The Great Tomb of Nazarick's Ultimate Measure, Tabula Smaragdina's Final Legacy, Everything Went According to Plan

Where was Nfirea?

That was the Great Tomb of Nazarick's greatest concern.

Yet he had appeared in plain sight at the Adventurers Guild in E-Rantel.

He was back.

Even if it was a trap, Ainz could no longer sit still.

He wanted to send Pandora to test the waters, but Albedo offered a suggestion:

"Lord Ainz, let us send two [High-Tier Double Phantoms] to the Adventurers Guild to confirm."

"This will draw the enemy's attention while ensuring Pandora's safety."

"I also recommend establishing a Supreme Being Protection Squad and having Rubedo join it."

Rubedo was a monster in the truest sense within the Great Tomb of Nazarick, an existence capable of contending with players.

Shalltear was reputed to be the strongest overall in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, but that excluded certain special beings.

Albedo was one of three sisters, masterpieces created by Tabula Smaragdina, one of the Great Tomb of Nazarick's Supreme Beings.

The eldest sister, Nigredo, meant [Blackening], the first stage of alchemy. A woman without skin on her face, she embodied the Great Tomb of Nazarick's horror and specialized exclusively in intelligence.

The second sister, Albedo, meant [Whitening], the second stage of alchemy. She was the Great Tomb of Nazarick's overseer and the Guardian with the strongest defense.

The youngest sister, Rubedo, meant [Reddening], the final stage of alchemy. She was reputed to be the Great Tomb of Nazarick's strongest combatant.

Together, the three represented the complete alchemical process.

Tabula Smaragdina itself was the name of an occult text.

Rubedo had been created differently from Albedo and Nigredo, using the World Item [Caloric Stone].

Thus, she was essentially a World Item.

Without taking equipment into account, she was an NPC who could truly kill players.

Deploying that fighting force now was perfectly reasonable.

Although Nigredo objected:

"She is different from us. Even the way she was born was different."

"She will surely betray the Great Tomb of Nazarick."

Albedo countered:

"Our youngest sister is not that kind of person. This is where you and I can never agree."

The crisis facing the Great Tomb of Nazarick now gave Rubedo the chance to take the stage at last.

Even Demiurge had to admit that Albedo's suggestion made sense.

Ainz nodded and said:

"Very well. We will proceed as Albedo suggested."

"Albedo will be given command of Rubedo, and we will establish a protection squad."

Ainz recognized his mistake and decided to correct it all by activating the Great Tomb of Nazarick's absolute power.

Yet Albedo looked hesitant, then said quietly:

"Lord Ainz, if matters deteriorate to the point where none of us can protect you..."

"I hope you will activate the [Three Sisters of the End]."

"What? Absolutely not!"

"That would destroy the entire world. Those three are different."

Ainz's forced emotional suppression immediately kicked in, and he hurriedly added:

"That was a design Tabula Smaragdina made in a moment of despair."

"Back then, the whole world seemed bleak to him, and all he wanted was to destroy it."

"After creating the three sisters, he sealed them on the eighth floor."

"Tabula Smaragdina said that if someone broke the seal and brought about the world's destruction, it would be beautiful."

"He also speculated, based on the game's lore, that three World Items existed within the game: the [Eye of Cthulhu], the [Bottle of the Great Flood], and the [Demon Gate]. If he could obtain them, he could destroy the world completely."

"The Demon Gate kills the flesh, the Eye of Cthulhu destroys the mind, and the Bottle of the Great Flood wipes out the world."

"At first, we thought Tabula Smaragdina was talking nonsense. But then the Demon Gate appeared, proving his speculation correct."

"He poured all the money he earned toward the end into them and even exploited a bug in [Sacrificer], making it so that activating the three sisters once would consume three World Items."

Ainz explained with a rare display of agitation, even triggering his forced emotional suppression.

Tabula Smaragdina's final days in the game had been marked by madness, thanks to the intense work pressure Roy had imposed on him.

Every day, he had hovered on the brink of self-destruction, and he had gone beyond the three alchemical sisters to create the Three Sisters of the End.

The logic behind the Three Sisters of the End-

I'm tired. Let it all burn.

He had piled on a mountain of settings, making them beings even the Bone King feared.

By then, many guild members had already quit the game. What had sustained Tabula Smaragdina through completing all this was his desire for revenge against his boss.

Although he did not know who his boss was and could not chase Joshua down to beat him up.

As long as the world was destroyed, his boss would die too.

You're going to die too!

