Outside of the House of Mystery, under a hidden dungeon in London, a clandestine demon summoning was being performed. He'd love to do it inside the House of Mystery, but Orchid strongly protested against it since she didn't want any demons walking around her insides!

Unbelievable! Or so John would like to complain…

John Constantine took a cigarette from the pack, deftly lighting it with a practiced flick of his lighter. He just loved his smoke. He leaned against the worn-out table cluttered with ancient tomes and arcane artifacts, waiting for the demon-summoning spell to take effect.

The air grew thick with an otherworldly tension as he recited the incantations under his breath, and John had this… bored look in his eyes. This was low even for him, but for what he was doing, he'd only end up gaining more infamy among the demons so it wasn't so bad.

"Obscurum noctis, porta ad infernum aperiatur~"

As the last words left his lips, a sudden burst of smoke materialized into the form of a small imp. Its fiery eyes glowed with a mischievous energy as it surveyed its surroundings. John raised an eyebrow, glancing at the imp and then turning to Narberal, a no-nonsense supernatural being he had always thought a pain in the ass.

"Well, Narberal, what do you reckon?" John asked, taking a casual drag from his cigarette.

Narberal, a tall and imposing figure with a disdainful expression, sighed deeply. "This makes it the 21st time you've summoned an imp. I'm starting to question whether you are… playing me or that the Supreme Being saw wrongly in you."

John smirked, unfazed by Narberal's dissatisfaction. "Hey, is it okay if you imply your boss is incompetent?"

"Blasphemy!" Narberal crossed her arms, her impatience was evident. "For your tuition fee, you need to sacrifice a creature worth at least 90 levels in sum total, with a minimum of level 30 for each individual being. This imp barely scratches the surface. And no, the Supreme One is not incompetent, I merely am lacking in understanding his deeper intentions."

These were now only a few things that John enjoyed, bullying Narberal with wordplay and sophistry, but he couldn't push too much since disrespect to Ainz really, as in really, grate in Narberal's ears… and she was this millimeter close to just offing John.

John nonchalantly blew out a puff of smoke, glancing at the imp who was now inspecting a dusty old tome. "Details, details. We'll get there... Just need a bit more time… and luck… Ever tried fishing? This is something like that."

"Get to work," Narberal rolled her eyes, her patience was wearing thin. As the imp gleefully knocked over a stack of ancient scrolls, Narberal added with disgust. "See, this imp couldn't even know what is left from right… truly a pathetic creature, reminds me of human toddlers, messy and dumb."

"Hey," John clicked his tongue, "Don't go too far, poor imp must be a newborn from hell to be this confused…"

Narberal's disappointment deepened, and she couldn't help but entertain the idea of ending John's constant antics right then and there. Her hand twitched, tempted to summon her staff, and maybe bash John's head with it.

But she reined her impulses in, and instead cast her Third Tier Spell, "Lightning," a bolt of lightning shot out from her fingers and struck the imp, killing it in one blow.

"If you don't get it right soon, John, I might be very tempted to cut this business very short," Narberal warned, her tone carrying a hint of menace.

John chuckled, taking another drag from his cigarette. "Don't worry, love. I've got a knack for turning things around. Just give me one more shot and a couple more, and we'll have that 90 levels in the bag. Though you have to teach me more about this Level System as I am unfamiliar with them."

"Then make it quick," Narberal huffed as she sat on a comfy sofa.

"Obscurum noctis, porta ad infernum aperiatur~" John obediently performed another summoning, praying that there was a demon dumb enough to answer his summoning…

As the final syllable escaped John's lips, a spectral glow emanated from the floor, revealing an intricate magic circle. The circle, drawn in an otherworldly blue and red light, glowed with pulsating runes that seemed to writhe and shift. Intricately detailed symbols representing the infernal realms adorned the edges, shimmering with an ethereal luminescence.

Narberal, observing with a critical eye, couldn't help but acknowledge that this time— it would be different. She watched as the magic circle pulsed and vibrated, responding to the supernatural forces John was channeling.

