A black speck streaked across the vast sky from the distance.
With a piercing roar, a colossal dragon that seemed to embody death itself appeared above the desert.
It had pitch-black wings, crimson skin, a bony exoskeleton, and razor-sharp claws. Its body resembled a python, its torso and tail merging seamlessly together.
The word "Heteromorph" might as well have been coined specifically for it.
"This range really is incredible."
Naohara sat cross-legged atop its head, gazing down at the land below.
The once vast desert looked as though a savage dog had bitten a huge chunk out of it.
Everything within sight had been forcibly killed in an instant, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation.
The desert had shrunk by more than a tenth.
Entire cities had vanished along with the ground they once stood upon. The same was true of the ponds. Not a single drop of water remained, everything had been completely erased by death.
Anyone stationed in those places must have died as well.
The entire region had turned pitch-black, without a trace of any other color. An endless sea of dead ash stretched across the land, cold and silent.
Because even the air had died, there was not the slightest breeze. Everything was unnaturally calm and still.
"The Power of Faith may have certain drawbacks, but there's no denying its strength."
A faint, eerie glow flickered across Herohero's body from time to time.
He was absorbing the surrounding air and sensing the power of death contained within it.
Ownerless death would eventually be consumed by corruption and become nourishment for him, so he had no reason to worry about abnormal conditions such as poisoning.
As for a freak like Naohara, there was even less need for concern. It would be downright absurd if a Catastrophe could be affected by mere death.
Momonga and the dragon serving as his mount were protected for a different reason.
Both were Undead and possessed complete resistance to poison, allowing them to easily nullify the poisoned status condition.
Of course, that did not mean they were immune to every poison in existence.
In fact, one of the Eight Dragons, a World Boss from the game, could use the skill [Corpse Poison Breath] to forcibly bypass an Undead's complete resistance to poison and inflict the poisoned status condition.
"The Six Great Gods wiped out these Demihumans in such a hurry. It seems they're taking an extremely hard-line stance this time. They don't merely intend to eliminate their enemies. They're using this to intimidate us, and perhaps the entire world."
Momonga stroked his chin as he spoke.
"Humans will be ecstatic, while Demihumans will be consumed by fear. Either emotion will provide the Six Great Gods with an immense amount of the Power of Faith. It really is a brilliant move."
Naohara nodded in agreement, then remarked thoughtfully, "Six hundred years of accumulated wisdom is nothing to scoff at."
Momonga chuckled upon hearing that.
"They could have resolved this through gentler means, yet they chose to exterminate every last Demihuman instead."
"It's a risky approach, but it will rapidly restore the prestige of the Six Great Gods and inspire reverence in far more people."
As Momonga analyzed their motives, he privately admired the Six Great Gods' decisiveness.
Ever since he had learned that the desert Demihumans intended to attack the Theocracy, he had considered every likely response.
Yet the Six Great Gods had surprised him by choosing the most radical strategy, which was also the most reliable.
"Go play, Guphandera."
After voicing his thoughts, Momonga looked down at his mount, which had long since grown restless with anticipation, and spoke softly.
Guphandera Argoros.
This bizarre-looking dragon was a gift Herohero had given Momonga.
Like the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord, he was an Undead dragon. Unlike the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord, however, Guphandera possessed the unique class [Night Lich].
He was also a rare dragon skilled in Psychic-type Magic, and his strength was not to be underestimated.
Momonga adored his new mount.
Both its rare race and its formidable magical abilities perfectly matched his standards for a unique specimen.
For someone with such a powerful urge to collect rare things, obtaining a mount this perfect brought him immeasurable satisfaction.
Momonga normally kept Guphandera together with the Ghost Ship Naohara had given him, deep inside the [Abyss of the Dead] on Nazarick's Third Floor.
It was an enormous cylindrical chamber approximately one hundred and fifty meters in diameter and forty-five meters deep.
Countless corpses were stacked layer upon layer, forming mountains of the dead.
Rotting corpses, drowned bodies, bleached skeletons, and mangled remains formed towering heaps that would occasionally collapse, only for new mountains of corpses to rise in their place. Such hellish sights could be found everywhere.
