"I suppose you could say I know. One of my former companions once kept an animal like you." Although he found it rather unexpected himself, Ainz quickly organized his thoughts and offered an explanation.
"Mm, that's right. Big brother's companions used to keep your kind as hamsters. After all, they're pretty cute, aren't they?" Chu Lian chimed in from the side, barely holding back her laughter, throwing Ainz's thoughts into disarray.
"I know that the Wise King of the Forest being a hamster is shocking. I know that its race being a hamster is strange. I know that the fact it's a hamster is unexpected. But you don't have to laugh like that, do you? At least consider my dignity! Didn't you say you were going to subdue it? Why aren't you making a move?"
Chu Lian's barely concealed mockery left Ainz feeling powerless. He very much wanted to toss his little sister over there and have her subdue the hamster immediately. But it was still the Wise King of the Forest. That would be going too far.
And who knew if she might kill it outright in a fit of irritation? He knew very well by now that Deloris's constant gentle smile didn't mean she was truly gentle. Once she became angry, even he wouldn't be able to stop her.
"I never expected there to be another of my kind. Could you tell me where they are?" The hamster edged a little closer, asking excitedly.
"Take one more step and I'll chop you up and stew you into soup. Don't think I'm joking."
The moment it moved closer, the smile vanished from Chu Lian's beautiful face, replaced by a layer of frost.
"Please don't! It was my mistake!"
Feeling a pressure like a mountain bearing down on it, the hamster immediately retreated, crouching on the ground with its head covered, trembling violently. It was genuinely terrified.
"Ahem. Deloris, didn't you say you wanted to subdue the Wise King of the Forest? Why do you dislike it now that it has surrendered?" Ainz couldn't help but remind her.
Perhaps because the matter concerned it directly, the hamster, though frightened, still pricked up its ears, eager to hear what Chu Lian truly thought.
"If it had some backbone, I might think better of it. But it surrendered after a single move. If I subdue it, I'm worried that the moment it encounters danger, it'll abandon us and run. With that kind of personality, it's better to chop it up and stew it." Chu Lian cast it a sidelong glance as she answered.
"But it could raise your reputation. Didn't you say you wanted to establish great fame in this world?" Even now, Ainz cooperated and did not expose Chu Lian's true intention, instead speaking only of the most superficial reason.
"But it's too weak, and its temperament is too soft. I estimate that if one opponent of equal strength appears, it'll run. If two appear, it'll beg for mercy. Rather than dealing with that later, it's better to settle things now. Skin it, roast it, and fill our stomachs." Chu Lian shook her head, still unwilling.
"Even if it dies, taking part of its body out would still boost your fame. But it wouldn't compare to the reputation gained from subduing the Wise King of the Forest," Ainz said. By now, he had already understood Deloris's intention and played along more naturally.
"Even dead, it would still have some effect. And it would give us what is probably some very tasty meat. With a body this large, even turning it into jerky would last us a long time." Chu Lian spoke of food every other sentence, as if she had truly begun to see the hamster as ingredients.
Resting his armored hand against the chin of his helmet, Ainz thought for a moment before asking, "Nabe, if it were this hamster, what dishes could you make?"
Although she didn't quite understand why Ainz and Deloris kept discussing this, since she was asked, she considered it seriously.
"Besides stewing it, skinning and roasting it, or making jerky as Lady Liliana mentioned, its organs could be made into a mixed dish. Its limbs are sturdy, so they could be used for soup. I imagine it would taste good. With some spices and salt, it should have an excellent flavor."
"Mr. Momon, although its body looks fat, judging from its agility, it must have exercised before. Even if it has fat, it would be rich without being greasy. I believe the meat would be extremely fresh, even more delicious and tender than ordinary meat. Thinking about it this way, I also believe it's better to slaughter it."
Crossing her arms, Nabe carefully listed the various cooking methods before arriving at the same conclusion.
"It's better to kill it."
"I see. Since the two of you both choose to kill it, I can't very well object. Then let's kill it." After some thought, Ainz seemed to find the idea acceptable and agreed.
"Please don't! I don't taste good!"
The hamster had been listening the entire time. Realizing that every few sentences revolved around turning it into food—and that in the end all three had agreed to slaughter it—it could no longer sit still. With tearful eyes, it looked up at Ainz, hoping this person who had shown it some goodwill at the beginning would speak up for it.
"You say you don't taste good and we're supposed to believe that? Whether you taste good or not, we'll only know after trying. Right, Nabe?" Chu Lian looked at it disdainfully before turning to Nabe.
"Yes. I will do my utmost to prepare a delicious meal," Nabe nodded. If she still didn't understand Chu Lian's intent by now, she wouldn't be fit to serve as her maid.