John, leaning against the cluttered table, grinned confidently. "See? I am getting the hang of this. Now, let's see if we can aim a bit higher this time." And with a burst of his magic, he had then summoned forth—

From the depths emerged a menacing figure, clad in demonic scales and wreathed in sulfurous flames. Furcifer, a formidable demon with sharp horns and a malevolent aura, stepped forth, eyeing the room with a predatory gaze. "I am Furcifer! Oh, John Constantine, I shall—" The demon glanced at Narberal, and then looked at John with hate. "I shall have my revenge!"

The demon, Furcifer was a shapeshifting demon and as if to prove this, it transformed into Narberal's shape, copying her contours and office clothes. The office attire, altered in a way that would provoke arousal and violence— from the grin and the gleam of murder in her eyes, this Narberal appeared to be the more depraved version of her.

"Disgusting," Narberal frowned, ultimately displeased by the demon.

In an instant, ethereal chains materialized, wrapping around Furcifer's form. It was John's magic at work. "Furcifer? I don't even remember you, maybe you got the wrong Constantine, welp, that's too bad for you…"

The demon roared, struggling against the unseen restraints, but John's control over the Demon Seal held firm. The magical chains glowed with an intense energy, binding Furcifer and preventing him from unleashing his infernal wrath.

Narberal's disdain shifted to a raised eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing her features. "Impressive, John. Perhaps there's still hope for you." Narberal had summoned herself a sword from her inventory, and with swift slashes, she had proceeded to dismember the demon's limbs.

Quickly, Furcifer transformed into a state of unshape and returned to that of a faceless demon with horns and scales. "AAargh! How dare you!?"

John puffed on his cigarette, the smoke curling around his confident smile. "Told you, love. I can do it. This is better than us running around and kidnapping mystics. Just wondering, your sword seemed nice… It could amputate even demons… Poor Furcifer here couldn't even retaliate."

Furcifer, now contained within the mystical restraints, glared at John with a mix of hatred and begrudging acknowledgment. "You dare bind me, mortal? What is it that you seek? For I Furcifer, shall grant you your wish!"

"This is satisfactory. According to my Mana Essence, this creature here qualifies as a Level 48 in Mana Values alone. Another successful summoning and we are done here…" Narberal then proceeded to trap the Demon in a Devil-trapping Bowl she had summoned from her inventory space.

Nazarick had never lacked items of all kinds.

"KryaaagH!" Furcifer cried in fury as he was forced into the bowl.

"Nice trinket, is that an Incantation Bowl? Yours look a tier above what the Iran exorcists use…" John stood up, cracked his neck, and then proceeded to do more summoning. "This is going to be a long night…" He sighed as he watched another imp get summoned from his magic circle.

It was as if he was playing a gacha game, and depending on the pull he got, he'd either be lucky or unlucky… "Ah, damn imps, they just keep coming…"

---

Meanwhile, on the far secret ends of civilization, hidden within an unnamed forest somewhere in America, a hill had suddenly sprouted from nowhere— this was the Tomb of Nazarick, disguised not just by dirt but also by layers upon layers of illusion magic.

Sat on the throne was Ainz Ooal Gown, and beside him was his Golden Staff idly levitating. "Is that so?"

"Yes, Lord Ainz," answered Narberal from the other end. "John Constantine had accomplished gathering his tuition fee for his apprenticeship to yours, truly…"

GM Call, Message Function, and Message Spell… They were all different in nature, but all the same in essence. Since coming to this reality, a lot of things have changed. The preferable term would be 'mutate' as spells, skills, and even items had become more precise in effect and existence.

The fact alone that Suzuki Satoru and Momonga had become one in spirit and meaning was already a great indication of the mutation that went beyond cosmic causality.

Most likely, levels had become meaningless and the only information that was once static had become dynamic.

"That's good. I order you Narberal to return at once with Constantine. I'd like to very much receive his tuition… and so that we could begin our lessons as per master and apprentice." Ainz wouldn't know shit about teaching magic, and it sucked to be John, but Ainz planned to exploit the human mystic as much as he could.

But why the apprentice and master contract? It was a form of failsafe, and in part, was Ainz's casuistry at work.

"Understood, My Lord," replied Narberal as the mental connection was reduced to null.

