I nodded and walked towards the door, the heavy wooden planks creaking under his armored boots. I pushed the door open and stepped out onto the bustling streets of the capital. The morning sun bathed the city in a warm glow, and the air was filled with the sounds of merchants calling out their wares and children playing.
Everywhere I went, the citizens were amazed by my dark armor, their eyes widening with awe and a hint of fear. A week ago, their stares had been annoying, a constant reminder of how out of place I felt. But now, I paid no heed to them, my mind focused on finding a quest that would offer some semblance of the information I longed for.
I arrived at the adventurer's guild, opened the large wooden doors, and stepped inside. The hall was bustling with activity as adventurers of all ranks and classes mingled, strategized, and searched for their next jobs. Conversations filled the air, punctuated by the clinking of armor and the occasional burst of laughter.
As I entered, a hush fell over the room. All eyes turned toward the dark hero. Some adventurers looked at me with envy, others with great respect, while a few of the females blushed and whispered amongst themselves, casting shy glances my way. My imposing figure in the black armor commanded attention, whether I wanted it or not.
I approached the counter with a steady, confident stride. The receptionist, a young woman with bright eyes and a friendly smile, looked up and greeted me warmly.
"Good morning, Lord Mark. How can I assist you today?"
"Good morning," I replied with a nod. "I'm looking for work."
The receptionist's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Ah, Lord Mark, the guildmaster wishes to speak with you in her office. Please follow me."
She led me through the bustling hallways, adventurers parting respectfully to let them pass. They arrived at a sturdy wooden door adorned with the guild's emblem. The receptionist knocked lightly, and a voice from within beckoned them to enter.
The receptionist opened the door and announced, "Lord Mark has arrived."
Seated behind a large, ornate desk was the guildmaster, a woman of striking presence. Her sharp eyes and confident demeanor conveyed authority and wisdom. She rose from her chair and greeted me with a warm smile.
"Ara, Sir Mark, good morning and welcome," she said, her voice smooth and welcoming.
"Good morning, Guildmaster," I replied, inclining my head.
"Please, have a seat," the guildmaster gestured to a comfortable chair in front of her desk. "I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival. There is a matter of great importance that I would like to discuss with you."
There were six women in the room: the guildmaster and five members of the adamantite team Blue Rose. As I stepped in, the leader of Blue Rose rose from her chair to greet me with a graceful nod.
"Hello, Sir Mark. I am the leader of Blue Rose, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra," she said, her voice carrying a refined and authoritative tone. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
I, maintaining my composed demeanor, nodded in return. "The pleasure is mine, Lady Lakyus. I've heard much about your esteemed team."
Lakyus gestured towards a woman clad in heavy armor. "Allow me to introduce our warrior, Gagaran."
The armored woman gave a hearty wave, her voice booming with energy. "Yoo, nice to meet ya, Sir Mark! Heard you're a real tough guy!"
Lakyus then pointed to two nearly identical women, both with sly smiles and mischievous eyes. "These are our skilled thieves, Tia and Tina."
The twins spoke in unison, their voices a perfect harmony. "Pleasure to meet you.
Finally, Lakyus directed his attention to a small figure standing slightly apart from the group, her face obscured by a mask. "And this is our arcane magic caster, Evileye."
Evileye remained silent, her masked visage giving nothing away. I could feel her intense gaze, though I couldn't see her eyes.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Blue Rose," I said, bowing his head slightly. "I am Mark."
I and Lakyus sat in their chairs, our attention fixed on the guildmaster, whose expression had turned grave. The atmosphere in the room grew tense as the guildmaster began to speak.
"Early this morning, a request came from the small city of Re-Lytos. The request states that, two months ago, many people started going missing. The citizens, desperate to find out the cause, hired three adventurer teams. They traveled to the Forest of Sera, where the citizens believed the disappearances were originating from."
Gagaran leaned forward, her brow furrowed. "So, what did they find out?"
The guildmaster's expression darkened. "Only one adventurer came back alive."
Gasps of shock rippled through the Blue Rose members. The thought of three adventurer teams being annihilated suggested a formidable threat.
Evileye, her voice calm but with an edge of concern, asked, "What rank were those adventurers?"
The guildmaster sighed. "Two teams were gold rank, and the other was platinum."
Tia's eyes widened. "So, what did the survivor say?"
"He reported encountering a massive undead army. The numbers were more than four thousand," the guildmaster replied grimly.
A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone processed the gravity of the situation. I , under the guise of Mark, kept my expression neutral.
"Wh-what... a horde of undead skeletons can slaughter an entire village, but more than four thousand... this is terrifying," Lakyus whispered, her voice quivering with fear as she scanned the horizon, eyes wide with disbelief.
Gagaran's brow furrowed in confusion. "But how is it possible for someone to raise such a large undead army?" she asked, her voice laced with both curiosity and concern.
"It must be the work of an Elder Lich," Evileye replied, her tone matter-of-fact yet grim.
Lakyus nodded, still visibly shaken. "Yes, it must be an Elder Lich. They are rulers after all, with powers beyond our comprehension."
