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[LFTAW] Chapter 383: Negotiation and Compensation
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 01:51:09 +0000 UTCAt this moment, Riezel's appearance could only be described as utterly pitiful.
Not only had his clothes been reduced to tattered strips of fabric barely clinging to his body, offering only the minimum coverage necessary for decency, but bloodstains also covered him from head to toe—some of the blood had even already turned black and dried, sticking to him in patches.
On top of that, dust and gravel clung sporadically to his body, staining his skin a grimy black, making him appear even more wretched than a homeless vagrant, perhaps even worse off than a beggar.
Despite his miserable appearance, however, none of the NPCs present, beings who viewed humans as insignificant insects and treated life as inconsequential, dared to look away from him.
Yet, at the same time, none of them dared to meet his gaze directly, instinctively averting their eyes from his piercing stare.
It was because, despite his disheveled and pitiful state, Riezel's eyes remained crystal clear and bright, brimming with a sharp intensity that resembled a sword not fully sheathed, with a gaze so penetrating that it seemed to stab into one's very skin, making it impossible for anyone to meet his eyes.
Even worse, this effect was especially pronounced when the flames, like the fire of the sun itself, surged and roared across Riezel's body, causing every NPC with an evil nature present to be seized by an overwhelming urge to flee.
If Ainz, the supreme ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, were not present, many of them would have seriously considered whether escaping immediately would be the wisest course of action.
To command such fear from those who saw humans as inferior beings and disregarded all life outside the Great Tomb of Nazarick, maybe only Riezel could achieve this.
Riezel's nearly two months of relentless fighting on the 8th Floor had etched this formidable presence into the hearts of these fearless NPCs, who normally feared nothing but Ainz himself.
Riezel, who appeared completely oblivious to all of this, adjusted his breathing and calmly fixed his gaze on Ainz.
"At this point, what's left to talk about?"
Saying this, Riezel's voice was as steady and indifferent as ever, as if the past two months of bloodshed hadn't left the slightest impression or impact on him.
Such an attitude only made Ainz grow even more wary and fearful of Riezel.
If it weren't for the fact that the Great Tomb of Nazarick needed him and that he had to maintain the dignity befitting the name 'Ainz Ooal Gown' in front of his subordinates, Ainz might have shown far more weakness in the face of Riezel.
Now, Ainz could only suppress his anxiety, relying on the forced calm granted by his undead race as he struggled to continue the conversation with Riezel.
"You're a smart man, so I won't beat around the bush and get straight to the point." Ainz said in a deep and solemn voice. "Let's stop. If this continues, it won't end well for either of us."
"Oh?" Riezel raised his eyebrows before a faint smile appeared on his face. "And how do you know this won't end well for me?"
"Because if you keep going, you'll surely die." Ainz stated calmly. "Don't rush to dismiss what I'm saying. Since you're familiar with YGGDRASIL, you should know about the existence of the Twenty, right?"
Upon hearing this, Riezel narrowed his eyes.
He indeed knew about the so-called 'Twenty'.
"Among the only two hundred World Items, the Twenty is the name of the top twenty World Items and disappears after a single use, right?" Riezel said casually.
"Correct." Ainz nodded calmly. "Even for someone like you, if you were up against one of the Twenty, there's no way you'd be able to hold out, right?"
Riezel didn't deny Ainz's statement.
At least, according to the original work's descriptions, the World Items referred to as the Twenty indeed possessed terrifying powers.
Riezel began recalling several World Items among the Twenty mentioned in the original work.
A World Item capable of completely erasing its target, but at the cost of its user also being entirely erased—Longinus.
A World Item that could unleash immense power against targets with negative karma values, with an effect spanning an entire world—Ahura Mazda.
A World Item that could alter the magic systems in YGGDRASIL, with its effects similarly encompassing the entire world—Five Elements Overcoming.
A World Item that was somewhat similar to Five Elements Overcoming, but instead of magic systems, it was capable of changing the rules of YGGDRASIL itself and could even copy the effects of other World Items—Ouroboros.
Lastly, a World Item that was hailed as one of the strongest World Items, typically just an ordinary club, but capable of growing infinitely stronger without limits. Given enough time, its wielder could eventually single-handedly conquer the Great Tomb of Nazarick at their fullest, or even the entirety of YGGDRASIL itself—World Savior.
As part of the Twenty, these five World Items were treasures too powerful and precious to use casually, as each could only be used once.
Ainz Ooal Gown possessed two such items, which were intended to be used only if their enemies deployed items of the same level or if Ainz Ooal Gown faced a crisis that compromised their existence, making the two the most valuable of treasures for Ainz Ooal Gown.
Unfortunately, the original work didn't reveal what the two were or what effects they had. If Riezel had known, he might have been able to determine whether he could handle them.
