Ainz's POV
After the announcement at the Throne Room, I went to my office in my room on the 9th floor. I also advised Lydia to go back to the 11th floor to clear her mind.
I put one of my skeletal hands on my forehead as I lean into my seat in reflection.
Ugh... What was I thinking? Lydia doesn't have an emotional suppressor like I do. She was already, understandably, in shock from the transfer itself. There was no need to stress her even more by making her confront enemies, and even less by killing them.
Why had she felt the need to do it? Was she perhaps seeking some kind of validation? Or maybe she didn't want to feel useless? If that's the case, that would mean that her transformation into a child went deeper than I thought; even her mentality is being affected.
I couldn't even comfort her properly afterward. The first time, I had to keep up appearances with Albedo present. But after that... Too caught up in the roleplay, I forgot that I didn't need to act around her?
What a friend I am... Not even capable of supporting the one person who stayed by my side until the very end. I should apologize the next time I see her.
I raise my head to look around.
My room is filled with elegant, high-class furniture, and the floor is covered by a bright red carpet. The room is also unusually silent. The maid who should have been on standby isn't here. The only ones present in the room are me, Albedo standing beside me, and a Death Knight standing in the corner.
Perhaps taking my raised head as an invitation, Albedo begins speaking. "Reporting: The commander of the Slane Sunlight Scripture has been sent to the Frozen Prison. Intelligence will be extracted by the special intelligence officer from now on," she reports professionally.
"Neuronist should be fine. But I plan to conduct experiments with the corpses... You’re aware of that?" I mention, just in case. I don't care what happens to that man as long as I get results.
"I am. According to the reports, we are investigating the equipment stripped from the knights; no signs of special enchantments so far. After finishing the investigation, the equipment will be sent to the treasury," she confirms.
"Yes, that would be adequate," I reply concisely.
"Finally, in order to protect and monitor that village, I plan to send two Shadow Demons over. How should we deal with Gazef Stronoff?" she inquires.
"Ignore the Warrior Captain for now. More importantly, that village will be the place where we build good relations. We might need his help someday, so it would be best not to get on his bad side," I explain. We don't need to kill people for no reason, and it would surely greatly upset Lydia.
Now that I think about it...
"Albedo, tell Neuronist to give the prisoners a choice. They can willingly give all the intelligence they possess; if they do, grant them a painless death. If not, let her extract it," I command.
She kneels. "Yes, Ainz-sama." She raises her head. "Your will will be transmitted to Neuronist before she begins her work."
"Good," I reply as I focus on the documents on my desk; while I do that, Albedo stands back up.
These are the reports of the missions I sent various NPCs to accomplish. First, Aura was sent to explore the forest around Carne Village. Sebas should also soon leave for the Kingdom's capital to investigate.
Later, through the Throne of Kings, I'll look at every NPC's bio living in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, not only to see if any of them is susceptible to betraying us, but also to memorize each of them. It's the least I can do for the creations of my friends now that they are real, living beings.
.
.
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Lydia's POV
After the announcement in the Throne Room, Ainz went to his office in his room, saying something like, 'I have some things to deal with and some work to do.' His work is mostly ordering the guardians and other NPCs around and reading and organizing their reports afterward to decide on Nazarick's next course of action.
While he was doing that, I followed his advice and went back to my manor on the 11th floor. I am sitting on my bed with my giant pillow behind my back against the wall, my arms wrapped around my legs as they are pressed against my torso. The curtains of the bed are closed, making my surroundings pitch-black, with the only source of light being my eyes.
I've been sitting here for a while now, staring at nothing, doing nothing, just... thinking.
I can still hear the screams of pain and terror of the men of the Sunlight Scripture. I can still see the corpse of the first knight I killed with a Death Butterfly.
I know I repeat myself by telling myself that I did the right thing, but it doesn't erase the guilt.
I killed people. That's just the fact; there's no amount of rationalization that can erase that.
