Crossing the border wasn't as simple as just walking through a checkpoint. Both sides had practically created a frontline, a tense no-man's land, guarding the uneasy truce between the Horde and the Alliance. On one side, the disciplined ranks of the Alliance patrols marched with a sense of duty, while the Horde's many sentries maintained a watchful eye across the invisible divide.
Standing on a grassy hill that overlooked the tense standoff, Ainz and Buku surveyed the situation as the weight of their decision pressed down upon them. Disguised as humans, the Horde wouldn't likely let them in, and if they changed before leaving alliance lands, the border guards were likely to attack them.
"So what are we going to do?" Buku asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
Ainz, ever the strategist, considered their options. "I guess it's time to see how effective [Perfect Unknowable] is," he replied, referring to a high-level spell of the ninth tier designed to cloak one's presence.
"Does that one cancel sound as well? I don't remember much about stealth spells. Didn't see any point in them as a tank." Buku continued.
"Yes, it should," Ainz affirmed. "I think we can use [Fly] to get over the border altogether and land somewhere in Silverpine forest, which should also minimize our noise."
"Right, that was a thing. Umm, darling, how far and how fast can we fly with it? We might as well just fly directly over the lake and land near the capital… Undercity," Buku pulled out a map from her inventory and poured over the region they were in. According to the sparse descriptions, the undead-controlled lands were a gloomy place with dark forests and a lot of sickly or dying animals roaming around, which didn't sound like a place she wanted to hang around for long and take in the sights of nature. She had seen enough rotting on the streets of Earth.
"I… I feel I have enough mana to keep us in the air permanently. I'm not sure about the speed. I doubt we'll reach gryphon speeds." Ainz replied.
"Then how about we try it out, aim for this group of islands in the middle of the lake, and change our appearances there. After that, we can go directly to the Undercity and see how things are there," Buku suggested.
"We can do that." Ainz agreed, nodding as he cast both spells on his wife and himself, feeling the magic wash over him.
The big relief was that they could still see each other as the [Perfect Unknowable] enveloped them in a shimmering aura, a cloak of invisibility that erased all of their presences. Ainz cast [Fly] next and as the weight of their bodies lifted, he felt his feet depart from the ground as he levitated just above the soft grass swaying beneath him. The spells had worked!
{ Hey I can use my energy to fuel the spell. Let's see if I can gain any speed! } Buku announced with excitement, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she made a pose. She raised one hand in the air, akin to many flying superheroes from various media, as Ainz felt the magic within her rise.
{ Be… careful… } Ainz's warning echoed through their mental link, cautious as always. But Buku, fueled by curiosity and new possibilities, shot up in the sky like a bullet as her swift ascent propelled her faster than anticipated.
Buku's frightened screech echoed through a message in response.
{ Buku!? } Ainz's panic surged. He followed suit and shot upwards, trying to locate her.
{ Not a word! } Buku's defensiveness crackled {I'm still learning how to control my mana flow. } She added, her voice tinged with embarrassment as her vulnerability hung in the air, literally.
{ Are you, okay? } He asked, flying higher at an increased speed. Soon he spotted her, two kilometers above the ground, a tiny figure against the vast sky as she hovered in place.
{ Yes. I'm fine… } She extended her arm towards him as she glanced away.
Ainz understood her silent gesture, gently taking her hand and resuming their flight. While she still didn't have a good grasp on how to control flying, he would guide her. Considering their immense magical reserves and the different nature of how magic worked compared to the game, they could potentially reach supersonic speeds, but he preferred not to. Baby steps first, then walking, then knowing Buku she'd skip running and go straight for Olympic sprinting.
Their first stop was one of the small islands on the outer rim, which seemed somewhat inhabited and would still provide a remote location to switch up their visages. They gently landed on the soft, graying grass. The only life present was some sort of primitive amphibian creature that resembled frogs, with unblinking, bulbous eyes wide as their throats pulsed, emitting gargling croaks that filled the air. Guttural croaks echoed from crude wooden huts scattered along the shoreline, a stark contrast to the chattering of human villages.
Ainz was the first to shed his human guise, revealing his natural skeletal form in most of its glory. His pearl-white bones gleamed in the dappled sunlight, a stark contrast to the lush green-gray around them as he stood, stretching his non-existent muscles.
