Chapter 14 — The Road to the Great Tomb
The next morning, Momonga woke before sunrise.
He had not slept.
Technically, he had not needed to.
But the habit remained.
He sat beside the window and looked at the Imperial capital.
The city was quiet at this hour.
For once, there were no enemies.
No mysterious messages.
No undead creatures.
No one trying to kill him.
Momonga found the peacefulness almost suspicious.
Nabe entered the room carrying two cups of tea.
Momonga looked at them.
“I still don’t understand why you keep bringing me tea.”
“You like it.”
“I like the ritual.”
Nabe placed the cup before him.
“Then the ritual is useful.”
Momonga smiled.
“You’re getting better at understanding me.”
“I have always understood you.”
“That’s true.”
She sat opposite him.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Nabe asked:
“Are we going to the tomb?”
Momonga looked at the drawing on the table.
“Yes.”
“Even though we do not know what is there?”
“Especially because we don’t.”
Nabe nodded.
“Then I will accompany you.”
Momonga smiled.
“I know.
Evileye arrived shortly afterward.
She looked at the drawing.
Then at Momonga.
“You’ve decided.”
“Yes.”
“You understand that this could be a trap.”
“Of course.”
“You understand that the location may have nothing to do with you.”
“Yes.”
“And you still want to go.”
Momonga nodded.
Evileye sighed.
“You’re impossible.”
“I’ve heard that too.”
She looked at Nabe.
“And you encourage him.”
Nabe answered calmly:
“Someone must.”
Evileye stared at her.
Then laughed despite herself.
“Fine.”
She picked up her cloak.
“I’m coming too.”
Momonga raised an eyebrow.
“I thought you disliked our company.”
“I do.”
“Then why?”
“Because if you walk into an ancient underground ruin alone, you’ll probably discover something terrible.”
“Probably.”
“And then I’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
Momonga smiled.
“That sounds remarkably like concern.”
“It isn’t.”
“Of course not.
They left the Empire before noon.
Fluder had provided them with a copy of the relevant map.
Jircniv had provided something more useful.
Permission.
The Empire’s roads were safer than those of the Kingdom, but the farther they traveled, the less civilization they encountered.
Momonga walked at the front.
Nabe followed.
Evileye remained a little behind.
She had become quieter since seeing the drawing.
Eventually, Momonga asked:
“You know something.”
Evileye stopped.
“I know many things.”
“About the Great Tomb.”
She looked at him.
“I know legends.”
“Tell me.”
Evileye hesitated.
“Six hundred years ago, a group of adventurers discovered an enormous underground complex.”
“How enormous?”
“Large enough that they believed it had been built by something far beyond human civilization.”
Momonga frowned.
“Did they enter?”
“Some did.”
“And?”
“They never returned.”
Momonga became silent.
“How much of the complex was mapped?”
“Almost none.”
“Why?”
“Because the people who entered were killed.”
Momonga looked ahead.
“By what?”
Evileye’s expression darkened.
“They never knew.
They traveled for two days.
On the third evening, they reached the region indicated on Fluder’s map.
There was no entrance.
No tower.
No ruined fortress.
Nothing.
Only a forest.
Momonga studied the map.
“We’re here.”
Evileye looked around.
“There’s nothing.”
“That’s the point.”
Nabe examined the ground.
“Something is wrong.”
Momonga looked at her.
“What?”
She pointed.
“There are no tracks.”
“Animal tracks?”
“Any tracks.”
Momonga examined the soil.
She was right.
The forest floor was untouched.
Not even insects had crossed it.
Evileye frowned.
“Concealment magic.”
Momonga nodded.
“Probably.”
He raised one hand.
“Let’s see what is hiding.”
A faint magical pulse spread through the forest.
Nothing happened.
Momonga tried again.
Still nothing.
Then Nabe suddenly turned.
“There.”
She pointed toward an enormous tree.
Momonga walked closer.
At first he saw nothing.
Then the branches moved.
Behind them was a stone door.
Ancient.
Massive.
And almost completely covered in moss.
Momonga stared.
The same architectural style.
Not identical.
Too familiar.
He touched the door.
Nothing happened.
Nabe stepped beside him.
“Shall I open it?”
Momonga shook his head.
“Wait.”
He examined the surface.
There was a symbol carved into the stone.
A circle.
Around it were eight smaller marks.
Momonga recognized neither.
Evileye approached.
“Do you know what that means?”
“No.”
“But you’ve seen it before.”
Momonga hesitated.
“Something similar.”
Evileye studied him.
“You are keeping secrets.”
“Yes.”
“At least you’re honest about it.”
Momonga smiled.
“I’m trying.”
He placed his hand against the door.
This time, the stone reacted.
A faint red glow appeared.
Nabe immediately drew her sword.
Evileye prepared magic.
Momonga waited.
The door opened by itself.
Beyond it was darkness.
They entered.
The door closed behind them.
Evileye immediately turned.
“That’s reassuring.”
Momonga looked back.
“Do you want to leave?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I already know what happens when people enter places like this.”
“What?”
“They die.”
Momonga laughed softly.
“That’s true.”
They continued.
The corridor descended.
Slowly at first.
Then more steeply.
The walls became cleaner.
The moss disappeared.
The stone became polished.
Momonga stopped.
“This is not six hundred years old.”
Evileye looked at him.
“What?”
“This section.”
He touched the wall.
“It has been maintained.”
Nabe’s eyes narrowed.
“Someone is here.”
Momonga nodded.
“Yes.”
They reached a large chamber.
At its center stood a pedestal.
On it was a single object.
A small black orb.
Momonga approached cautiously.
Evileye whispered:
“Don’t touch it.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
He examined it from a distance.
