As dawn broke, Ainz Ooal Gown stood by the edge of the village, staring into the horizon. The morning air was crisp, and the quiet sounds of the goblin village waking up filled the space behind him. It's time to move on, he thought to himself, the notion of settling here no longer appealing. He had greater ambitions—creating a temporary base from which he could consolidate his powers and eventually summon the guild base.
But first, he needed to inform Rimuru.
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A Conversation with Rimuru
Ainz approached Rimuru, who was talking with the goblins about some village matters. The moment Rimuru spotted Ainz, he smiled and waved.
"Ainz! Good morning. You look like you've got something on your mind."
Ainz nodded. "I've decided to move on from here, Rimuru. I'll create a temporary base elsewhere." His voice was calm, but there was a finality to his words.
Rimuru's face shifted with concern. "Leave? But why? You're welcome to stay here as long as you like. This place is peaceful, and you could help me build a better village."
Ainz appreciated the sincerity in Rimuru's voice, but he had already made up his mind. "I have my reasons. My presence here may attract unwanted attention, and I'd rather not bring trouble to your people."
Rimuru frowned. "I understand, but if you leave, at least let me help you. Maybe we could—"
Ainz raised a hand, cutting off Rimuru mid-sentence. "No, I'll be fine. However, if you ever need my help in the future, you can use this."
Ainz reached into his cloak and produced a sleek, black device. It resembled a smartphone, something from the world Ainz had once known. The moment Rimuru saw it, his eyes widened in surprise.
"This… it looks like something from my previous world," Rimuru said, taking the device and inspecting it closely. The shape, the feel—it was uncanny.
Ainz chuckled lightly, his skeletal face betraying no emotion. "Yes, it's based on that design. But for now, it only has one function: to send me a message. You can't use it for anything else."
Rimuru marveled at the device but quickly snapped back to reality. "Thank you, Ainz. I'll make sure to use it wisely."
As Ainz turned to leave, he briefly glanced over his shoulder. "One more thing—I've removed any possibility for Great Sage to tamper with this device. I'd advise against trying to pry into it." His voice was calm, but there was an undertone of caution.
Rimuru chuckled nervously. "I wasn't planning on it, but good to know."
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The Journey Begins
With a final wave, Ainz left the village, walking into the forest. As the dense trees enveloped him, he began to reflect on his decision to create the smartphone-like device. It was a good decision not to leave any backdoor access. I can't fully trust Great Sage. The thought sent a small shiver down his spine. Despite Rimuru's friendly nature, the entity known as Great Sage was too powerful to be underestimated.
As Ainz continued his journey, a new realization dawned on him—he had grown stronger. It wasn't just his continuous training; something else was at play. He paused, his mind racing.
The ants.
His connection to them was growing, and he could feel a shift in their power. After delving deeper into the link, he understood why. Some of his ants had killed a human, devouring not only their body but also their soul. The mana gained from consuming human souls was far more potent than anything else.
"Humans," Ainz muttered to himself, a glint of intrigue flashing in his glowing eyes. "Their souls contain far more mana than any other creatures I've encountered."
The thought excited him. His ants were slowly becoming his most valuable resource, evolving beyond what he had originally intended. Ainz knew he could use this to his advantage.
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Reaching Civilization
After several days of travel, Ainz finally reached a bustling kingdom. It was smaller than some of the empires he had seen in Yggdrasil but full of life nonetheless. Adventurers and merchants filled the streets, their voices mixing into a chaotic symphony of activity.
Ainz observed them from the shadows, his presence concealed. "These adventurers… they are weak," he noted coldly. None of them could compare to the strength of a Yggdrasil player. "Becoming an adventurer here would be amusing, but a waste of time."
He brushed off the idea as quickly as it had come, deciding that this world's adventurers posed no challenge to him. However, during his explorations, Ainz overheard something that piqued his interest.
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The Demonic Ants
As he passed a group of adventurers in a dark corner of the marketplace, he heard them speaking in hushed tones.
"I heard rumors about a swarm of demonic ants," one adventurer whispered, glancing nervously at his companions. "They say it's the work of a demon lord. The ants have been attacking villages near the border."
Ainz's mind clicked. "Demonic ants?" It seemed his colony had become a local legend. He smirked under his breath. They think a demon lord is controlling them. How amusing.
He continued eavesdropping, gathering information from the conversations around him. His ants were causing enough of a stir to be noticed, but no one suspected him. It was perfect. He could use the fear they were generating to his advantage.
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The Perfect Plan
Later that night, Ainz slipped into a dark alleyway, where he found a man slumped against the wall, seemingly asleep. Ainz silently approached, casting a subtle spell to extract the man's memories. The flood of information was overwhelming at first, but Ainz sifted through it quickly, searching for anything of use.
The neighboring kingdom is in chaos, he thought, smiling as he uncovered a vital piece of intelligence. The kingdom's king had recently died, plunging the land into civil war. Various factions were vying for control, and the instability was spreading like wildfire.
This is it, Ainz mused. I have my target.
His ants would attack the kingdom, sowing chaos and fear. In the midst of the destruction, he would appear as a savior, defeating his own army and seizing control of the throne. It was a simple but effective plan.
But as he continued searching through the man's memories, another revelation struck him. Heroes. This world had its own champions, much like the player characters in Yggdrasil.
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The Heroes' Threat
Ainz's brow furrowed. The existence of heroes could pose a potential threat to his plans. While most were weak, there were a few who held significant power—like the hero who had sealed away the dragon Veldora. "I must be cautious."
Still, he reassured himself that the odds of encountering one of the stronger heroes were slim. Even if I do face them, I'll be prepared. My power is far beyond anything they've ever encountered.
With his plan set and the target chosen, Ainz melted into the shadows, his mind already calculating the steps ahead. The kingdom's collapse would mark the beginning of his rise to power in this world.
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