Chapter 308 - 33: Undercurrent

A/N : Aht here!

Looks like we were able to reach 100 power stones already so this is a bonus chapter!

We're getting close to 200 stones too! If we make it I will release 1 more chapter tomorrow.

Who's ready to fight a giant snake?

Don't forget to leave comments below!

*

Nao's party meeting with Momonga and Touch Me soon became another memory in time. The sands of time churned and the days started to pass. The four's synergy during battle against monsters grew more and more, they knew well how to cover each other's backs.

Not only that, with the efficacy of Nao's Auric Soulfire Lamp, the rate which the four killed monsters and mobs soared through the roof. Even though it wasn't a World Item, its supporting abilities could match one.

Darkwood Forest extended on for miles on end. Nao and the three were able to dive into multiple hidden dungeons during it,, clearing away its stories within. And within one of them, the had finally found trace of the the World Item, Ouroboros!

It looked like that it was indeed hidden away within a special sealed realm within Helheim. After clearing away their latest dungeon, it gave Nao special coordinates, located between Darkwood Forest and Grenbera Swamps. It also suggested player's to be at Lv80 before taking on the sealed realm, which they learned the name of : The River of the Dead.

But thankfully for them, another half a year passed before they realized it. In three years the four were able to amass loots and gold, taking their time from Lv40-70. Yet compared to that they were able to reach Lv80 in a half of a year!

Within 4 1/2 years since Yggdrasil's release, the four were approaching its endgame in story content and level grinding! What Nao found out was that Yggdrasil was heavily based off norse mythology. This was something Tabula was a big of as well.

Still, one had to wonder why the River of the Dead was the location that the Ouroboros World Item rested within. Well each World Item posed an impossible challenge or a boss that couldn't be defeated.

'We know the dungeon that locks away Ouroboros now. Given how powerful it can be, the challenge won't be easy. Still, we've come a long ways since the game began...', Nao began to think to himself.

Entering his thoughts, the four entered their mindless sweeping mode, clearing away undead elves, treants, hostile spirits and the like among other monsters that resided.

During his grind to Lv80, many benefits came to him. His Racial Class managed to go through another upgrade.

Nao started out as an Angel for his beginner Racial Class. His medium Racial Class was a High Angel. Now for his high Racial Class, it was True Angel! He no longer had weakness to the dark elements, and could effectively resist them now. Though he wasn't completely immune yet.

On top of that, Nao reached beyond the point to where he could utilize Tier 0 to Tier 10 spells now. He was at the point of dabbling into Super tiered spells!

Each Super tier spell was absurdly powerful in their own way. The one thing that made them not be used by players much , especially in pvp matches, was that its casting time was really long!

But Nao had managed to learn a couple Super tiered spells already through their sweeps! Nao had also started branching out into other elements too. He could well cast over 400 spells now. He was approaching Ainz's limit of over 700 spells, but Nao wanted to break past Ainz's limit in that area.

Not only that, he was well over 100 MP now! He could freely cast any limit of spells as he wanted to. Endgame really had it nice in this area.

Regarding the Super tiered spells, Nao managed to learn Fallen Down, Holy Nightmare, Pantheon, Day of Judgement, and Winds of Azure. Fallen Down and Pantheon were revealed in the original story while Holy Nightmare, Day of Judgement, and Winds of Azure were new spells Nao hadn't heard of other three before, which greatly.

Holy Nightmare was a control spell that absorbs any life taken directly back into the player using it while the enemy is placed under a spell.

Day of Judgement was an extremely powerful light based attack on a single target, bringing judgement to them. It bypasses all types of resistances. It can also take in the soul of a monster, which allows Nao to store it inside his lamp.

Winds of Azure is actually a dual element of wind and ice. It brings forth a nasty windstorm cutting everything down in its path, only for it to freeze over, leaving behind a land of ice. It is a spell that can deal with multiple enemies at once.

Nao couldn't help but inwardly sigh seeing all the progress he's made thus far.

'All of this happened already...the remaining seven and a half years of the game will come by in a blink if an I before I even know it...', Nao sighed inwardly in his heart.

Thinking of this eventually halted his person while the four were heading towards their coordinates of the special realm. Isabella, Tabula and Bukubukuchagama saw Nao come to a sudden halt even though they weren't far away from their destination.

The dead trees no longer could be seen around them, every tree now stood stained with red and bloodied. Bloody trails streaked all around them. Not too far off stood a dark red pond in the middle of an opening, with no beasts in sight.

If one could smell in this game they would smell rank stenches of blood. But the three ignored their current surrounding, only to look at Nao.

"Nao, are you okay?", Isabella questioned Nao.

"Are you still bummed out that Nine's Own Goal was recently established by Momonga and you didn't get invited to join?", Bukubukuchagama also asked Nao, very bluntly.

Yet she was direct with that question and Nao froze altogether after hearing it as if an arrow struck his body. He could only lament inwardly. Nao thought he could have a chance since he and Momonga became friends, but turns out Momonga's friends that he knew ended up taking the rest of the slots, following the original story.

"It's not that, just reminiscing on how far just our party of four has become. Sure it's a disappointment I couldn't join Nine's Own Goal but now that just solidifies my plan of creating my own guild."

Hearing Nao's plan to set his guild creation in motion now, Bukubukuchagama couldn't contain her excitement anymore. Her body bobbed up and down, letting some of its slime mucus pour from her top half to its bottom. She let out a smile icon after.

Nao saw Tabula also let out a smile icon, and coming from this guy weirded Nao out a bit.

"Is something wrong you two?"

"Of course there is! Don't throw that fate bullshit at us this time. If that Momonga considers you a friend he would have invited you to join his!"

