86The Overlord of Tensura
Chapter 1: Transportation
YGGDRASIL. The DMMO-RPG captured the hearts of many in the year 2126. It was a game that brought joy and adventure to all who played it, but as with all things, it too had to come to an end. The year 2138 marked the final days of YGGDRASIL as player activity and support waned.
But for one player, known as Momonga, the end of the game was not to be taken lightly. He stood outside the Great Tomb of Nazarick, a guild he and his comrades of Ainz Ooal Gown had built through much blood, sweat, and tears. Though the game was closing and all their efforts would soon be lost, Momonga refused to let this be the end. He grabbed some fireworks from his inventory, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, and his NPC, Pandora's Actor, determined to make this final moment a memorable one.
Exiting the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Momonga made his way to the outskirts and celebrated as fireworks illuminated the sky in a dazzling array of colors. But for Momonga, it was not just a beautiful sight, it was the culmination of his and his friend's hard work and dedication to something they had once adored, spending countless hours building their dreams.
"This isn't fair! We spent so long in this game, and yet it shuts down!" Momonga screamed out as he kicked the ground beneath him. However, as this was a game world, the swampland did not deteriorate before him. As his anger began to subside, he looked towards his in-game hub and took note of the time as the game began its final countdown.
Momonga couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. He looked at Pandora's Actor, a creation he had built during a time in his life that he now found embarrassing, but he couldn't help but feel proud of what he had accomplished. He then looked at the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, a symbol of the guild he had built with his friends and the countless hours they had spent together. He felt proud of what they had accomplished but also nostalgic for their shared memories.
[23:59:35, 36, 37]
Momonga let out a deep sigh he knew that he had to head to bed, as the reality of work in the morning awaited him. The thought of leaving the game world and returning to his mundane life filled him with a sense of dread. "I'll have to head straight to bed; I have work first thing in the morning... ugh, what a bore," he thought to himself. The end of YGGDRASIL marked not only the end of a game but also the end of a chapter in his life, and the transition back to reality was not something he looked forward to.
[23:59:48, 49, 50]
His thoughts turned to the future. He couldn't help but wonder what was to come next. He thought about his friends he had met in the game, and if he would ever have the chance to meet them in real life. He imagined the possibility of playing another DMMO together and how wonderful that would be. He knew it was just a dream, but it was one that he couldn't shake. In his mind, it would be the ultimate reunion, a chance to relive the memories they had made in YGGDRASIL and to create new ones in a new game world. It was a dream he held onto tightly as he said goodbye to YGGDRASIL and all it had meant to him.
[23:59:58, 59–]
And as the final seconds of YGGDRASIL counted down, Momonga knew that this was truly the end. He let out a deep and soft sigh, feeling a mix of emotions as he clutched tightly to the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. The game and the world he had built with his friends had been a source of joy and adventure for him, and the thought of it disappearing forever was hard to bear.
In his mind, he said goodbye to the game and his friends, thanking them for all the memories they had shared together. He couldn't help but hope that someday, in some way, they would be able to meet again and relive the magic of the game world they had once loved.
As the final numbers ticked down to zero, Momonga closed his eyes and let out a final sigh, feeling a sense of finality wash over him. "It was nice while it lasted... thanks for everything, guys; I hope to see you someday."
[0:00:00… 1… 2… 3…]
Momonga opened his eyes to a flurry of new sensations. The smell of mildew and the earthy scent of damp rock filled his nose, and the sound of water dripping echoed through the caverns. He was confused and awestruck as he tried to understand where he was.
"Huh? Where am I? Did the developers push the game shutdown? No, I would still be in the same spot where I was standing. Did I get transported to a different game, possibly?" He thought to himself.
He looked at his right hand and saw that the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown was still in his grip. He tested it out to see if it functioned as it usually did in YGGDRASIL, and to his surprise, it did. This only added to his confusion and wonder as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
Momonga took a moment to try and calm himself down, thinking logically about the situation. "Alright, don't panic. Whatever is going on must be a mistake. The developers probably pushed back the game shutdown, and an error caused me to be transported elsewhere. So, I should just contact a developer."
He tried to open the game's menu, but to his shock, nothing happened. Frustrated, he thought for a moment and came up with a backup plan. He attempted to use the spell [Message], a spell that allowed players to communicate with other players, moderators, and developers. But to his dismay, he couldn't contact anyone. The realization that he was truly alone in this new place hit him hard, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
"What now? Should I just continue on... oh wait! Pandora's Actor," Momonga exclaimed as he remembered his NPC companion. He turned to look behind him, but to his sadness, Pandora's Actor was nowhere to be found. This both angered and worried him simultaneously, as his creation was missing and could possibly be in danger.
