My family runs an adventurer's guild.

Fortunately, just when Phil and his group of rookie hunters were at their wits' end regarding the mission, an unexpected reinforcement arrived.

"...Mr. Ainz, what are you doing in the forest? Don't you need to worry about the Great Tomb of Nazarick?"

In a clearing in the Great Forest of Tobu, Firi was stunned as Ainz, the Primal Overlord, suddenly appeared before her.

"...Ah, there's absolutely no need to worry about the Great Tomb of Nazarick! The invaders from the Slane Theocracy were only driven away yesterday; they shouldn't even have time to react today. Besides, just in case, I've already had Albed and Demiurge raise the alert level to the highest level. If any powerful enemies attack or thieves infiltrate, Chief Steward Albed, who is authorized, will annihilate them all!"

Ainz Ooal Gown waved his hand and said, "...Perfect timing. Your mistress just consulted me using the [Message] spell, asking how to find monsters in an unfamiliar forest. So I brought an expert to assist you in your battle, and also to scout out the environment around the starting village..."

—Besides Ainz Ooal Gown himself, he also brought Aura, a dark elf girl who is a forest warfare expert, a beast tamer, and a guerrilla fighter, as well as Shalltear, a vampire progenitor loli who has been inseparable from him for some reason recently, plus a vampire bride and several death knights to serve as servants, forming a huge hunting team... and they are obviously much more professional than Firi and the others.

Furthermore, since Ainz's reasons seemed quite valid, Firi didn't press the matter further and tacitly agreed to Ainz joining the adventure team.

But what Firi didn't know was that, although Ainz spoke with high principles, he actually came out to avoid trouble...

Specifically, it meant avoiding Portia, the ghost who constantly pestered him with questions about necromancy...

Chapter 131, The Cat and the Mouse Battle

Regardless of the era, Japan has always been a place with a strict hierarchy.

From family and school to the workplace, Japan's hierarchical system far surpasses that of other developed countries. Therefore, Japanese office workers are accustomed to showing humility to those in higher positions and being harsh and demanding towards those in lower positions. Like chameleons, they constantly switch between arrogant and humble faces.

Simply put, it means that in front of people of lower status, you should try to act superior and show off.

In Ainz's understanding, in this "new company" he switched to, Princess Hypnos was the chairman, with a bunch of shareholders behind her; Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia was the general manager; Firi was a senior employee; he was a newly hired newcomer; and the beta testers were temporary workers and trainees—so, although his status was not high, he was at least a step above those beta testers.

The problem is, to prove one's high status, one needs to have the corresponding qualities, at least to be able to say something that sounds impressive but is actually incomprehensible.

Thus, facing Portia, the ghost lady who stayed in the Great Tomb and pestered him all day long with questions about necromancy, Ainz couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. If he were truly a great lich who had cultivated himself step by step through his own abilities, then he could naturally put on an air of profound and unfathomable "master" and selectively answer some questions, making the ghost lady feel awe and respect.

However, Ainz never actually trained in any magic in the game; he just relied on the system, paid in-game currency to change jobs, level up, and gain experience.

He actually knew less about the principles of magic than Portia, the half-baked apprentice!

Therefore, in this situation, Ainz is like a guy who only has a junior high school education but insists on pretending to be a university professor.

Ironically, when it came to professional questions, he encountered college students who came up to him with admiration and notebooks, asking for his advice. Ainz couldn't answer them at all, and on the other hand, he was both a show-off and very concerned about his image.

Therefore, Ainz dared not tell the truth, lest his image as a "magical senior" be ruined; he also did not know how to answer; and he was even more worried that if he spoke nonsense, he would be exposed and the other party would report him to his superior (the silver dragon lady)...

Moreover, this ghost lady has a very special status; Ainz can neither hit her nor scold her, and he doesn't even dare to scare her.

How to do?

The only option is to hide!

Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, running away is the best!

So, after receiving a message from Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia, he excitedly led a large group of his minions to the forest to participate in the hunt.

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

Although Ainz Ooal Gown's motives for participating in this hunt were not pure, it must be admitted that his participation did indeed help the hunt.

—The agile and shrewd dark elf girl, Aura, quickly used her tamed giant wolf and its keen sense of smell to discover the traces of the [Forest Wise King] in the forest.