As a location where Nazarick automatically produced Undead, it was undoubtedly an ideal habitat for Guphandera, who was also Undead.
"Heh heh heh. As you command, Master."
Guphandera's laughter sounded eerie and ingratiating, as though he were deliberately demonstrating his loyalty to his new master.
He had readily accepted his fate as a mount.
To Guphandera, being ridden was not an insult, but an honor.
Higher-ranking Undead naturally had the right to command those beneath them. That alone left him with no reason to refuse.
Since resistance was impossible, he might as well enjoy it.
Furthermore, Guphandera considered this the new political correctness of the Dragon Race.
The minority had to follow the majority. Since most True Dragon Lords had chosen submission, he ought to follow the trend as well. Otherwise, he would simply be eliminated.
More importantly, Guphandera yearned to become a True Dragon Lord, and his new master could help him fulfill that desire.
The White Dragon Lord, who was already on the verge of succeeding, was the clearest example.
Guphandera plunged downward and dove headfirst into the sea of dead ash.
A profound sense of fulfillment spread throughout his body. For an Undead, this environment was exceedingly comfortable.
"Faith is their bottom line. The Sorcerer Kingdom's development has encroached upon it, even though the threat we pose in that regard is practically negligible."
The Six Great Gods' main worshippers were humans, while the three of them were primarily worshipped by Demihumans and Heteromorphic Races.
Some humans worshipped them as well, but their numbers were undoubtedly small.
After all, six hundred years of deeply rooted tradition could not be replaced so easily.
The existence of the Six Great Gods had not only supplanted this world's original faith in the four elements, but had even become the basis for its calendar.
Despite that, they still intended to strangle even the smallest threat before it could grow.
As Naohara spoke, he produced a stemmed glass. The poisonous gas around him condensed into liquid, flowed into the glass, and was drained in a single gulp.
Hmm, not bad.
Its taste was every bit as good as the Blood of Jormungandr.
"Better safe than sorry. Because we exist, humanity needs Gods of its own. Otherwise, the collapse of their faith is only a matter of time."
Herohero followed Naohara's example, producing a wineglass and condensing the surrounding gas into liquid before beginning to drink.
As the saying went, it was not incompetent allies one had to fear, but godlike opponents.
Nearly every consequence of the Six Great Gods' actions this time worked in their favor.
The only potential concerns were how the three of them would respond, and the mysterious being who had once destroyed the Eight Greed Kings.
"Speaking of which, aren't we going to take over the Eight Greed Kings' Guild?"
"Now that their Guild weapon is in our hands, and you have a Talent that lets you ignore requirements and use any weapon, their Guild Base is no longer a refuge for those NPCs. It's a trap we can trigger whenever we please. We could seize it without any effort."
Herohero looked at Naohara as he asked.
Ever since the Platinum Dragon Lord had surrendered the Guild weapon, Naohara had kept it in his possession. Neither Herohero nor Momonga had even touched it.
Momonga also turned toward him.
"That? I already gave the Guild weapon to Cocytus for research."
Faced with his friends' questioning gazes, Naohara shrugged and answered casually.
"You gave it to Cocytus... Don't tell me you still haven't abandoned that idea?!"
Herohero and Momonga froze as something occurred to them, and their tones immediately grew serious.
They had assumed he had been joking. Apparently, he had meant every word.
"Is that really necessary?"
"Isn't the risk too great? One mistake, and not only will the Guild Base NPCs be affected, but the Eight Greed Kings' entire Guild could collapse."
Herohero sounded hesitant.
The value of a Guild Base went without saying, especially a mobile one like the Floating Castle.
The mere thought of such a Guild Base collapsing made his heart ache.
"The greater the risk, the greater the reward. I don't enjoy gambling, but if this is something you want to attempt, Naohara, then I'm willing to accept it."
"We agreed to share both fortune and hardship, didn't we? Even if it gives us a headache, we'll suffer through it together."
Momonga was far more composed.
Admittedly, obtaining another mobile Guild Base would be extremely valuable, but it was not something they could not afford to lose.
At worst, the Eight Greed Kings' Guild would collapse and all its NPCs would die.
The items and equipment inside would still remain. They would simply be scattered everywhere as loot.