Elder Liches, powerful and intelligent undead magic casters, were known to command legions of the undead. To defeat one, the adventurers would first need to decimate its minions before they could hope to confront the Elder Lich itself.
"Or the work of many Elder Liches," a deep, authoritative voice interjected. The dark hero, who had been silent until now, stepped forward.
Evileye turned to him, her eyes narrowing in thought. "Hmm, what do you mean?"
"It is impossible for one Elder Lich to control thousands of undead," I explained, my voice calm and steady. "There might be more of them, and perhaps they possess powerful magic items to aid in their control."
The group fell silent, absorbing my words. The implications were dire. If multiple Elder Liches were involved, the threat was far greater than they had initially imagined.
"So, are you accepting this job, Blue Rose... Sir Mark?" asked the guildmaster, his voice heavy with a mix of hope and desperation.
"I will handle the reconnaissance," I replied, rising from my chair with an air of unwavering confidence. Though my face was hidden behind his helm, the determination in my voice was palpable, filling the room with a renewed sense of purpose.
"A-are you sure?" the guildmaster stammered, taken aback by Momon's assertiveness.
"I have a trump card," I declared, reaching into my cloak. He produced a shimmering crystal, holding it up for all to see.
The room fell silent, and all eyes turned towards the crystal. It emitted a faint, otherworldly glow, its surface etched with intricate runes.
"...It can't be! It's impossible, unbelievable..." Evileye shouted, her usually composed demeanor shattered.
Everyone's gaze shifted to Evileye, the strongest member of Blue Rose and their foremost expert on magic and magical artifacts. Her reaction was uncharacteristically intense, causing a ripple of unease among the adventurers.
"This is a spell-sealing crystal. How did you come to possess such a thing?!" she demanded, her voice tinged with both awe and suspicion.
My eyes, though hidden, seemed to twinkle with amusement. "Oh, so you know about this crystal, Miss Evileye. This crystal now contains a spell of the 8th tier."
Gasps of astonishment echoed around the room. The notion that such a powerful item existed, let alone was in their midst, was almost beyond belief.
"Ara ara, you are full of surprises, Sir Mark," said the guildmaster, his eyes twinkling with a mix of curiosity and admiration.
"Where did you find that crystal?" asked the masked girl, her voice barely concealing her intrigue.
"This was a national treasure of the nation I come from," I replied, my tone steady and proud.
The room was thick with unspoken understanding. An 8th tier spell was legendary, almost mythical. Nations that possessed such items guarded them fiercely, often keeping their existence secret. These were trump cards reserved for the most dire of situations.
"Sir Mark, what about your payment?" the guildmaster inquired, his tone respectful yet practical.
"I don't mind discussing that afterward," I responded, waving off the concern with a casual air.
Lakyus, the leader of Blue Rose, suddenly stood up from her chair. "Wait, Sir Mark, we will come with you."
'Oh, come on... really?' I thought to myself, inwardly sighing at the prospect of additional companions complicating his plans.
"Are you sure, Miss Lakyus? This mission might be really dangerous," I said aloud, my voice laced with genuine concern.
"Of course. We are adamantite adventurers. Together, we will destroy all those filthy undead," Lakyus declared with unwavering resolve.
'Filthy undead, eh…'
Ainz noticed the masked girl, Evileye, lowering her head slightly, a subtle gesture that conveyed a mix of emotions. After all she was one of them like me.
"We'll be moving out as soon as possible," I announced, bringing the focus back to the mission.
Lakyus nodded confidently. "Understood. We'll gather our magic items and other equipment for the journey."
After an hour, I was leaving the city, riding a golem horse summoned from a magic item called the Statue of Animal - War Horse. The majestic, stone-like creature moved with fluid grace, a testament to the powerful magic that animated it. Outside the city gates, the members of Blue Rose awaited him. Their eyes widened in awe as they beheld the golem horse. The guildmaster had been right: Mark was indeed full of surprises.
"Yoo, Mark, what is that?" Gagaran called out, her voice filled with amazement.
"Ah, this is a warhorse that I summoned with a magic item," I replied, a hint of pride in my tone after all I did sent a lot money to get these things.
"Amazing," Gagaran exclaimed, her admiration evident.
"You must have a lot of valuable items, Sir Mark," Evileye remarked, her eyes shining with curiosity and respect.
"Yes, Miss Evileye, it took me years to find them. And please, just call me Mark," I responded with a nod.
"Call me Evileye then," she replied, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.
I nodded again, acknowledging the informal camaraderie.
"Mark, you said that spell-sealing crystal was a national treasure of your nation. What happened to your nation?" Lakyus asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and concern.
"Ah, my nation... It was completely destroyed by a war between a clan of vampires and Lycans," I said, drawing inspiration from the old series Underworld, trying to make the story believable. And I deliberately chose the story for what she is.
"Eh, that's horrible, but what are Lycans?" asked Evileye, her curiosity piqued.
"Do you know what a werewolf is?" I responded, even though I knew why..
"Yes, they are humanoids that can shapeshift into a wolf when there is a full moon," Evileye said, nodding.