I could lie to myself and say that it wasn't me but the angels, but that would only be fleeing reality. I'm the one who controlled the angels; I'm the one who gave the order.
'It is true that you killed a knight, but that isn't what you must focus on. You saved two lives and rid the world of a murderer, saving even more lives that this knight would have ruined in the future.'
The words of the village chief resonate in my mind.
They are reassuring and logical—a logic that allows me to not feel like a monster for my actions.
Those words and that logic can also be extended to the rest of the Sunlight Scripture.
'Do you really believe that the knight deserved your consideration?'
Ainz's question resonates in my head.
Of course I don't. That kind of man doesn't deserve to even be considered human. But... but it is easier said than done.
I remember what he told me in his clumsy attempt at reassuring me.
'I'm just asking you to understand that not everyone deserves that kindness and consideration. The knights don't deserve it, and you shouldn't feel bad for killing them.'
How do you do that?
I raise my hands and look at my palms in front of me before rubbing them against one another.
I feel dirty.
It's absurd. I don't think my body is even capable of being dirty.
Should I really feel that way for men like them?
The answer is obvious; I shouldn't.
They were scum. That much is obvious. And the world would only become better without them.
But feeling bad about taking a life isn't something I can control...
Am I a coward?
I acted to prove to myself that I could do something when it mattered... but here I am now, feeling bad for people who don't deserve it.
I know that both Ainz and the village chief are right. I know it. But feelings, sometimes, aren't logical...
'That is—thank—thank you for saving us!' 'Thank you!'
Images of the two girls we saved by killing the two knights flash in my mind.
They are right... Those two would have been dead if we hadn't killed those knights. And the rest of the village would have been slaughtered if it hadn't been for the massacre of the Sunlight Scripture.
Not only in the village, but they would also have kept on killing in other places in the future.
Maybe... maybe fighting for those outcomes isn't the worst possible thing to do.
Why am I only now understanding the words of the village chief? They were so clear.
Am I stupid?
I let out a sigh as I lower my arms and look upward at the ceiling.
Understanding doesn't mean that the feelings are gone... but it makes them a little easier to manage.
Maybe talking to somebody would help? I've been waiting for an opportunity to speak with Ivory, and maybe even the World Bosses. If Amosis is anything to go by, they also gained sentience.
The rest of my summons are, for the most part, with some exceptions here and there, still animals with primal consciousness.
I can feel it all through the innumerable links in my mind connecting me to all of them.
So... where is Ivory? Let's see... Ah, there you are.
Ivory's POV
After my usual patrol around Mother's Garden to make sure everything was in order, I went back to the shrine assigned to me.
Maybe I should offer a prayer to Mother? It's been a little while since I last did so.
While Supreme Beings all have some form of divinity, Mother is a true goddess. Her powers are unmatched, even by the other Supreme Beings. I feel her blessing with each prayer, a fraction of her power flowing through me when called for by a prayer.
This is what this shrine is for: a temple dedicated to her. The shrine itself isn't that big, being the size of a small house. But it represents her humility. She doesn't need a large temple when the entire 11th floor is her personal garden. And I have the utmost honor of being her direct creation, one of her children.
But despite her being my mother, I'm well aware that she's also a child. It can't be helped; after all, she is the chosen daughter of the Primordial Essence of Magic itself. And she was but a human child when she underwent the transformation, locking her in that immature state forever.
Perhaps, one day, she'll find a way to mature, if that's even possible. But even if that were the case, a being like Mother would take a tremendous amount of time to mature.
In the meantime, as the caretaker, it is my duty to take care of her and her possessions.
I turn my head toward the short table in the living room of the shrine to find Thought, the small lizard created by Mother not long ago, sleeping on a small cushion.
That creature is fascinating, capable of interacting with minds effortlessly. Another proof of Mother's greatness and foresight.
This creature would surely be useful for the future of Nazarick in one way or another.
As if summoned by my thoughts, I feel Mother's aura appear beside me.
