Simultaneous Travel: Becoming a Legend in the Heavens.

Chapter 545 Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- v2.0
When Demiurge woke up, he felt as if all the bones in his body had been crushed.

The skin felt like it was being burned, every part of it was being treated with the same brutality, and even a slight breeze was still excruciatingly painful.

The injury was severe, and... the skin was completely peeled off.

He quickly realized this fact.

As the guardian of the seventh level of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, he occasionally did this when punishing his subordinates for making mistakes.

Peeling off intact skin is an enjoyable process, both stress-relieving and relaxing. The screams of the raw material are quite pleasant, and the color of the blood is also appealing. The spoils can also be used to make scrolls.

Demiurge quite enjoyed this pastime... at least until today.

After all, it's not so fun if the punishment falls on you.

He tried hard to recall what had happened, and could only remember that after being placed into the "Map of Mountains and Rivers," an error occurred during the teleportation, causing the entire space to collapse, and most of the guardians, including himself, were swept into the storm...

That's strange; world-class props shouldn't be this fragile.

A fleeting doubt crossed Demiurge's mind, but he focused on the present situation. He didn't open his eyes immediately, but pretended to be asleep, gathering as much information as possible.

Since our skin has been peeled off, it means there are enemies. Our current situation is quite dangerous. Maintaining our current state and accumulating strength is the right thing to do.

Thanks to the demon's powerful physique, although the injuries were severe, it was far from death. It could use its skills to heal itself as soon as it recovered a little.

The ground was soft soil, the sun shone on them, and besides the stench of their own blood, there was also the smell of grass. The surroundings were relatively quiet, but the demon's hearing could still faintly hear the faint sounds.

"So, don't seek relationship advice from people who dislike you..."

Although tinged with impatience, the sweet and alluring female voice was strangely familiar; it was the voice that had delivered the decisive order when the Great Tomb of Nazarick was invaded.

"No, I don't hate the silver-haired half-elf, I hate you. I hate the silver-haired half-elf because I hate you. That's the correct cause and effect."

"What's the master thinking? Who knows that bastard? Now, as soon as they hear about a tea party, all the other witches reflexively start taking off their clothes... The tea party has completely lost its meaning, all because of him!"

Unable to hear the other's voice, but it didn't sound like a well-planned discussion, but rather like a private, emotional conversation between women.

No, that's not right!

Demiurge decisively rejected the initial idea; an organization capable of driving the Great Tomb of Nazarick to such a desperate situation could not possibly be so simple.
It might be an encrypted call, containing some kind of coded message. Could it be related to a plan to wipe out the other guardians, or perhaps they want to use him as bait to set a trap for Lord Ainz?
Hmm, now that I think about it, it makes sense!

Demiurge marveled at the ingenuity of the code, his vigilance towards the enemy reaching its peak. He listened intently, hoping to gain more information, and silently attempted to decipher it.

"Anyway, he'll go for any pretty woman, huh? Who knows, maybe one day he'll evolve into a man, or even just have a hole..."

I don't quite understand. Could it be implying that their sphere of influence is vast and mostly comprised of women? They are currently preparing to expand their power by recruiting men and even non-human races. What special meaning does "cave" have? It can't be a vulgar joke, right?
Demiurge concentrated all his attention on deep thought. But no matter how he listened, it only sounded like an emotional entanglement between a man and a woman, with nothing particularly special about it except for the slightly larger number of people involved.

That's brilliant! No wonder they're the forces that conquered the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Their everyday words and actions flow so smoothly and naturally, creating a continuous dialogue.

"Wait! Are you a child? If something's wrong, just tell on me. Okay, I'll help you! But you'll have to wait a bit..."

The sound stopped suddenly.

While Demiurge was filled with doubt and uncertainty, there were no footsteps or breaths, but suddenly a voice that was very close to his ear, as if it were speaking right next to him, rang out.

"...I need to deal with that devilish man who's been eavesdropping on the witches' private affairs first~"

We've been discovered! ? ?

Demiurge suddenly stood up and without hesitation used [Demon Aspects - Purgatory Robe], enveloping his entire body in ultra-high-temperature flames for defense, while simultaneously slashing with his hand towards the source of the sound.

As he stood up, his skin rapidly regenerated, his dim eyes brightened again, and in the blink of an eye he returned to normal, showing no signs of injury from his appearance alone.

Despite missing his target, Demiurge remained vigilant, maintaining his original demon form, and looked towards the stunningly beautiful witch under the parasol not far away.

She looked relaxed, holding a cup of coffee in her hand, smiling as if she were enjoying afternoon tea, seemingly never having left her chair.

"Don't be so nervous. This kind of thirst for knowledge shouldn't be criticized. You're called Demiurge, right? I'm Echidna, 'Witch of Greed' Echidna. Now you can remember my name."

