Of course, even while standing guard here, that hamster was far from well-behaved. After glancing at the soldiers, it ran up onto the city wall and perched there, paying them no further attention.
Behind the gate came the sound of metal striking something hard, leaving them momentarily stunned. The officer asked, "Hey, did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" a soldier asked.
"The sound of undead being sent flying," he muttered. Just what was happening inside?
After a while, when the noises finally ceased, they climbed up the barricade, keeping a cautious distance from Hamtaro, and looked toward the graveyard.
They froze in shock.
The ground was covered in a sea of skeletal remains. Not a single undead creature still moved. Some skeletons had been cleaved clean in two. Others had their skulls smashed apart. Some lay scattered in piles, completely devoid of any sign of animation.
The corpses were densest near the wall, stretching all the way inward without a single untouched patch of ground. Under the moonlight, all that remained was the ghastly white of bones.
"Facing that many undead... how is that possible? Just who are those people...?"
"They never stated their identities. We only know that the girl who arrived later is called Liliana. As for the others, we have no idea," the officer replied, his eyes shining with excitement. It was clear he knew they had encountered true power.
"How could they possibly be mere bronze-ranked adventurers? That girl called Liliana... could they be those people from the recent rumors? The White Valkyrie and all that...?" The sight before them had completely changed the soldiers' perception of Chu Lian and the others. They were no ordinary strong individuals, and certainly not bronze-ranked adventurers. They were likely figures who belonged in legend.
"Hmph. My lord is named Momo. Lord Momo's younger sister is called Liliana. And the last one is named Nabe. They are all supreme beings standing at the pinnacle of humanity. To witness them today is your great fortune," Hamtaro said as he trotted over after overhearing their conversation, revealing Chu Lian's group's identities.
The officer continued staring blankly at the distant scene and murmured, "Perhaps we have just witnessed the birth of another legend—the Black Warrior... no, the Black Hero."
"The White Valkyrie. The Black Hero. Just what kind of team is this...?" His words left the surrounding soldiers in silence. What they had seen today would surely be recorded in history.
If only I were stronger, Lady Liliana wouldn't have considered me a burden and left me here. This is a humiliation for me as her subordinate. I must become stronger in the future.
In an unnoticed corner, Hamtaro gazed into the distance and set a goal for himself. It might be difficult—but not impossible. After all, the ones he followed were beings akin to gods.
Deep within the graveyard, Ainz wielded a greatsword, cutting down the skeletons surrounding him one by one, as if expending no effort at all.
These skeletons, most of which were under Level 5, stood no chance against a warrior of heroic strength like Ainz. Their only fate was to die once more.
Chu Lian and Nabe hovered in midair, watching Ainz rampage below while assisting by clearing skeletons in the distance.
Compared to Nabe, who could only rely on magic for long-range attacks, Chu Lian, holding the Seven Illusions Bow, had it far easier. Every arrow she loosed claimed a skeleton. The magic power she expended was restored the very next second. She had no need to worry about depletion at all.
"I didn't expect to be noticed as well. But it doesn't matter—even if they surround us, they're nothing more than a dish on the table. It's just a shame big brother won't let me handle it the troublesome way," Chu Lian sighed softly as she watched Ainz walk along the main path after clearing this area, no skeleton daring to attack him.
After all, his race was undead—his true form that of a skeleton—naturally making him kin to these creatures. If he did not take the initiative to attack, the likelihood of them targeting him was not particularly high.
Chu Lian herself did not care. These weaklings—let alone a thousand, even ten thousand—would pose no threat to her. She would simply fly into the air, expend some magic power, and take a little more time. That was all.
But that would significantly slow their advance. Ainz, eager to uncover the truth, did not wish to waste time on such minor enemies.
However, these skeletons had been summoned by someone. Even if they could not be fully controlled, they could at least be directed enough to obstruct them.
Ainz's attempt to proceed smoothly was interrupted when another group of skeletons emerged midway and surrounded him. Looking at the numerous skeletons around him, he said in a low voice, "At this rate, we won't be able to move forward."
"Yawn... big brother, should I make a move?" Chu Lian put away the Seven Illusions Bow and asked while covering a yawn.
"Let's see first. This number isn't that large—" Ainz's vision was restricted by the skeletons around him, but Chu Lian's was not.
"Big brother, it's not that they're few—it's that there are very, very many..." She flew higher and saw farther. In the distance, more and more undead were emerging.
