The testing came sooner than Makoto had expected.
Early the next morning, there was a knock on his door.
It wasn’t the gentle, rhythmic tapping of a maid, but rather three provocative ‘thuds’ so powerful they made the door panels vibrate.
Makoto opened his eyes, glanced at the grey sky outside the window, and sighed.
“Nazarick’s hospitality is truly enthusiastic.”
He threw on his coat, grabbed the spear leaning against his bedside, walked over, and pulled the door open.
Aura Bella Fiora was standing outside.
The Dark Elf girl had her hands on her hips and looked up at him with a wide grin on her face.
Her brother, Mare Bello Fiore, followed behind her, still hiding in her shadow with only his timid eyes showing.
“Morning, guest!”
Aura Bella Fiora’s voice was crisp and loud.
“Lord Ainz said we should give you a tour of Nazarick.
Let’s go!”
She called it a “tour,” but Makoto noticed the beast-taming whip hanging at Aura Bella Fiora’s waist and Mare Bello Fiore’s staff held ready in his hand, in a posture to cast spells at any moment.
It wasn’t a tour; it was a patrol.
Makoto yawned and leaned lazily against the doorframe.
“This early?
Do people here not sleep?”
Aura Bella Fiora blinked.
“I’m a Dark Elf, my sleep requirements are short.
As for the others—”
She tilted her head, revealing a meaningful smile.
“Most in Nazarick are undead; they really don’t need to sleep.”
“Fair enough.”
Makoto straightened up and rested his spear on his shoulder.
“Then let’s take a look around.”
Aura Bella Fiora led him through the corridors of the Ninth Floor, introducing things as they went with the lively tone of a real tour guide.
“This is the Banquet Hall, it can hold three hundred people at once.
Over there is the wine cellar, housing famous wines from various worlds.
Further ahead is—”
“Wait.”
Makoto stopped and pointed to a closed black door at the end of the corridor.
“What’s that?”
Aura Bella Fiora’s smile didn’t change, but her voice dropped an octave.
“That is Lord Ainz’s private domain.
No entry without permission.”
Makoto nodded without further questioning.
But he noticed that as she spoke, Mare Bello Fiore’s fingers twitched slightly, and an almost invisible glimmer flashed at the tip of his staff.
A magic trap?
He remained impassive and continued to follow.
Round one: hidden currents surged, ending in a draw.
After touring the Ninth Floor, Aura Bella Fiora led him deeper.
The Eighth Floor—the most dangerous area. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
As soon as he stepped onto this floor, Makoto felt a strong sense of pressure.
The air was thick with magic, the temperature dropped by over ten degrees, and even his breath turned into white mist.
“This floor is…”
Aura Bella Fiora’s voice became subtle.
“One of the strongest defensive areas of Nazarick.
Lord Ainz says the guardians here can handle any intruder.”
When she said the word “any,” she specifically looked at Makoto’s reaction.
Makoto’s expression remained normal; he even looked around with interest.
“It’s quite cold, but I have indeed heard Peroroncino mention their glorious achievement of repelling 1,500 enemies.”
Aura Bella Fiora: “…”
Mare Bello Fiore hid behind his sister and whispered something under his breath.
The walls on both sides of the corridor were carved with magic runes that glowed faintly in the dim light.
The floor was made of cold stone slabs, and every step produced a clear echo.
As Makoto walked, he suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
Aura Bella Fiora turned around.
“Nothing.”
Makoto smiled.
“I just feel that the guardians on this floor seem more…
interesting than the others.”
Just as he finished speaking, a low roar echoed from the darkness ahead.
The sound made the walls tremble slightly, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Mare Bello Fiore immediately raised his staff, and Aura Bella Fiora’s hand moved to her whip.
But Makoto just stood there and picked his ear.
“Don’t be nervous, I was just speaking casually.”
The roar vanished as if it had never existed.
Aura Bella Fiora stared at him for two seconds before suddenly laughing.
“You certainly have a lot of nerve.”
“Whether I have nerve or not is one thing.”
Makoto resumed his stride.
“But I have one virtue—I don’t look at what I shouldn’t see, and I don’t touch what I shouldn’t touch.”
After all, he wasn’t here to steal secrets; the knowledge he had gained from the anime was already largely sufficient.
Aura Bella Fiora blinked thoughtfully.
Round two: Makoto took the initiative and held his ground.
After lunch, the prober changed.
Makoto was invited to the Arena on the Sixth Floor.
Supposedly, Cocytus wanted to “exchange pointers” with him.
Inside the massive circular Arena, Cocytus stood in the center, holding blades in his six arms, his towering body casting a large shadow.
His insectoid compound eyes reflected a cold glint in the sunlight.
“Makoto.”
“Lord Ainz says you are a master of the spear.
I, Cocytus, wish to experience it.”
Makoto stood at the Arena entrance, looking at those four gleaming katanas and then at Cocytus’s serious expression.
“Are you serious?”
“Naturally.”
“A spar?”
“Until the first touch.”
Makoto fell silent for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.
“Fine, then let’s exchange pointers.”
“But let’s get this straight first—I played around too much during the final period of the game.
My current level is only around sixty, so remember to go easy on me.”
He took the spear off his shoulder and slowly walked to the center of the Arena, standing opposite Cocytus.
The difference in their sizes was ridiculous—Makoto only reached Cocytus’s waist.
“You make the first move.”
Makoto lowered the tip of his spear toward the ground in a casual stance.
In any case, his mere Level 60 Golem body definitely couldn’t beat the opponent.
Cocytus did not stand on ceremony.
The first blade slashed down.
The speed was astonishing, the blade edge cutting through the air with a sharp whistle.
The power of this strike was enough to cleave a tank in two.
Makoto sidestepped; the blade grazed the edge of his clothes and left a deep furrow in the ground.
Thanks to the unique keen insight of ‘Gold Fortune’ as an information-specialized World Class Item, combined with the combat instincts from his barely magic-and-martial hybrid class build, Makoto managed to just barely dodge it.
“Not bad,”
Makoto commented.
“Remember to keep your strikes light; I’m still not sure if I can be resurrected if I die as a player.”
Cocytus’s compound eyes flickered, and the second, third, and fourth blades slashed down simultaneously.
Six blades moved in unison, sealing off all angles of escape.
After dodging the first three strikes, the fourth, fifth, and sixth were unavoidable.
It seemed Makoto could only raise his hands and surrender.
But Makoto didn’t believe the opponent would actually dare to strike him down!
Completely ignoring the opponent’s attacks, he launched a life-risking offensive in a near-suicidal manner.
His spear was like a fierce dragon ascending to heaven, stopping just as it was about to pierce the opponent’s throat.
Naturally, Cocytus would not kill Makoto; at least on the surface, they appeared to be evenly matched.
No expression could be read from the insectoid compound eyes as he withdrew his weapons.
His personality was designed as a samurai, and he actually quite liked Makoto’s’shattering jewel’ style of fighting.
But in this way, the plan to test the full extent of the opponent’s strength had almost failed.
“You—”
Maybe it’s not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”