Echidona's voice was soothing and gentle, but having witnessed the speed at which this woman could change her expression during the declaration of war, Demiurge was naturally not fooled by her appearance.

"I won't waste my time remembering the name of a two-legged sheep."

Strategist characters usually have low combat power. Upon noticing that there were no other guards around Echidna, Demiurge launched a direct charge.

Swah——

The demonized Demiurge appeared in front of Echidna in the blink of an eye. Just as its claws were about to fall, its body froze a second before the attack.

An immense pressure bound him, forcing his still-healing body to lie on all fours on the ground to barely hold on.

Echidona leisurely sipped her own bodily fluids, letting out a soft chuckle:
"Because I heard you were a strategist, I specifically asked the master for you, but it seems you're not very smart after all."

“How could an enemy who dares to appear before me be unprepared? This is my spiritual world, something like a domain. As long as I am inside, I am almost omnipotent.”

Under the intense pressure, Demiurge had a sudden thought and quietly replaced the high-temperature flames on his body with soul flames that could burn the soul. However, the dark blue flames did not spread as expected and failed to even ignite the lawn.

"An interesting attempt. If it were me in the past, it would have really caused trouble, but now... I have someone behind me, which has even elevated my 'position' a bit."

Noticing his subtle movements, Echidona's lips curled up slightly. "Right now, if we want to ignite this space, I guess only the flames of that Sun Princess can do it... Ah, I've said a bit too much. I am indeed one of the more talkative ones among my companions. I'm so sorry. Let's steer the conversation back to you."

“Inferior…”

Demiurge barely managed to lift his head, about to say something, when suddenly he felt a tearing pain all over his body. The newly grown skin seemed to come alive as it detached from his flesh, leaving behind a bloody body behind the intact demon skin.

"Ha~ This space automatically imposed punishment because it sensed that you were about to say something inappropriate. This was not my intention, but rather the idea of ​​that person."

Echidona remained unmoved by the bloody tragedy, glancing at the blood-soaked demon skin, seemingly quite satisfied with its quality.

"I hope you understand that no matter what flaws humanity has, or what conflicts exist between groups, humanity will always rule this planet. You are nothing more than domesticated livestock. If you are raised well, there will be no problem. But if you are released to bite people, you will only bring trouble to your masters."

Demiurge's face, now nothing but flesh and blood, twitched as he gritted his teeth and endured the pain of his numerous wounds, his voice low and menacing.

"What is your purpose?"

Were they enemies they unintentionally offended? But no one has ever breached the Great Tomb, and they haven't even left its gates. Could they be people the Supreme Beings have offended? Or do they want to become heroes by attacking the Great Tomb to gain fame, as well as the rich treasures, artifacts, and even world-class items within?

"There was no purpose to it. This was just a trip my lovely yet hateful master took in his spare time. Dealing with you was just a matter of convenience."

Echidona's calm reply was neither enthusiastic nor emphasized, as if she were discussing the morning's weather or yesterday's dinner.

Demiurge could tell that the other person wasn't lying, and it was precisely because he could tell that they weren't lying that his heart sank and his face grew increasingly grim.

"To destroy the Great Tomb so easily, such an opponent..." Echidona sighed softly, as if thinking of herself. "In short, my capricious master neither thought it was right to convict someone of something that hadn't happened yet, nor did he think it was reasonable to wait until it happened before taking action, so he gave you two choices."

"First, you must genuinely believe that you are lowly livestock, voluntarily becoming a supplier of high-grade scroll raw materials, and enjoying the daily skinning service until your master is granted permission to take you back... Don't ask why, blame it on being a demon, or on him thinking he is human."

Although in her opinion, Lu Ke was not only not human, but even describing him as a "god" would be a bit beneath him, she figured if he said so, then so be it.

Why should Ainz Ooal Gown, who is a guardian, have to come and pick him up?

Demiurge controlled his expression, forcibly suppressing his anxiety.

He didn't want to accept any choice. He wanted to get away as soon as possible, find his companions in the Great Tomb, and of course, most importantly, protect the only remaining Supreme Lord Ainz Ooal Gown. But for the time being, enduring was the best strategy.

"What's the second option?"

Snapped!
Echidona seemed to have anticipated this, and with a light laugh, she snapped her fingers. Demiurge was momentarily stunned, and when he came to his senses, he was already sitting opposite the witch. The tea set on the table had disappeared, replaced by a chessboard full of chess pieces.

"Since you're a strategist, you should have some confidence in your mind. Let's play chess. If you win, I'll let you go; if you lose..."

Echidona's lips curled into a pleased smile. "You'll be skinned alive by me right now."

