step closer to her ultimate goal. As she came out, Remmel wasn't nearby to greet her.
"Remmel! Where are you?"
No sound was heard. The wyvern was seemingly gone.
"Come on. I don't have time to play hide and seek."
Still no response.
"Ok, I will come to find you now. Be ready."
She walked and walked, yet no Remmel insight. She was now walking for five minutes and would soon leave the forest surrounding the cave.
"Remmel! Come out, now!"
This time she heard the wyvern, and he heard her. And as a shadow surrounded her, she knew who she had just found.
"Get down here Remmel! You got something to explain!"
The wyvern landed before the girl and she recognized that something was different with him. But she simply ignored it.
"Remmel, it's alright, I'm back. You really missed me, didn't you?" She gave him a little pad on his head. "Let's go back to the city, Remmel."
She mounted the wyvern and flew towards the city. She couldn't stop thinking about how weird she felt in the cave. As if she would walk in a slow motion, but not realize it herself. Miriel was glad to not be inside it anymore.
As they arrived safely in the city, they were greeted by the guards at the gate. They let her through, and she went directly to Thendriel, ignoring all the stores with delicious looking sweets.
Again, she had to wait until the Sage had time for her. Yet it took less time for him to arrive than she expected.
"It is a joy to see you again, Miriel. You have been gone for a while now. I trust you found the spirits?"
"It's nice to see you too, Thendriel. As you said, I visited them, but I expected something more colorful. But I'm not here to judge so-Wait, you said I was gone for a while, yet I was only gone for 2 hours, I believe."
"I will explain it shortly. Let us sit in the same spot as before."
They both went to the balcony where they sat the last time. Yet there was now tea served for both of them.
"I want you to recall what happened in the cave. Did you feel something weird?"
"Yes, there was indeed something. I felt like I was slow but yet normal."
The High Elf drank a sip of his tea and continued shortly. "You see, Miriel, the cave has not the same time flow as we have here. Minutes there can be hours or more in the outside world. Forgive me for not having mentioned such a detail."
"That explains the weird feeling. You could have told me, but no harm done, so it's fine."
Thendriel made a smile and took another sip of his tea. "I assume you have now a blessing from a spirit?"
"Ah, yes, I believe the water spirit was the one that chose me. The blue crystal glowed, and I touched it."
"Interesting, so the water spirit chose you? It is one of the rarer blessings one can receive, but not impossible."
Delighted, Miriel smirked, knowing she was one of the few people to receive the blessing of the water spirit.
"So, what's next? I did this task, but I don't have the patience to wait some centuries for a tomb to open."
The elf ordered a servant to take his empty cup away and replied with a soothing answer. "I understand your point of view. Unfortunately, waiting is the only way to reach your current goal. But you can stay here, in this wonderful city, for the waiting period. Isn't there a better place to spend some centuries than this beautiful Elven city?"
Thendriel had a point. She could stay in Awentil until the time had come.
"That doesn't sound bad. And where would I live, exactly?"
"Ah yes, you will receive your own estate suited to your wishes. It is only appropriate for our guests to feel comfortable in their home."
A nice house, servants, and no responsibilities. That was what Thendriel was promising her right now.
"I accept your offer, Thendriel. May we have a pleasant time while I am here."
"Nothing would please me more, Miriel."
Thendriel was pleased that Miriel accepted her offer, and Miriel was satisfied with her new belongings. Thendriel explained where her mansion was and all the systems of the city. She was surprised at how advanced the city was compared to the human towns. There was an actual job system, so nobody would be homeless. Trash would not be thrown out of the window, but transported to a specific site. It seemed as if everything would work in this city with pure efficiency.
Miriel left to see her new house. It was located in the north and was more in the wealthy region of the city, with a beautiful view from a hill. The house was made out of pure white and gold materials, and it was lacking any dirt or dust. The estate was made of two floors, with each having 5 rooms. Every bit of the house was decorated with Elvish design. Remmel could live in the garden that the mansion provided. It was of sufficient size to fit even two wyverns in it. For the well-being of the house were three servants responsible. Two maids and one butler, to be exact. They weren't normal living beings, but golems build to serve the High Elves. Their skin had the color of an elf, and they also had clothes fitting them, yet they couldn't move their body in a natural-looking way.
