The north wind howled as EeDechi led the way with Barrett following behind, the two of them walking through a rundown residential district.
At a crossroads, EeDechi stopped in her tracks, as if pondering something.
Barrett asked from behind her, "Did you forget the way?"
"How could I possibly forget the way?" EeDechi put on a casual air.
"Then tell me Rigrit's address."
"Um..." EeDechi said confidently, "Ludus Street, Antler Alley, 45."
"It's Ludus Street, Corner Lane, 43, second floor," Barrett said helplessly. "If you don't know the way, don't walk up front and lead."
"I just didn't remember it for a moment," EeDechi stubbornly insisted. Barrett shook his head, stepped past her toward the left path at the crossroads, and EeDechi hurried to catch up.
The pair wandered around in circles until they finally found the residence of the last of the legendary Thirteen Heroes. The adamantite-level adventurer Lakyus had given EeDechi a ring, recommending she seek out Rigrit Bers Caurau, who lived in seclusion here.
A few weeks ago, they'd come once before, but the door was locked tight, and the house was empty, so they'd had to leave in disappointment. EeDechi wasn't ready to give up; today she'd come back, hoping to uncover something.
The two stepped over the creaking pinewood stairs, climbing to the second floor of this desolate squat building.
It was disappointing—the iron door was just as before, locked up tight. The copper lock was covered in a thick layer of dust, and the fingerprint EeDechi had left when she touched it last time was still clearly visible. It seemed even thieves and rogues didn't bother coming here.
EeDechi pulled out the ring Lakyus had given her and waved it haphazardly over the iron door, trying to find a mechanism that would use the ring as a key to open it and reveal the secrets behind.
This old door, with its inlaid wood panels wrapped in iron sheeting, could be shattered by EeDechi with a single palm strike. But breaking it wouldn't help, because she could see that behind the door was another small space.
The small space was like a blob of jelly, overlapping with the room; she could enter the room, but not the small space.
Slow, heavy footsteps echoed from the other end of the hallway. Barrett and EeDechi turned to look and saw it was the old lady they'd met once before—Barrett had even helped her dump her household wastewater that time.
The old lady shuffled along, her body hunched over, and now she was carrying a wooden bucket again, tottering unsteadily toward them. The bucket was a swirling mix of yellow, white, and green, and a nauseating stench filled the entire hallway.
It seemed dumping household wastewater was her daily grind. Barrett couldn't help but wonder if the old woman had hoarded a week's worth of piss, shit, and farts, waiting until the "essence" had steamed off before tossing it.
EeDechi pinched her nose and said to Barrett, "Don't you get respecting your elders? Why aren't you helping grandma dump that?"
Barrett crossed his arms; he'd already played the good Samaritan once last time, and he sure as hell wasn't doing it again. "Ordering someone else to help—how's that respecting your elders?"
EeDechi shot him a nasty glare, but after a standoff, she seemed to admit Barrett had a point.
She dropped her hand from her nose, took the wooden bucket from the old lady's grip, dashed downstairs two steps at a time, and dumped the murky, stinking wastewater into the gutter.
EeDechi lugged the bucket back upstairs and saw the old woman standing in front of the iron door. She gave EeDechi a warm smile, held out a slender key from her palm, and jammed it into the rusty copper lock.
Click. Dust puffed up, and with the crisp snap of the mechanism locking in, the door swung wide open.
"Adventurer, please come in." The old woman's back, which had been bent like a shrimp, suddenly straightened. The crisscrossing wrinkles on her face smoothed out, and her eyes, which had been squished into slits, snapped open, flashing a keen glint.
She led the way into the room beyond the door. EeDechi and Barrett swapped surprised glances and stepped inside after her.
"Are you Rigrit Bers Caurau, the last of the 'Thirteen Heroes'?" EeDechi asked.
The old lady before them no longer bore the frail, flickering-candle-in-the-wind look from moments ago. She yanked off her headscarf, revealing a head of gleaming silver hair combed neatly, full of sharp energy—even giving off a heroic vibe.
The old woman smiled gently, "I'm Rigrit. 'Thirteen Heroes' is just an empty title. The place is small; make yourselves comfortable."
The room behind the door was still ordinary; the most valuable thing was probably the wardrobe against the wall, with notches gnawed away by rats on its surface. Besides that, there was just an oak table and three bamboo chairs, all covered in dust.
EeDechi stared at Rigrit and said, "I want the owner's permission to enter the small space."