Such were the delusions of a corporate slave on the brink of death.

That obsession had remained, becoming the Great Tomb of Nazarick's most dangerous NPCs.

No, they did not count as NPCs. They were ticking time bombs.

Each use consumed three World Items.

Not even the Great Tomb of Nazarick dared to test them.

Albedo's eyes, however, lit up. She knew about her three cousins.

But she had never imagined they were so dangerous.

Albedo said excitedly:

"A world without Lord Ainz has no reason to exist."

"If the Great Tomb of Nazarick truly encounters an enemy that powerful, please do not hesitate, Lord Ainz."

"This is the shared wish of all the Guardians."

"We feel the same."

Demiurge, Cocytus, Aura, and the others all pledged their agreement.

Sebas said nothing, but still maintained his posture of fealty.

Ainz fell silent for a moment, contemplating the danger he had encountered in the New World.

What attachment did he have to this world?

In the original story, he had shared some pleasant interactions with the Swords of Darkness.

Now, only his acquaintance with the Warrior Captain gave him any lingering attachment to this world.

Compared to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, what did this world amount to?

Ainz nodded.

"I understand."

"Activating the Three Sisters of the End will be the Great Tomb of Nazarick's last resort. Prepare three World Items to be consumed."

"But our priority now is to find Nfirea and uncover information about the enemy."

"Yes, Lord Ainz."

Soon, the Great Tomb of Nazarick dispatched two High-Tier Double Phantoms disguised as the adventurer Momon and his assistant, Narberal.

The reason was simple.

The Orichalcum-class adventurer Momon had taken his assistant to rescue Nfirea, only to fail to save him and have his companion captured as well.

Momon's reputation would be ruined in an instant.

He had to swallow the humiliation.

Even with someone trampling all over his dignity like this, the Bone King had to endure it and seek an opportunity for revenge later.

He had at least that much patience.

News of Momon's failed rescue soon spread throughout the Adventurers Guild.

E-Rantel, the Adventurers Guild.

"Well, well, isn't this our esteemed Orichalcum-class adventurer, Lord Momon?"

"How did your rescue mission fail?"

"Isn't the title of Orichalcum-class adventurer a little too much for you to bear?"

The Mithril-class adventurer [Igvarge] still remembered how Momon had broken one of his legs, costing him his chance to become a hero.

Naturally, Igvarge had to get in a few taunts.

The adventurer Momon's reputation had suffered because of his failed mission.

But Momon ignored him entirely and merely asked the new receptionist a question.

"Where is Nfirea?"

Momon had first gone to the potion shop, only to learn that Nfirea was not there and was instead staying at the Adventurers Guild.

Before the receptionist could answer, a voice reached Momon's ears.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time, adventurer Momon."

"Come to our secret base, and we can talk."

"Nfirea is here. We also need your strength."

"You're a Player, aren't you?"

Crimson's voice was icy, as though she had seen through everything.

World City, the Throne Room.

"Supreme One, Crimson has successfully made contact with the Great Tomb of Nazarick."

"The two sides have begun limited cooperation. We have disclosed a great deal of information about the Space Dragon."

"They will surely investigate it."

"Once they discover Shalltear's movements in the Argland Council State, they will misunderstand and conclude that the Argland Council State is controlling her."

"We also told them that the Argland Council State and the Dragon Worship Cult possess players' items and resources, acquired by exterminating players throughout the ages."

"From there, the Dragon Slaying Cult will coordinate with the Great Tomb of Nazarick to launch an attack on the Argland Council State."

"From the Argland Council State's perspective, the Great Tomb of Nazarick will be behind all of this."

"There is no need for you to trouble yourself with these trivial matters."

Eve reported on the Great Tomb of Nazarick's actions and the progress in the Argland Council State.

Roy did not need to appear in person. Relying solely on the Dragon Worship Cult and the Dragon Slaying Cult, he could turn the Great Tomb of Nazarick into a puppet in his hands.

Accomplishing the most with the least effort.

Roy nodded and said:

"Eve, your plan doesn't end there, does it?"

"No, Supreme One."

Eve said unhurriedly:

"Using the [Spirit Appraisal Eye], I discovered several [EX-class] natural espers."

"One of them is the Dragon Queen of the Draconic Kingdom."

"The Dragon Queen is currently receiving an invitation from the Dragon Slaying Cult. Might you be interested, Supreme One?"

Roy recalled the Dragon Queen's innate talent.

It was connected to Wild Magic.

Perhaps Roy would soon uncover the truth of this world.