"Forgive me," Ainz apologized, "Narberal had to report something rather quickly, so I am sorry if I made you wait."

In front of Ainz were three of his guardians, prostrating before him— Shalltear, Aura, and Mare.

"Don't worry, Lord Ainz, we can wait!" Aura replied.

"It was us who was imposing on you, Lord Ainz, we are sorry for taking up your time." Shalltear quickly supplemented.

"Thank you, Lord Ainz," Mare as usual was filled with gratitude. "Uu-um… We'd like to propose a project. We ask of your patience…"

Hmmm… Ainz pondered on Mare's words. This was a first. And Ainz had free will to thank for… It warmed his heart, but a new fear began to sprout at the back of his mind like the possibility of betrayal. The NPCs of Nazarick were in a word a 'reflection' of his guildmates. Ainz couldn't say that his friends had negative opinions of him which might have influenced the NPCs without his knowing.

Ainz knew he was being paranoid so he immediately squashed his rather creative delusions with the extra kick of his Emotional Inhibitors in turn, he had decided to hear them. "First, rise…"

The Guardians rose from their kneeling.

"Tell me," Ainz assumed the persona of a leader with authority and control… It was only role-playing, but he was getting the feel of it. "What is this project you have in mind?"

As the leader and pillar of Nazarick, he couldn't find the heart to fail the NPCs. So Ainz would willingly sacrifice a limb or two just only to maintain his act, hoping to never be found out and destroy the NPCs' expectations of him… he didn't want to be seen as an infallible and omnipotent leader.

Ainz would be fine just being seen as a reliable and trustworthy superior like he used to be in his youth when he just began as a salaryman and idolized his seniors!

Shalltear stepped forward, summoning a stack of paper from her inventory, "Please take a look at this, Lord Ainz…"

Walking down from his throne, Ainz proceeded to take the stapled stack of paper, and its front page read— Moon Relocation Plan. Ainz read the proposal, and it was written in a way that the reader would immediately understand the intentions of the proponents.

Ainz recalled a certain trio who had already come to him thrice— Pandora's Actor, Demiurge, and Albedo… And every time, Ainz asked them to revise, summarize, and rewrite their project proposal into a more digestible format, they would only come back with more stacks of paper! Those three were going crazy! The first time, they sent him two handfuls stack of paper. The second time, they sent him three handfuls stack of paper. And in the third time, they sent him a crate! IT WAS A CRATE OF PAPER!

The Emotional Inhibitors kicked in again as Ainz recalled the unpleasant memory. Ainz mentally sighed.

"Is there a problem, My Lord?" Shalltear fearfully asked, her mind whirling into chaos as she had feared, their project proposal might have offended their lordship.

"No," Ainz answered, "Let me take a look at this…"

The next five minutes had been excruciating for Shalltear, Aura, and Mare. They heard the flipping of pages and every time Ainz would move to another page, Shalltear could not help but feel tense.

Ainz hummed, reading every page with care… The good thing was, he could understand them and connect their meanings altogether.

Again, Ainz recalled a certain trio whose brilliance was being overshadowed by their overthinking. In a flight of fancy, Ainz attempted to read a page from the other trio's project proposal only to end up questioning life and being befuddled by his own befuddlement. There were so many jargons, and annotations… and it hurts to the eyes! And Ainz was an undead who no longer had eyes.

But Shalltear's team? Their project proposal was pleasing to the eyes. "This is good," he commented, earning sighs of relief from Shalltear's team. Aura in particular smiled, while Mare rejoiced, hugging Shalltear while at it.

The contents of the Moon Relocation Plan were fairly simple… It was to transfer inexhaustible resources like the naturally spawning monsters AKA POPs from Nazarick to the moon, and then create a forward base there.

With a thought, Ainz relied on his Cosmic Awareness to check on the moon. He knew the 'moon' was a sensitive topic as through his cosmic wiki, he had learned all sorts of incidents could happen there… and that if he wished to make use of it, he must be careful. For example, what if a cosmic entity came knocking on his door… again, say Eclipso or maybe just some unknown alien monster?