"Small space?" Rigrit glanced at her, nodded, and said, "No wonder Lakyus let you come see me. To see through the spatial magic of the Abyssal Bloodforge Box with the naked eye—you're quite the remarkable adventurer."
As her words fell, the world flipped upside down!
Walls spun, dust tumbled, the ceiling became the floor, the floor became the ceiling. Polished tiles and velvet carpets spread across the ground, while a six-armed crystal chandelier sprouted from the sky, its lights sparkling brightly.
The four walls were painted in soft yellow, rosewood bookshelves sprang up from the ground, filled with books—some ancient, some exquisite—lined up like dominoes.
In mid-air, a round carved wooden board appeared, extending four slender wooden legs to stand on the floor. Three woolen armchairs materialized around the table. A bottle of rich, deep red wine, along with three delicate, crystal-clear goblets, landed on the tabletop with a thud.
What had been a musty, rundown shack instantly transformed into a luxurious study fit to rival the homes of kings and nobles.
"Welcome to my secret study." Rigrit pulled out a chair. "Please, have a seat."
"So cautious," EeDechi and Barrett remarked as they eyed the surrounding decorations and sat down.
"More than just you two are interested in the Thirteen Heroes. Being cautious isn't a bad thing in the end." Rigrit took out a brass corkscrew, twisted it into the cork of the wine bottle. She pulled out the cork and poured three full glasses.
The rich, full-bodied aroma of the wine wafted all around. EeDechi couldn't wait; she grabbed her glass, took a sip, smacked her lips, and praised, "Delicious!"
Barrett also took a sip; the flavor was indeed excellent. With his limited wine-tasting experience, he judged that this bottle had been aged for at least a century or more.
Rigrit frowned. "I hope you didn't come to see me just for the wine. What did Lakyus recommend you come for?"
EeDechi got straight to the point. "The Thirteen Heroes once aimed to defeat the demon king, right? I want to know how to defeat Ainz Ooal Gown."
"Defeat Ainz Ooal Gown?" Rigrit was surprised. "I didn't expect what Lakyus said was true—that there really are people in the world rushing around to defeat the evil god."
She pondered for a moment, then said, "Anyone who fights evil gods must first understand how they came to be. Similarly, when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back at you."
After saying this philosophical line, Rigrit's expression suddenly turned serious, and she said word by word, "I'm going to tell you the world's biggest secret—it will completely shatter your worldview! Please make sure you're mentally prepared!"
Hearing this, EeDechi was thrilled; she knew this trip wasn't in vain. This legendary figure who had lived over two hundred years must know some ancient secrets that could shock the world!
EeDechi nodded vigorously. "I'm ready!"
Rigrit crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze under the snow-white silver hair utterly stern. In a low voice, she said, "The stars are not alone. In this world, besides us natives, there are people who have crossed over from other worlds!"
"Oh."
"The evil god Ainz Ooal Gown, and the Great Tomb of Nazarick he rules, crossed over from another world!"
"Oh." EeDechi's face was expressionless.
"Besides Ainz Ooal Gown, there's the legendary world dominators, the Eight Greed Kings, and the Six Great Gods of the Slane Theocracy. They all came carrying unmatched items and power, crossing over to our world from another unique world!"
"Oh~ oh." EeDechi raised her tone a bit, picked up her wine glass, and took a sip.
"Hey?" Rigrit widened her eyes at EeDechi. "What's with that attitude? Why aren't you surprised at all? Shouldn't you be shouting 'Wow! There's actually such a thing!' or 'There are other worlds!'? Lakyus was so shocked she didn't eat for three days and nights, constantly pondering the origin of the world."
EeDechi scratched her head. "Do you know any other secrets?"
Rigrit looked EeDechi up and down, then suddenly realized. "Could it be that you're also someone who crossed over from another world? No wonder you're not surprised at all."
"Something like that." EeDechi admitted.
"Then I might not have any secrets to tell you." Rigrit's expression turned melancholic.
EeDechi wasn't discouraged and asked, "Do you know which people in this world have the power to fight Ainz Ooal Gown?"
Rigrit understood that EeDechi wanted to know about the world's top combatants. She thought for a moment and replied, "In the Slane Theocracy, there's a girl named Antilene; in the dragonborn territories of the far western realms, there's a Dragon Lord named 'Deep Darkness Dragon Lord'; at the northern end of the City Alliance, a holy angel slumbers in the icy sea. They all possess supreme combat power, but ordinary people can't find them."
