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The figure seated at the head of the procession was the true source of all this fear.
He was tall, draped in an opulent black-and-gold mage's robe, a staff in hand that symbolized absolute authority—the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. Beneath the hood, however, was no human face. Instead, a complete white skull gleamed with a dark red glow. Crimson light flickered in his empty eye sockets as he looked down upon the creatures beneath him, as insignificant as dust.
He was Ainz Ooal Gown, the Sorcerer King, the embodiment of death, and the most feared being on the continent.
The procession moved slowly and solemnly. Wherever it passed, everything bowed.
Ainz (inner thoughts): Yeah… it's embarrassing, but this kind of display is necessary to maintain the dignity of the Sorcerer King. Albedo always arranges things perfectly. This border town's reaction is about what I expected. Fear is one of the most effective foundations for rule. Alright, inspection's done, time to—hmm?
His hollow gaze swept across the street—and suddenly froze.
He saw it.
Among the crowd prostrating themselves on the ground, trembling in terror, there was one figure standing upright like a rock in a raging current.
A blonde girl.
She wore an elegant white dress, her beauty almost unreal—so much so that even his undead body registered something akin to awe in its data. She stood there calmly, watching him. No fear on her face. If anything… there was a faint trace of curiosity.
And… evaluation.
Ainz (inner thoughts): Standing? Not kneeling? Didn't react in time? Or… is this a provocation?
His vigilance shot to maximum. Anyone who dared not kneel in a situation like this was definitely not ordinary.
Almost instinctively, he activated multiple detection abilities at once. [Hostility Detection], [Life Detection], and more—all focused on the girl.
The feedback hit him like a bolt of lightning.
[Detection Resistance]
[Information Blocked]
[Hostility Detection]: None (Not absence—unable to determine depth!)
[Life Detection]: ??? (Invalid!)
What?! Even against players of equal level, he should at least get partial data!
Just as shock overtook him and he instinctively considered using higher-tier detection—or even preparing for battle—
Illya frowned slightly.
She hadn't done anything on purpose. Just instinctively loosened her suppressed presence a tiny bit, like someone shifting their shoulder after being stared at for too long.
But that tiny bit…
BOOM!!!
In Ainz's perception, the world changed color.
One moment, she stood there, unreadable but unremarkable.
The next—
An overwhelming presence erupted.
Vast like a sea of stars. Deep like the cosmos. So immense it defied description. So pure it made one tremble.
It wasn't evil. It wasn't holy.
It was simply… power.
Power beyond definition.
Ainz felt like an ant staring up at the sky. Like eyes trying to gaze at the sun.
The red light in his eye sockets flickered wildly, almost bursting out. His nonexistent heart spasmed violently. A primal alarm screamed from the deepest layers of his being.
[Danger! Danger! Danger! Extreme danger!]
[Unable to assess! Unable to assess!]
[Level ??? Threat Level: MAXIMUM!!! Beyond all prior understanding!!!]
[Recommendation: Evade immediately! Evade immediately!]
"Wh—?!" Ainz almost cried out. His skeletal fingers tightened around his staff with a faint creak.
Level 119?!
A player?!
Impossible! YGGDRASIL's level cap was 100! Even with World Items, breaking that limit shouldn't be possible! And this… this purity of power wasn't something a normal player could possess!
His thoughts descended into chaos. Hypotheses, fear, disbelief surged like a tidal wave. For a split second, he even wondered if he'd been hit by some kind of super-tier illusion.
Albedo sensed it too.
The fleeting but terrifying aura made even her, a top-tier demon, feel a chill down her spine. Her perfect smile vanished instantly as she leaned forward, entering full alert. Her cold gaze locked onto Illya, ready to strike at a single command.
The entire procession tensed.
Death Knights' soul flames flickered violently. The nightmare steeds pawed the ground uneasily.
And yet…
Illya simply blinked.
She noticed Ainz's flickering gaze—surprise.Albedo's hostility—overreaction.The unstable energy of the undead—nervousness.
That big of a reaction? she thought, mildly exasperated. Looks like that tiny bit of pressure leaked out. Figures—level 100 players are sensitive to anything beyond the cap. My mistake.
She had no intention of fighting. Not here. Not before trying Baharuth Empire's desserts.
So—
Under the tense watch of Ainz and Albedo, she did something completely unexpected.
She didn't draw a weapon.Didn't take a stance.
She simply gave the skeletal overlord a small, polite smile… and nodded.
As if greeting a vaguely familiar stranger on the street.
Then she turned around and walked away.
Light steps. Casual. Relaxed.
She even stopped at a roadside stall, bought a small bag of freshly roasted nuts, and started eating as she strolled along.