After a good search and verifying in his cosmic Wikipedia in his skull, he found out that the moon of this Earth was relatively clean and had been barely touched… which was good.

So in the end, Ainz decided to risk it.

"I accept this proposal, but changes had to be made." Ainz had decided to support Shalltear's team with everything he got… That was how good the project proposal was.

"Thank you, Lord Ainz," Shalltear said with gratitude, her relief evident in her voice.

Aura nodded eagerly. "We're ready to make any adjustments you deem necessary, Lord Ainz."

Ainz nodded in acknowledgment. "Firstly, we need to consider the logistics of such a venture. Transporting resources to the moon is no small feat. We must ensure we have the means to do so efficiently, safely, and covertly. The suggestion to use the Gate spell has been acknowledged, but may I suggest the use of anti-information scrying scrolls and the like… We cannot be too careful. Moreover, include also Mercenary NPCs in the plan. Make use of resources available, and don't hold back with the expenses…"

Shalltear and her team listened intently, eager to absorb any guidance Ainz offered.

"Secondly," Ainz continued, "we need to establish clear objectives for this forward base on the moon. What purpose will it serve? How will it benefit Nazarick? I'd like for you to coordinate with Albedo and Demiurge for the matter."

Aura raised her hand tentatively. "Lord Ainz, may I suggest that the forward base could serve as a strategic outpost for expanding our influence beyond the boundaries of the forest?"

Ainz nodded in approval. "An excellent idea, Aura. We must think long-term and consider how this relocation can enhance Nazarick's power and reach. However, at the current juncture, I would prefer anonymity and secrecy."

Shalltear stepped forward, a spark of determination in her eyes. "Lord Ainz, we will revise the proposal accordingly and ensure that every detail is meticulously planned."

Ainz smiled faintly, a sense of pride swelling within him. "I have full confidence in your abilities, Shalltear. Your team has demonstrated exceptional initiative and ingenuity. I understand that you have been the Lead Proponent for this project, so if you wish for a reward, then you may do so… Ask away."

"My Lord," Shalltear was teary-eyed… and blushing? She was exhilarated to an exaggerated sense, and this forebodes ill for Ainz. "Anything, My Lord?" Shalltear asked.

"If it is within my abilities, then I would," Ainz replied, keen on rewarding his subordinates when he could. But then, Aura kicked Shalltear in the back of her knee causing her to wake from her stupor.

Shalletear glared at Aura but then took it upon herself to be the… mature one just this time. "I apologize, Lord Ainz," she sighed, "I would love to take credit for this, but this was all Mare's idea. The only reason I have been made Lead Proponent was because it was me who coordinated our ideas, and had led the conversations…"

Mare supplemented, "I digress, Lord Ainz, Shalltear had been a crucial element in making the project more feasible… she suggested the use of Gate Spell, how to securely enact a logistics' train covertly and efficiently… and she…"

"S-shut up," Shalltear shyly remarked, but her voice was aggressively defensive. "T-thank you, Mare… I hope Aura is more like you… but I can handle myself!"

"Don't be like that, Mare, don't give her too much credit," Aura clicked her tongue, annoyed, "This vampire must be really getting it over her head, huh?" She jokingly remarked, but that must have hit a sore spot given Shalltear's reaction.

"Hey you," Shalltear called out to Aura, "It was your idea to get me involved, okay? You are the one who is getting over her head! You are annoying, okay?"

At the sight of the three's bantering, Ainz couldn't help but recall Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama who had been Ainz's guildmates and close friends… Shalltear was Peroroncino's creation and like her own creator, Shalltear could be very tsundere and at the same time had a tendency to engage in sibling arguments a lot just like how Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama would argue too.

Ainz just watched them, and then he laughed… It was a joyful laugh, like how a grandfather would to his grandchildren. The trio stopped bickering, thinking that Ainz must have been angered by them.

"D-did we do something wrong, Lord Ainz?" Mare.

"Apologies, Lord Ainz! It was all Shalltear's fault!" Aura.

"Eh? N-no… I beg for forgiveness, Lord Ainz…" Shalltear.