"...What's the difference between these two options?"

"Accepting to be livestock only requires being skinned once a day, and playing chess with me means being skinned every time you lose."

Demiurge was confident in his computing power. After a moment's thought, he reached out to the pieces on the board and chose the second option.

Echidona revealed an extremely wicked smile as she gently stroked the Book of Wisdom, which was formed from her power.

…………

Ye Lantier.

Located on the important border between the Bahars Empire and the Slane Theocracy, it is a city fortress belonging to the Kingdom of Ri Yestize, and is also the border where the three countries meet.

Located in the city's residential area, the largest area is called the Central Plaza, where many people set up stalls to display all kinds of vegetables, prepared foods, and other goods.

Amidst the bustling crowd, the shop owner enthusiastically called out to passersby, trying to attract customers. Elderly women haggled with merchants in search of fresh ingredients, while young people, drawn by the aroma of grilled meat, bought juicy skewers.

In this square, which has a special vitality during the day, the bustling atmosphere usually continues until sunset, but today it ended earlier than expected.

The Adventurers' Guild was bustling with people, and every now and then you could see warriors dressed in rather magnificent clothes and looking exceptionally powerful coming and going.

This is to be expected. Although it is just a small place, a terrifying and unsettling commotion occurred nearby last night.

Whether it's a battle between powerful beings, the appearance of ancient ruins, or some mysterious celestial phenomenon, anything that causes such a commotion is extraordinary. It's not impossible that a demon god has returned to the world, and adventurers always yearn for such things.

No wonder it died so quickly; curiosity killed the cat.

A tall warrior, clad in magnificent full-body armor adorned with vibrant gold and purple patterns and carrying two massive swords on his back, his face obscured as he walked through the streets, would normally attract considerable attention. However, this was not surprising given the influx of adventurers from all over the world.

"Is this the Adventurers' Guild?"

The undead, now known as Ainz, clad in magnificent armor, murmured as he entered the tavern to gather information on his own.

It wasn't that he didn't want to be careful, but rather that there simply weren't any suitable teammates to be with him.

The Pleiades' battle maids couldn't possibly have escaped that level of attack and are most likely dead. Although I wanted to revive them, the Great Tomb of Nazarick was also destroyed, and all the gold coins and items were gone. All that's left is a little bit of belongings in my personal space.

Sebastian is indeed a very good butler, but what kind of good family would take an old man as an adventurer? Is this going to be a story of "Me and Grandpa Go on an Adventure in Another World"?
Sebastian has been sent to the wealthy district to apply for a butler job, in order to gather intelligence and earn initial funds for this world. As for Cocytus…

Although it also wanted to help Ainz, it could only hide in the forest because of its appearance. The insect, which had a strong sense of samurai spirit, was quite ashamed about this and kept trying to apologize.

It's practically like Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-!

Ainz, silently complaining to himself, walked into the adventurer's area and bumped into a rather handsome boy whose appearance was somewhat marred by his fierce triangular eyes.

"Ah, sorry."

"It's okay, I was just walking too fast."

They politely passed each other, and Ainz successfully completed the registration process for an adventurer. However, he ran into trouble when accepting a quest because he didn't recognize the language of this other world.

No missions, no money; without money, you can't do anything.
Although robbing money was an option, it would also cause trouble afterward. Whether or not someone was killed, it would easily cause a commotion, and it would be bad if it angered the group that destroyed the Great Tomb.

Just as he was thinking about how to solve this problem, a somewhat lazy voice sounded behind Ainz.

"Hey you!"

Ainz turned around and saw a handsome young man with an outstanding appearance and demeanor lounging against the back of his chair in the back row of the Adventurers' Guild, looking him up and down.

What brings you here?

Ainz asked in a muffled voice, unsure whether they were friend or foe.

"Newly registered adventurers really have no sense of propriety. Of course, they're looking for you to assign them a quest, or do you want to do something else?"

The young man's attitude was quite impolite, and he spoke very naturally.

It seems the problem has been solved.

Ainz breathed a sigh of relief: "No, I'm free right now. What task would you like to assign me?"

The young man stroked his chin, as if he was thinking, giving Ainz the illusion that the other man had called him before he even knew what he wanted him to do.

"Just give me a foot massage first."

Ainz: "..."

WTF?

He is the guild master of Ainz Ooal Gown, the supreme ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the object of loyalty of the floor guardians, fully equipped with divine gear and world-class items, and a mid-level high-level player among top players. You want him to be a foot masseur?
"It will give you the highest reward for a bronze-level mission, do you want to accept it?"

"catch."

Ainz answered in a muffled voice, feeling a surge of frustration.

There's no way around it, people have to make a living...

Although he was an undead.

(End of this chapter)