They would still profit in the end, only less than they otherwise might have.
"Hey, Momonga, when you put it that way, you make me sound disloyal. Fine. If we're going to suffer, we'll suffer together. I agree too."
Herohero sighed helplessly at Momonga's response.
At this point, what else could he do?
He would simply have to join them in their madness.
"Accumulating experience and learning through trial and error are indispensable. We do have a final safeguard, but there's nothing wrong with finding a test subject first, just in case."
The Eight Greed Kings' Guild Base was extremely valuable, but if Naohara's plan succeeded, its value would become even greater.
Still, the attitudes of Momonga and Herohero surprised him. He had expected to spend far more time convincing them.
After all, the later stages of this plan would involve the Guild weapon [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown].
Perhaps the final safeguard was simply persuasive enough.
With that thought, Naohara lightly rubbed the serpent ring on his finger.
"Then we'll leave the Eight Greed Kings' Guild alone for now. Keep it under surveillance without changing anything. We'll handle the Six Great Gods as usual. Since they want to buy time, we'll give it to them. That happens to suit our plans perfectly."
Momonga organized his thoughts.
Their most urgent task was to finalize Nazarick's various plans for the future.
"Progress on the [Faith-to-God Method] has been slow. Most of the faith the three of us receive has been invested in the God of Judgment project."
"The [Divine-class Item Synergy Advancement Method] has produced mediocre results. Naohara and Momonga each have a Caloric Stone, but unfortunately, that method doesn't work for me."
"The [Primordial Erosion Method], however, is progressing steadily. Judging by our previous experiments with Divine-class Items, we've almost fully comprehended Version 5.0 of the method."
"Naohara also has the [Catastrophe Devouring Method] to support him, and the three of us can occasionally exploit the Seven Deadly Sins Demons..."
Herohero silently calculated their progress.
At present, the three of them needed to focus primarily on advancing the [Primordial Erosion Method].
With an endless supply of Demon Souls serving as fuel for Wild Magic, their progress was certain to be rapid.
"When I add it all up, it seems I'm the one falling behind."
Herohero found himself speechless.
It was one thing to be unable to keep pace with Naohara, but he could not even keep up with Momonga.
Tsk. His race, [Elder Black Ooze], had chosen the worst possible moment to let him down.
What a nuisance.
"The World-Class Items we chose don't have much connection to our own natures, but Naohara is different. That World-Class Item might as well have been made specifically for him. The resonance between their Primordial Essences should greatly accelerate the rate of Erosion."
"First place is probably beyond you, but you may still be able to compete for second, Herohero. Corruption and Erosion are highly compatible concepts, after all."
Momonga's teasing voice rang out.
Herohero paused.
That actually made sense.
His power of corruption was created through the fusion of Corrosion and Decay, which paired exceptionally well with the concept of Erosion.
Perhaps he truly could close the gap between them.
"Aren't you afraid I'll overtake you?"
"Do it, then."
Oh?
So that was how it was going to be?
Now he was fired up!
Momonga and Herohero stared at each other, as though flames were blazing within their eye sockets.
"Let's head back. We, or rather Nazarick, should take some time to settle down and consolidate everything."
"To be honest, I'm quite interested in the connection between Wild Magic and Souls that you mentioned earlier, Momonga. I'm planning to visit the Great River of Souls."
Naohara smiled as he watched his companions compete like children.
There would only be more matters to deal with in the future. It was time to slow down, finish handling their current affairs, and consolidate their gains before moving on.
Naohara gazed down at the dead ash below and focused his thoughts.
A cerulean magical array immediately rose into the air.
[Creation]!
In the blink of an eye, the dead ash shifted and a vast sea surged. As boundless magical power poured into the magical array, towering green trees rose from the earth one after another.
Lush grass and dense shrubs soon filled the landscape, transforming the entire region into a vibrant oasis.
The Six Great Gods bring slaughter and destruction. The Three Supreme Beings bring salvation and relief.
Not bad.
That would be the message they promoted from now on.
The ground below churned, and Guphandera poked his head out, staring blankly at the world around him after its sudden transformation.
What was going on?
...
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Three years later...
***
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