Not just skeletons—there were zombies and even higher-tier undead such as skeletal giants. Moreover, she felt once again the same sensation that had accompanied the source of the disturbance two days ago wrapping around her.
She knew another change was coming.
"Should we call for reinforcements from Nazarick?" Nabe asked. She had also noticed the abnormality. Though she did not know the enemy's strength, caution dictated summoning support.
"No need. Our purpose here is clear—resolve this disturbance and the undead army, eliminate the mastermind behind it, and conveniently rescue Nfirea. That will suffice," Chu Lian shook her head, rejecting Nabe's suggestion.
"If it's merely for reputation, wouldn't it be more effective to wait until more humans die before acting?" Nabe asked, puzzled. She did not care about human lives, so from her perspective, that would yield the greatest benefit.
"We only know their possible objective at present. As for this town's combat capability and other information, we don't fully understand it. If we make decisions rashly now, it may become difficult to clean up the consequences later," Ainz said. Even at this point, he remained cautious.
"Although we could allow the situation to develop, doing so would only help the enemy achieve their objective. To resolve it afterward would require far more complicated methods. And once the undead enter the city, more adventurers will rush in to fight desperately for self-preservation and merit. In the end, the credit for saving the city would be shared among all adventurers, and our efforts would amount to nothing. So, if we want our reputation to spread, we must keep all the undead contained around us and prevent them from entering the city. The soldiers who saw us come in will naturally spread word of our achievements."
As Chu Lian explained her reasoning to Nabe, she continued hurling spiritual bullets and triggering spiritual explosions into the distance, blocking portions of the undead from advancing. At the same time, she muttered inwardly, All right... the number of undead is already increasing. There are far more than when we went to Carne Village before—far, far more. What a troublesome enemy. Are the undead truly a race that can bury countless people through sheer numbers alone?
"As expected of Ainz-sama, to think things through so thoroughly. Truly worthy of being a Supreme Being," Nabe said. Knowing Chu Lian was explaining on Ainz's behalf, she directed her praise toward him instead. Then she furrowed her delicate brows and asked, "However, there is one matter I do not understand. I ask Ainz-sama for clarification. Why did we not dispatch stealth-specialized subordinates at the very beginning to observe from the shadows? If the situation underwent major changes, would that not allow us to grasp the timing more precisely?"
Chu Lian's expression turned slightly strange upon hearing that. She wanted to laugh, yet knew this was not the time, and held it back with difficulty.
Ainz paused for a moment before looking up at Nabe. "If you consult me on everything, you will never grow. Think it through yourself."
"Yes. My deepest apologies." Nabe seemed to realize she had overstepped and immediately apologized.
At that moment, Chu Lian, who had been intently watching the distant battlefield, suddenly spoke in a low voice, "The situation has changed. If we delay any longer, it will be very disadvantageous for us. Big brother, I'm making my move."
Hearing her words, Ainz knew they could not drag this out any further. "Very well. Strike and eliminate them. Since we cannot pass through without alerting them, then we will slaughter them all."
With Ainz's permission granted, Chu Lian angled her right hand downward. The Senra Longblade appeared in her grasp.
Moonlight reflected off the blade's edge, casting a cold, pale gleam—as though declaring to the enemy just how sharp it truly was.
"In that case, I'll make my move as well." As Chu Lian drew her blade, Ainz cast [Mid-Tier Undead Summon], calling forth Jack the Ripper and Corpse Collector—two relatively powerful undead.
At the same time, he swung his twin greatswords. His crimson cape billowed like fresh blood, and Ainz moved like a tiger plunging into a herd, charging into the skeletons with overwhelming force.
"What a delightful moonlit night..."
Diving down from the sky, Chu Lian's figure was like a phantom. She stepped through the undead with elegant footwork, as though dancing a waltz. With each sway of her cheongsam's hem, another undead fell neatly severed.
If Ainz was a general crushing everything in his path on the battlefield, then Chu Lian was a dancer in full splendor.
No matter how many undead filled this place, they could not withstand the combined assault of Chu Lian, Nabe, Ainz, and the two mid-tier undead. Even as more skeletons poured in endlessly afterward, they were swiftly eradicated.
Seizing an opening, the three left the two mid-tier undead to cover the rear and rushed toward the back—the location of the enemy.
In front of the temple, several black-robed mages surrounded an elderly man in a red robe. The old man held a strange stone in his hand, muttering an incantation.
Upon arriving and seeing this scene, Chu Lian could not help but laugh. "Oh? Do you really need to chant that long to cast a spell? Or is it that you're incapable of unleashing such powerful magic on your own?"