However, considering the two were on the same level as the other five, they must also possess incredible power, leaving no room for carelessness.
Seeing Riezel deep in thought, Ainz's spirits lifted, and he quickly pressed his advantage.
"I'd rather not use such precious items against just one person, and I believe you wouldn't want to end up being targeted by the Twenty during a battle and meeting your end before you've even had your fill of the fight, right?"
Ainz's words made it clear he had spent the past two months observing and analyzing part of Riezel's personality, which was why he said it this way.
"If things continue like this, the resources of the Great Tomb of Nazarick will be exhausted in this endless battle, causing the mechanisms of the 8th Floor to completely cease functioning. You might win this fight, but by then, I'll have no choice but to use the Twenty against you."
"In the end, we'll both suffer mutual destruction and walk toward annihilation together."
Ainz didn't mention that using the Twenty would ultimately lead to his victory.
Why?
It was simply because, by that point, the Great Tomb of Nazarick would surely collapse due to resource depletion, rendering it nonfunctional and making the many NPCs cease to exist as well.
Losing the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the crystallization of his guild companions' efforts and devotion, would undoubtedly leave Ainz utterly broken. Even if he survived, he felt he would descend into madness, becoming a monster devoid of a soul.
Having such self-destruction—how was it any different from mutual destruction?
"Such an outcome, I believe, isn't what you'd want to see either..." Ainz continued in a deep voice. "That's why... let's negotiate peace, Riezel Brynhart."
Upon hearing this, Riezel closed his eyes.
He didn't respond right away, as though lost in thought, making all the NPCs present grow visibly tense.
Even Albedo and Shalltear, who hated Riezel to the core, didn't voice any objections to Ainz's proposal. Instead, they wore complicated expressions as they gazed at Riezel, standing across from them, their emotions clearly in turmoil.
Negotiation was indeed a step the Great Tomb of Nazarick had no choice but to take.
However, the thought of this man who had not only wreaked havoc in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, meticulously created by the Supreme Beings, but had also killed so many of their comrades, including their esteemed ruler, left Albedo, Shalltear, and the others with a bitter sense of defeat.
Even worse, not only could they not execute this chief offender on the spot, but now they also had to negotiate with him, which delivered a crushing blow to their pride.
In truth, wasn't Ainz feeling the same?
If possible, he would have loved nothing more than to exact severe punishment on the man who had messed up the Great Tomb of Nazarick and tarnished the legacy left behind by his guild companions.
Sadly, he couldn't.
Not only was the man standing before him far too dangerous, even more so than the 1,500 players who had once invaded the Great Tomb of Nazarick, but he also genuinely feared that if he didn't negotiate, the Great Tomb of Nazarick would crumble.
Because of this, he had no choice but to negotiate.
'Forgive me, my friends...'
Ainz silently apologized to his guild companions in his heart, and then, to increase the likelihood of a peaceful negotiation, he spoke to Riezel again.
"I've already released your friends. It seems they've been lingering nearby and haven't left. You'll find them once you step outside."
"I can also promise that I won't repeat what happened last time—I won't do anything excessive to the human race."
"If that's still not enough, I'm willing to pay a price, within reason, to compensate you."
"So? What do you say? Is that sincere enough for you?"
Upon hearing this, Riezel finally opened his eyes.
"Compensation, you say?" Riezel asked, seemingly intrigued by Ainz's last condition. "I'm curious... What do you intend to offer as compensation?"
One should understand that while the grudge between them wasn't exactly etched into their bones, it was practically irreconcilable.
Given this, what could Ainz possibly offer to make him abandon his plans to conquer the Great Tomb of Nazarick?
Riezel truly wondered.
In this moment of tension, Ainz delivered an answer that even Riezel found surprising.
"A World Item." Ainz answered in a tone that could shock anyone. "Only one. I can offer a World Item as compensation and give it to you."
When these words left Ainz's mouth, it wasn't just Riezel who was stunned—even the NPCs around Ainz were utterly shocked.
"Lord Ainz!"
"You mustn't!"
"Lord Ainz, that's a World Item!"
Albedo and the others cried out in alarm.
Ainz, however, simply raised his hand, silencing them.
"I know what I'm doing, so don't interrupt."
While blocking the intense protests from the NPCs, Ainz turned to Riezel and continued speaking.
"So? You must know that the weight of this compensation should be enough, right?"
Upon hearing this, Riezel immediately gave Ainz a deep look.
After a moment of silence, Riezel withdrew the surging flames that had been rolling across his body.
"Since you've put it like that, what else can I say?"
Riezel responded casually, almost as if talking to himself.
"In any case, I've already achieved my main goal, so stopping here is fine..."
Whispering softly, Riezel shifted his attention to his back, where a mysterious mass of text resembling crimson inscriptions glowed faintly with a steady rhythm and flashed at a certain frequency.
