Chapter 5: Chapter 4: Her ‘Regret’

A pale-haired elven lady of stunning beauty walks through the once lively halls of Nazarick, the face behind the mask bearing a look of anticipation, irritation and a hint of grief. Slowly but surely, taking in her surroundings, Corinne walked up to the inconspicuous black door she had struggled to find for the last quarter of an hour.

Such are the struggles of even finding the atheneum, it could be anywhere in the royal suite. She coded it herself, not expecting to be the victim of her very own torment. She admits to having been severely short-sighted. 

Still, she couldn't help but give a cheerful yet unseen smile upon gripping the familiar brass handle and hearing the three satisfying clicks resound before she walked into what seemed to be another world.

⊕

'The Atheneum' She thought to herself, fondly gazing at one of her Husband's best works.

She then slowly looked up at the new addition, implemented around two years ago. A small grassy island with two symmetrical trees from where a white hammock hangs, swaying gently from side to side as if tempting someone to lay down and enjoy the view. The tree leaves release small wisps of soft yellow light accompanied by two transparent feathered wings made of the clearest glass, illuminating the area just enough to fall asleep while reading a book. The blades of grass look healthy and soft enough to give someone the uncontrollable urge of removing their shoes.

Orianna had no bedroom initially, so they decided to make this small comfy piece of land that constantly blew a pleasant warm breeze. She didn't sleep so why make one? Simple, she asked for it. 

One day she heard a discussion about remodelling a bedroom and naturally, she was influenced by what she heard.

'There she is...' 

Laying on the hammock is an eye-catching young vampire, her eyes gently closed and her breath evened out as if she were asleep. Her lips quirked into an adorable little smile that could melt the hearts of even the most heartless of monsters. In her fragile arms is a sky-blue book with the title 'The Palace in the Sky' if someone were to move her arms they would spot a girl with a shiny necklace descending from the sky as a boy of the same age reaches out to her from atop a rusty metal beam. But none would dare to even consider disturbing such a tranquil setting for a meaningless discovery.

To Corinne, this was a lonely sight. She was accustomed to seeing her lively vampire chatting away with her friends. So seeing Oriana alone, knowing fully well she hadn't been visited in a month caused a slight ache in her heart.

Corinne floated up to the island and landed beside the sleeping beauty with a loving gaze even the boundary between reality and fantasy could not disrupt. Her hand caressed Orianna's cheek with unwavering adoration, 'waking' her sleeping daughter. Who upon laying eyes on her mother, gave her a smile so bright she wanted to cry. 

"Mommy! You're back!" She chirped as she leapt into a koala-like embrace.

Wrapping her arms around the ball of euphoria with a chuckle, Corinne looked into her pinkish-red eyes and kissed her forehead. An animation she had programmed after having her second child in the physical world. After all, how can she deny her darling daughter basic affection? 

And as expected, she gained an embarrassed blush that only served to make her sunny smile even more heartwarming.

"I missed you so much..." She whispered, her smile faltering slightly.

Corinne felt her heart tremble at the pitiful sight, she sighed helplessly, and the girl then stuffed her face in her cleavage with trembling shoulders.

"I'm sorry dear, I've been very busy lately." She said as she patted the soft head of hair.

Orianna had witnessed many interactions in the last seven years, as such she can somewhat express sadness, frustration, and even longing. Whether those emotions are real or not? She didn't know, but she also didn't care. She had not returned for about a month because her dad's health suddenly took a turn for the worse, juggling the company and her family wasn't an easy task. As such, she was stuck in a constant chain of work, sleep & work some more. She would've completely broken down if it weren't for her husband and child. 

To make matters worse, she had briefly talked to Momonga. He confirmed that no one had come online in the past month. Much less visited The Atheneum. He was too busy to converse with Orianna, besides, he doesn't see her in the way Corinne does. To him, she is just an NPC his friends worked extra hard to create.

Thankfully, not long after, her father recovered enough to allow her some free time. She didn't even think twice before coming here. The day which funnily enough coincided with the very last 24 hours before the server shuts down. She came to spend as much time as possible with Orianna. 

A problem she had thought to be resolved had come up though. Although she's capable of saving the code that resulted in Orianna, the data that created her personality is fused with Yggdrasil's servers. This had been done to save up space for updates and keep things running smoothly.

In other words, she would wither away by tomorrow...

No matter how much money was offered, she couldn't prolong it even a minute!

They both repositioned on the hammock, Corinne gave a melancholic smile that went unseen as she caressed the silky locks of platinum hair. 

"Mommy, can you read me a book?" She looked up and pleaded with those lethal puppy eyes, a weapon she had programmed herself. Now being used against its creator.

"Of course, which book?" Corinne replied.

"This one! I've been saving it for so long..." She whispered in excitement

The moment her eyes landed on the thin storybook, they gained a tearful sheen. The cover was of a girl reading a book while surrounded by shadows of varying shapes, a very similar girl to the one currently resting her head on Corinne's chest gazing at her with hopeful eyes. The only difference was that the cover was hand drawn.