Just like that, she left.
Under the full attention of the Sorcerer King and his guard, she walked off like an ordinary girl heading home after a tiring day.
Only after her white figure disappeared around the corner did the suffocating pressure fade.
Ainz continued staring in that direction, his grip tight on his staff.
"Lord Ainz… that just now—" Albedo began softly.
He raised a hand to stop her.
"...It's nothing. Continue forward."
His voice remained calm and dignified through magic, but inside, his thoughts were in chaos.
A player beyond the limit… Who is she? Which guild? Enemy or ally?
This world… is far more dangerous than I thought.
Meanwhile, Illya tossed another nut into her mouth, already thinking about something else.
I wonder what Baharuth honey cake tastes like… kind of excited.
As for the Sorcerer King whose data core nearly crashed from fear?
Just a local power. High level. Worth keeping an eye on.
That was all.
She hadn't gone far before a rough, fearful shout came from behind.
"Stop! You! The blonde! Stop right there!"
A few mercenaries who had been lying flat on the ground scrambled up, trembling. Whether driven by terror of the Sorcerer King or a desperate attempt to show loyalty, they pointed at Illya and shouted.
"You dared show disrespect to His Majesty!"
"You didn't kneel before the Sorcerer King's carriage!"
"You want to get us all killed?!"
"Grab her! Hand her over or we're all doomed!"
Their voices were warped with hysteria, fear spilling over into venom.
Ainz (inner thoughts):Idiots! Morons! You brainless worms! Get down! Shut up! Don't provoke her!
The red light in his eyes flared wildly. He wanted to silence them with [Grasp Heart] immediately—but he couldn't.
Any sudden move might be seen as hostility.
His mind was on the verge of overheating. All he wanted was to teleport back to Nazarick and activate maximum alert.
Albedo's gaze toward the mercenaries was already that of the dead—but she didn't act either.
Because—
Illya had stopped.
She slowly turned around.
The casual ease on her face vanished.
Her lake-blue eyes turned cold. Absolute. Distant.
The bag of nuts had disappeared.
She was annoyed.
More importantly—
These insects dared speak to her like that?
Even try to capture her?
A faint displeasure surfaced, like the first crack in an endless glacier.
She didn't even look at the mercenaries.
Her gaze passed over them… and landed on Ainz.
He felt it instantly.
No anger. No killing intent.
Just a cold, silent question:
Your noise is bothering me.
Ainz (inner thoughts): Not me! Has nothing to do with me! I'll handle it—!
Too late.
Illya gave him no chance.
For noise and offense, the simplest solution was—
Removal.
She didn't move dramatically.
Just—
A faint white light flickered in her eyes.
And then—
The world lost its color.
Literally.
The sky turned pure white, as if everything had been swallowed by endless holy light. Clouds, sun—gone.
Then—
A massive crack of light tore open the sky.
A deep, soul-shaking hum echoed from within.
And from that rift—
Something descended.
A sword?
No.
Not something that could be called a sword.
It was as if the concept of ending itself had taken form.
Its length was immeasurable. The tip pointed toward the earth, while the hilt remained hidden deep within the rift—easily over 100,000 meters long.
White-gold light flowed across its surface. Countless incomprehensible runes shimmered along the blade, each one distorting space itself.
[Sanction • Heavenly Judgment — Projection Manifestation]
Illya hadn't even used a real World Item.
She simply borrowed a trace of its "judgment" and "purification" concept… and projected it into this world.
The pressure alone made the earth groan.
The ground cracked violently for miles. Mountains trembled. Boulders tumbled.
The mercenaries—
Didn't even have time to scream.
Their bodies, souls, existence itself—
Erased.
Completely.
Silently.
Not just them.
Buildings across the town began to disintegrate. Stone turned to dust. Wood faded into nothingness.
"Urgh—!" Albedo groaned in pain. Her divine armor activated at full power, black light flaring—
Only to melt like snow under the white-gold radiance.
Her very demonic nature was being purified. Erased.
Ainz had it worse.
Every defense he had activated at once.
Layer after layer of magic barriers formed and shattered instantly. His staff trembled, letting out a faint wail.
His undead body—his very soul—was being analyzed, stripped, judged by an absolute power beyond comprehension.
[Instant Death Resistance: Invalid]
[Status Immunity: Invalid]
[High-Tier Physical Nullification: Invalid]
[World Item Protection: Critically weakened]
Warning messages flooded his vision like a crimson waterfall.
I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm absolutely dead!
Not just death.
Total erasure.
Even resurrection might fail.
This power—
Was beyond super-tier magic.Beyond World Items.Beyond YGGDRASIL itself.
What… is this?!
"..."
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