Chapter 401: 379 This is fun, isn’t it?
"————"
It was a brilliant column of light descending from the sky.
It was a radiant brilliance rising heavenward.
When a super-hot source carrying terrifying high temperatures was cast onto the prairie, it exploded in one breath as if struck by the pillar of light, creating a massive blast and windstorm at the center of the prairie. The roar was like a nuclear explosion, resounding so vigorously that the entire heavens and earth trembled, its might especially fearsome.
At this moment, if anyone were on this prairie, even if they were a considerable distance from the site of the explosion, they would certainly be knocked by the terrible earthquake, or be overturned by the extremely hot blast, as if caught in a storm, struggling to maintain their form.
And the areas even at a distance suffered such aftereffects, not to mention the epicenter of the explosion where the super-hot source was projected, which now appeared devastatingly vaporized.
Mounds of earth disappeared one after another.
The surface of the ground was shattered layer by layer.
The Illusion Barrier enveloping the airspace above the Nasalik Underground Tomb was directly destroyed by brute force, exposing the cemetery on the surface of the Nasalik Underground Tomb under the sky, no longer hidden.
Then, the cemetery began to vaporize, to be destroyed, demolished, and in the continual process of collapsing and breaking down, the subterranean floors of the Nasalik Underground Tomb were exposed layer by layer.
The first floor...
The second floor...
The third floor...
Under the bombardment of the super-tier magic "Sky’s Fall", the first to the third floors of the Nasalik Underground Tomb were all destroyed, even though these floors were equipped with reinforced defenses or mechanisms to resist magic, they could not withstand the evaporating burn of the projected super-hot source for long.
Such magic, such power, had clearly far surpassed the original strength of "Sky’s Fall".
Because it was magic used by Reiger, it was amplified by the skill effects of "Pioneer of the Day Wheel", its power far exceeding the original magnitude of the magic.
Thus, several floors of the Nasalik Underground Tomb were easily destroyed, enduring a catastrophic impact that should not have been possible.
Such an impact, perhaps it had never occurred since the establishment of the Nasalik Underground Tomb?
This devastating scene continued for a very long... very long time...
"Reiger Brillhaut!"
Just as the effects of "Sky’s Fall" gradually vanished, the super-hot source slowly cooled down, and a gigantic crater approximately one kilometer in diameter emerged on the ground as if struck by a meteorite, with many crystallized areas appearing in it, the Nasalik Underground Tomb reappeared in the air, a voice filled with intense fury, furious enough to roar and shatter the world, echoed in Reiger’s mind.
It was a voice transmitted into Reiger’s mind using "Message", an intelligence-based magic capable of sending information and sounds over long distances.
The owner of the voice seemed to have entered a furious state to the point of losing his sanity, causing the voice echoing in Reiger’s ear to become a hysterical roar.
"How dare you... how dare you do this to the Nasalik Underground Tomb that my companions and I painstakingly built...! You, you bastard—!"
The owner of the voice, no doubt, was Ainz.
He seemed to have realized instantly what Reiger had done, furious about the damage to the Nasalik Underground Tomb to the point where he couldn’t maintain his sanity, thus furiously yelling at Reiger like this.
Even though he possessed the spirit of a necromancer that mandatorily calmed him, Ainz was still infuriated to such an extent; this in itself showed how intolerable Reiger’s actions were to Ainz.
Yet, far from being frightened by this sudden outburst of fury, Reiger was completely indifferent.
"Do you even know how much anger it brings when you mess with someone’s companion?"
At these words, a furious Ainz suddenly realized.
Reiger had come for the matter regarding Lakyus and the others.
"Did you think by abducting Lakyus and the others, I would be out of options? Didn’t you know that I would realize it was your doing?"
Reiger spoke calmly.
"Upon defeating you and discovering that Lakyus and the others were missing, I had pretty much guessed it was your doing."
"Given that, did you think I would sit idly and do nothing about it?"
"I’m not unaware of where the Nasalik Underground Tomb actually is."
Thus, Reiger had come straight here, without any negotiation.
"You... you..."
Ainz, whether angered or otherwise, was rendered almost speechless by Reiger’s indifferent tone.
Reiger could imagine how uncontrollably furious Ainz was at that moment. If he hadn’t turned into a skeleton, his chest would surely have heaved violently with rage, pulsing like a bellows.
Reiger ignored the rage in Ainz’s voice, looking down upon the shattered surface of the Nasalik Underground Tomb, and stared at the now fully exposed headquarters of "Ainz Ooal Gown," uttering his words without emotion.
"Now, will you send out Lakyus and the others yourself, or shall I break in and demand them from you personally?"
Upon hearing this, Ainz was as if choked, his voice abruptly ceasing.
After a while, Ainz spoke again.
"...You said, you’re going to break in?"
At that moment, Ainz no longer seemed as wildly furious as before, but rather, like a wounded beast, he hid his ferocity and spoke in a chilling tone that made one shudder.
