Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 151 - This player, you didn't want this either...

What does it mean to lose her...?
Did he die in battle?
Yes… she must have just died in battle. In that case, all I need to do is use the Perfect Resurrection Technique… no! Use a premium item to activate 'Make a Wish Upon a Star', and I can revive Shizu…

is that so……

Definitely, that's definitely true!
"Albedo, I grant your permission. Use the highest-level resurrection method to revive Shiz immediately. Use any items you can, including world-class items. Don't be stingy!"

It thought that this would allow it to recover what it had lost.

However, all that could be heard on the other end of the communication was Albedo's panicked, even terrified voice.

"I tried! Lord Ainz! I tried everything!"

"I can't resurrect Shiz... there's no way to resurrect her. Shiz's name is no longer in the Great Tomb of Nazarick! She's been taken away; she's no longer a member of the Great Tomb!"

What is more profound than fear is despair.

Ainz, no longer caring about concealing himself, suddenly shattered his black armor. His divine-grade robes and skeletal form were revealed to everyone. Incredulous gasps erupted from the high wall, for their previously revered black hero was now a wicked archmage of the dead in disguise!

It lunged forward, about to pounce on Dust. However, Shiz's corpse vanished into thin air before Ainz's eyes, and at the same instant, another maid, Antema, who was unable to dodge in time, was tightly gripped by an invisible hand and once again fell into Dust's grasp and control.

It dared not move.

Because it didn't know how Xizi disappeared—there were no spatial fluctuations, no magical effects. The familiar automaton maid had simply been erased from existence. However, some of the trinkets and gadgets that Xizi always carried with her remained, falling downwards!

Are there any abilities that only affect the character themselves and not the equipment the character carries but isn't bound to?

How can you precisely destroy an elephant into atoms without affecting the paint on its skin?

No one possesses this skill—how could an ordinary player possibly have it? To control power with such precision is simply impossible. Yet, Ainz had witnessed this power before.

Delete account.

Game management privileges to delete cheater accounts.

It opened its mouth, a dry sound coming from its throat. The original curses and rebukes turned into a humble plea.

"No...don't hurt Antema."

Force calm, activate.

Deep within our hearts, communication was re-established.

"Albedo, now, go and check the maid roster immediately. I grant you the authority to check if you can create another new maid."

It quickly got the answer.

The answer is no, it's impossible. The maids of the Pleiades were created based on the NPC rules of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and each of them requires a certain number of creation slots. Even Shiz, who has thousands or tens of thousands of spare bodies and can theoretically be restarted at any time, is no exception.

"Lord Ainz... The Great Tomb of Nazarick refuses to allow us to create new battle maids. Also, I just tried to reboot all of Shiz's original bodies... without success."

Xizi was taken away.

It was taken away right before our eyes in a way that players couldn't do.

Ainz should have been furious, should have sought revenge. But now… he felt as if he were back in the company, back in that cramped, narrow workstation. The supervisor, whose face was entirely cybernetic, who never showed any human expression, stood before him, scrutinizing him with the same inorganic gaze he used to judge the yield rate of workpieces.

Antema did not die.

Duster didn't kill her; he simply gave Ainz a cold, emotionless smile.

"You killed hundreds of thousands of people from the Dragon Kingdom, and you felt nothing. Yet I only took one of your subordinates, and you can't even handle it?" "It's different! Those people were just—" Ainz's voice trailed off.

Just what?
Just NPCs, just weeds?
So... how different is Shiz from the Great Tomb of Nazarick from an ordinary person in the Dragon Kingdom?
It dared not utter those words. Because it didn't want to lose anything more, didn't want anything more taken from it. Because the NPCs of the Great Tomb were all children left behind by its companions. Therefore…

so……?
A thought suddenly flashed through Ainz's mind. In that instant, he realized something important.

The NPCs in the Great Tomb are certainly valuable, but his companions, his friends and fellow players with whom he had shared many joyful times, are his true treasure! And since Dust, who possesses administrator privileges, has appeared here, does that mean…?

“My companions…are they here too? You just mentioned Ulbert…you know Ulbert, you know where he is, right!”

Its voice grew even more excited, and even Demiurge, which had struggled to repair parts of its body and fly up, had eyes full of anticipation. For compared to the whereabouts of its creator, everything else was insignificant.

However, it received no response.

How can someone in a superior position possibly answer every question posed by someone in a subordinate position?
Duster simply suppressed his emotionless smile and casually tossed the timid Antema back to it.

"Until you recall the contents of the contract, there is no need for a conversation between us. Get out, and never appear before me again. Never set foot on my land again."

"I won't leave until you tell me," Ainz blurted out, his tone softening instantly. "Please, just tell me. I'll do anything I can!"

"Willing to do anything? You?" For a moment, Duster's lips seemed about to burst open. It was as if he had heard some boring joke, and he looked like he was about to walk away in a huff.

More panic surged up. More terrifying than being assigned an impossible mission was not even being qualified to be assigned one. And at this moment, Ainz finally realized a horror he didn't want to confront.

Why, from the very beginning, did I refuse to consider the possibility of returning to reality?
Is this world really that interesting?

Higher undead have no sense of taste or smell. Even the finest delicacies cannot bring them enjoyment. Their subordinates are all incredibly difficult to deal with. Being with them is nowhere near as comfortable as being with one's own comrades. Although it's far better than the life of a corporate slave, it's not by much.

My greatest wish has always been to embark on new journeys with my companions—whether in this world or other large-scale online games, as long as I'm with everyone, I can be happy.

But...why?
"Why, why..."

“Because it’s meaningless.” A hint of annoyance finally broke through Duster’s indifference. “Because you know nothing and understand nothing.”

"Get lost, don't waste my time. Or perhaps..."

The voice was lowered, indicating that the occasion was likely private.

"You'll only understand the meaning of 'regret' when I unplug your connection, is that it?"

"Satoru Suzuki".

This name should absolutely not appear here.

Even his guildmates didn't know his name. Because a game is a game, and reality is reality. If he actually had a single offline friend with whom he could share his name, he wouldn't have ended up alone in the game waiting for the servers to shut down.

So--

Brilliance flashes.

The green light, which had been forced to remain still, pulsed dozens of times in succession.

Without hesitation, it seized Demiurge, who was still trying to say something, and immediately activated the highest-level teleportation. The final command was then delivered to the entire demon army.

"Retreat! Retreat immediately!"

"Retreat to the Great Tomb immediately!"

(End of this chapter)