Without thinking, I reflexively stand up from the tatami floor, but she stops me with a hand on my arm.
"It's okay; you don't need to stand up," she comments casually as she sits next to me.
The situation is awkward for multiple reasons.
While, unlike the other guardians, I have a better understanding of Mother's personality and her past, I still wish to give her the respect she deserves, even if she might believe herself not to deserve it.
And the size difference isn't helping. I don't like looking down at her. Even if I know that she doesn't mind it, it still feels awfully disrespectful.
I should have a large chair built for her by the dryads' village in the Cradle. It would be only proper that she's the one looking down on others, not the other way around.
"Hello, Mother. Do you need anything from me?" I ask hastily after realizing that I have stayed silent since her arrival.
I'm not used to speaking with other beings and can quickly become awkward if the other person doesn't lead the conversation. I usually hide it by trying to sound casual, but I can't do that with Mother.
She smiles kindly. "No, I just wanted to spend a little time with you. Maybe even learn who my creation is, as I realized recently that I didn't spend much time with you despite creating you," she answers softly, and her words leave me perplexed.
Didn't spend much time with me? I must be the being of Nazarick with whom she has spent the most time. She always came to me to vent about either her problems, the other Supreme Beings, or her past. This is how I know so much about her to begin with.
Does she feel like she has neglected me despite everything she's done? I don't think I could have asked for a better creator than her.
"I... I see... Do you perhaps wish to hear about my patrols around the floor?" I propose tentatively, not knowing how to continue this unexpected conversation with my creator.
Surprisingly, her face lights up at my proposition, and she nods excitedly with an adorable smile.
So I do. I tell her about my patrol, recounting the details as best as I can—how I started by the Cradle, the easiest region of the 11th floor to patrol, moving from one area of the Cradle to the next: the swamp, the plains, the dense jungle, the frozen forest, and the dry, scorching forest. I even told her about my brief encounter with Sha at one of the entrances of the underground tunnels leading below the Hollow Peaks.
I told her how I went to the underground tunnels and how I patrolled the rest of the floor from there. I even admitted, shamefully, that I took a shortcut in my task by asking the World Bosses in the area if everything was fine rather than looking myself.
She never interrupted me nor lectured me for my wrongdoing. If anything, she looked almost... proud?
Eventually, I finished my tale.
When I look around, I notice that Thought woke up in the middle of my story and is now sitting on Mother's lap as she gently pets him.
I suppress a sigh of annoyance and envy at the little impertinent lizard.
Ignoring the cheeky lizard, speaking to Mother like that is quite a pleasant experience, even just to see how her face lights up with interest from time to time during my story.
"What do you intend to do now, Mother?" I ask, seeing that she stays silent even after I finish speaking.
"I want to see Chaos, Amosis, Sha, and Vorthyss. Spend a bit of time with them like I did with you, maybe even getting to know them as well," she replies carefreely.
"I understand; thank you for entertaining my story, Mother." I give my farewell, expecting her to teleport away at any moment.
I hope this is enough as a farewell. I'm not sure how the other Guardians say goodbye to one another. Should I say, "Hope to see you soon"? Would that be too disrespectful?
"Until next time, Ivory. You too, Thought." Mother gives her own farewell with a cheerful smile as she puts the lizard down on the floor before disappearing in a blink.
One moment, she's there with her carefree presence, and the next, she disappears as if she were nothing but an illusion all along.
Truly, her mastery of space is peerless as well.
Now, what should I do about you...
I lock my gaze on the little lizard; I swear I see it shiver.
Perhaps a bit of time in the Cradle would do you some good?
Lydia's POV
Well, that was interesting. I never imagined that she would be that busy most of the time.
I hope I didn't bother her too much. I couldn't quite tell how she was feeling during most of my time with her; her voice is rather monotonous and her face doesn't have expressions.
I left rather quickly because, as much as it is embarrassing to admit, I got a little anxious under her glassy stare.
