Ainz Ooal Gown: Noble Knight

"Let me see the items my friends left behind."

The High Priest was slightly taken aback, then a knowing expression appeared on his face.

"Please come with me, sir."

He turned and walked steadily toward the door at the back of the room. The door, which had been hidden behind the tapestry, was now pushed open, revealing a deep, dark stone staircase leading downwards.

Candlelight seeped into the room, casting a small, dim yellow patch on the stone steps, beyond which lay unfathomable darkness.

Chapter 23 Artifact

The stone steps finally came to an end.

Rune took the last step, but the sight before him made him stop in his tracks.

The space suddenly opened up.

This was a vast underground palace, its dome so high that its outline was almost invisible, seemingly reaching straight to the surface. Soft light poured down from all directions, without a clear source, yet illuminating the entire space as if bathed in the morning light.

The light was warm, with a faint golden hue, as if filtered through countless layers of fine gauze, neither dazzling nor dim, falling perfectly on every inch of the stone wall.

The air was dry and fresh, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance—not the artificial incense found in temples, but an ancient scent, as if it grew naturally from the cracks in the rocks. With each breath, my chest seemed to be filled with this clean aroma.

Rune took a deep breath, savoring the comfort that felt so out of place in the underground space.

"here……"

"This is a sanctuary personally established by the six great gods, the sacred domain of the theocracy." The voice of the Supreme High Priest echoed in the empty hall, reverberating but not noisy. "All the arrangements were completed by the six great gods themselves."

Rune's gaze swept around.

Then it stopped.

On the east side of the hall, a crystal display case stands quietly. The case is not large and appears somewhat inconspicuous among the large display cases containing relics, but it is placed in a very particular and unique position, with soft light falling on it, as if deliberately emphasizing its specialness.

There was only one item in the display case.

A feather.

Its feathers are small, about the length of a palm, and its entire body has a strange silvery-white color.

The color wasn't ordinary white, but a metallic silver, yet it was as soft as if it had just fallen from some divine bird. The edges of the feathers shimmered with a faint golden halo, almost imperceptible, as if they were breathing.

Rune stared at the feather and finally breathed a sigh of relief; it was indeed here.

【Icarus' Feather】

This is a divine artifact that Rune and Selshana created together in the early days of YGGDRASIL.

Back then, they were all beginners, having just struggled out of a pile of junk equipment. They finally managed to gather the materials and stayed up for several nights to complete this piece.

He designed the main body of the feather, while the built-in anti-detection magic array was carved by Sirsana. They argued as they worked, with Rune saying that another layer of protection should be added, while Sirsana said that was enough, that the material wouldn't be able to withstand any more carving.

When the final product was finished, both of them were exhausted, but they couldn't help but smile foolishly when they looked at the shimmering silver feather.

That was the first artifact-level item they completed together.

Later, in pursuit of greater combat power, Rune voluntarily left his original guild and joined the Cathedral of Faltil. Before leaving, he left this feather to Sirshana.

"Does the God of Judgment recognize this sacred artifact?" The voice of the High Priest came from beside him, tinged with a hint of cautious probing.

Rune nodded slightly, walked to the display case, and extended his hand.

"May I?"

"of course."

The High Priest personally opened the display case, held the feather in both hands, and respectfully presented it to Rune.

The moment the feather landed in Rune's palm, a faint warmth came from his fingertips.

That feeling is very familiar.

It was the anti-detection array set up by Sirshah that was in operation.

Rune carefully sensed the magic flowing inside the feather: anti-divination barrier, anti-prophecy spell, anti-detection, anti-probing... layer upon layer of protection nested together, as precise as a miniature fortress.

This is the style of Sirsana.

That chatterbox may seem carefree on the surface, but he is always meticulous when it comes to such details.

Rune's lips curled up slightly as he felt that familiar warmth.

With this, I won't be too passive in front of Ainz Ooal Gown.

Rune put the feather back in its place and began to appreciate the surrounding murals.

The murals begin at the entrance of the hall, extend along the curved wall, and finally converge on the opposite side.

Rune walked slowly along the murals, with the High Priest following behind, explaining the contents of each mural in a low voice.