"It's alright, my dear Guardians," Ainz said, his laughter subsiding into a warm smile as his Emotional Inhibitors kicked in. "There's no need to worry. In fact, seeing the camaraderie among you brings me joy. It reminds me a lot… of happy memories."

Shalltear, Aura, and Mare exchanged glances, their previous tension easing at their master's reassurance.

"Thank you, Lord Ainz," Shalltear said, her tone softer now, devoid of the earlier defensiveness.

Aura nodded in agreement. "We appreciate your understanding, Lord Ainz. We'll strive to work together harmoniously."

Mare chimed in, his voice filled with sincerity. "Yes, Lord Ainz. We value the unity of Nazarick above all else."

Ainz nodded in approval, his gaze shifting from one Guardian to another. "Indeed, unity is our greatest strength. Let us continue to support one another as we embark on this… new endeavor. I trust in all of you, so you can trust in me too. Even in the face of failure, I shall have your back and prop you."

"Yes, Lord Ainz!" replied the trio.

---

"So where to now?" John disabled the demon-summoning magic circle and asked Narberal what was next. It took some time, but John finally finished.

Summoning demons and having Narberal collect them sounded easy, but it wasn't easy. It involved luck and effort… Damn imps just kept being summoned!

"We return to Nazarick," Narberal stood up and gestured for John to get going. "Use your teleportation magic. It would be easier that way."

"Why? Does the powerful Narberal cannot teleport? It is funny cuz you keep on looking down on me… That isn't nice," John teased her as he took a cig and tried to light it with his lighter, but the lighter wouldn't just work. "Tsk, why don't you?"

Noticing Narberal's light almost unnoticeable smirk, John realized the maid was playing with him. "What did you do? This isn't funny… I need my smoke…"

"Then don't do that, you don't get to measure me like what you are doing now," Narberal eased down.

And finally came the small ember from John's lighter, he lit his cig and finally got to smoke again for the nth time. John looked around. There were few opportunities he'd get to stay in this hidden dungeon under London, and he'd love to never come back again.

"Let's go," John used his incantation-less magic, and within a blink of an eye, they teleported.

---

Narberal blinked, and when she came to, she and John were already in a forest.

It was fascinating just seeing how John's magic worked, but Narberal wouldn't admit it for she was too prideful. There were a lot of preparations involved, symbolism, and rituals… However, unlike the magic of Yggdrasil, John's magic was borrowed and was not a power of his own… The concept of mana was in fact foreign to John.

Before John could actually perform magic, he had to sit by his lonesome self in his room within the protections of the House of Mystery, perform rituals, and create charms beforehand. By level values alone, John was weak. But with his magical means and wit, he was able to become more.

This must be what his master had seen in John. But Narberal could not be more wrong... It was that when Ainz first saw John, he was amazed by John's inherent and raw Mana Values... It was a curiosity to Ainz, since John by player standards should be a seeded character yet had weak stats in actuality.

"There is something wrong," Narberal realized as her eyes landed on the kind of trees that surrounded them. She was no tree expert but she knew she was in a different forest. "Where did you bring us, John?"

"Hmmm…" John looked around and inserted his hand inside his coat in preparation for whatever it was that had sent them here. "Someone intersected my teleportation and diverted us here, stay on your toes, Nabe…"

"Since when did you decide a nickname for me, you mongrel…" Narberal heeded his words and had secretly cast 'Detect Life' and 'Message' to connect with her Lord Ainz. "Lord Ainz, we have been ambushed… asking for instructions."

Came the quick reply, "Be alert. Use the Gate Magic Scroll I gave you if push comes to shove. I permit you to use Gate directly to the Throne of Kings. For now, stand by, as the mission parameters will stay the same. If your life is put in danger, retreat."

"Understood, Lord Ainz," And just like that, Narberal proceeded with her duties, "Lightning," she pointed at one area— a bolt of lightning shot out from Narberal's fingers.

John was spooked when Narberal suddenly made her move.

The lightning met with a translucent barrier. Because of the collision of magic, the caster responsible for this ambush was forced to reveal herself. A woman with dark hair, a niche top hat, a twin-tailed suit, and carried a wand in one hand... had suddenly appeared before them out of thin air.

"Zatanna!" John cried, "What the hell!?"