EeDechi lowered her head in thought, then asked the question she was most eager about, "For people who crossed over, what's the highest level their combat strength can reach?"
Rigrit said, "To measure combat strength, there must be a level system. The leader of the Thirteen Heroes was a hero who crossed over. When I adventured with him, he told me about the way to divide combat power. Adamantite-level adventurers are at most level 30 to 40, while the evil gods who crossed over can reach up to level 100!"
"Level 100?" EeDechi pondered, remembering that she was "one of the strongest."
She asked, "Just level 100? Is there anyone above level 100?"
"No one can surpass level 100," Rigrit said. "The leader of the Thirteen Heroes once told me, 'The game's maximum level is 100.' At the same time, this world has some kind of restriction that prevents exceeding level 100."
"Why can't we exceed level 100?" EeDechi asked urgently.
"Look at that stack of books in the corner." Rigrit pointed to the corner, where a long stack of thick ancient tomes was piled up, various books like building blocks, stacked from the floor straight to the ceiling.
Rigrit asked, "Can that stack of books be piled any higher?"
"No," EeDechi replied. "Because it's already reached the ceiling."
"Exactly, it's reached the world's ceiling."
EeDechi frowned as she looked at the stack of books, as if gazing at a towering mountain.
She took a light breath and swung her fist fiercely toward the sky. The powerful fist wind blasted out like a cannonball, punching a big hole through the ceiling, with wood chips and plaster falling down.
EeDechi smiled faintly, "If we just break the ceiling, can't we continue stacking the books higher?"
"Not a bad idea." Rigrit stared at the big hole in the ceiling. "But how do we do that?"
...
Both sides further discussed the forms of Tier Magic. As night fell, Rigrit saw them out.
"Goodbye." EeDechi waved to her.
At the door, Rigrit stopped and suddenly said, "Wait, you have to pay me 40 gold coins."
"Are you kidding me?" EeDechi was stunned. "I'm here to ask you questions so I can fight the evil god and protect humanity's welfare, and you're actually charging me a consultation fee?"
"Consultation fee?" Rigrit said with a cold face. "It's not a consultation fee."
She pointed to the big hole in the ceiling of the study, "You broke my study's ceiling—shouldn't you compensate for that? The roof is made from a single piece of six-hundred-year-old fir wood, seamlessly joined."
"Is it really that serious?" EeDechi muttered, but she still counted out 40 gold coins from her spatial ring and handed them to Rigrit.
Barrett and EeDechi bid farewell to the last living fossil of the Thirteen Heroes. The two stepped onto the street, hired a carriage, and returned to their residence.
They'd chatted with Rigrit for too long; it was already evening. The night was deep, with a dim yellow crescent moon hanging in the clouds.
EeDechi hadn't brought her key, so Barrett unlocked the door and pushed it open. The house was empty and silent, cold wind pouring in through the open windows, stirring up the dry, chilly air.
Barrett felt something odd. Usually at this hour, Sean and Stella would be in the house, with a warm fire crackling in the fireplace. The cleric girl would have a pot of sheep's milk oatmeal simmering, along with some toasted white bread and a jar of cherry jam, kept warm in the oven for their late dinner.
But now the house was deserted, the charcoal in the fireplace piled like stones, the two glass windows wide open, and the north wind had swept away all the warmth.
EeDechi grumbled, "Where did those two kids run off to play?"
Barrett ignored EeDechi's complaint. A bad feeling settled in his chest. He slightly drew his longsword from its sheath at his waist, lit an oil lamp by the door, and stepped lightly into the house, cautiously scanning all around.
The cold moonlight slanted onto the pine square table by the window. A dagger was stuck into the tabletop, pinning a wrinkled parchment. The cold wind gusted, making the parchment tremble like a dying butterfly nailed down by the dagger.
Barrett approached the pine table. To avoid any poison on the dagger or parchment, he took a pair of cowhide gloves from his spatial ring and put them on. He pulled out the dagger, lifted the parchment by one corner, and saw the bold words written on it:
"Your companions are in my hands. If you want to get their lives back, come to the Koccus Ironworks in the far western suburbs at 8 tonight. Don't miss it. Don't notify the guards, and don't bring anyone else, or even the greatest resurrection magic won't ease your regret."
Barrett's heart tightened sharply. He pulled out his silver pocket watch—the angle between the hour and minute hands was painfully sharp. It was 8:35!