"Alright... I'll just have to continue forward and hope I find Pandora's Actor or a way out of this cave," he thought to himself.
With a sense of determination, Momonga began to move forward deeper into the cavern, not knowing what to expect next. He hoped that he would find a way out or some answers as to what was happening, but he was also prepared for the possibility that he might not. He knew that he just had to keep moving forward and have faith that things would work out.
In the depths of a dark and foreboding cavern, a small blue slime made its way along the jagged rocks. Its slimy trail echoed throughout the cavern, a testament to its uncertainty and confusion. The creature appeared lost, unsure of which path to take.
'Man, I have no idea where I am. Left or right? If only Veldora had told me how to get out of here. Ugh. Well, I'll just pick one,'
With a determined look in his eyes, Rimuru studied the path to his left and then to his right. "Eni, Mini, Mine, Mo, that way!" he exclaimed, choosing a path and setting off towards a beautiful spot filled with glittering ore that shimmered with the rainbow hues of magicules, which is the magical power that flowed through this world.
'More ore! Yes please' Rimuru jumped from ore to ore eagerly devouring each and every vein that crossed his path, his body absorbing the precious minerals with ease. But as he heard a faint clattering of stone, his attention was drawn to a dark and foreboding tunnel, its entrance shrouded in mystery.
"A shiver ran down Rimuru's non-existent spine as he gazed upon the ominous passage. Though it seemed dangerous and uncertain, he couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity and adventure.
'That doesn't look welcoming,' he thought to himself. 'But I might as well take a look. I got nothing better to do.'
With a determined bounce, Rimuru ventured towards the dark and forbidding tunnel. But as he peered into its depths, he was met with a sight that sent chills down his spine. A large shadowy figure stood before him, its red orb glowing in the center of its chest, its purple cloak dragging along the rocky floor, and an aura of pure dread filled the air.
'An undead!?' Rimuru thought frantically as he tried to think of what to do. 'I'll fight it! Yea!'
With a fierce determination, Rimuru bounced onto a large rock overlooking the tunnel and shot down a water blade. But to his dismay, all it did was bounce off the undead, having little to no effect in any way.
But to Rimuru's shock and absolute disbelief, he heard a voice. "A slime?" the undead said out loud in pure confusion.
'He can speak? Wait, maybe I'm assuming too much. He could be friendly,' Rimuru thought as he looked at the undead's face and felt a shiver down his non-existent spine. 'Well, I hope he's friendly...'
"Hello there!" Rimuru said out loud, his voice echoing alongside the cavern's walls.
'A talking slime? Could he possibly be an NPC? No, NPCs wouldn't interact like this. Something's off, could I possibly be transported into a new world entirely? In Yggdrasil, the sense of smell and touch didn't exist or were very limited, but in this new world, it's flourishing and unrestricted. So maybe... Well, whatever, I can worry about this later. I should at least respond before anything else happens.'
"Well Hello little slime my name is- " Momonga stopped and thought for a second.
'Hmm... I shouldn't use my player name just in case, but what could I use? Oh, I got it. I'll just use my guild name, it'll be easier in the long run. That way, if any of my friends hear it, they'll come find me. Though of course, I'll be searching for them as well.' Momonga thought to himself.
"Hello, my name is Ainz Ooal Gown. I see that you can talk, did you get lost in the cave just like me?" Ainz said in a manner that let off friendliness. Rimuru caught onto the sudden shift in his tone and responded in kind.
"My name is Rimuru. I'm a friendly little slime and, yeah, I kinda just woke up here. Sorry that I shot a water blade at you, a lot of creatures haven't been too friendly." Rimuru said in both a welcoming manner and a bit remorseful for his actions.
Ainz dismissed Rimuru's apology with a wave of his hand
"Don't worry about it, it's not that big of a deal. Though, I was wondering if you knew the way out of here?" Ainz asked, his voice barely a whisper as he scanned his surroundings.
"Nah, I haven't been able to find the way out myself. I've been stuck in here for a while now," Rimuru responded, his voice filled with a hint of hopelessness.
Ainz stepped out of the tunnel and into the large opening where Rimuru stood. He looked around, searching for any sign of a way out, but found nothing. With a sigh, he turned to Rimuru.
