(I am fixing some early chapters.)
I used the last free charge of Wish Upon A Star on my own personal [Shooting Star] ring. This ring is now functionally useless. I guess I can toss this into the exchange box later.
Fortunately, I still have the [Shooting Star] ring that Teacher Yamaiko donated.
I have permanently wished for an entrance to that infinite, monotonously yellowed dungeon with office rooms. I wondered for a moment whether I should maybe wish for a return to my old world and grab all my retired friends, but I fought the thought.
A wish can only get you so far.
Demiurge offered a possible explanation: this infinite expanse is merely an open space, possibly not meant to be discovered until we came along then he went on for an hour about how it was my divine right to implant my influence and name into this new world.
He cursed and almost hurt himself for not seeing the ocean-wide intellectual ingenuity of my plans. He came to the insane conclusion that my disappearance was merely a test for them, that I had willingly led them to believe I had abandoned them while I was exploring somewhere else.
I don't even have the energy to insist that I just stumbled upon this infinite expanse. He and the rest of the guardians won't even believe my explanations anyway. They genuinely believe that I was exploring a different state of existence just for the sake of conquering it.
Well, whatever, better they believe that over something else.
We've secured a foothold and set up several posts around. We're carefully exploring the place and looking for any potential dangers. We're not the only souls here, and I highly doubt we're the most powerful.
Albedo kept insisting that we're being watched, and Shalltear agreed. Without losing a single second, they insisted on a debate over who would be my personal guard and shield as I explored this brand-new world.
I insisted on personally exploring this seemingly infinite space. There were some parts I recognized as part of my old world. If this place leads to my original world, then that's a boon that I would seize the moment it shows up.
Shalltear Bloodfallen opened up first. "Albedo. You were the one screaming at the skies about your inability to serve as the overseer when Ainz-sama disappeared. We've all heard it loud and clear - arinsu ~."
"Ainz-sama even gagged you for a day because of your incessant screaming when he eventually returned." She continued.
"You're one to talk, when it comes to making mistakes, you've hit the big one. Are you forgetting that you've yet to pay for your sin of being mind-controlled? Also, you were just as devastated as I am when Ainz-sama disappeared." Albedo barked back.
"You keep acting like you knew we were being tested. You didn't see or conclude shit bitch, fuck you." Albedo declared. I am quite worried about these two.
Why must they always fight for my affection? I love them both like a father.
"Silence," I ordered with more regality, now complete with the dismissive arm wave. They silenced their mouths in record time. Now, this is what I want.
"Shalltear, you shall accompany me whilst I explore, and Albedo, you shall remain in your post at Nazarick. However, your armor shall remain by your side just in case I need to call for your assistance."
A sufficient compromise. Shalltear is by far one of the most capable guardians despite her being a bit slow on the uptake.
Demiurge handled the scouting and exploration parties, using the Pleiades as forward scouts. They were given the orders to report or bring back anything interesting.
If there are any humans here, they must be forced to cooperate, or they'll be indefinitely detained as per Demiurge's orders. I don't want that; if there are any humans here, they'd most likely be modern humans, similar to the ones in my original world.
However, I don't want Demiurge's already solid plan of approach to be hampered by my considerations. It's better this way, and besides, their safety is guaranteed, as Demiurge said, if they cooperate.
Well, what could go wrong?
...
...
...
It's been almost a week since we arrived here, and we're learning a lot. This place was apparently called a Threshold, and these human scientists were trying to find a way to exploit it.
We basically had the same idea as theirs, a storage and a future population center. They used some scientific electromagnetic device that I've already forgotten the name of, and they accidentally found this place while using it.
That research institution called itself Async and was based in the United States of America. A name that I recognize and fear. However, one thing that put me off was the date.
The latest date was around the 2000s, from a newspaper clipping. That's like a century ago for me. Why was an archaic, technologically challenged version of the United States of America able to discover dimensional travel?
The rest of the guardians praised me for my knowledge across all of existence when I told them I recognized the language and could read the written words.
So, Demiurge's assessment was right: this place was never meant to be found. The human scientists just stumbled upon it too.
Anyways, I doubt that this is all a natural occurrence.
This is supernatural; there has to be a reason. Not to mention, there are also localized invisible entrances that lead to other places of infinite expanse.
So far, they've discovered a place full of pooled water with tubes and impossibly high ceilings. The undead scouting army has swelled, and although they're doing their absolute best to explore this place, we're barely making a dent in the exploration phase.
A truly infinite place, how horrifying.
They also chanced upon a creature. The Pleiades easily subdued it, and it wasn't wholly intelligent, just a predator that roams these infinite halls. There were scattered corpses all around and signs that there were other people actively exploring this place.
Sigh. The more stone we lift, the more questions we are forced to ask.