First image: The Dark Ages.

The scene depicts humans being kept in captivity. Orcs, clad in crude armor and wielding rough weapons, drive a group of naked humans.

The humans had ropes around their necks, their eyes vacant, like livestock. In the corner of the scene, the corpses of young children lay abandoned by the roadside. Further away, several huge pots steamed, and human limbs could be vaguely discerned within them.

Rune paused in his steps.

He knew that the humans in this world had once been eaten by orcs, but words are words, and seeing such a description with one's own eyes is a completely different experience.

Those empty eyes, those fallen corpses, those steaming pots.

Even across the long years, the despair and humiliation still permeate the murals, rushing towards us like a cold tide.

Rune took a deep breath and continued walking forward.

Second image: The six great gods descend.

The scene abruptly changed. The sky split open, and six figures descended from the heavens, surrounded by dazzling light. The orcs fled in terror amidst the light, while the humans knelt on the ground, heads tilted back, hope appearing in their eyes for the first time.

Rune's gaze was focused on the figure in the middle. The artist had depicted Death as extremely solemn, with Sirsha holding a scythe and his skeletal face beautified into a kind of mysterious majesty.

“Narcissistic,” Rune said, offering a fair and impartial assessment.

The third image: War.

The scene depicts a fierce battlefield. The figures of the six gods weave through the enemy ranks, magic and swords intertwining, each strike felling hordes of enemies.

Rune looked at the images, his feelings were somewhat complicated.

He used to be one of his own comrades who beat up orcs.

What now?

Now that he's become a native, he's about to be beaten up by another time traveler.

He suddenly remembered a question.

Will the Nazarick Great Tomb also have its scenes of beating up the natives depicted in murals and passed down through generations?

Probably.

Given Demiurge's style, he might even have drawn it in great detail, depicting the desperate expressions of every "two-legged sheep" as a testament to Nazarick's great conquest.

Rune's lips twitched.

He continued walking forward.

The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...

Each painting tells the story of how the six gods saved humanity, imparted knowledge, and established a religious kingdom. The artist's skill is superb; the figures are lifelike, and the scenes are grand and magnificent.

But as Rune looked at those images, he was thinking about something else entirely.

What advantages do native players have compared to regular players?

As he walked, he mentally sorted out the answer to this question.

Chapter 24 Innate Superpowers

The High Priest still acted as a guide, his voice echoing in the empty hall, telling the story of each mural.

His tone was devout and solemn, with the slow rhythm characteristic of the elderly.

Rune's thoughts had already drifted far away.

Martial arts?

This is a special skill that human warriors can use, allowing ordinary people to unleash power beyond their limits. In the original work, Gazev Stornonov entered the "Hero" realm and became the kingdom's strongest warrior by using the martial art "Six Light Combo".

But what is the origin of martial arts?

It's a modified and simplified version of the player's skills, which is then adapted to suit the natives of this other world.

If that's the case, then the upper limit of martial arts skills is locked from the very beginning. No matter how much one trains, it's impossible to surpass the scope of the player's skills.

Rune's gaze fell on several weapons displayed on one side of the hall; these were all divine artifacts left behind by the six great gods.

They are carefully preserved in specially made glass cases, surrounded by protective barriers to prevent desecration. A faint light flows across the sword, and faint runes float on the surface of the armor, while the gem at the top of the staff glows on its own.

These are all items from YGGDRASIL.

Rune recognized a few of them. The sword seemed to be a reward from a high-difficulty dungeon. He also remembered the armor; it was a limited-time drop during an event, and the entire guild had grinded for a week straight to get it.

Now they have become sacred objects.

The gap between players and natives is not just about levels and skills, but a complete systemic defeat.

magic?

Ranked magic is obviously not considered.

The native humans of this other world can learn rank-based magic, reaching up to the sixth rank. Priests who have entered the "Hero" realm can cast fifth-rank magic.

But players can unleash spells up to the tenth tier. There are even super-tier magic, special skills, world-class items…

The gap is too big.

Primal magic...

That's powerful enough, but there are only a handful of dragons left that can be used. It's nowhere near the strength of Nazarick.

Rune sighed softly.