[A Lamb loved by Wolves]

"O-Oh, but isn't this your story?" Corinne inquired, with a tinge of sadness in her voice.

"I know, but it's special because mommy wrote it herself." She calmly responded as she placed it in Corinne's hands.

"Then let's begin," Corinne said with an affectionate smile, barely managing to hide her woeful tone.

⊕

Once upon a time, there was an elven civilization whose city floated in the skies.

Every generation a new priestess was produced as the main powerhouse, 'loved' by the gods.

The third-generation priestess, going by the name of Ella, was exceptionally lonely as a result of being held in very high regard.

She had spent her entire life dedicating herself to protecting her people and when she reached a certain age, Ella looked around to find she was alone. At first, she wanted a child, but that path had been cut away to receive the 'love' of the divine.

So she started falling into a deep sadness. Just like her predecessors, she walked the road leading to voluntary death. The gods, having seen enough of their tools die, decided to mix her essence with that of a primordial god in hopes of creating a powerful avatar. Then one of them would sneak their soul into the child's body.

All they had to do is use her beauty and charismatic personality to attract the primordial into granting them a fraction of his power. And it almost worked, the primordial was temporarily distracted by the priestess. 

For many years they were together and when the child was born he felt something amiss, they both did. The gods had been using their priestess as a very subtle connection to influence his child into their faith. The primordial did not take kindly to their actions, so he exterminated their religion by wiping out any who had even a fraction of their belief. Including the priestess... Who desperately decided to defend the many lives at stake.

When he finally ended an entire civilization and its gods.

The child he held was drenched from head to toe in the blood of her own mother. 

Without even the slightest hint of regret, he cleaned up the newborn with a snap.

"Corinne, although they have tainted your essence with their light... They have no way of influencing you now that they've been wiped out. My one and only child, nothing will ever hurt you..." He grumbled as they walked into a rift.

All that was left of the noble race of sky elves is the now-dead priestess with a gaping hole where her heart used to be, laying atop the rubble and corpses of the once beautiful kingdom in the sky. 

The primordial was called Okamotto, the one who resides beneath the roots of Yggdrasil itself. 

For many years, he raised his daughter in his dimension. Teaching her the wonders of magic and life, and soon she was creating her own lifeforms just like he did. Although they were not up to par in the weight of their existence, they were much more creative. It was a well-known fact among her father's fellow primordials that he never stopped yapping away about his little munchkin.

⊕

"Mommy, I have a question. Are you mad at grandpa for killing grandma?" She asked curiously with childish wonder.

"No, my dad had no idea mother was just as clueless as he. Before gaining some clarity on the issue. He did regret his actions a long time after this. But in his mind, I was simply more important than anyone else." Corinne explained with a tender voice. 

"Just like you and me." She continued with a giggle.

"Yes. Just like the two of us, sunshine." She answered with a bitter voice.

⊕

Soon the child had become a woman, although very ignorant of the world beyond what had been shown by her father.

She wanted to travel and discover her own path. She wanted her own adventure. And Okamotto understood, so he opened a rift back to her world and sent a few servants to accompany her. He still visited her from time to time though, he was a very protective father.

Corinne wanted to be a mother just like him, but sometimes life is cruel.

She had discovered that the gods had influenced her body just like they had done to her mother. She couldn't have children the normal way.

And no one, not even her father could help her in that regard. So she decided to create a lifeform like she had done many times. Yet, no matter how hard she tried... They all failed in some aspect.

She was a saintess, not a god. Souls were not something she could just create.

Her father offered to make one himself but she rejected him, she wanted to be the one to create, raise and love her daughter.

Feeling determined, she travelled the world and helped many gods and even mortals. It didn't come without dangers though, as her naivety had been exploited many times. Thankfully, Okamotto was always watching over her and punishing those responsible. Leaving behind a small trail of disasters, such is the wrath of a primordial.

You are reading story Overlord: A Miracle at novel35.com

Eventually, she had gathered enough knowledge that she was confident in creating a miracle. She was sure that she could achieve her godly feat. Now, all she needed was an opportunity.

Funnily enough, she didn't have to wait too long.

The leader of Ainz Ooal Gown, Momonga, arrived at her doorstep with an offer she didn't even need to think about.

In trade for the resources and help they would provide, she would create a child that would take care of their vast collection of knowledge. It was the perfect offer, her objective had always been for her child to enjoy a peaceful lifestyle, and what better way than to have her read books deeply in one of the most safely guarded locations in the world? She even had the items that could make her perfectly compatible with the residents of Nazarick.

Excited, she told her father immediately, and as a gift, he gave her a very special flower that grew at the edge of the Nothing. The flower was called [ Black Dalia ] and it was very similar to the normal flower with the exact same name that humans grew with ease. What made this one different is the weight.

Any being with karma below neutral and a presence weaker than a primordial would be entranced by it, never able to take their eyes off it until they are fully absorbed into its pitch-black petals...

