Strange Otherworldly Creatures
Draudillon lowered her head, still looking somewhat dazed.
"But... why so fast this time?"
"It's urgent. Remember the Great Hollow I told you about? It's very similar to that."
Draudillon looked up.
"Is it dangerous?"
"There might be a little danger, but it won't be fatal, so let's go check it out."
Draudillon was silent for a moment, then smiled, a maturity that shouldn't have appeared on her young face.
"Then go ahead."
"Um."
He reached out and gently patted her head, then turned and walked towards the door.
Alice Kuonji followed behind him.
Higashino Makoto.
Draudillon's voice came from behind.
He stopped walking, but didn't turn around.
"Don't forget there are people waiting for you here."
"I understand, I won't forget."
He stepped out of the room.
The Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ninth Floor, Round Table Conference Room.
Ainz sat in the main seat, his skeletal fingers crossed on the table, his crimson eyes watching Higashino Makoto walk in.
Albedo stood behind him, with the Guardians standing on either side.
Higashino Makoto walked to the long table and sat down, with Alice Kuonji standing behind him.
"Higashino, you've arrived."
"What about Ainz's hollow hole?"
"I've sent mercenaries to guard a place not far from Nazarick."
Ainz picked up a crystal container from the table and placed it on it.
Inside the container was a strange creature that resembled a combination of an earthworm and a spider, and it was still wriggling.
"This is a sample of the monster."
Higashino Makoto stared at the strange thing.
Is it infectious?
"Hmm, very strong, but the Undead's immunity to poison can be resisted."
What about near the cavity?
"There are many infected. Goblins, beasts... they've all been transformed. Their levels aren't high, but there are quite a lot of them."
His tone was relaxed, indicating he was completely at ease.
Has it been dealt with?
"We processed some of it, and kept some for experiments."
Higashino Makoto remained silent for a moment.
What do the Guardians think?
Demiurge adjusted his glasses.
"Very valuable. Monster hides can be used to make scrolls, and given their regenerative abilities, they require almost no special care. Thanks to them, Nazarick's resource reserves will increase significantly."
"What about the cavity? Should we turn it off?"
"Not needed for now. I'll contact you again if it needs to be closed later."
Ainz's voice was calm.
"Okay. I'll try to stabilize the channel later, but I can't guarantee success."
"It's alright, at least the current threat is minimal."
Higashino Makoto leaned back in his chair.
"That would be perfect, take me to see it."
Indeed, it was not far from Nazarick, or more accurately, above Nazarick.
The sunlight was blocked by the dense canopy of trees, with only scattered patches of light falling on the ground.
This must have been a cover-up by Mare using magic.
The air was filled with the damp scent of earth, mixed with an indescribable smell that was like a mixture of rotting flesh and blood.
Higashino Makoto stood before the void, his golden eyes fixed on the fissure less than a meter in diameter.
A black curtain of light flowed within it, with occasional ripples spreading from the center to the edges, as if something was moving inside.
Unlike the hole from the previous Great Storm, this one is much smaller and much quieter.
There were no distorted spatial patterns, only the occasional falling fragments; it simply floated there quietly.
"Mr. Higashino."
A deep voice came from behind; it was Sebas.
He was wearing a black suit, with his hands behind his back, looking very polite.
Sebas, what are you doing here?
"Lord Ainz ordered me to guard it."
"Did anything come out?"
"Occasionally, but they're never high-level."
Higashino Makoto nodded.
Where are the samples?
Sebas turned to the side and pointed to the monster behind him that was chained up.
A wolf's head, dragonfly wings, a snake's tail, and a bird's claws.
It looks like the work of a mad painter.
Its eyes were red, gleaming with hunger, and its mouth was open, revealing sharp teeth. Saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth onto the ground with a sizzling sound.
Its wings flapped gently behind it, and its tail swept across the ground.
Sebas gave the introduction.
"Level approximately 25, with strong regenerative abilities; it will only die if its heart and brain are damaged."
Higashino Makoto walked up to the monster and extended his hand.
The monster opened its mouth to bite him, but before its teeth could even touch his skin, it was repelled by a golden light.
"Good energy."
Higashino Makoto withdrew his hand.
"And the leather does seem suitable for making scrolls."
"Lord Ainz said the same thing."
Sebas's voice was calm.
Higashino Makoto turned around.
"Sebas, was there anything unusual when the void appeared?"
No, it appeared suddenly.
Higashino Makoto's brows furrowed slightly.
"Appeared suddenly?"
"Uncertain, but it shouldn't be wrong. After all, given its infectivity, if it exists for a long time, almost the entire forest will become infested with its kind."
Higashino Makoto was silent for a moment, then glanced at the empty space. The black light curtain was still flowing, with occasional ripples.
After a moment, he turned around.
"Sebas, please continue to keep watch. Contact Ainz immediately if anything unusual happens."
"Yes, sir."
Higashino Makoto strode out of the forest, with Alice Kuonji following behind him.
"Higashino, do you think this hollow is related to the Great Storm?"
Higashino Makoto thought for a moment.
"I don't know, but it's strange. And the timing is somewhat coincidental."
"Skillful?"
"The Great Storm hole had just disappeared, and now another one has appeared here."
Alice Kuonji remained silent for a moment.
"You doubt Lord Ainz?"
"No, it shouldn't be Ainz. Logically, he shouldn't be able to cause this situation."
Higashino Makoto stopped and turned around, looking at the sky in the distance that was obscured by the tree canopy.
He considered the intelligence currently available.
A small cavity, less than one meter in diameter, has appeared above Nazarick.
Unstable; it sometimes expands and sometimes shrinks.
The otherworldly creatures are characterized by their chimera-like features.
The initial form consisted of a wolf's head, dragonfly wings, a snake's tail, and bird claws, with a level of approximately 20 to 25.
It is highly infectious; contact with its blood or consumption of its flesh can transform other organisms into its own kind.
It has strong resilience and cannot be killed except by affecting the brain and heart.
Perhaps we need to find out why the hole opened up.
Higashino Makoto stood in the forest, gazing at the sky obscured by the tree canopy, somewhat lost in thought.
Is it related to "gods," or is it the work of the True Dragon Lords?
They really are a handful!