The orb was not magical in any way he understood.
But it felt familiar.
Like something from YGGDRASIL.
Momonga’s thoughts raced.
Could this be an artifact?
Could it have been left by another player?
He extended his hand.
Nabe immediately caught his wrist.
“No.”
Momonga looked at her.
She didn’t release him.
“It may be dangerous.”
“I know.”
“Then don’t touch it.”
Momonga stared at her.
Then smiled.
“You’re right.”
He lowered his hand.
Evileye looked between them.
“You actually listened.”
“She was correct.”
“That’s a rare sight.”
“Very funny.
A sound echoed through the chamber.
Footsteps.
Someone was approaching.
Momonga turned.
Nabe moved in front of him.
Evileye raised her hand.
The footsteps stopped.
Then a familiar voice came from the darkness.
“Well.”
Clementine stepped into the chamber.
She smiled.
“Look what I found.”
Momonga stared at her.
“You followed us.”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Because you always go somewhere interesting.”
Evileye’s expression hardened.
“You.”
Clementine looked at her.
“Oh.”
Her smile widened.
“The vampire.”
Evileye stepped forward.
“Say that again.”
“The vampire.”
Nabe’s sword was already out.
Momonga raised his hand.
“Wait.”
Clementine looked at him.
“Still trying not to kill me?”
“Yes.”
“You’re strange.”
“I’ve been told.”
Clementine glanced at the black orb.
Her expression changed.
“You found it.”
Momonga noticed immediately.
“You know what it is.”
“Maybe.”
“Tell me.”
Clementine laughed.
“You always ask so politely.”
“I can change my tone.”
“Don’t.”
She looked at the orb.
“I don’t know exactly what it does.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because someone told me to find it.”
“Who?”
Clementine smiled.
“That’s the interesting part.”
Before Momonga could answer, the chamber shook.
The black orb began to glow.
Evileye stepped backward.
“Something is activating.”
Momonga raised his hand.
The orb rose from the pedestal.
A dark sphere of energy formed around it.
Clementine’s smile disappeared.
“That’s not supposed to happen.”
Momonga looked at her.
“You said that last time.”
“I was right last time.”
“You were.”
“Then perhaps you should listen to me.”
Momonga almost laughed.
“That’s a dangerous suggestion.”
The sphere expanded.
The walls began to crack.
A voice echoed through the chamber.
Not the voice of an undead.
Not a human voice.
Something older.
Something distant.
A single word:
“PLAYER.”
Momonga froze.
Nabe looked at him.
Evileye looked at him.
Clementine looked terrified.
The voice spoke again.
“PLAYER.”
Momonga stepped forward.
“Who are you?”
The sphere flickered.
Then an image appeared inside it.
A man.
Human.
Wearing strange armor.
Standing before a massive underground structure.
Momonga stared.
He knew that face.
Not personally.
But from the records.
The image was one of the ancient beings who had descended into the New World.
A player.
Evileye whispered:
“That’s impossible.”
Momonga couldn’t answer.
The image changed.
Another player appeared.
Then another.
Then the Eight Greed Kings.
Then the Six Great Gods.
Then something else.
A figure Momonga had never seen.
Ainz’s red eyes narrowed.
The figure stood before a massive tomb.
But unlike Nazarick…
this tomb was different.
It was larger.
Older.
And above its entrance was the same symbol they had seen on the door.
Momonga stared.
The image disappeared.
The orb fell.
Silence returned.
Clementine was the first to speak.
“What was that?”
Momonga looked at her.
“You tell me.”
“I don’t know.”
“For once, I believe you.”
Evileye looked at the pedestal.
“That wasn’t an illusion.”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Momonga thought.
“A memory.”
“Whose?”
“I don’t know.”
Nabe looked toward the corridor.
“We should leave.”
Momonga nodded.
“Agreed.”
Clementine frowned.
“You’re leaving?”
“Yes.”
“But we just found something important.”
“We found enough.”
“Enough?”
Momonga looked at her.
“Enough to know that someone wanted us to find it.”
Clementine became silent.
She understood.
Someone had led them here.
The mysterious man.
The strange watchers.
Fluder.
The records.
Everything was connected.
But Momonga still didn’t know how.
They left the chamber.
The door closed behind them.
Once they reached the forest, Evileye stopped.
“You realize what this means.”
Momonga nodded.
“There are more players.”
“Maybe.”
“There are artifacts.”
“Yes.”
“There are places built by them.”
“Apparently.”
“And someone is actively searching for you.”
Momonga looked at the dark forest.
“Yes.”
Evileye stared at him.
“You don’t seem frightened.”
Momonga smiled.
“I am.”
That surprised her.
“You are?”
“Of course.”
He looked at Nabe.
“I’m responsible for her.”
Nabe said nothing.
Momonga continued.
“I don’t know what happened to the other players.”
“I don’t know why I was brought here.”
“And I don’t know whether there are enemies waiting for me.”
He looked toward the road.
“But I do know one thing.”
“What?”
“I want to understand this world.”
Evileye smiled faintly.
“Then I suppose you’re going to keep wandering.”
Momonga nodded.
“Yes.”
Clementine stepped out of the forest behind them.
“Good.”
Momonga looked back.
She grinned.
“Because I’m coming too.”
Nabe’s expression immediately darkened.
“No.”
Clementine laughed.
“You didn’t even ask why.”
“I don’t need to.”
Momonga sighed.
“This is going to be a long journey.”
Evileye smiled.
“Definitely.”
And so the three adventurers continued down the road.
With an unwanted fourth following behind them.
None of them noticed the small black mark that had appeared on Momonga’s cloak.
A mark shaped like the symbol above the ancient tomb.
And somewhere very far away…
something opened its eyes.