"Very well. Stand still. Otherwise, I can't guarantee it won't hurt." Chu Lian clapped her hands and then took Nabe's small hand as they stepped forward. Looking at the trembling hamster, she reached out her hand...
"Got you..."
The hamster shut its eyes in terror, waiting for death. Yet no pain came. When it heard those words, the voice had sounded from behind it.
Opening its eyes, it saw Ainz standing before it with his twin swords drawn, and Nabe with lightning crackling between her hands. Thinking back to the white-clad girl's words and actions, it vaguely understood what had happened.
"There are enemies?"
It stood up, its long tail swaying as it scanned the surroundings. This time, there was no fear—completely different from its earlier cowardice.
"Yes. And quite a few..." Momonga looked at the black, shadow-like figures slowly encircling them. Aside from their blood-red eyes, the rest of their bodies were abyssal black, as if swallowing all light.
At that moment, Chu Lian returned. In her hand, she held a pure white figure. Aside from its petite and shapely form and sapphire-blue eyes, it was nearly identical to the black silhouettes.
Activating virtualization, Chu Lian scanned their data and frowned slightly.
"Pale Shadow: Born from anomalies brought by cosmic storms. A magic-type monster proficient in multiple schools of magic. Completely immune to all damage except magic attacks of Tier Three and above. Physical Attack: 5; Physical Defense: Immune; Speed: 15; Magic Attack: 36; Magic Resistance: 25; HP: 420; MP: 800; Special Skill: Pale Glow. Pale Glow: Unless destroyed in a single instant, it will regenerate infinitely within light."
"Umbral Shadow: Born from anomalies brought by cosmic storms. A physical-type monster proficient in various martial techniques. Immune to all damage except physical attacks exceeding 50 points. Physical Attack: 35; Physical Defense: 25; Speed: 30; Magic Attack: 0; Magic Resistance: Immune; HP: 700; MP: 240; Special Skill: Pure Black. Pure Black: Unless killed in a single instant, its wounds will fully recover within darkness."
After softly reading out the traits of the two monsters, Chu Lian's expression darkened. This was far beyond her expectations.
"One is immune to magic below Tier Three. The other is immune to physical damage under 50 points. One can regenerate endlessly in light, the other is virtually immortal in darkness. Although they can still be killed once damage exceeds their tolerance threshold, they're truly troublesome enemies..." Ainz silently calculated their combat power and realized that aside from their relatively low attack strength, they would not fall behind even against level 50 monsters.
"Big brother, let's deal with these Umbral Shadows. As for the Pale Shadows, if they hide, they'll be difficult to locate. Nabe, just stay alert. You, dead hamster, act as a meat shield and block attacks for Nabe. If I find out you dare run, I really will slice you in half."
After having Nabe cast a fifth-tier sealing spell on the Pale Shadow in her hand—rendering it unable to move—Chu Lian glanced sideways at the hamster and spoke coldly.
"I will absolutely complete the mission! Please rest assured, Lady Liliana!"
That glance carried bone-deep frost. The hamster didn't dare resist in the slightest and could only shout its promise loudly.
"What dreadful enemies. Liliana, it's time to use our martial arts. Let's see how much damage these creatures can withstand." Ainz swung his greatsword once. He knew that relying solely on raw physical damage would not break through their 50-point immunity threshold and 25-point defense—but that didn't mean he couldn't harm them.
Even if many martial techniques were unavailable to him, there were still some he could use.
"These persistent pests are truly annoying. Am I going to have these things following me wherever I go from now on?" Chu Lian drew the Senra Longblade from her spatial storage, watching as the Umbral Shadows silently closed in around them.
This world was never going to be simple. I knew it...
"These creatures are a unique product of this world's forests. It's just that your arrival—or rather, your presence—has drawn them out from their hiding places. They likely existed long ago. The dangerous areas your magical beasts avoided were probably where they dwelled."
Ayase's voice echoed in her mind. Though she had remained silent, she had clearly been observing the outside world the entire time.
"Long ago? Which means it's probably not just them... Damn it. I knew this world wasn't that simple. Are future dungeon spaces even going to be proper dungeons? Why do I feel like I've been thrown in as a crisis fixer?"
Her mood soured, yet her grip on the long blade tightened as she stared at the encroaching Umbral Shadows.
Just as they were about to complete their encirclement, Chu Lian suddenly smiled.
"They're here..."
The forest erupted with noise. It sounded as though countless creatures were rushing toward them.
"Then let's see whose numbers are greater..."
Her figure blurred.
In a single step, she appeared behind one of the Umbral Shadows and cleaved it in two with one slash.
By all logic, her damage alone shouldn't have been enough to kill it.
But the moment she stepped forward, she had already activated one of her most overpowered abilities—the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
No matter how much damage immunity they possessed, before that power, death was inevitable.
As her blade fell, the battle began...