"John, I see that you have quickly returned to your galvanizing ways," Zatanna said with a smirk, her wand still at the ready. "Or is this a rebound which I must say is unfairly unpleasant…"

John stepped forward, his expression hardened. "What is the meaning of this, Zee? It is unusual for you to do this… intercepting my spell, and bringing me here? Where even are we? What's got into you?"

Zatanna's smirk widened. "Let's just say you annoy me."

Narberal, keeping her guard up, interjected, "I have no intention of interfering with your affairs, whoever this woman is, is your business, John. But it would be to my pleasure if we can just move on our way…"

"That's not how my teleportation magic works, Nabe," John clicked his tongue, "I would need preparations… and it has been tampered with by hers truly, Zatanna Zatara. I wouldn't be able to use it anymore unless I redo the ritual that allowed me teleportation."

Zatanna's gaze flickered between Narberal and John, her wand still pointed at them. "Oh, I see that you have a fucked-up sense of humor, as usual, John… This Nabe sure got the aesthetics, and also the clothes but minus the top hat. And she is a mystic too… Great…"

John's eyes narrowed. "That's all a coincidence, please! And it is not even my idea about the break-up, so please don't go woozy-ouchy-touchy on me, darling… I don't have all day…"

Zatanna chuckled softly. "I am worried for you, John…" She grimaced and lowered her wand. "I was… scared for you! You imbecile! I saw you died!"

Narberal watched the exchange between John and Zatanna with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. It was clear there was a history between them, one that involved emotions far deeper than mere annoyance.

John, for his part, seemed both frustrated and guarded. "Look, Zee, I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine. And I didn't die. Clearly."

Zatanna's expression softened slightly, though her stance remained defensive. "But I saw it, John. I saw you fall, and I couldn't reach you in time..."

At this point, John abandoned his cig and stomped its embers on the ground.

John's features softened momentarily before hardening again. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I? So whatever you saw, it wasn't the end of me."

Narberal exchanged a glance with John, noticing the complexity of emotions playing out on his face. It seemed there was more to John's relationship with Zatanna than he let on. John did his best to suppress his emotions, but it was all too clear for Narberal to see.

As a Doppelganger, Narberal had the 'traits' allowing her to read other creatures' emotional fluctuations

Zatanna continued, "Dr. Fate was gathering a team. He had me touch the Orb of Nabu, and I saw, John… I saw you die in multiple different ways more horrendous than the last… You would die… Changes are coming, John… That's why… That's why I am so scared…"

"What else did you see?" This time, it was John's heart that hardened.

"..." This time, Zatanna had shut up.

"What did you see?" John insisted.

Zatanna muttered, "A World of Peace…"

"That's unexpected, isn't it?" John grinned, "I wouldn't know what fate had in store for me, and if Dr. Fate was moving on his own pace like this, even going so far as to recruit you, he must have seen a different vision… I know this would sound cruel, but thanks, Zee… Thanks for being scared for me."

"But—" Before even Zatana could argue, John had already decided with finality.

"Nabe, since I wouldn't be able to use teleportation in the meanwhile, then I leave the rest to you…" John turned from Zatana, it was unmanly but he couldn't bring himself to look at her anymore.

Despite the cool and awesome facade-of-a-John he'd like to rely on, he was just a man in the end who was prone to melancholy and romance. Narberal took out a scroll and activated the Gate Spell imbued in it.

A dark void was summoned, to which John walked to it never looking back to Zatanna.

"Pots ta ecno rof i redro ouy~!" Zatanna unleashed her magic on John, her wand pointing at him. There was no visual cue of Zatanna's magic, and her usage of a wand was simply her aesthetics thus fooling Narberal.

Narberal watched John stop in his tracks before she could even cast a proper Shield Wall. "This is annoying…"

John laughed, "Hah~! I think you should do something, Nabe… Zatanna can be very stubborn."

"Annoying," Narberal took out her staff, and unleashed her magic on Zatanna, "Electrosphere," it was a Third Tier Spell that took the form of a ball of lightning. It took effort from Zatana to divert the magic blasted on her face, giving Narberal enough time to deal with John's debuff status.

