My family runs an adventurer's guild.

"...Damn you! You traitors to humanity! How dare you collude with other races! The gods will curse you..."

"...Hmph! How dare you murderers say such things? Wife, grab a stick and beat him to death!"

……

As Phil and his "player group" rushed out of the house to join the battle, the battle situation in Kahn Village was reversed almost in the blink of an eye.

The one-sided slaughter continues, only now the hunters have become the hunted.

Eager to shed the label of "castrated cat," old Kunka charged ahead like a legendary warrior, rampaging through the enemy ranks. He attacked any foe he encountered with his massive, pot-sized fists. His speed and strength were so great that the attacking cavalry had no time to react before being slaughtered. Even the charging horses were sent flying by a single punch from old Kunka, becoming shooting stars in the sky.

—A max-level player using cheats is easily defeating a level 5 monster, even though he's prepared. Naturally, the scene is one-sided, like cutting melons and vegetables!

After all, compared to players using the [YGGDRASIL] game system skills, ordinary humans in this world are simply too weak.

The "bait force" that stormed into Carne Village and wreaked havoc was not a true elite force; there were no truly strong fighters among them. From martial arts skills to morale to equipment, they were all mediocre. As a result, they were completely routed by Kunka's relentless punches.

Behind Kunkka, the silver dragon Lulutia, the cat-man Firi, and the kobold sorcerer Quark each held a wand, either responsible for ranged attacks, using offensive magic to finish off those who slipped through the net, or casting healing spells to rescue the wounded villagers covered in blood.

The fake dragon boss, Ernest, flapped his wings and flew in mid-air, occasionally using his dragon breath to sweep across the sky and disperse the enemy soldiers who tried to resist.

Even the villagers, who had been caught off guard, mustered their remaining courage upon seeing this, finding all sorts of things that could be used as weapons, and followed the players, mercilessly beating the fallen enemy. Several soldiers who were already seriously wounded only had time to curse a few times before they all died under the hoes, rolling pins, and black bread of the farmers of Carne Village, their deaths generally mangled and gruesome.

"...Damn it, how could there be such a powerful person in such a remote rural place? Are they an adventurer from somewhere?"

Seeing his subordinates being quickly defeated, unable to withstand even a single round, the commander of this unit, Belius, was first dumbfounded, then covered in cold sweat, "...This is probably already an orbrass-level...no, adamantite-level adventurer!"

"...Sir! These adventurers are too powerful, we can't take them down at all! No, we can't even put up a fight!"

Another officer, also sweating profusely, shouted, "...The mission objective isn't here. There's no point in us continuing to fight. Let's retreat!"

"...Yes! Yes! You're right! Mission target Gazef isn't here, we don't need to make unnecessary sacrifices. Retreat!"

Belius, who had bought his official position through bribery and was already terrified, found himself having a reason to withdraw from the fight and immediately seized the opportunity to say, "Running away is obviously much easier than fighting a desperate battle."

So, having found an excuse to flee the battle, he immediately chose to run away. And, seemingly due to excessive panic, Belius, in his hasty retreat, didn't even give orders to his men, but simply turned his horse around and galloped out of the village.

Meanwhile, seeing their commander flee, the remaining soldiers, who were still resisting or being brutally slaughtered, cried out in panic and ran away. Many didn't even bother to take their swords or horses, running off empty-handed in a daze.

Behind these routed deserters, several young and strong villagers from Kahn Village, their eyes bloodshot with rage, brandished blood-stained farm tools or newly captured swords and knives, shouting as they chased after them, wanting to kill as many enemies as possible and avenge their loved ones who had fallen in pools of blood...

And so, lasting less than fifteen minutes, the Battle of Carne Village came to an end even faster than in the original story…

Chapter 124, Waiting for Warrior Captain Gazef

"...Thank you so much, madam and gentlemen! Without your help, our entire village would have been wiped out!"

"...If it weren't for everyone's help, everyone in the village would have been dead long ago. Thank you so much!"

Looking at the village chief and his wife kneeling before him and the lady of the house, weeping with gratitude and kowtowing repeatedly, and the admiring gazes of the village children, a sense of pride as a hero welled up in Phil's heart—he had to admit, this feeling of showing off was indeed very satisfying.

No wonder there are so many kind-hearted and powerful people in the Marvel universe who are willing to provide their own food and supplies to become saviors!

"...Hahaha, no need to be polite, meow! A bunch of weaklings, it's really no big deal if they fight..."

Just an hour ago, the old cat-man Kunka had a glossy coat and neat clothes, but now he was a mess. Not only was he disheveled and covered in dust, but his fur was also stained with blood and dirt. There was also a wound on his back that had been torn open by some sharp object and was bleeding slowly.

