"...Hm?"
Momonga opened his eyes. He had not returned to his familiar room. This was still the Throne Room in Yggdrasil.
"What's going on?"
The time was right. He should have been forcibly logged out by the server shutdown.
00:00:38
"What... on earth happened?"
Momonga was filled with panic, frustration, and suspicion, but he was also surprised by how calm he was considering the circumstances. He decided to call on other means. Forced connections that did not require a console, the chat function, a GM Call, a forced logout—
None of them responded. It was as though they had been deleted from the system.
"...What the hell is going on?!"
Momonga's angry voice echoed through the Throne Room, then vanished. Today was the last day of Yggdrasil, yet all these things were happening on a day that should have marked an end to the game. Was this some kind of prank the Devs were pulling on the Players?
"What's wrong, Momonga-sama?"
It was the first time he had heard that beautiful woman's voice. Momonga was startled, but he still kept searching for the source of the voice. When he found the one who had spoken the words just now, he was speechless. The person who had answered him was the NPC raising her head — Albedo.
"Is something wrong, Momonga-sama?"
Albedo kept asking him questions. Momonga did not know how to respond. As it was, there were far too many things he did not understand, so his thought processes short-circuited.
"No... nothing is wrong... no, nothing."
Momonga was not the sort of person who made a habit of speaking politely to dolls. However... hearing Albedo's questions instinctively made him want to respond with deference. Her movements, her speech patterns, her whole being radiated an undeniable humanity.
Momonga still had the feeling that something was terribly wrong about Albedo and himself, but he had no way of understanding exactly what the problem was. All he could do in this ignorant state was to suppress his fear, shock, and other unnecessary emotions. However, Momonga was a common person, and could not do that. Just as Momonga was about to cry out, the words of one of his guild members came to mind:
—Panic is the seed of defeat, so you must maintain your calm and think logically. Remain calm, look beyond your surroundings, and don't waste your effort on unnecessary details, Momonga-san.
As he recalled these words, Momonga slowly regained his composure. Momonga silently thanked Punitto Moe, the Zhuge Liang of Ainz Ooal Gown.
"Is something the matter?"
She was close to him now. Albedo was so close he could feel her gentle breaths. Her lovely face dimpled in an adorable way as she asked her question. Momonga, who had calmed himself after much effort, was in danger of being driven into panic again from her nearby face.
"...The GM Call function does not seem to be working."
However, as his heart was about to jump out due to panic, his emotions were quenched, and he returned to normal. Momonga felt uneasy at the lack of strong emotions within himself, and he wondered if it was related to the words of his comrade from just now. But was that really the case? Momonga shook his head. Now was not the time to ponder these things.
"...Please forgive my inability to answer the Supreme One's questions about this "GM Call." I apologize for not meeting your expectations. Nothing would please me more than a chance to make up for my prior mistake. Please, command me as you see fit."
...The two of them were conversing. There was no doubt about that. Learning this fact shocked Momonga so greatly that he could not speak. Impossible. This should have been impossible. The closest thing NPCs could come to conversations was with macroed responses to being addressed in a certain way.
She was close to him now. Albedo was so close he could feel her gentle breaths. Wait breaths.. As he finally realized what the problem was, he did not shout, nor did he keep silent, but he simply sighed imperceptibly. That unexpected breadth of facial expressions. The reason why her mouth could move and why she could speak—
"...pos...sible!"
Momonga hurriedly placed a hand on his mandible, and spoke.
—His mouth was moving.
This should have been impossible, going by what he knew about DMMO-RPGs. A character's mouth would not move with their words. The basic premise was that external appearances were fixed. Because of that, facial expressions were impossible to design. In addition, Momonga's face was a skull, without a tongue or a throat. He looked down to his hands, and they were the same fleshless pair that he was used to. He could also see that he had no lungs or, indeed, any other internal organs. But then, how was he speaking?
"Impossible..."
Momonga could feel the certainty he had in the world evaporating away, replaced by an ever-growing uneasiness. He suppressed his desire to shout out and, like he expected, his surging emotions were suddenly quashed. Momonga slapped forcefully at the throne, but as he expected, no damage values appeared.
"...What should I do... Is there anything I can do?"
He knew nothing about what was going on. Nobody would help him even if he got angry. Then, his first priority should be — looking for clues.
"—Sebas."
He could see an earnest, sincere expression on Sebas's face. He looked like a real person. It should be fine to give him orders, right?
Momonga took on a superior, commanding attitude, and spoke:
"Exit the Tomb and investigate the surrounding region. If you encounter intelligent creatures, interact peacefully with them and invite them to the Tomb. Attempt to accommodate the other party as much as possible during negotiations. Do not stray more than one kilometer from the tomb and avoid unnecessary combat."
"Understood, Momonga-sama. I will do so immediately."
Momonga folded his arms. The next step would be—
"...I should contact the game company."
The game company would know the most about Momonga's present situation. The problem was actually contacting them. Normally, simply using the /shout command or a GM Call would put him in touch with a GM instantly, but if these methods did not work either...
"[Message]?"
This was a spell used to communicate in the game. One of the fundamental rulings which pertained to DMMO-RPGs was that forcing a Player to participate in a game without permission could be treated as a form of cyber-kidnapping. As such, forcing a Player to test out a game in this manner was a prosecutable offense, especially if there was no way to force-quit the game. It would not be unexpected for a company to receive fines or jail time for such things. Which company would risk arrest or worse to commit a corporate crime like this? And there was another possibility...