Furthermore, this mischievous dark elf girl deliberately startled the sleeping [Forest Wise King], driving it towards the ambush zone.

By the time the Forest Wise King finally figured out what had happened, it was already surrounded by a large group of players and monsters.

"...Hmm, the so-called 'Wise King of the Forest' in the local legends is actually a giant Djungarian hamster!"

Looking at the adorable creature before him, three meters tall, plump as a ball, covered in fluff, and with its eyes wide open, Ainz Ooal Gown commented, "...It's certainly suitable as a pet! Keeping it in the Great Tomb of Nazarick should be no problem, it's just that its tail is a little ugly..."

Unlike ordinary pet hamsters, the Forest King's tail is covered with sharp scales that can be used as weapons.

Nevertheless, despite being many times larger, a hamster is still a hamster; such a cute creature is hard to find terrifying.

Unfortunately, although everyone present felt that this giant hamster was born to be kept as a pet, the hamster itself did not think so. Upon seeing a group of enemies surrounding it, it immediately launched its strongest group attack skill.

"...[All-Race Charm]!"

—The hamster stared wide-eyed at the sky with its big, watery eyes, struck a very cute pose, and emitted waves of invisible spiritual energy.

If it were a human woman, she might be captivated at this moment, and even unconsciously want to become its poop scooper, picking it up and rubbing against it.

But the problem is, not to mention those undead creatures immune to mental charm, Firi and old Kunka, who are preparing to hunt it, are both cats!

What would a cat think if it saw a really cute mouse? Of course, it would play with it to its heart's content before eating it!

"...Meow! There are such cute mice in this world! They must taste delicious if you roast them after removing their heads! Let this old man go up and have a go at it!"

With a joyful roar, Old Kunka, adorned with the Tiger Man badge, charged towards the Forest King alone, baring his teeth and brandishing his claws with ferocious intent.

Then, before old Kunka's fist could even touch the hamster's fur, it was whipped away by the hamster's tail!

With a grimace, old Kunka lunged at the Forest King for the second time.

Old Kunka's fist still couldn't touch the hamster's fur before being whipped away by the hamster's tail!

Enraged, old Kunkka roared for the third time and pounced on the [Forest Wise King].

This time, Old Kunka finally managed to land a punch on the hamster's abdomen, but it had no effect. He was then sent flying by the hamster's tail for the third time!

—There's no way around it, although the [Forest Wise King] is a hamster, he is over three meters tall and his size surpasses that of a rhinoceros but is slightly smaller than that of an elephant.

Old Kunka, wearing the Tiger Man badge, was certainly a big guy compared to the human soldiers, but in front of this giant hamster, he became a tiny little bean.

While Old Kunka's brute strength, gained through superhuman abilities, made him invincible and unstoppable in his crushing defeat of ordinary human soldiers, he proved somewhat inadequate against the [Forest Wise King], another extraordinary being.

Moreover, Old Kunka had neither weapons nor any special training in fighting techniques. With his "Xia Ji Eight Fists," he could certainly beat an ordinary person to death with a flurry of punches, but here, he couldn't break through this giant hamster's defenses at all!

If it weren't for the thick skin and tough hide of the old Kunka with the Tiger Man badge, he would probably have been whipped to a bloody pulp by the scaly tail of this giant hamster.

In short, everyone present felt a sense of embarrassment at watching Old Kunka being whipped around like a top time and time again.

"...This kind of fight scene...is really ugly! If it were made into a promotional video, customers would roll their eyes!"

Firi muttered to Ainz, "...Looks like we'll have to wait until we've tamed this giant hamster before we can find a backdrop for this photoshoot..."

Chapter 132, Acquiring a Larger-Sized Adorable Pet, Kurasuke

On the other hand, watching the seemingly ferocious "big cat" being repeatedly lashed away by its tail, the [Forest Wise King]'s mindset also changed. The initial fear of being surrounded gradually faded from its heart, replaced by confidence and arrogance, even leading it to smugly show off:

"...Hmph! Before my magnificent appearance, you are all speechless with astonishment and filled with terror and awe! You foolish and despicable invaders, if you don't hurry up and get out of here, you'll become my food!"

The giant hamster, named "Forest Wise King," spoke in human language while striking a cute pose, thinking it was very cool.

Ferry felt a momentary urge to vent her frustration at this.

With looks like that, how could he think he looks terrifying?