"The visage form is so restrictive. I feel like I just took off one of those high-collar shirts you made me wear at official events," Ainz commented, the ethereal flame in his empty eye sockets flaring up as he spoke. His voice was deep and kingly, each word articulated with a regal precision and possessing a majestic timbre that demanded attention and respect, befitting the high position he once held in-game.
Buku, her transformation still pending, hesitated, "I'm not going to my natural form… ever. Well, that is unless I can reshape the slime in the same form I have now," she declared.
Buku inspected his skeletal form with an unreadable expression, circling around him. She studied his bony frame, her fingers tracing the contours of his skull, lingering on the ivory ridges of his jaw.
Noticing her reaction, Ainz raised a non-existent eyebrow, "Buku?"
"I don't know why but your skeletal form… it looks as good as the visage, if not more for some reason," she admitted, her voice laced with sincerity. She rose on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on the white rows of teeth, giggling. "Still, I will insist you put the visage form in our private time."
Ainz, touched by her affection, responded in kind, "I probably would find your natural form just as beautiful as this one." He stroked her cheek with his skeletal arm in response. His bony fingers, surprisingly delicate, traced the outline of her porcelain-like face with care, in the exact same location she had with his.
"We may not find out any time soon. Though I have some ideas…" She replied, looking away with a sly smile, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "If we aren't human, we might as well go all out in bed and experiment."
"Oh?"
"Don't worry about it. Right, I should pick a form. I don't want to be a skeleton or a rotting corpse. Is there an undead form that lets me keep a similar look to what I have now?" Buku inquired, her eyes scanning the island that seemed to be bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, as if searching for inspiration of something that would fit with this decaying landscape.
"Hmm… I think one of the Pleiades maids was undead in the game… a Dullahan. Looked like a pale human but had a detachable head." Ainz tapped his pointy chin with his index finger, bones clacking against each other.
"Dullahan? Yeah, I can go with that." Buku fished out a choker from her inventory, its dark band gleaming as she fastened it around her neck. Her visage form shifted subtly, her skin taking on a pale complexion and her eyes gaining a bluish glow.
"Your eyes-" Ainz started, his tone intrigued.
"I thought this glow would feel natural. You know, like what that death knight you summoned had or you right now." She explained her choice.
"It does fit. Gives you a sort of exotic look," Ainz complimented her.
"I am happy you like this version of me darling." Buku giggled, a sound as light and airy as a breeze rustling through leaves to Ainz. "Though we should probably move. I don't want to remain outside after sunset."
"Then let's go." Ainz nodded in agreement. He took her hand, his bony fingers intertwined with her delicate hands, and flew up. The island, with its strange inhabitants and eerie beauty, was soon left behind as they soared into the twilight sky, quickly locating their destination.
The ruins of Lorderon's once-proud capital loomed before them, a testament to decay and desolation. The spectral city, in all its previous world-renown grandeur, had been reduced to a shattered husk of itself, its bones picked clean by time and war. They had arrived swiftly, their descent guided by the pull of destiny toward the city's heart - the Undercity. It was the sewers of this city where the Undercity was located, underneath the ruins of the past. Toppled walls, rubble-strewn streets, and crumbling buildings created a labyrinth of shadows for those unfamiliar with the place. There were no signs of life whatsoever. They landed not too far off the city entrance and approached it at a brisk pace, the sound of their footsteps swallowed by the eerie silence of the desolate ruins of mortals.
At the entrance stood two massive, misshapen guardians, their bodies - lumbering pieces of rotting flesh, eyeing the newcomers suspiciously. Their hollow eyes watched Ainz and Buku, but remained motionless. It was easy to see that there had been no effort to restore the above-ground ruins, leaving them to rot and crumble with time. There were little to no signs guiding their way, but they did stumble upon what seemed to be a metro-like entrance leading down.
The descent wasn't too long though, and soon enough they were greeted by a three-story round bustling area with more rotting undead moving around than Ainz could count. The air was thick with the scent of decay, thick enough that it was hazy with humidity. The one thing he immediately noticed was that he could feel their presences immediately, and that his natural overlord instincts needed to be held back to prevent the undead domination from activating against his will, which could alert the local authorities.
{ Ainz, I want to puke, the stench is… I'm considering removing my nose altogether. } Buku, less tolerant to the decay in the air, grabbed onto his humerus bone, scrunching and pinching her nose.