Maybe she holds a grudge because I ignored her until now? Or perhaps she was annoyed because I barged in during her rest and asked one-sidedly to chat with her, only to say absolutely nothing and let her speak for almost an hour?
Anyway, he should be around here...
I look around at the peak of a mountain in the middle of the Hollow Peaks.
Chaos should be around here, somewhere.
I look around until my gaze locks on a large white sphere floating lazily above the ground. The sphere itself is five meters in diameter and the space around the sphere seems to distort, almost like a black hole; yet unlike a black hole, nothing is attracted to the sphere.
I approach the sphere. I can feel through our link that he is as sentient as Amosis despite his appearance.
"Hi, Chaos," I greet him cheerfully with a smile and a wave of my hand.
"Oh? Hello, Mother. What brings you here to me?" he asks in a laid-back, almost lazy tone.
I swallow my surprise at his casual greeting and speak up. "I wanted to spend a little bit of time with you and chat for a bit," I reply.
The sphere freezes for a bit. "I'm sorry, Mother. I don't have much to talk about. Nothing happens on the floor, and I don't do much more than float and observe. Though I would be happy to hear what you want to say," he admits, and I would feel sorry for him if I didn't feel through our bond that, besides the shame of being unable to fulfill my demands, he is perfectly content with his way of life.
He seems genuinely happy to do nothing and just float around.
"I see..." I reply hesitantly.
After a short internal deliberation, I tell him what has happened since the transfer—that Nazarick has been transported into an unknown world, and about Ainz's and my little adventure outside.
He seems interested in the tale but doesn't comment much on it.
Of course, I leave out the part where I freak out about killing. I don't want someone else trying to reassure me when I'm already somewhat succeeding in dealing with my feelings.
Then, once everything's said, I give my farewell and teleport in front of the Giant Lake.
Vorthyss should be somewhere deep inside the lake. Now, how do I call him? Should I just do it through the link? Wait, I don't need to breathe; I can just go underwater myself.
I quickly locate Vorthyss's colossal body resting on the lake's seafloor and teleport next to him.
I don't even feel the pressure of the water; in fact, I barely feel like I'm underwater. It feels barely different from open air to me now.
The surroundings at this depth are pitch black, with the only sources of light, besides the Eye of Heimdall on my chest and my eyes, being the abyssal monsters swimming around from time to time.
The giant mass in front of me ignites in bioluminescence; each tentacle is full of lined-up bioluminescent dots that extend even past the tentacles and into the body of the Ancient Kraken.
I feel the water current growing stronger with Vorthyss's movement upon my arrival.
He really is titanic; even for a Kraken, he is absurdly big. At least a hundred meters in length, perhaps two or three hundred—I'm not sure.
"Greetings, Mother. I wasn't expecting your arrival; do you need anything?" A deep, booming voice greets me. Besides the power behind the voice, he also manages to sound proud and dignified.
"Hi, I've just come to greet you and perhaps chat for a bit if you want to." I greet him with the same smile and wave as with Chaos.
My voice travels in the water the same way it does in open air, somehow. There are not even bubbles of air when I open my mouth.
He lets out a small laugh, even if, coming from him, it makes the surrounding water vibrate intensely. "Nothing out of the ordinary happened, Mother. But I'll be more than happy to listen to whatever you wish to say," he replies cheerfully, sounding like a grandparent entertaining his grandchild.
And so I do. Just like with Chaos, I tell him what has happened since the transfer.
He listens attentively, and just like with Chaos, I leave out my feelings about killing.
He waits until I'm done before commenting. "That is certainly a strange situation. If I can be of any help, please ask, Mother. Though, I'm certain Amosis would be thrilled to be the one you turn to in case of a problem."
"Yeah, last time I spoke with him, he seemed a bit bored," I agree. "For now, I don't have any problem that would require your strength, and if I'm correct about the level of power of this new world, I'll perhaps never need it."
"Are the inhabitants of this new world really that weak?" he asks, confused.
"It seems so, but we just got into this world, so I'm not sure," I reply with a sigh, which does create bubbles.