"Well, it doesn't look like there's any path to an exit. So, do you want to travel together, possibly?" Ainz said, trying to sound reassuring.
Rimuru's face lit up with a smile. "That'll be awesome! I'll have someone to actually talk to then, instead of being alone. And it might be faster."
"Then let's go," Ainz said, a hint of determination in his voice as he headed off in a random direction, hoping that they would find a way out.
As they traveled deeper into the cavern, Rimuru asked Ainz some questions.
"So, how long have you been in the cavern?" Rimuru asked, bouncing up and down on the ground.
"Just a little while. I woke up here in that tunnel we came across each other in," Ainz responded honestly.
"I wanted to ask, what was that shield that appeared blocking my water blade?" Rimuru asked, his voice carrying a hint of intrigue.
Ainz was taken aback for a moment, unsure of how much information he should reveal to this stranger he had just met. 'Hm… Does he not know about magic resistance? Should I even tell him about its existence? We just met. I'm not sure if I can trust him yet, so should I start feeding him some false information mixed in with the truth?'
"Ah! Well, as an Undead, I'm naturally resistant to water, so it doesn't have much of an effect on me," Ainz lied, hoping Rimuru would believe his blatant fabrication.
'If he has even the slightest shred of magical knowledge, he'll know that it's a full-on lie.'
"Ah, I see! That's interesting. I never knew that different races had such a thing, though I haven't been in this world for long," Rimuru responded, a hint of excitement in his voice.
Ainz couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for deceiving this innocent creature. 'He bought it!? He really does know nothing about magical resistance. But wait… maybe our systems are different. I didn't see any magical circles or him speaking the incantation for his ability.'
"I didn't know either until you struck me with the water blade. Magic is a bit new to me as well. I don't really know how it works," Ainz responded, his voice carrying a hint of honesty.
Rimuru's eyes lit up with excitement, happy to have found a connection with Ainz. "Well, apparently everything has something called Magicules, which is the magical power that looms over everything. But, I haven't looked into it much yet. It's pretty cool!" Rimuru explained, a hint of wonder in his voice.
"Ah, I see. That is pretty cool," Ainz responded, a hint of intrigue in his voice.
'Magicules? That's a competely different system than my own so that proves it I'm in an entirely different world from YGGDRASIL. Meaning information is of utmost importance and finding Pandora's Actor is another objective as well. I don't want him exploring an unknown world alone.'
As they continued to explore the cavern, a sudden creaking sound echoed throughout the cavern, followed by a flash of light coming from a pathway ahead. Both Ainz and Rimuru took quick note of it, and without hesitation, they moved towards the source of the noise.
As they got closer, the sound of footsteps could be heard, and Rimuru immediately hid behind a nearby rock. Ainz, unsure of what to do, quickly cast [Perfect Unknowable], making himself invisible. In an instant, three figures appeared in front of Ainz. They were all wearing adventurer's equipment and seemed to be a bit cautious.
Though the three Adventurers didn't notice Ainz or Rimuru, even though they had hidden quickly, the Adventurers moved further into the cavern. Taking the opportunity, Ainz and Rimuru moved towards the door.
"Looks like we found the way out, thanks to those dumb Adventurers," Rimuru said.
"Yeah, glad we weren't stuck in the cavern for longer," Ainz responded in a happy tone, becoming visible yet again.
Rimuru looked down at the ground and said, "Though this means we're going to split apart now, right?" Ainz looked down at Rimuru and said, "Yeah, it does mean we're going to go our separate ways."
Rimuru, not wanting to split up, suggested, "How about we stick together for a bit longer? We can explore this world together since we're both new to it."
Ainz, unsure of Rimuru, thought, 'I know we just met and all, but I don't trust him enough to explore the world with him. But, I also don't have anything else to go off of, so it might be best to stick with him for a bit longer.'
"You know what, why not? Not like I have better things to do yet," Ainz responded to Rimuru, making him happy.
"Then let's go!" Rimuru said as he went through the door. Ainz, not wanting to be left behind, followed him.
As he went through the door, a sudden warmth hit him from the setting sun, his bones feeling its warmth, the wind blowing by making his purple cloak slightly flutter, and birds chirping as they flew across the sky.
"Wow... that's beautiful," Ainz thought.
Mikezilla Note's: Hello! Thank you for reading the Overlord of Tensura Chapter 1 (Rewrite). I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope I improved upon my past writing as it was very messy. You'll notice that by the reviews on it hahaha. Anyways, I hope you continue reading further and enjoy it to the best of your ability.
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