He tilted his skull, considering { Strange, the smell doesn't bother me, in fact, I find it strangely pleasant as if… you know… like home. } His words hung in the air between the duo.
After figuring out that they needed to reach the ground level to delve deeper into the city, they started to descend one of the spiraling staircases, slowly so as to avoid triggering defenses. The walls were slick with moisture and the dim glow of flickering torches cast eerie shadows that danced like phantoms to their untrained minds.
{ You are the love of my life, darling, but if you decide to live in this city we are switching to a long-distance relationship. } Buku glared up at him, her expression verging on torment.
{ You know I would never pick a place you don't like. Unfortunately, it is too late to move for today, so we'll have to find a place to stay. Using a gate here wouldn't be wise I think. }
The circular city was bisected by a half-repaired canal, its waters a sickly green, bubbling with ominous energy that looked too toxic to even be touched. Only holy light magic would be able to handle that sort of sludge.
{ This is going to suck so badly. Oh well, once we find a private room I am drowning myself in perfume. } Buku remarked. { Hey, are those guys following us? } She gave a subtle nod to her right. Her keen senses had detected a potential threat that had been tracking them for more than a few moments.
Ainz glanced over, noticing a group of heavily armored and well-armed zombies lumbering toward them, their gaunt faces hidden behind aged steel helmets. Their gait was slow but purposeful as they stared at the duo, their armor clinking with each step and their curved blades, curved like crescent moons, glinted ominously in the dim light, ready to strike at whatever stood in their way.
{ They're definitely after us, I just don't get why. } Ainz wondered, already going through various scenarios on what to do. { I doubt they found out you aren't undead. Even I have a hard time telling what you truly are in this form and I'm standing right next to you. } He mused, mentally preparing for a confrontation, his skeletal fingers twitching in anticipation as he reviewed some minimally flashy yet highly effective spells in his arsenal.
Buku, in turn, grasped her weapons, ready to fight as needed the moment the other undead made an attack. She wanted to test out her abilities against this world's undead anyways, to gauge how effective she was with and without holy light.
The leader of the zombie group, a particularly imposing figure with patches of rotting flesh visible through the gaps in his armor, halted their advance, his voice a guttural growl as he declared, "Halt, scourge scum!"
"I am sorry, you must be mistaken, we are not associated with this scourge." Ainz tried to keep a polite demeanor. If there was a chance to resolve these without a fight, he preferred to do so.
"We won't fall for your lies, lich! Men, be sure to destroy every piece of the lich and that pet of his!" The lead undead shouted as the group began surrounding them. The guards moved as one, their rusted armor clanking like a symphony of doom.
"Well, they're asking for it. Go on then, attack us, you rotten piece of shit! It will count as self-defense!" Buku taunted, ready to shield Ainz from the strikes. She didn't particularly believe these undead would be able to harm Ainz, but she wanted to be his shield anyway being the front liner she was.
Ainz contemplated using his power to dominate the group, but he knew that would likely destroy any chance of working with the Horde, even the smallest slivers. The best approach was to show overwhelming might and raise the killed guards once they realized they wouldn't be able to defeat him and Buku.
The lead undead lunged at him, aiming at the glowing red orb embedded in his chest. But as always, the high-tier physical damage nullification did its job and the blade harmlessly bounced off him, rebounding back toward its wielder.
Buku, no stranger to combat, slammed her shield into the rotting man, sending a flying kick at another. He soared over the sludge-filled canal, crashing against the city's ancient wall about twenty meters away, blade flying into the distance. The rest of the group, still undeterred, continued to attack in a coordinated manner, but similar to their now unmoving leader, they could do no damage against either.
In one swift motion, Ainz grabbed one of the attacking guards and lifted him by the neck, which had rapidly become his favorite move when dealing with weak enemies, his grip unyielding, "Your attacks do not work on me," he declared, voice echoing through the twisted streets. "Stand down, or I'll be forced to kill you." The undead guard struggled in his grasp, its eyes wide with the realization of his impotence against such a foe, attempting to slash with its blade uselessly instead, as if caring not for if it died.
"Ainz, another group is incoming. One feels stronger than the rest!" Buku's voice was sharp, tinged with urgency as she kicked away another one of the attackers, sending it sprawling across the ground.