"I see. In any case, if you ever need my or the others' strength, you just need to ask, Mother. We'll be more than happy to help you once more," he exclaims proudly.
"I'll keep that in mind," I reassure him. "I'll leave soon; I still need to see Sha and Amosis," I inform him.
"Very well, goodbye, Mother," he bids me goodbye.
"Until next time," I exclaim with a smile and a wave of my arm before teleporting to the Cradle.
Sha should be somewhere around here. I'm sure I saw her earlier with the Eye of Heimdall.
I look around the forest, not finding anything. After a short while, a small, white, red-eyed, horned rabbit jumps out of a bush. My eyes immediately lock onto it with a suspicious squint.
"Sha, you know those bunnies are only in the Hollow Peaks and the Frozen Forest, right?" I comment to the 'bunny'.
Immediately, the bunny loses its shape, turning into goo before turning into... me?
A perfect replica of me is now standing in front of me with a cheeky, teasing smirk. The only difference is that her eyes and the Eye of Heimdall aren't glowing.
"Hello, Mother, what brings you here?" Sha asks cheerfully with my voice.
"I just came to say hi and see if you wanted to chat for a bit," I reply, ignoring the fact that she took my appearance, which seems to disappoint her as she starts pouting.
Then, her eyes light up with a mischievous glint before her body transforms once more, this time into an adult version of me, even with big assets and curves and everything.
One of my eyelids twitches at the sight as I freeze, not knowing how to even react.
Seeing that I froze, Sha lifts me with a victorious smile and holds me in her arms as she presses me against her chest—my chest? "Of course, I'll be more than happy to chat with you, my youthful mother."
My eyelids twitch once more. Is she doing it on purpose?
I turn my head to look her in the eyes, trying to understand what's happening before I short-circuit.
She looks back with an exaggeratedly innocent expression. "Yeah, you're right, I should be the mother, and you the child. This would be way more appropriate," she announces, as if admitting something serious.
I, in turn, grow even more speechless and confused, which seems to amuse her to no end, as I can see her holding back a chuckle.
She squeezes me a little closer in her arms, like a mother embracing her baby.
All the NPCs treated me with some degree of respect. But her... her nonchalance is... confusing. Not that I mind it that much; in fact, it's refreshing.
"So... what's on your mind, my child?" she asks with an innocent smile, taking the role of a mother despite my silence.
Despite her innocent facade, I feel through our bond how amused and ecstatic she is.
In the end, it's just some harmless fun; no need to say anything about it.
"Well, a big thing happened to Nazarick, if you're interested in hearing it," I reply, not minding that much being in her arms; her chest is also quite soft and makes for a good cushion.
Her smile widens; I assume it's at my lack of refutation. "Of course, please, do tell Mommy what happened," she demands with exaggerated care.
She really is doing it on purpose...
Well, no matter. Let's just ignore that and hope not to short-circuit once more before the end of the conversation.
I tell her the same thing I told Chaos and Vorthyss earlier: how Nazarick is now in a new world, Ainz's and my little adventure to the human village, and Ainz's change of name. All while still omitting my feelings about killing. Perhaps another time, if she really earns the title of Mommy.
In the end, just like Vorthyss, she listens attentively to me, even if unlike him, she interrupts me from time to time to comment or ask questions. I answer her questions the best I can until the end of the story.
"Can you... put me down?" I ask, as she doesn't put me down even after the end of the story.
In response, she only hugs me tighter and presses me against her chest once more, as if I were a plushie. "But you're so cute and huggable... Don't you like being in my arms?" she whines dramatically.
Seeing an adult version of my body doing that and acting like that is unsettling.
I teleport in front of her, freeing myself from her grasp, much to her dismay as I hear her audibly pout.
"Anyway, I still have to see Amosis. Until next time, Sha," I inform her.
This seems to breathe life back into her and she waves at me with a smile. "Until next time, Mother. Please come see me soon; I'm lonely," she asks with a sweet voice.