Don't you have any idea how cute you are?

Well, perhaps they really don't know, because the native humans of this world have a rather strange aesthetic sense, actually regarding this cute hamster as some kind of majestic and terrifying being, feeling that it is similar to a dragon, a great demon, or a behemoth or something.

However, just thinking about how many unfortunate adventurers have fallen dead in front of this giant hamster makes it clear why the locals think this way.

"...It seems Grandpa Kunka can't beat meow, let's finish this up as soon as possible!"

Phil said this to his mistress, Miss Silver Dragon Lulutia, and Miss Silver Dragon nodded in understanding.

"...Wait! Let me grab my weapon and fight this beast one more time!"

Seeing that he was about to be replaced, Old Kunka, who was eager to redeem himself from his previous castration and show off his macho prowess (or perhaps his fierce cat cuteness?), panicked and quickly picked up the axe he had just used to chop down trees and clear a path, charging once again at the giant hamster named "Forest Wise King".

On the other side, seeing that its old rival was no longer just throwing a few weak punches but had instead taken up a sharp weapon, the [Forest Wise King] became more cautious. It nimbly leaped away, dodging Kunka's axe. Then, it took a few steps back, used a large tree behind it as a springboard, and leaped into the air. Its entire body spun rapidly in mid-air, then menacingly slammed down on Kunka, who had missed his target!

"...What should this move be called? Hamster Ball? Or Hamster Spinning Top?" Ainz, the Overlord, who was watching from the sidelines, said with a bit of a laugh.

—While the Forest King's "Hamster Ball Attack" may seem cute, its actual destructive effect is truly "extremely ferocious." Its tail, covered in sharp scales, rotates along with its body, like an electric chainsaw, easily sawing through even large trees!

However, old Kunka was not to be outdone. He simply raised his axe and slammed it down, sending the Forest Wise King flying.

"...It is truly remarkable that you were able to block my most prized skill... This is the first time in my life that I have encountered an opponent with such skill."

As the giant hamster got up from the ground, it cried out, "...So...we'll meet again!"

The next instant, the giant hamster named "Forest Wise King" turned around and sprinted away, dashing through the gap between the two Death Knights at an astonishing speed. It looked as if it was about to break through the ambush and escape to safety in full view of everyone.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, the old Kunkka, who was wielding his axe in battle, was completely caught off guard, while Ainz, the Primal Overlord, quickly responded.

"...That's enough! Let's just wrap this up already!"

Ainz Ooal Gown emitted a chilling voice, as if imbued with extreme cold, and extended a finger toward the fleeing Forest King, activating his ability.

"...[Despair Aura]!"

A burst of chilling energy, capable of influencing the mind of any living being, shot from Ainz's fingertips and struck the giant hamster squarely on the back.

The next moment, the giant hamster convulsed and collapsed, its fur standing on end, before rolling over with astonishing speed. It exposed its soft, defenseless belly, covered in silver fur, assuming a classic animalistic surrender pose.

He hurriedly shouted, "...I surrender! I have lost! Please spare my life!"

"...So you surrendered just like that... You're just a beast after all... Don't worry, we won't kill you! We're going to keep you as a pet!"

Ainz Ooal Gown said with some boredom, as he walked to the side of the Forest King and looked down at its unguarded belly.

"...Yes! You lowly creature should feel honored to be a member of the Great Tomb of Nazarick!"

The vampire loli Shalltear skipped over, pointing her delicate white hand at the hamster lying on its back, begging for mercy, and scolded it sharply. Then she put on a sweet smile and asked Ainz Ooal Gown, "...Lord Ainz, what animals are we going to hunt next?"

"...According to the known intelligence, there are two other powerful monsters in this forest that can be compared to this 'Forest Wise King,' namely the 'Eastern Giant' and the 'Western Serpent'...However, since this so-called 'Forest Wise King' is nothing special and falls with a single blow, the remaining 'Eastern Giant' and 'Western Serpent' are probably just as weak and boring, right?"

Ainz pondered for a moment, then turned to the silver dragon, Lulutia, and asked, "...What do you think should be done next?"

"...To be on the safe side, I think we shouldn't be greedy and try to do too much. Let's take this big hamster back and tame it first!"

The silver dragon, Lulutia, made this decision, saying, "...By the way, Ainz, since you captured this hamster, you should give it a new name! The title 'Forest Wise King' is simply not worthy of it..."