But he was in a good mood. In his words, "I've finally been a hero for once in my life, even if it's only for a few minutes."

The village chief and his wife, however, still felt somewhat intimidated by the look in Kunka's eyes, but forced by circumstances, they could only force a dry laugh. The village children and young people, on the other hand, were less calculating, all surrounding the valiant orc and showering him with words of gratitude and flattery. After all, this was a life-saving favor, and according to the usual custom, the men would kneel down and acknowledge him as their ancestor, while the women would tear off their clothes in gratitude—that would be the proper way, wouldn't it?

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

However, what was somewhat of a somber mood was that amidst this celebratory atmosphere, there were also a few bereaved family members wailing and lamenting.

"...Waaah...Honey, wake up! Open your eyes! My three kids and I can't live without you!"

"...Mom! Mom! Why are you ignoring me?! Mom, wake up! Mom!"

"...My poor little Natasha, she's only five years old, she was just eating, how could she be like this now..."

……

—Although the decisive action of Firi and his group brought the battle of Carne Village, or rather the "Carne Village Massacre," to an end much faster than in the original story, the number of Carne Village villagers who died was not much less than in the original Overlord story.

Because these cavalrymen were seasoned veterans of village massacres, they didn't begin the invasion with indiscriminate slaughter. Instead, they planned to drive the villagers to the central square, then search each house one by one to prevent anyone from hiding in cellars, water tanks, or cupboards, before burning the houses down to ensure complete safety. Only then would they slaughter the villagers driven to the square, leaving a few alive, according to the pre-arranged plan, to spread the news…

Therefore, even in the original Overlord storyline where the villagers offered no resistance, the vast majority of Carne Village survived because they were saved before the final massacre. Conversely, even if the invading cavalry were repelled, the initial casualties among the villagers were irreversible.

According to a post-incident tally compiled by the villagers, a total of twenty-two people were killed. Even more tragically than in the original story, the village girl Enri Emmert not only lost both her parents, but her younger sister Nym also perished in the enemy attack, leaving Enri as the last survivor of her family…

Upon hearing this devastating news, Anli fainted from crying against the wall and has not yet woken up.

However, even if Anri fainted from crying, the mess left by the attack on Kahn Village still had to be cleaned up.

So, despite having just lost so many relatives and friends, these resilient villagers wiped away their tears and began to clean up the mess: first, they put out the fire that had started in the chaos, then they searched for the corpses left behind by the enemy soldiers one by one, looking for all sorts of valuables on them to compensate for the village's losses, and finally even the blood-stained rags were stripped off to make rags or shoe soles.

—Since the villagers were not regular soldiers, Phil and his men did not hold back, so apart from the fleeing enemies, the rest became corpses.

As for the warhorses and weapons left behind by the soldiers, they naturally became the villagers' spoils of war. However, the villagers dared not keep them for themselves, but instead respectfully presented them, along with the money bags found on the soldiers' corpses, to Phil and his group. Phil and his group only accepted the horses—at least they could be used for transportation and carrying goods—and returned the scrap metal they didn't care about to the villagers.

Next, the villagers collected the bodies of their relatives and neighbors, and used a cart to take them to the cemetery behind the village for a brief funeral. This included Anri, who had just recovered from her fainting spell, and with the help of her neighbors, she carried the bodies of her parents and sister. It seems that to prevent the haunting of spirits, the lower classes of this world did not have the custom of keeping the bodies for several days before the funeral, but instead preferred to bury the dead as quickly as possible.

Watching the village chief recite a eulogy to comfort the spirits of the dead at the cemetery, uttering the names of the gods of this world and praying for their peace, the silver dragon, Lulutia, somewhat bored, leaned close to Firi and whispered in his ear, "...Hey, why hasn't that elite force called the 'Sunlight Codex' arrived in the village yet? I'm getting so impatient!"

"...What? You killed so many people today, and you still haven't had enough?" Phil glanced at her and asked in a low voice.

"...They're just a bunch of weaklings used as bait. They can't even use magic. They're like ants to me. I really can't muster any enthusiasm for them!"

Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia pouted somewhat listlessly, waving her wand obtained from the game system half-heartedly, "...My soul is yearning to engage in a fierce battle with a worthy strongman!"

Although, according to the power system of this world, the so-called "Sunlight Codex" of the Slane Theocracy is just that—a mere trifle—it's still a bit more durable than those ants who couldn't even use magic! It shouldn't be so overwhelming that even old Kunkka could single-handedly crush a thousand...

"...Uh, I think even if the entire Sunlight Codex army were to go, they'd probably only be able to fight a draw against a max-level Kunkka who's been cheating?"