"Lord Khajiit, someone has arrived," one of the black-robed mages whispered into the red-robed elder's ear.
"Found the idiots," Ainz added casually. Neither he nor Chu Lian regarded this group with any respect.
"Such a beautiful night, yet a group of people has ruined my mood..." Chu Lian stretched lazily, raising the Senra Longblade before her. Smiling faintly, she said, "So, would you kindly die?"
"Indeed. To spend such a lovely night on a tedious ritual—isn't that a pity? Would you kindly die?" Ainz quipped, resting one sword on his shoulder while pointing the other forward.
Khajiit stepped out from the group and looked at them with disdain. "Hmph. Whether this night is suitable for a ritual is for me to decide. Just who are you people?"
Clearly, he did not recognize Chu Lian in her cheongsam and had no idea why they were here.
"I—" Ainz had just begun to speak when the situation changed abruptly.
A robed figure appeared behind him without warning. Only skeletal hands remained, gripping a scythe. Hidden within the shadows, a pair of crimson eyes glowed as the blade descended.
Danger. Extreme danger.
Without thinking, Ainz sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the scythe. Dropping to one knee, he looked up at the sky, where countless scythe-wielding skeletal figures hovered.
"You summoned these? Don't joke with me. With your strength, you couldn't possibly reach this level," he said grimly.
"I—" Khajiit had just opened his mouth when the black-robed figures around him transformed into liches wielding staves. Sickly green light flared at the tips of their staffs, shining upon Khajiit.
In an instant, he transformed into another lich. The strange stone in his hand emitted a sinister red glow before merging into his body.
On the rooftop, a crowned lich vanished swiftly into black mist. It was clearly the one responsible for what had just occurred.
And that was not all.
Farther away, massive figures rose into the sky—enormous bodies with crimson eyes. Bone dragons.
"Big brother... it seems we've accidentally stepped into a trap," Chu Lian said with a bitter smile. The scale of this disturbance was on an entirely different level from the last. She could not handle it alone.
The scythe-bearing undead and the liches were all Spirit-tier monsters, exceeding Level 35. The bone dragons surpassed Level 42. The crowned lich that had appeared and vanished was at Level 50—half a step into the Earth tier.
The surrounding undead were no longer pitiful cannon fodder skeletons. They had become mid-tier undead averaging above Level 20 in strength, and their number likely exceeded a thousand.
Yet none of that was the most fatal issue.
The most fatal issue was the person who suddenly appeared before her.
The woman who had abducted Nfirea.
Clementine—formerly the Ninth Seat of the Slane Theocracy's Black Scripture.
Unlike in the original story, she did not wear a twisted grin. Her face was frosted with coldness, her pupils transformed into inverted golden crosses. As she walked forward, she spoke in a strange language—one that Chu Lian somehow understood perfectly.
"Weak one entrusted by Tírnas, I am one of Tyrael's invading generals—Nastaryel. Hand over the Lich King's Manual of Cultivation and the World-Destroying Dragon. Otherwise, bear the consequences."
Her arrival threw the situation completely out of control.
Chu Lian had only anticipated undead from this world. She had never expected undead from Tyrael to join the chaos.
Ayase's panicked voice rang out in her mind. "Lian'er, run! Her strength is at the Transcendence Realm!"
Chu Lian's eyes widened. She wanted to move—but her body would not obey her. She could not move at all.
It was not only her. Even Ainz was frozen in place. He was merely close to the peak of the Heaven tier—far, far beneath the Transcendence Realm.
Chu Lian's heart sank as she cursed silently. What kind of trash plot is this? Who sends the final boss to the beginner village!
Seeing Chu Lian unmoving, the one calling herself Nastaryel seemed satisfied, even disdainful. She gave a cold smile. "It seems I must take action myself."
As she spoke, she tore open a rift before Chu Lian, directly reaching into her dimensional space.
After rummaging briefly, the first thing she pulled out was a fan.
Looking at it, she exclaimed in surprise, "Why did this come to my hand automatically?"
The next second, the sky above her head split open. From within a rift filled with countless eyes, a blonde girl in a purple dress, wearing white gloves and holding a parasol, leapt down—landing squarely atop the so-called Nastaryel and crushing her to the ground.
Staring at the dumbfounded Chu Lian, she extended a hand. The fan of silence flew automatically into her grasp. She opened it gently, covering her cherry lips as she let out a soft laugh.
"Girl—at last, I've caught you."