After snapping his neck, Ainz tossed aside the undead guard he had been holding, his attention drawn to a new threat approaching rapidly, preparing his more powerful spells. A phalanx of undead elven women emerged from the shadows, their pale skin stretched taut over slim frames as they marched in unison. They moved with unnatural speed and grace, their bows already drawn and taut, ready to fire. There was a clear leader among them, having what probably was a legendary quality bow in her hands. Her form was lithe and predatory, her movements imbued with a feral grace and experience. She had an uncovered midsection and no armor around joints, meaning she prioritized mobility over protection. The leader had a similar grayish skin tone to Buku, her long ears peeking out from the hood and her eyes glowing blood red with rage.
"So Arthas was too much of a coward to come here himself and send one of his pet liches! I will send your heads back to that son of a nameless whore!" The elven woman spat, her voice a venomous hiss, echoing through the cavern. Her words were laced with contempt and hatred, already unwilling to compromise.
"We are not a part of any organization, nor had any hostile intention before we were attacked without provocation," Ainz stated calmly, flames in his eyes flaring up.
"Save your breath, Lich. Attack!" the leader's command rang out, sealing their fate.
The first volley of arrows whistled through the air, hurtling towards Ainz and Buku at incredible speeds. The leader's arrow was aimed directly at the red glowing orb in his chest, dead center. In an instant, Buku moved to shield him, her form absorbing the brunt of the assault. The arrow struck her with a force that would have killed a lesser being, bypassing the passive shield as Buku deflected it.
"You bitch, that would have hurt him!" Buku screamed, her voice echoing through the underground city, preparing an attack in hatred of her husband being in danger.
"Att-" The leader's order was cut short as her chest exploded into a gaping void, the result of a brilliant bolt of light Buku unleashed at her in response in an instant. Her body crumbled to the ground, half-destroyed. A floating, immaterial figure with hollow eyes that held only echoes of vengeance, its tattered robes clinging to its insubstantial form, and its limbs stretching like spider silk, reaching for the living, rose instead from within. A chorus of anguished whispers trailed in its wake, a blood-curdling scream which Ainz registered as a psychic attack, only reacting in time to throw up a barrier for himself.
Buku groaned in clear discomfort reacting to the attack, "That's fucking it! I am nuking this whole dump of a city with light. Ainz, shield yourself, this is going to hurt!" she roared.
A chilling anticipation filled the air as Buku prepared to unleash her devastating holy power, a cataclysmic force that would consume everything in its path, as far as the eye could see and then some. Ainz, his eyes ablaze with determination, braced himself for the impending storm, casting every barrier he could think of around himself. Her whole body started to glow with an intense, radiant light as the undead rangers desperately tried to pick up their leader's corpse and retreat, attempting to dash away. The group's leader slammed her incorporeal form back into her body and jumped to her feet as the hole within started to regenerate the graying undead flesh, growing back in place.
"Stop! You will kill everyone!" The leader screamed, her voice full of terror at the realization that Buku wasn't bluffing. The air was rapidly filling with holy energy, burning away the nearest undead all of whom ran away from the growing sphere as she continued to funnel more into her spells.
"We were willing to talk, but it seems it was in vain. A shame really." Ainz commented casually. His wife was about to change the political climate of the world, likely massively tipping the scales in the Alliance's favor, but the unreasonable undead had given her plenty of reasons to commit genocide.
"I apologize for this unprovoked attack, but your response is not appropriate! If you are not the servants of the Lich King as you claim, then let's parley and resolve the issue without killing my entire city!" the leader offered, her bow aimed right at Buku's head. One of her rangers dropped her cloak over the leader's shoulders to prevent indecent exposure that would happen the moment she returned to her former state before too drawing her bow.
"Now she wants to talk! Give me one goddamn reason why I shouldn't kill you all for attacking us!" Buku shouted back, her voice echoing through the underground city as golden wings sprouted from her back, each feather a blade of divine judgment. Holy energies continued to seep from her, filling the space with an aura of divine wrath that threatened to end all of their lives in an instant.
"You will kill tens of thousands!" The undead leader shouted back, her voice trembling but still standing strong. "I won't let you. This is my city and if you don't back down, you won't leave it alive!"