Ferry turned to look at the old cat-man Kunka, who had finished his treatment and regained his spirits, and commented, "...In short, the Sunlight Scripture of the Slane Theocracy infiltrated this place to assassinate the kingdom's warrior captain, Gazef. We can only wait patiently until Warrior Captain Gazef arrives at this village before the Sunlight Scripture can follow him all the way here..."

"...So, we have to wait for that human named Gazef before we can start the second half of today's battle?"

Miss Silver Dragon gave a slightly annoyed snort, "...Fine, then let's just wait patiently for this dawdling guy named Gazef!"

Chapter 125, Where is the Sunlight Scripture?

More than an hour later, the long-awaited Kingdom Warrior Captain Gazef, finally arrived at the village of Karn, where the battle had already ended, with his loyal but seemingly disorganized subordinates.

As a royalist general, Gazef was suppressed and ostracized by the powerful nobles. Although he was a close confidant of the king, his men were short of equipment and supplies. They were not even equipped with uniforms, armor, and swords. From a distance, they looked like a mercenary group or even a band of thieves.

However, in the era of cold weapons where fighting relied on brute force, equipment did not directly represent combat power.

Various magnificent armies in splendid armor were easily defeated and humiliated by ragged rebellious slaves or barbarians wrapped in animal skins, sometimes even suffering psychological trauma – such humiliating defeats were not uncommon in any region…

So, although Gerdov's men looked a bit disheveled, they were actually relatively capable fighters.

—Of course, this is measured by the standards of "ordinary humans" in the world of Overlord.

Unsurprisingly, when they discovered that a group of unidentified cavalrymen was approaching the village of Kahn again, the villagers, who had just suffered a tragedy, immediately panicked and became agitated, quickly kneeling down in front of Phil and his group to beg for protection.

But when they discovered that the visitor was none other than the Kingdom's warrior captain, Gerdev Stroronov, who was said to be able to take on a hundred men single-handedly, the villagers' fear turned into excitement and cheers.

This shows that Gazef's image is quite positive among the people of the kingdom.

Shortly after entering the village, upon seeing the cat-man Ferry, Kunka, and the kobold Quark, Gazef's men immediately showed strange expressions, and some even nervously drew their swords.

—Although they were not soldiers of the Slane Theocracy, which prioritized human supremacy, they also worshipped the "Six Great Gods" who led the human uprising and overthrew the orc rule.

Moreover, the relationship between humans and other races in this world has never been harmonious.

—The fake dragon boss Ernest wasn't ostracized, because he was too small and was mistaken for the pet of the female mage Lulutia…

Of course, these extreme reactions were immediately stopped by Sergeant Gazef's stern rebuke.

Next, as the leader of this "multi-racial adventure group", the silver dragon Miss Lulutia and Gazef exchanged some witty remarks.

Gerdav smiled and praised the "foreign great magician" Ms. Lulutia and the "alien warriors" for saving the village of Carne today, thanking them for saving the villagers of the kingdom before he arrived with his troops, and subtly expressed his intention to recruit her.

Lulutia politely declined Gazef's offer to recruit her, pointing to Gazef's group of subordinates whose varied and eclectic attire made them look nothing like a regular army, but rather exuded an air of poverty, indicating that Gazef's own financial situation and circumstances seemed very precarious.

Therefore, it's best not to fantasize about a toad wanting to eat swan meat and trying to recruit a spellcaster as wealthy and extravagant as yourself...

While Gerdov felt somewhat regretful, he still politely expressed his understanding, though several of his subordinates were visibly angry upon hearing this.

Next, Gerdov examined the enemy soldiers' corpses that had just been stripped naked and piled up by the villagers, before they had a chance to be buried, as well as the armor, clothes, and weapons seized from the dead, but found nothing obviously suspicious.

—Although this decoy force sent by the theocracy to stir up trouble and create border friction was of mediocre combat ability, it was very good at camouflage.

If they could capture a few prisoners, they might be able to extract some information, but neither Phili and his group of travelers from another world nor the villagers of Carne Village had any awareness of intelligence.

The result is that not a single enemy soldier was left alive, and those who weren't killed had already fled far away.

So, with no other choice, Gerdov rested for a while, collected some hay from the village to feed the horses, filled his and his men's water bags with water, and then, under the setting sun, rode off once again toward the grasslands, leaving the village of Kahn.

Standing at the village entrance, watching the figures of Gerdov and his group gradually disappear on the grassland, Miss Lulutia couldn't help but feel a little wistful.

"...So this is the Warrior Captain Gazef, who's known as the 'Kingdom's Strongest Warrior'? He really is only good as a unit of measurement for combat power!"

"...Gazef is currently not wearing any Noble Phantasms and is in a blank state, so his combat power is naturally not very good."

If he were to wear the full set of god-tier equipment bestowed upon him by the king and be at full strength, he would be somewhat troublesome... but that shouldn't be the focus right now, is it?

