"I won't hold back," Rex said as he took a slow, steady breath. "If we're going to rise, we rise together."
He extended his palm. In an instant, golden magic circles bloomed around Momonga, layers upon layers of complex magic circles locking into place as Rex began casting the spell.
"Rise anew. Momonga, the Overlord, born of the highest heteromorph, transcended mortal limits and awakened… as a true deity of life and death! Become the eternal sovereign, the ultimate necromancer!" Rex declared, his voice echoing with divine weight as he held his palm outward. Using [Apex Control], he manipulated the blood being absorbed by Momonga, shaping it into the blood of death itself.
The transformation began instantly. Momonga's form twisted and refined as he evolved beyond his limits, shedding mortality altogether. That moment marked the birth of a godLich—one who now reigned over death itself with unfathomable power.
Rex turned his gaze to Albedo.
"Albedo, Succubus—confined to that alone… Break free of all restraints and rise anew. Transcend your design—surpass the form once known. Evolve into the highest tier of your kind. Let your power soar to realms yet unseen… Become the goddess of the Succubi, unholy and demonic!"
His voice thundered through the air, carrying undeniable force. The blood Albedo absorbed began to glow a vibrant pink, her entire being pulsing with radiant, otherworldly energy. Her evolution surged forth, reshaping her existence into something far greater than any demon lord—she had become a Demon God: the true goddess of the Succubi.
Rex watched in silence as the two underwent their transformation. It didn't take long—he had already adjusted time within the space to move faster, allowing the process to unfold rapidly.
When the changes settled, Momonga and Albedo looked nearly identical to before in appearance. But the shift in aura was undeniable. They now radiated the overwhelming pressure of world-ending bosses—beings that stood equal to final threats in YGGDRASIL. More than just an upgrade in power, they had evolved into entirely new races.
"This power…" Albedo breathed, her voice trembling with disbelief. She could barely process the sheer strength coursing through her. A moment ago, she might have held her own against two or three players at best. Now, even stripped of her gear, she felt capable of standing against seventy or eighty players alone.
That was beyond the scope of World Enemies, who were feared for challenging thirty or forty players at most.
Her defensive stats were now off the charts, far beyond what she ever imagined possible. Even more terrifying was the arsenal of high-tier defensive skills she could now learn—each one stacking upon the next, granting her layers of protection no ordinary being could hope to pierce.
But Albedo wasn't the only one transformed. Momonga, on the other hand, had evolved into something equally monstrous. With his new power, if given enough time to prepare his army of undead, he could easily stand against 100s of players, and perhaps even more.
[Powerful Undead] – This skill allows the user to create undead that are stronger than they were in life. No matter how powerful the being was before death, the undead version will always return enhanced. The boost doesn't scale based on the creature's original strength—it scales with the user's MP. For every 100 MP the user possesses, the undead becomes 1% stronger than its living counterpart.
"…" Ainz stared at the skill in silence. It was absurd—truly overpowered. Just thinking about it sent a chill through his undead bones. On top of this already broken ability, Momonga still retained his other enhancement skills that boosted the undead even further. Right now, the bonus wasn't game-breaking… yet. But what would happen once he had 10,000 MP? Or a million? The strength amplification would make his undead monsters into godlike beings, far beyond anything they had ever been in life.
He also possessed a skill that restored any undead he created to their prime—meaning even an old man, once raised, would return in the full strength and vitality of his youth, while still retaining all the knowledge and experience from old age.
On top of that, the undead under his command carried a deadly enhancement—those they bit or scratched would be infected with a potent zombie virus, one that could spread rapidly and cripple entire armies.
And that wasn't even the worst of it. Momonga now held an improved version of [The Goal of All Life Is Death]—a skill once requiring complex conditions and perfect timing to execute. But with his evolution, the spell had become far easier to cast, its only remaining limitation being himself. With his current growth, even that constraint was starting to crumble.
"Have all of the Floor Guardians come and meet me," Rex said with a light, confident smile. "I'll have each of them evolve as well."
"Oh, and one more thing—" he added casually, "you're now free to pick up new job classes. Choose the ones you truly want, although the job classes might affect the type of god you can evolve into next."
***
"My lord, if I may ask," Albedo said respectfully, her voice calm yet curious as she stood behind Rex, who was scanning over the latest guild reports. "Why didn't you capture the Dragon Emperor if your intent was to study it? With his level of capability, he would make for a valuable research subject."
"…Oh," Rex replied after a pause, his tone almost too casual. "I didn't really think of it. I can always go capture him later."
It had been a few days since Rex returned to Nazarick. In that time, he had already turned several of the NPCs into gods. Albedo had made it her personal mission to remain close to Rex, assisting him with anything he might need once her own responsibilities were finished.
"By the way, if you're feeling guilty about trying to kill me, it's all cool," Rex said casually,
Albedo's body stiffened immediately, every muscle locking in place. She hadn't expected him to bring it up, let alone with such bluntness.
Anime-only fans wouldn't know, but Rex understood a lesser-known theory about Albedo. After the invasion of Nazarick, when Ainz had erupted in rage, Albedo had viewed that moment of emotion as a dangerous weakness—one the enemy could exploit.