Unfortunately, Reiger was not easily frightened.
"It seems you’ve chosen the latter."
Reiger’s voice remained indifferent, causing Ainz to fall silent for a long time once more.
"Do you think you can break in? Break into the perfect stronghold that my companions and I have painstakingly built?"
Ainz seemed to be sneering, yet also laughing in extreme anger, clearly still roiling with intense emotions that not even forced calmness could suppress.
Reiger knew that Ainz was not blindly confident.
Nasalik Underground Tomb, this stronghold created by the once top-three ranked Alien Species Guild "Ainz Ooal Gown" in "YGGDRASIL," was indeed perfect.
This stronghold not only boasted as many as ten levels, but nearly every level was equipped with a corresponding protective system and defensive systems, turning the Nasalik Underground Tomb into an impregnable fortress.
The first to third levels of the Nasalik Underground Tomb comprised a vast underground tomb, filled not only with various mechanisms but also with countless types of undead creatures wandering about—those that threw poison-filled glass bottles, flying types, and others that could inflict diseases, poisoning, and curses of various kinds. Mixed units of undead creatures, transfer traps that sent invaders to specific levels, and traps that caused continuous negative energy damage were just a few of the mechanisms. Additionally, many of the highest-ranking undead were stationed here, making an intrusion a formidable challenge.
The fourth level of the Nasalik Underground Tomb was a vast underground lake, equipped with strategic, gigantic golems which were overkill for siege warfare, which while not meant to be underground, were still placed there by the people of "Ainz Ooal Gown" to deliver a crushing blow to anyone entering this level.
The fifth level of the Nasalik Underground Tomb was an extensive icy plain, not only characterized by its bitterly cold air and rampant snowstorms, sometimes accompanied by blizzards that would doom invaders, but also releasing an area-wide freeze that continuously inflicted frost damage while crippling movement. Additionally, ice-elemental magical creatures of level 80 and above stationed here made survival on this level a monumental feat.
The sixth level of the Nasalik Underground Tomb was a vast forest, home to various magical beasts of high and low levels, as well as an oval-sized grand arena stocked with numerous golems. No matter how strong the invader, they would fight fiercely within this arena until their demise.
The seventh level of the Nasalik Underground Tomb was a sweltering lava zone, in stark contrast to the fifth level, with an environment that continuously inflicted flame damage. The scorching air could effortlessly deprive invaders of their moisture, instantly vaporizing even freshly formed sweat, causing fatigue to accumulate rapidly, and with several extremely high-level Demon Generals and various demons stationed here, this was not a world for the living, but a hell.
As for the eighth level of the Nasalik Underground Tomb, it was a desolate wilderness of silence.
There, magic creatures skilled at using psychic magic of level 85 resided, forming the final line of defense for the Nasalik Underground Tomb. A former member of "Ainz Ooal Gown" had invested most of his assets on the first floor, turning this place into a deadly trap capable of annihilating an army of 1500 players in one fell swoop.
These were players, not natives.
Thus, the eighth level of the Nasalik Underground Tomb was universally recognized by those aware of its existence as the most dangerous area, a forbidden zone, an absolute dead end. Even Ainz would normally command the NPCs to prohibit entry, allowing only those with his permission to set foot there.
Only by conquering this eighth level could one be considered as having seized the Nasalik Underground Tomb.
Because the ninth and tenth levels of the Nasalik Underground Tomb did not pose any challenge.
The ninth level was where the members of the Nasalik Underground Tomb usually resided, with not only the private rooms of various key members but also facilities like a living room, reception room, roundtable meeting room, office, large bathhouse, cafeteria, beauty salon, clothing store, general store, and nail salon.
The tenth level was the heart of the Nasalik Underground Tomb, home to crucial facilities that represent the essence of the guild such as the Throne Hall, library, and treasure hall, where most of the important items were concentrated. However, due to its significance, there was an inconveniently sparse configuration of defenses there.
Therefore, to breach the Nasalik Underground Tomb, penetrating the eighth level was essentially considered a success.
Yet, the eighth level of the Nasalik Underground Tomb was a terrifying forbidden area. In the past, in "YGGDRASIL," the largest group of 1500 players who had ever attempted to invade the Nasalik Underground Tomb met their demise there. That was also the only instance mentioned in the original work where the eighth level’s defense mechanism was triggered during a crisis.
If a group of 1500 players met such a fate, how much more for Reiger alone?
Not to mention, nearly every level was equipped with guardians of the maximum level of hundred.
Add to that Ainz, a seasoned spender with numerous powerful items, and the eleven world-class items they had acquired in the past...
Was Reiger thinking of breaking in alone?
Even for him, this was tantamount to seeking death.
But...
"This is what makes it interesting, isn’t it?"
Reiger grinned, smiling sincerely.
Clearly, the more dangerous it was, the more he craved it.