Ferry rolled her eyes and said, "...What's going on today? Gazef has already gone far away, why haven't the Slane Theocracy's ambush troops who were chasing him shown up yet?"

The entire grassland is completely empty, meow!

Where did the "Sunlight Scripture," the weapon used to hunt down Gazef, go?

"...This matter...if you ask me, who should I ask?"

Miss Lulutia shrugged. "...Who knows where the Sunlight Scripture is right now? If they don't come to this village to hunt down Gazef, are we supposed to go and search for them ourselves? How long would that take?"

"...A search is impossible; we don't have spy satellites, or even reconnaissance aircraft."

Ferry sighed, "...Sigh, the target of the [Sunlight Codex] is Gazef. Karn Village is worthless to them, so...it seems there won't be any more fighting here in Karn Village, and there's no need for us to stay in this wretched place any longer..."

He turned his head and looked at the dark forest behind the village, “...Let’s follow the backup plan and go on an adventure in the Duwu Great Forest!”

"Let's catch that giant rat called the 'Forest Wise King' and use it as a mascot, or use another magic tree as a target to practice on..."

However, just as Phili was discussing the next steps for their "beta tester team" with his mistress Lulutia, Ainz Ooal Gown, who was stationed at the Great Tomb of Nazarick, suddenly sent a [Message] spell from the Great Tomb, ten kilometers away.

—The [Message] magic in the game [YGGDRASIL] is roughly equivalent to making a phone call.

"...Um...Miss General Manager, there's something I need to inform you about! The Great Tomb of Nazarick has just been attacked by an unknown enemy!"

Just now, a strange group of magic chanters rushed out from behind the grassland outside the Great Tomb, defeated several skeleton soldiers wandering around the perimeter of the Great Tomb, and reached the vicinity of the surface entrance of the Great Tomb...

Ah, don't worry, and you don't need to come back to rescue them. These thieves are all weaklings; they couldn't even beat the vampire brides guarding the top floors! They've already been driven away!

"Sigh, these guys only know low-level magic of the third or fourth tier, at most they can summon some of the lowest-ranking angels, yet they overestimate themselves and dare to invade the Great Tomb of Nazarick, which once wiped out 1,500 max-level players. They're really just asking for death..."

Listening to Ainz Ooal Gown's description, Firi and Lulu Tia's expressions were bizarre and indescribable.

"...It sounds like...the Sun's Codex? Why aren't they following the plot and hunting down Gazef? Why are they going to the Great Tomb of Nazarick instead?"

“…I’ll return that sentence exactly as it was, my dear mistress. You’re asking me? Who should I ask, meow!” Phil rolled her eyes and replied.

Chapter 126, How should game players teach magic?

The Great Tomb of Nazarick, Throne Room

This is a huge palace with ceilings as high as a cathedral and interiors as spacious as a stadium. Even if hundreds of people are inside, it won't feel crowded.

The towering ceilings require one to look up, and the walls are predominantly white with various luxurious decorations, mainly in gold.

Several magnificent crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their bodies crafted from colorful gemstones, radiating a dazzling, dreamlike light.

High up on the wall were huge flags with different patterns, forty-one flags in total, fluttering in the wind from the ceiling to the floor.

In the center of this magnificent hall, a crimson carpet stretched out, leading to a regal platform. Ascending the stairs, one could see a luxurious throne carved from a massive crystal. Behind it, a huge red banner bearing the guild's insignia hung on the wall.

Anyone who is in it will feel a majestic and awe-inspiring aura that comes from all directions.

It makes every visitor with a weak mind feel ashamed and inferior.

This is the Throne Room, located at the deepest and most important part of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

On the crystal throne in this luxurious palace sat a skeleton dressed in a jet-black robe and adorned with various luxurious ornaments.

Within those empty eye sockets, a light flickered as if it were freshly drawn blood, like blood-red lamplight.

This is Ainz Ooal Gown, the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the newly acquired familiar of Lulutia, the guild master of the Totoro Town Adventurers' Guild, and the village chief of the beginner village in the live-action immersive online game produced by the Totoro Town Adventurers' Guild's subsidiary game company. Just over a day ago, he was a lowly office worker on Earth.

At this very moment, the tall skeleton with its red-glowing eye sockets is calmly and majestically... slacking off on its throne.

To be precise, he was casually touching Shalltear, the vampire loli lying in his arms, her face a mixture of excitement and shyness.

—While vampires and fish seem like completely unrelated species, the problem is that in the game [YGGDRASIL], the true ancestor of vampires was depicted as a lamprey by a certain Cthulhu enthusiast…

So, Shalltear, the vampire loli, could be considered a special variant of a fish! (laughs)