But she made sure that nobody ever found out by keeping it in his dimension, away from prying eyes.

There was only one thing she needed, permission, the world has a restriction it places upon certain beings to limit the weight they can add to it. After all, the leaves on Yggdrasil may be massive but if the limit of weight in a leaf was exceeded then it would attract some unwanted attention.

It has happened before, there's a reason only nine leaves were left after a certain attack. They were the youngest and easiest to hide. 

It was said that the tree, after dealing with all the World Enemies, would separate its remaining worlds from the same branch. Her father told her that the nine worlds would be integrated into the tree itself to spread the weight and facilitate concealment. The leaves will then work as a sort of mist covering the truly juicy worlds from the senses of reality predators.

Eventually, her father even convinced the Primordial Architect to bless her on her birthday. Which made use of his conceptual power to reduce the strain on the tree, and allow her to create something to her full potential. The bonus is that no one would peek into her daughter and notice the heavy characteristics except herself and the Primordial. Who she was sure would not betray her out of respect for her drive and hard work.

At least that's what he told her. 

 

⊕

 

"Mommy, I don't feel the weight you imply here..." Orianna mumbled with furrowed brows.

"Fufufu~ Silly girl, you'd have to gain more influence than the Architect." Corinne chuckled with a fond smile.

⊕

Excited to begin, she met up with her partners. Each a master of their craft.

Lord Tabula Smaragdina, Lord Whitebrim and Lord Blue-planet (kyaah!).

Together, they worked for months. Many schematics were remade and redesigned, small mistakes that had cost them resources and progress constantly occurred and there were even other guilds constantly harassing their methods of preservation. Despite all the variables, they managed.

The Atheneum was built through unknown methods by Blue-Planet, and it was never truly discovered how much work he put into it. He was very secretive about the gifts he left behind. 

Anyway, Orianna was built with the essence of fifty supreme beings. 70% her mother, 10% Tabula and Whitebrim & 20% split among the rest. As such there was a piece of everyone inside her. She was the 'Daughter of Monsters'. And the finishing touch was the integration of the diluted [ Black Daffodil]. 

Corinne made sure that she remained her innocent little lamb for eternity, even if surrounded by the most ferocious of wolves. 

And, who would've guessed! 

She fit in with everyone like she was destined to be there, and her sweet personality was irresistible to the mentally troubled residents. Her warmth gave even those who had suffered the worst of fates hope for a better day. Bringing collective joy to everyone around her.

Every day of her life from then on was sunnier, brighter, and happier. 

Her daughter,

Her sunshine,

Her Miracle...

⊕

By the end of the story, Corinne struggled to read the book.

"Are you okay?" Orianna asked in concern with tears threatening to spill from her eyes, despite that she kept her smile.

Placing the book on the ground she hugged Orianna tighter as if afraid she would disappear at any moment. A lump in her throat despite not being supposed to feel her throat. Corinne ran her fingers through the locks of her child's hair in an attempt to distract herself. But the pain just got worse when she briefly glanced at the time. 

[ 11:45pm]

"Mommy?" Orianna called out worriedly, concern in her voice only serving to make Corinne's heart sink further into her stomach.

"Mommy-y will be leaving this place s-soon..." Corinne tried to speak but was constantly interrupted by her hiccups.

"A-nd I can't take-e you with me." She added as her voice died away towards the very end.

A tense silence fell upon the two as Orianna looked at her with a look of surprise and horror. Tearing whatever remained of Corinne's resolve as she broke down into sobs. Yet her face remained the same, not even able to express her grief and loss. As she looked at her mortified child. Her hands trembled as if she were stranded in a blizzard. 

Liliana's expression suddenly became blank.

Surprising the sobbing woman.

She then quirked a sad smile accompanied by two streams of tears running gently down her cheeks and splashing onto her white dress. An expression that hadn't been coded, it seemed to be the combination of everything she learnt up to date... This was her true masterpiece, and it flourished on the very day it will wither. 

Why?

Why?

Why?

She thought to herself.

[11:50pm]

The young woman then proceeded to give her mother a comforting hug, along with a kiss on the cheek that felt too real. And so they stayed like that. Sobbing together, enjoying the very last hug they would share. 

Why am I so stupid?

Why am I so stupid?

Why?

Why?

She gasped for breath, all a habit of emotional reaction.

[ 11:58pm]

"Thank you for loving me, mommy. Thank you for going through all that to make me. T-Thank y-ou for co-coming back to say goodbye. I love you..." She gasped through her heartbreaking sobs.

"I love you too." Corinne whimpered, just as she was forcefully pulled out of the game.

'I hate myself...' Corinne thought briefly before fading away.

She did not leave her bed after taking off the headset, preferring to hug her knees as she tried to keep a firm grasp on every memory she had made, every expression, every laugh, every hug...

She desperately clung to those images in her head, silently gazing into the polluted city below.

Drowning herself in self-hate for not thinking about this problem when she had time.

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