I wave goodbye with a smile before teleporting to the sky not far from the floating island.
Speaking to people is exhausting...
I quickly locate Amosis sleeping on top of solid clouds he surely conjured himself. His serpentine body is coiled on itself like a snake.
Well... maybe I shouldn't bother him. I'll talk to him another time.
I teleport back to my room in my manor and crash onto my bed.
My pillow is still against the wall at the head of the bed from how I left it, so I put it back down and lie down, staring at the ceiling.
Everything here is of such heavenly quality.
I learned a little more about Ivory and the World Bosses, even if I probably could have gone without Sha's teasing.
In the end, it was nice. Exhausting, but nice.
Can I still sleep in this body? I have never felt the need to since the transfer and have never tried. Should I? We are in an unknown world with unknown dangers; the best thing to do would be to prepare ourselves for any eventual scenario, just in case.
What can I do to prepare? Explore my powers? Hmm... that's actually a good idea.
I know I can create things with my mana thanks to a combination of [Breath of Creation] and my nature as a [Child of Mana], I think. Maybe [High Sage] contributes to it as well; who knows? But the fact is that I can pretty much create anything I can imagine or visualize.
I frown as I remember something I wanted to try and teleport outside the manor.
I'm still on the island, but a little farther away from the manor in the surrounding small, empty forest.
I raise a hand in a random direction and guide my mana the way I remember seeing it. Not far from me, an enormous ray of light falls from the sky like the wrath of the sun itself.
It worked... It really worked.
This [Extreme Holy Strike] is even more powerful than the one from Dominion Authority. But that was to be expected, given our level difference.
Okay, let's try this then. I first summon a creature without a mind that looks like a slime but is made out of flesh. It possesses all the internal organs needed for this experiment.
I raise my hand towards it and, after guiding my mana, the image of a heart appears on my hand.
Ew. It even feels like a real beating heart. How can Momon—Ainz—do it so casually?
Without waiting further, I crush the image of the heart in my hand, and I feel through the link that the creature in front of me dies.
I frantically shake my hand in disgust as, after crushing the heart, blood starts dripping from my hand as if I had crushed a real heart.
I look at the remains of the fleshy blob and get an idea.
I point my hand towards it once more and a black mist appears above the corpse before enveloping it. Soon, the corpse begins to grow and expand in an unnatural way before a Death Knight takes its place.
I look at the Death Knight, then at my hand.
I can really reproduce any spell I saw before...
The Death Knight emits a malevolent aura while staring at me with his hollow eye sockets, so without waiting, I teleport him to the Forest Between Life and Death.
Okay, so I can reproduce any spell I see, regardless of the job class limitations. Are there any spells I can't reproduce? Such as [The Goal of All Life is Death]? Or perhaps super-tier spells?
And that is just for the spells I reproduce. I'm sure I can recreate them or create entirely new ones through Primordial Magic.
My mind goes back to the ray of light from [Extreme Holy Strike].
I raise a hand, and in front of me, lights bend and solidify, creating solid light.
I dismiss the made-up spell and the shapeless solid light dissolves into the air.
I can indeed create entirely new spells by just visualizing them.
What about my ability to summon objects? I haven't explored this one yet.
Are there any limits to what kind of object I can conjure? Or can I do absolutely anything as long as I have the mana for it?
Okay, let's try creating something that didn't exist in YGGDRASIL. Well, it existed, but the devs removed it from the game as players kept abusing it.
I focus, and my mana takes shape in my hand. A small vial filled with a glowing blue liquid appears in my hand.
Okay... that worked even better than I thought it would.
I stare at the Mana Potion in my palm. Judging by the glow, it's an extremely pure one. It cost me a lot more mana than I thought it would, but it is just liquid mana inside, so in retrospect, it's logical.
I put it in my inventory and start wondering what else I could create. It needs to be something absurd to test the limits of my creation ability.