Narberal used her magic to free John from the crowd control spell that hit him. "Magical Resistance Up." And quickly, John was freed from the magical binds that restrained him.

The two, Narberal and John, vanished into the dark void, leaving Zatanna alone.

---

When John came to his senses, he realized that he was already in the Throne Room where Ainz Ooal Gown and his Guardians had gathered. Ainz's large build sat imposingly on the throne where his staff of gold, snakes, and jewels remained floating by his side.

"You worried me, Constantine," Ainz called out to him.

If John said he was not worried, he would be lying. Ainz used the same wording as Zatanna did, implying he was watching all along. What happened to Zatanna could be as easily seen as a provocation or a scheme that John prepared, so it was not wrong to assume in his part that he was being suspected.

"Don't worry, pal, I wouldn't cheat on you, I'd be loyal to Nazarick, after all, I am now your apprentice, right?" And with a flamboyant bow, he for the first time had shown his version of respect to the Supreme Being.

"You should show more respect," Demiurge, the demon, called out John's sloppy bow.

"No, let him be, Demiurge," Ainz defended John, "You too Narberal, you should stand. I prefer this in fact. I hate to stifle you…"

"I would be more comfortable to remain as is, My Lord," Narberal stayed her one knee, while she gave John a side glance. "I am unlike this mongrel who was always so… rude… As I have failed to educate him, I wish to take responsibility by taking my own life—"

'What the f—' Ainz almost lost control for a moment

"What the fuck?" John was just being honest.

"Your crass language is not permitted here, you foul creature," Albedo criticized John. "If not for Lord Ainz's benevolence, your head would have ceased resting on your shoulders."

"Guardians," Ainz raised his voice in an authoritative tone, "I'd like a time with John alone."

The Guardians exchanged looks, but ultimately nodded in compliance with Ainz's request. Slowly, they filed out of the Throne Room, leaving John and Ainz alone in the grand chamber. Narberal took one last look before she bowed, and followed the leaving guardians.

John couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness as he stood before the powerful Overlord. Despite his bravado, he knew he was treading on thin ice with his casual attitude.

Ainz studied John for a moment, his crimson eyes piercing through him with an intensity that sent shivers down his spine. Then, finally, he spoke.

"Constantine, I understand that you may not fully grasp the gravity of your actions," Ainz began, his voice echoing in the vast chamber. "But you must understand that in Nazarick, respect is paramount. Disrespect towards any member of our family is not tolerated."

John swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on the floor as he listened to Ainz's words.

"I have chosen to spare you from the consequences of your actions this time," Ainz continued, his tone firm but not unkind. "But I expect you to rectify your behavior and show proper respect to your fellow colleagues and to me."

John nodded, feeling a mix of relief and gratitude towards Ainz's mercy. "I understand, Lord Ainz. I will do my best to show the respect that Nazarick deserves."

Ainz nodded in acknowledgment. "Very well. Remember, Constantine, you are a part of this family now. We must stand united, as one. How about this? Let's do our first lesson about Magic here…"

"Seriously? Now? Narberal had my tuition fee so maybe later?" John became nervous again.

"You may have noticed already from Narberal, but Nazarick's Magic System worked on a different scale and logic compared to what you could do…" Ainz took something out from his inventory storage— a black void through thin air was summoned— and from it was a book.

"If you are not up for magic lessons, then how about homework," Ainz handed out a seemingly innocuous book with the patterns of staff and a wand crossed over an orb.

John hesitated, and then he was reminded of the Spectre's words. To become the grey in a world of white and black— that was the mission that had been forced on him whether he liked it or not. And then there was Zatanna who had informed him of his death now of all times.

There was no going against death, only co-existence.

At the back of his mind, John always had this urge to kick up a plan or two just to get away from the responsibility all too abruptly thrown on his shoulders… He was tempted… But for whatever reason, he couldn't find himself doing it.

There was a reason why the Spectre had so specifically chosen him— John Constantine.

"I'd gladly take you on in that homework," he grinned, an invisible weight on his shoulders slightly getting lighter. "I guess… I really had become Death's Apprentice now, huh? Neat…"