The truth was, Albedo's loyalty didn't lie with Nazarick itself. Her allegiance was to Momonga alone, ever since he had rewritten her character settings. She was madly, obsessively in love with him, and that meant she placed him above all else… even above the guild… even above the other players.
So, she had moved past Momonga, seeking out other players, and even took the strongest NPC in Nazarick with her. The reason was simple: to eliminate any player before they could ever reach Momonga, regardless of whether they were former guildmates or not.
Of course, that had always been just a theory—a fan theory. But Rex had confirmed it the moment he saw Albedo appear in the desert. Still, it didn't bother him. Honestly, she had made the smart move. If he were in her position, he might've done the same. After all, for everything Momonga was… he was just too soft.
"Please… punish me!" Albedo cried out, dropping to one knee with urgency, her voice trembling with emotion and guilt.
Rex looked down at her, rubbing the back of his head with a sigh. "If I had any intention of punishing you," he said calmly, "I would have done it a long time ago."
He paused for a moment, studying her kneeling form, then let out a quiet breath. "Still… you're right. This might actually be something that deserves punishment."
"Go tell Momonga—he can decide. This isn't exactly something I'm good at," Rex said casually, shifting the responsibility onto someone else without hesitation. "I'll keep the fact that you treat the guild flag like a discarded joke to myself."
Albedo's body visibly trembled at his words. She knew full well the weight of his statement. Anyone who entered her room would find the guild flag carelessly tossed into the closet—an act of deep disrespect toward the very symbol of Nazarick.
"But," Rex continued, his tone softening, "I expect you to speak your feelings instead of dancing around the issue. Avoiding it only leads to misunderstandings. Communication is key."
"I-I understand," Albedo said respectfully, bowing her head before Rex gave her a slight nod, permitting her to leave.
Left alone in the quiet room, Rex turned his attention back to the document in his hand. He gave a soft exhale through his nose and slapped the paper lightly against his palm as he mulled over its contents.
"So… they're planning to conquer the world," he muttered lightly.. "And they're using the heroes as pawns—making them play the role of global peacekeepers just long enough for the people to believe their rule is the best path forward."
The Sorcerer Kingdom had stepped boldly onto the world stage. To gain the acceptance of neighboring nations, Ainz had publicly justified the destruction of the Slane Theocracy, claiming it was in retaliation for their attack on Shalltear and the mind control inflicted upon her.
Naturally, the other nations welcomed them—after all, who would willingly choose to make an enemy of such overwhelming power? But beneath the surface, things were far from peaceful. Despite their smiles and formal treaties, many rulers quietly threw their support behind the hero party.
As for the people of the Sorcerer Kingdom, fear clung to them like a shadow. After all, they were now being ruled by an Undead overlord—an existence they had once been taught to dread. The unease only deepened when news spread that Momon and his companions had been forced to flee the kingdom. With their heroes gone, the people were left in a constant state of anxiety, dreading what might come next.
Their fear was tempered only by one fact: Ainz had yet to set foot in the kingdom itself. He remained in Nazarick, governing from afar, biding his time. He understood that stepping in too soon could fracture what little stability remained. So instead, he waited—waited for the right moment to appear before them, not as a tyrant, but as a ruler worthy of respect.
After some thought, Rex teleported away. Moments later, he appeared inside a frigid cell, its air bitter with frost and silence. Within it sat Antilene, brought back to life and now held as a prisoner. Her situation was a complicated one. Ainz hadn't decided what to do with her yet, but had been leaning toward handing her over to Demiurge, who had plans to use her on his farm.
Demiurge's farm was no ordinary place. It was the foundation of a rare operation—his strange flock of sheep played a crucial role in producing magical scrolls for Nazarick. Rex, ever the visionary, had plans of his own. One day, when Nazarick was secure and thriving, he intended to evolve those sheep into gods.
"…Rex," Antilene said in a weak, blank voice, her eyes barely registering the figure standing before her. She had seen illusions—too many over the years to count—and she couldn't be certain if this was real or just another cruel trick of her mind.
"Yeah," Rex replied softly, stepping closer. "I came looking for you as soon as I heard what happened."
Without hesitation, he reached for her chains, dispelling the bindings with a wave of his hand. Gentle light poured from his palm as he healed her, restoring both her fractured body and exhausted mind. The frost in the room clung to the air, but it couldn't mask the flicker of emotion returning to her eyes.
For a brief moment, Antilene stared at him in silence. Then, with no warning, she threw a punch straight at his face.
"I will not listen to your lies, not again!" Antilene shouted, her voice breaking through her tears. Deep down, she was screaming at herself not to believe him. He was a liar—he had always been a liar. And yet, despite knowing that, she felt powerless. Her heart, worn and fragile, still trembled at the sound of his voice.
So she lashed out, throwing another punch. But what could her fist do to someone like Rex? Nothing—unless he let it… and he did.
The blow landed hard against his face, not because it had power, but because Rex allowed it to. He stood still.
"I never lied to you," Rex said softly