I look at my fingers. Every player has magical rings for various effects and bonuses, but I don't wear any. It's a bit stupid but not only do I not really like how most rings look on my avat—body, but I also felt a bit bad for the other players who would have to face me if, on top of everything I had, I also had the bonuses from magical rings.
But this isn't a game anymore.
What do I need most right now? Or rather, what would help me most? All of my abilities are tied to my mana, so more mana? Perhaps also something to help me use the Eye of Heimdall better?
What is the most absurd thing I can think of with that?
A ring that continuously and permanently increases my mana reserves and mana regeneration indefinitely?
Can I even do something like that?
I raise my palm and visualize the ring.
A bright light manifests itself in my palm as if a second, miniature sun appeared in my palm, and I feel my monstrously big mana reserve being drained at an alarming speed.
When the light finally fades, I feel weak and my vision is blurry.
I look down at my hand and open it, having instinctively closed it because of the explosion of light. I see a blurry shape on it.
Does that mean it worked?
Something else catches my attention.
Why can I see through my arm? Am I semi-transparent or something?
Wait... I barely have any mana left. And it isn't regenerating. Why?
I reach with my other hand for the blurry shape in my palm and, yes, it's a ring.
I grab it and put it on my right middle finger. The ring size adjusts itself to my finger. After that, I teleport back to my room and lie down on my bed once more.
I have barely a scrap of mana left, my vision is blurry, my body is semi-transparent, and my mana isn't regenerating.
I frown in recognition.
Isn't that the same drawback as when I summon a World Boss? But it's also different. For one, there was not a thirty-minute-long incantation, and in YGGDRASIL I never had my vision blur, nor my avatar become transparent.
I also feel incredibly weak and exhausted in a way I hadn't thought was possible. I've never felt this weak, even in real life.
I can barely even move...
I close my eyes and feel myself quickly falling asleep.
.
.
.
I don't know how long I stayed asleep, but when I woke up, I felt my mana regenerating, so it must have been at least an hour, but not too long either, as my mana reserves aren't completely regenerated.
I sit up on the bed and put my hand in front of my mouth to yawn. In doing so, I notice the ring on my finger. The ring is a silver ring with a blue gemstone on top, glowing subtly with power, and my crest carved into it; all around the ring are blue veins glowing similarly to the gemstone.
Memories of what I tried and the reason as to why I fell asleep emerge back into my mind.
It... worked? It's absurd, but it worked. I can see the abilities of this ring thanks to [Sage's Gaze], and it's exactly as I envisioned it.
The ring gradually increases my mana reserve and mana regeneration permanently.
An item with such a broken ability could be considered at the peak of Divine class, perhaps even a World Item.
I pause at the thought.
Can I... create World Items?
Wouldn't that make me a god?
I shake my head to chase away the thoughts before they become something else and raise my hand with the ring.
This ring needs a name. Would Lydia's Ring work? Ring of Lydia Evie Hart? Let's go with that, at least until I find a better one.
I don't know the rate of increase of my mana and mana regeneration with this ring, but if its summoning was similar to a World Boss, it must be quite good.
I'm still unsure if it can be considered a World Item, as the notion itself of being able to create one is just too absurd to wrap my head around.
I remember that I wanted to create two items. The first was this ring. The second was something to help me use the Eye of Heimdall. But I'll wait a bit before attempting something this big again.
But I have to tell Ainz about it.
Without waiting, I locate him in his office with Albedo and teleport inside.
"Ainz! Ainz! Ainz!" I nearly scream in excitement as I appear in the room, scaring the soul out of the skeleton judging by how violently he twitched in his chair.
Ainz's POV
After dealing with Shalltear's greetings before departing on her mission and her subsequent dispute with Albedo, I go back to my work in peace.
I relax in my chair while picking up one of the papers on my desk, but it is a mistake, as not even a second after I relax, someone teleports into the room with the energy of a kobold on caffeine, startling me so badly that I'm pretty sure I would have had a heart attack if I still had one.