"Umu, that's correct," I affirmed. "But a Lycan is a more advanced species. Unlike werewolves, Lycans can control their transformations for the most part. While werewolves are bound to change under the full moon and cannot control it, Lycans can transform at will, whether it's under a full moon or not. They have a higher degree of control over their abilities."
Blue Rose members were visibly shocked. Evileye's eyes widened in particular as memories of her own encounter with a werewolf flashed through her mind. She had fought a werewolf long ago, a fierce battle that tested her limits. She only managed to win because the moon was covered by clouds, forcing the beast to revert to its human form.
'Fighting against Lycans, who could transform at will, must be a real nightmare,' she thought, lost in contemplation about how such a war could have ended.
"So, who were victorious in that war?" Evileye asked, her voice tinged with a mix of dread and curiosity.
"The Lycans," I said grimly. "They destroyed all the castles ruled by the vampire lords, leaving none alive."
Evileye felt a shiver run down her spine despite being an undead herself. The thought of facing a Lycan, with their control and power, was terrifying. If that werewolf she fought had been a Lycan, would she have survived?
The realization hit her hard, and she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of unease. The others seemed equally troubled, understanding the gravity of what Mark had shared.
"Wha-what happened to the citizens of your country?" asked Lakyus, her voice trembling with concern.
"Well... only a few managed to escape," I replied, maintaining my composed demeanor. "The vampires captured humans for their blood, while the Lycans offered them immortality, turning them into Lycans."
A look of shock washed over Lakyus as she imagined the horrors of that war—humans being captured for their blood and others being transformed into monstrous beings.
"How did you survive?" she asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"I slew many vampires because they did not know when to stop, and there was a time when the Lycans helped me," I explained.
"Wait... those monsters helped you?" Lakyus asked, her face a mask of disbelief.
"Umu, yes. They even offered to make me a Lycan, but I refused. Yet, they respected my choice and let me go without a fight," I said. "Ah, please don't ask more about this because I'm trying to forget my past. And Lakyus, do not call every non-human a monster. Humans sometimes can be more monstrous than monsters. The Lycans had to fight for their freedom because they were enslaved by the vampires."
Lakyus and the rest of Blue Rose fell silent, absorbing the dark hero's words. They understood the deeper message behind his story. The dark warrior's reminder resonated with them—prejudices against non-humans could blind one to the true nature of individuals.
For instance, goblin villages lived peacefully and caused no harm to humans, yet they were often attacked by the Slane Theocracy due to their human supremacist ideology or by adventurers simply because they were goblins.
"We understand, Mark," Lakyus said softly, her eyes reflecting a newfound respect. "And we apologize."
Blue Rose nodded in agreement, their previous assumptions shattered. They had learned an important lesson about the complexities of morality and the nature of true monsters
They traveled for several hours until they reached the small city of Re-Lytos. I and Blue Rose entered the city, immediately noticing the air of despair that seemed to hang over the inhabitants. The streets were lined with people wearing gloomy expressions, their eyes cast down as if weighed by unseen burdens.
Upon reaching the adventurer's guild, they informed the guildmaster that they had accepted the request. The guildmaster's relief was palpable; having adamantite-ranked adventurers like I and Blue Rose respond to their plea was a beacon of hope in these dark times.
After gathering more information from the guildmaster, we learned that deep within the Forest of Sera lay an ancient castle. This castle abandoned 200 years ago due to the rampage of the Demon Gods, was now believed to be the lair of the entity responsible for the recent disappearances of many citizens.
Now, standing at the edge of the forest, they were greeted by a sky covered in grey clouds, casting a somber and foreboding shadow over the dense trees ahead. The forest itself seemed to absorb the light, its depths cloaked in an oppressive darkness.
"All right! Now, let's move on," Lakyus commanded, her voice steady and resolute.
***
The group stepped into the forest, immediately enveloped by the thick canopy overhead. The forest was a labyrinth of identical trees, offering no landmarks to navigate by. It was an eerie, disorienting place, where the direction seemed meaningless and every path looked the same.
Evileye surveyed their surroundings with keen eyes. The silence was unnatural—no rustling leaves, no chirping birds, no signs of life whatsoever. It was as if the forest itself was a graveyard, a place forsaken by all living creatures.
Tia and Tina advanced carefully, their senses on high alert. After thorough scrutiny, they seemed to have concluded that no living creatures were hiding nearby. Despite this, the group's tension was palpable—except for Ainz, who walked with a calm, almost serene demeanor.
For me, the forest was a sight of untouched beauty. this display of nature's splendor.
But at that moment, a shift occurred.
"Well... this is somehow... sad..." I muttered.
They had reached a section of the forest that was completely rotten. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the once vibrant vegetation now lay lifeless and decomposed. Only death prevailed in this desolate place. The girls scanned their surroundings, wary of any undead that might lurk among the rotting foliage.
Ahead, I spotted the old castle, its crumbling structure surrounded by rotten trees. I felt a pang of regret. Now that Blue Rose knew the castle's location.
*****
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