When Miriel arrived, she was astonished and first went into the bedroom to take a nice nap from all the stress she experienced. And while trying to sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about the Eternal Tower and the Master of it.
-That place belongs to a powerful being known to me as Momonga and as my creator. I would never want to go back to that place. Heck, I want to destroy it rather than join it ever again!-
End of Story
Questions:
1. Who is Miriel?
-Miriel is one of the experiments Ainz made in his laboratory. She is of the slime race, but which exactly is yet unknown. She has long, blue hair and blue eyes. In her current possession are [Ring of Sustenance], [Centurions Masterbow] can pierce wood with even the lowest arrows. [Sword of Nature] that poisons enemies when hit. Its a standard short sword made of a green metal. [Solitudes Hide] and [Cursed Hide Grasps] are currently her armor that gives her resistance to unholy magic. [Solitudes Hide] is of black and brown color and protects most of the chest area. [Cursed Hide Grasps] are brown and have a small violet ruby on each glove. She also possesses some unknown artifact which she stole from Ains treasury.
Name: Miriel
Alignment: 0
Level: 60
Racial Classes:
-Unknown[15]
Job Classes:
-War Wizard 10
-Sword Saint 10
-Cleric 10
-Battle Cleric 10
-Warlord 5
2. Why does Miriel want to destroy Ainz?
-Ainz didn't manipulate her to be as loyal as the NPCs of Nazarick. But he made her to even hate Ainz. He wants to use her as a spy, but she doesn't know that. He can see through her eyes whenever he wants. With her, he will know who his enemies are because she will ally with them to fight him, eventually.
3. Why is Ainz op and why does he become a god?
-We have to agree that Ainz is already a god in the original Overlord Novel. Yet I wanted him to act as one and not just be one. He will not visit countries for diplomatic talks. What god does such a thing? If Odin or Zeus existed, would they go to talk with Joe Biden about politics? NO. He wouldn't care about politics. He is above that. But when a nation comes in his way, he will destroy it. He doesn't need to own land, just to spread his name. Power and fame will spread his name across the new world this time. And maybe another Supreme Being except for Touch Me appears.
4. What is Tachimi exactly?
-First, I changed the name from Touch Me to Tachimi for obvious reasons. And why is he with Ainz? Simple. He is not really Touch Me, but a manifestation of how Ainz sees Touch Me and all his memories of him. So not the real Touch Me. Just Momongas version of him. And he cant interact with the physical world because he is a ghost.
5. How will this story progress?
-Let me tell you. It's going to make a big turn at some point. I already planned all the plots of this fanfic. Maybe Ill change something if the community wants it to happen and I think that it's a good idea. Sure. Yet Ainz won't be unbeatable if you think that. Because I kept his ranking in the guild the same. Touch Me is still the strongest, and Ulbert has the strongest magic of all of them. But in the whole of Yggdrasil, their powers have increased tremendously from the original. But NPCs have gotten less strong because God class is just overpowered and NPCs can't really get them without making such from a caloric stone.
6. Who is the second being Ainz is creating at the moment?
-That's a secret. It will be a long time until it finally gets out of its pod. But Ainz will call it as his child.
7. Dragon Emperor fight with Ainz?
-No. But also yes. Focus on his son, Onner Zozzontei, that has become the Void Eater. He fed on a negative energy river and became stronger, but also lost most of his mind. Fusion is the only thing i say.
8. Six Great Gods or Eight Greed Kings fight with Ainz?
-Hoho...maybe. Not confirmed if I really want it to happen. Because Ainz isn't stupid. They are a team of probably 75-95 or even 100 level players. Ainz isn't going to fight them alone or without a world item. He got brains.
9. When will finally come the time when Nazarick would appear in the new world?
-Ill tell you it's not going to be in 20 chapters. But when the time comes, he will be looked upon as almost a mythical being, not a as an evil Bone Daddy.
Ask further questions if you want me to answer them in future chapters.