"Ainz! Ainz! Ainz!" Lydia calls excitedly with much more energy than I ever saw her having.
I take a deep breath to calm down, not that I need it as I feel my emotional suppressor kick in.
With a sigh, I ask, "What is it, Lydia?"
"Can we speak in private?" she asks with a beaming smile. "I have a great revelation to share." Okay, that's just dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. But I'm glad she's feeling better now after a week on the 11th floor.
I agree with her request. "Albedo, leave the room. Come back when I call you," I order as I turn to look at her.
She kneels with her head down as she answers. "Yes, Ainz-sama." She then stands back up and leaves through the front door—the door that, ideally, Lydia would have used.
"So, what is it?" I ask curiously. She wouldn't have asked to speak in private for no reason, dramatic or not.
She gives me a large grin before raising her right hand and pointing at the ring on her finger with her left hand. "Look!"
Why is she so excited about a ring? I don't recognize it.
I raise my hand and cast "[All Appraisal Magic Item]" on the ring. A green magic circle appears in front of my hand, and Lydia's ring glows the same color for an instant. The information concerning it appears in my head.
Ring of Lydia Evie Hart? Lydia created it? I don't remember her being able to create magic items. And... WHAT KIND OF BROKEN ITEM IS THAT!? AND IT'S A WORLD ITEM TOO?
IS THAT WHAT SHE'S BEEN DOING THE ENTIRE WEEK?
My emotional suppressor kicks in once more, forcing my emotions back down.
"L-Lydia... What is that?" I ask, trying to keep my emotions down as they keep rising up despite the emotional suppressor.
"It's an item I created," she announces proudly with a beaming smile.
She really created it... a World Item... She created it...
The emotional suppressor kicks in once more, calming me down from my stupefaction.
"I... okay," I reply, speechless, not knowing what to say.
So she can create World Items now... Alright. Good, it's good. It's an excellent thing, even.
"What did it cost you?" I ask; such a power must have a price. Even just the resurrection of an NPC costs a lot of gold, so creating a World Item—
"—Nothing," she replied, interrupting my train of thought. "It was kind of similar to how I summon my World Bosses. I was extremely weak and vulnerable for a while after that, but nothing I can't recover from, I assume."
"How weak and vulnerable are we talking about?" I ask, worried. Such a broken ability can't have such a meager drawback.
"The same as after summoning a World Boss, I think," she replies. That was what I feared. She's basically dropped to a single point of mana and is unable to regenerate for a while. And judging by her wording, the effects are perhaps even worse than in-game.
"Nothing else?" I probe to make sure.
"Well, during that time, I could barely move, my vision was extremely blurry, and my body looked semi-transparent," she answers casually, even though she is describing being at the literal brink of death for a while.
"How long did you stay like that?" I question.
"I'm... not sure... I fell asleep almost immediately after," she replies hesitantly, as if expecting me to scold her or something, which I perhaps should.
A thought crosses my mind and, as mortifying as the response could be, I need to ask. "How long have you been on the 11th floor?"
She gives me a puzzled gaze, but she answers nonetheless. "The announcement in the Throne Room was a few hours ago; after that, I went straight to the 11th floor and stayed there," she explains, answering the question.
I see... That's what I feared... She was unconscious for an entire week and she isn't even aware of it.
I feel my emotional suppressor activating once more.
I put a hand on her shoulder. "Lydia," I call in a serious tone. I continue once I get her attention. "You are not to do this again unless in a very secure and controlled environment."
She nods lightly. "Yeah... I didn't know that would happen. B-but I was at my manor on the 11th floor. I can't think of a safer place than there," she comments, justifying herself.
In response, I just rub her head. "Next time you attempt something like this, warn me first, okay?" I ask softly.
"Okay~," she replies lightly as she leans into my touch.
I raise my hand, much to her visible dismay. "Also, what do you think about going on an adventure with me?" I ask, as I feel like I need to keep an eye on her lest she does another reckless thing like that.