"...Hmm, let me think about it. In that case, let's call it [Kurasuke]!"

Ainz, who wasn't good at naming things, thought for a moment and finally named the giant hamster "Kurasuke" according to the original story.

—It's hard to say whether this name is suitable or not. The only problem is that [Kurasuke] is a female mouse...

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

And so, with the successful acquisition of the large-sized adorable pet [Kurasuke], the day's hunting plan in the Tobu Great Forest came to a temporary end.

However, when the group returned to the surface shrine of the Great Tomb of Nazarick through the portal opened by Ainz Ooal Gown, with their newly captured adorable hamster, "Kurasuke," they were met with a devastating battlefield littered with corpses and engulfed in wildfire.

The walls that once guarded the surface entrance to the Great Tomb of Nazarick were now riddled with breaches, and the cemeteries, statues, corridors, and palaces that served as surface decorations were reduced to fragments and ruins. The nearby grasslands were littered with numerous charred craters from the explosions. Various fragments of corpses, both human and monster, were scattered across the landscape like peppercorns.

Suddenly, a bright red light shone from Ainz's skull eye sockets—what on earth was going on?

Chapter 133, Conquer the Ruins as Early as Possible!

"...Welcome, Your Majesty! I have good news for you! We just won another great victory! Uh? Is this animal your prey for today? Should I call some maids over to skin it, embroider it with gold thread and jewels, and make you a cloak?"

When Ainz returned through the portal, Albedo, the female steward of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, dressed in a pristine white dress and known as the "Pure White Demon," was directing the Eight-Limbed Assassin Insect Squad—actually, giant spiders that had been corrupted and transformed—to clean up the mess on the battlefield.

Upon seeing Ainz return, she immediately waved triumphantly, taking the opportunity to boast about her achievements and inquire about Kurasuke's handling of the situation.

"...Ugh! How could this be?" Upon hearing this, Kurasuke was so frightened that tears immediately streamed down his face.

"...Uh, this animal doesn't need to be skinned for now. Jarbed, I plan to keep it as a pet, please build it a nest."

Ainz Ooal Gown said somewhat awkwardly, "...By the way, first tell me what happened here? Who were you fighting just now?"

"...Reporting to Your Majesty, according to the intelligence obtained from interrogating prisoners, the Slane Theocracy launched another large-scale attack while you were away, and the number of troops they deployed was much larger than the last time, including several powerful warriors. In order to achieve a complete victory, we even had to use the [World-Class Item] stored in our treasury to ensure that the enemy did not break into the Great Tomb of Nazarick."

Demiurge, the suit-wearing demon who served as the strategist of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, approached from a distance. He appeared to be bruised and wounded, and looked quite tired as he replied, "...Thanks to your boundless wisdom and foresight, not only did you order preparations in advance, raising the Great Tomb's alert level to the highest, but you also granted us the highest authority to use all our treasures. Otherwise, this battle would not have been so easy to win..."

Listening to the report and praise from the demon strategist Demiurge, Ainz, who was completely unprepared for this, was speechless for a moment.

I was only out for a day, and the Slane Theocracy has attacked again? When will this ever end?

In just three short days, they attacked twice. Just how much hatred does this country have for the Great Tomb of Nazarick?

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

Let's turn back time to one day ago.

The Kaz Plain, a place where the Kingdom, the Empire, and the Church meet, is shrouded in thick fog year-round and rarely visited by humans.

On the once flat, grassy plains, tents and campfires have sprung up one after another.

Amidst these scattered tents and campfires, the banners of the Slane Theocracy fluttered.

—Things have already progressed to this point, and they no longer need to hide their identities.

Two equally battered and bruised remnants of the army, along with two fresh reinforcements who had just arrived upon hearing the news, met here.

"...Belly's decoy force failed to lure out Captain Gazef and was utterly routed by a group of adventurers in a small mountain village. The [Sunlight Codex], responsible for the main attack, abandoned their mission without informing Belly and went to scout a suddenly appeared ruin, where they suffered heavy casualties..."

The captain of the Slane Theocracy's strongest special forces unit, the Dark Codex, a young warrior not yet twenty years old, looked at the distraught and disheveled Belius and Negan before him and couldn't help but feel deeply troubled. "...What stupid things have you two done?"