"Bold words! I remain unconvinced. If you could kill us, you would have done so already." Ainz called her bluff, his gaze locked with the undead elf.
"Bah! Perhaps it will be your death and the death of your beloved city that will teach the Horde not to mess with us!" Buku shrieked.
"This is my domain, I have the right to protect it!" the leader proclaimed with the intensity of a storm, "A lich just showing up at my doorstep warrants immediate action. To my knowledge, all of your kind serves the lich king, and I'll be damned if I let him take what is mine!" The undead leader continued to rant about this mythical leader of the scourge.
"And how often do scourge liches just walk into this city?"
"They do not! That doesn't mean the Lich King wouldn't employ new tricks! You must know that only the undead not serving the lich king are found in my domain and there is not a single lich among my subjects! My actions might have been rash. but they were completely warranted in this circumstance. Now are you willing to back down and talk, or should I order a suicidal last stand?" The elven woman demanded, determined to die fighting.
"Fair point. And now you are willing to talk without further provocations?" Ainz inquired, his tone smooth and unruffled, perpetually calm as if they were merely discussing the weather.
"Yes. I can see when I am at a disadvantage. You have my word that you won't be attacked if you stop now," the leader replied, her grudging admission hanging in the air like a reluctant truce.
"You would be Sylvanas Windrunner, the Banshee Queen, I presume?" Ainz asked. He put his hand on Buku's shoulder. "Let's at least hear her out."
Sylvanas lowered her bow, her spectral eyes narrowing, "Correct, and you are?"
"I am Ainz Ooal Gown," Ainz introduced himself, "and this is my wife Buku Ooal Gown."
"I will stop, but if you even look at us the wrong way, your city will become a new holy ground for the foreseeable future!" Buku's voice carried a fierce determination, though her words bore a tinge of sarcastic humor. She canceled her attack, the radiant glow around her gradually dimming like the setting sun.
A tense silence descended upon the cavern, broken only by the soft whisper of the underground river. "Very well. I declare your actions as self-defense and apologize for the rash actions of my city guard. Now would you be so kind as to tell me what exactly are you?" Sylvanas nodded at the cloaked undead elf beside her, the woman replying with a similar nod and executing rapid hand gestures toward the rest of the group.
All the archers dispersed, their presence melting away into the shadows, reappearing near the citizens who had watched the unfolding scene from a distance with a mix of awe and fear.
"My husband is a natural undead and I am of the monster race, one which I would rather not disclose. We travel the world to see where we want to settle and I'll tell you right now, your city is so low on the list that hell seems like a better option! What happens now?" Buku's words dripped with sarcasm, her arms crossed defiantly as she finally sheathed her sword and shield.
"I would like to invite you as my guests to discuss your plans. If you want to travel through Horde lands, some assurance may be needed." Sylvanas stated, her gaze sharp and distrustful of the duo.
"So," Buku retorted sarcastically, "you're telling me you're the queen of this sorry excuse for a city?" She glanced around at the rundown buildings and the grim, ghostly residents, exceedingly far from the prosperity she had seen in Stormwind.
Sylvanas, not bothered by Buku's sharp words, replied with steadfast determination in her eyes. "This city is a safe place, a refuge for those abandoned by life. It shows our strength and spirit."
Ainz, trying to keep the peace, stepped in. "We understand your situation, Sylvanas. But we need some respect. We're not here to cause trouble."
With a sigh, Buku gave in. "Fine, let's just get this over with."
{ Do we agree? } Buku sent a message to Ainz.
{ I think it's better if we do. I don't need to sleep, so she won't be able to ambush us. She is one of the horde leaders and it would benefit us if we left on friendly terms. } Ainz replied.
{ Ok, then take the lead. I will behave as long as nothing attacks us. } Buku once again held onto his humerus bone.
"We accept your offer. As long as no hostility is made towards us, we will respond in kind." Ainz agreed, his voice carrying the weight of a promise etched in stone as he finally depowered his barriers.
As they followed Sylvanas deeper into the city, Ainz couldn't help contemplating how the first interaction with Horde had started on a sour note, but this didn't mean it had to continue that way. Perhaps they could even curry some decent favor if it wasn't as scheming as the Alliance.
Edited by NabeisWaifu and aidan_lo.
Proofreading by aidan_lo, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, fvvck, and Malguis
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