"Bukubukuchagama is right you know. Despite Nine's own Goal only having nine members, that Momonga fellow could have made an exception and still let you join. Besides, he even let that Touch Me join who met him on the same day you did. Clearly he didn't realize your true strength."

Hearing those two say that, Nao couldn't help but let out a strange laugh after a moment of silence passed.

"Hahaha! Are you two trying to paint Momonga as the bad guy here? That meeting didn't last that long and I while I did have some anticipation, my hopes weren't that high. Still, him being the bad guy isn't too far off from his character...", Nao said letting out a grinning emote.

"What do you mean by that?", Tabula suddenly retorted with a question.

"It's nothing. If Momonga didn't want me, then so be it. We may even clash with each other in the future once guild battles and raids are a thing. But I guess the question is now, what are you two going to do from here on out?"

"What are we going to do? My mind hasn't changed. I'm joining your guild and that's final!", Bukubukuchagama replied back letting out an angry emote.

"I don't want to see the hard work we put into Yggdrasil in these last four and a half years go to waste all of a sudden. We've come across many stories of myths sand legends so far, and I don't want to stop doing that. Even if you say I'm destined to be with that Momonga, I won't leave your side. We must see Helheim to its end too."

"Tabula....Bukubukuchagama...", Nao started to reply back as he heard their resolve. Isabella was the next one to speak up.

"We've developed special bonds, Nao. Do you really want to push these two away after what we've accomplished together?"

Hearing Isabella say that, Nao turned quiet again for a moment. The three then saw Nao lightly shake his head.

"No. I don't want this thing we have going on to disappear either. I know we are to keep a lookout for those forty one people but they wouldn't mind if they had two less...right? I can see the resolve you two have. If you two really want to join my guild, I won't stop you.", Nao replied with a firm voice, answering their resolve. (A/N As much as I don't like the concept of stealing, it's not really stealing if two members of Ainz Oowl Gown never joined the guild in first place, right? xD, besides this is a fanfic)

"Then it's settled! We will go create our guild once we finish this awesome quest! You'll be inviting those others you, Miya, and Elsa know, right?", Bukubukuchagama replied happily.

"Ah right, the others. How many of us will there be in total after the guild is created?", Tabula also inquired.

"Yup. They're currently exploring the other realms as we speak. It will be a total of eighteen of us. Well, if the other two get settled in, it might get bumped up to twenty."

"Twenty, huh? And the way you said it like that, do you run a net cafe or something?", Tabula replied back to Nao with another question.

"Hmm...let's just say I'm not from around here.", Nao replied with another smile emote.

"Okay...?", Tabula became confused by Nao's last remark. Yet before he could go into his own thoughts, Nao spoke out once more.

"But after we do create our guild, I plan to have an offline meeting. If you two are up for it, we will be gathering at my place. But be warned if you two are truly up for this I will have you two swear an oath of secrecy then. By then, it will be no turning back.", Nao spoke out to the two with a playful tone.

Both Bukubukuchagama and Tabula turned silent after hearing that.

'No turning back...Metatron must be an influential person or something,', Tabula thought to himself.

"That's okay! Your friends accepted me! There's no way I wouldn't like to meet my idol in real life!", Bukubukuchagama responded happily.

"Then it's settled. Let's focus our task at hand now. We are on a pretty special quest. If we complete it we will get our first World Item! Anyone who has these items can rise into top ranks."

"Right...World Items really are in a class of their own. Seeing we have made it this far to acquire this 'Ouroboros', I fear a tough fight is waiting for us.", Tabula responded after pulling out from his own thoughts.

'Say, do you know about Ouroboros' origin?", Nao decided to ask Tabula.

"Haha! You know well who to turn to for this info, I sure do! Since Yggdrasil is based off of norse mythology, it is said that Ouroboros is the World Serpent. It is one of Loki's sons and can easily devour worlds themselves It's proper name goes by Jörmungandr. But to put it simply, its a massive snake. I don't know why it's sealed here in Helheim though. Perhaps it pissed off Loki too much for it tp be banished here."

"Thank you for the explanation, Tabula. I'm not too sure why either, but we've definitely reached the right place. Probably a good thing we don't got our sense of smell here. It's truly disgusting, look.", Nao said pointing his finger toward the bloody pond in the distance.

The two finally remembered where they were. They could see trails of blood and bones scattered all around them. Bukubukuchagama let out a frown emote.

"This place is definitely bad alright. That pond is likely our destination?"

"Looks like it. If our opponent is truly Jörmungandr as Tabula mentioned, we will be in for a tough fight. It might even be a World Enemy, which are essentially super bosses. Do not go into this unprepared, otherwise, even with our current equips we will be wiped out before we even know it."

"Hehe, roger that! Now you're sounding like a guild leader."

"Understood. I'm already looking forward to fighting another mythical monster."

"You two..."

"Hehe, let them have their fun, Nao. Besides, we're now set in stone. I'll inform the others of the good news. I know they've been waiting for the creation of Rising Phoenix!", Isabella responded letting out a giggle and a smile emote.

"Haha, I guess you're right!", Nao let out his own laugh and a smile emote.

"So our guild name is going to be Rising Phoenix, huh? The Phoenix often depicts rebirth, so I guess it's referring to having a second chance to soar into the skies and make a name for yourself? I like the sound of that.", Tabula answered in his own way.

"Me too! I can't wait to meet the others!"

"That will come next. But now, we have a giant ass snake to kill. Let's go."

"Okay!"

"Got it."

"Let's do this!"

Receiving acknowledgment from Bukubukuchagama, Tabula and Isabella, the four made their way to the bloody pond in the distance. As soon as the four reached within its vicinity, they suddenly heard a system notification pop out before them.