...The possibility that the virtual world had become reality.
Impossible.
Momonga promptly rejected that idea. How could such an illogical, foolish thing happen?
But on the flip side, the more he thought about it, the more strongly he felt it was the right answer. And then — Momonga remembered Albedo's scent. In accordance with the software legislation for virtual reality games, such games were not allowed to provide sensory data for smell and taste. Although Yggdrasil had food and drink items, consuming them was little more than changing a value in the game system.
In addition, the sense of touch was heavily limited, in order to prevent confusion with the real world. These limitations meant that VR systems were not very useful for the sex industry. However, none of these limitations were in effect now. Realizing these facts shocked Momonga. Countless questions like, "What about tomorrow's work? What'll happen if this keeps up?" flashed through his mind, but then he cast them all to the back of his mind.
"...If this virtual world is just a simulation of the real world... then the quantity of data involved must be unimaginable..."
Momonga swallowed with a nonexistent throat. Though his mind could not comprehend the situation, his heart could.
He was…
X
The Amphitheater, Sixth floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.
In the middle of the arena stood Momonga trying out various skills and spells in his repertoire.
"I see. Well, this was an informative experiment... thank you, Aura."
—It seemed that Momonga could be sure that he still possessed the basic abilities of an undead being and his special skills gained through leveling up. After a casting a few more spells, Momonga could confirm these things—
To begin with, the restriction on friendly fire had been lifted. In Yggdrasil, he could cast a spell by tapping its respective icon. However, there were no icons for him to touch. Therefore, there had to be some other way. He was not sure, but he had a faint idea of how to use his magic. It was a power hidden within him. Just like how he had deactivated his [Negative Touch], Momonga focused within himself. An icon appeared, as though floating in mid-air—
And Momonga smiled in delight. He was fully aware of information like the spell's effective radius, its recast delay, and so on. Knowing this information, being sure of his power filled him with a surging excitement and warm satisfaction. Unlike in Yggdrasil, he felt that the magic was part of him. This was a satisfaction he could never have experienced in Yggdrasil.
He channelled the jubilation in his heart — although his mood calmed quickly, he could still feel joy and excitement — into his fingertip, and spoke the words:
"[Fireball]."
An expanding globe of flame shot out from the finger pointing at the straw man. The fireball struck the straw man unerringly, as he had predicted. It burst, releasing a wave of scorching flame that blew the straw man away. The inner part of the fireball exploded, turning the straw man and the surrounding area into a sea of fire. All this happened in an instant. Then, besides the blackened straw man, there was nothing left. Glad with his success, Momonga began his next experiment.
"[Message]."
Momonga decided to contact Sebas.
—It got through.
This proved that the [Message] spell was working, and that most likely, it could only contact people within this new world.
"[Momonga-sama.]"
A voice of deepest respect echoed through his mind. Momonga considered that Sebas might have been bowing to him on the other side of the [Message], like in real-life companies. Just then, Sebas spoke again, as Momonga fell silent from thinking about these ridiculous things.
"[...May I ask if something is wrong?]"
"Ah, ahhh, forgive me. I spaced out there. That's right, what are the surroundings like?"
"[Yes. We are surrounded on all sides by plains, with no intelligent creatures in sight.]"
"A plain... not a swamp?"
The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick should have been bordered by a swamp that was inhabited by frog-like demi-humans called Tuvegs. The swamp was shrouded in mist, and it was poisonous.
"[Yes. There are only plains around us.]"
Momonga could not help but smile. All this was too much...
"In other words, the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick has been wholly transported to a different place? ...Sebas, is there anything floating in the sky, or did anything like a message appear?"
"[No, there is nothing like that. The heavens are as boundless as the Sixth Floor's night sky.]"
"What?! Did you say night sky? ...Is there anything suspicious around you?"
"[No... I have not seen anything unusual. But the magic seems to be different here as compared to when I was inside the great Tomb.]"
"What?! Magic?.. Is there a hindrance in using it?"
"[No, there is nothing of the sort. Instead it seems to be flowing too freely such that variations in my natural flow of Qi is possible.]"
"Is that so... is that so..."
What should he say? All Momonga could do was grab his head and try to think. But in his heart, he knew that this was most likely the case. Sebas's silence was a subtle hint that he was awaiting orders. Momonga glanced at the strap on his left wrist. In another twenty minutes, the other Guardians would arrive. If that were the case, there was only one order he could give.
"Return in twenty minutes. When you come back to Nazarick, head to the Colosseum. All the Guardians will be coming, so when you arrive, I hope you will tell them about what you saw.
"[Understood.]"
"Then, gather as much information as you can before you return."
After hearing Sebas's acknowledgment, Momonga terminated the [Message] spell.
Momonga had already verified that he could use his abilities from Yggdrasil inside the Great Tomb of Nazarick. That being the case, He now had to see if his powers worked the same in the outside world. He also had to unravel the reason for this. Maybe it was because the Tomb was protected by the world Item, Throne of Kings or maybe there was another reason. He could only wait for now…
With the exception of the Fourth Floor Guardian, Gargantua, and the Eighth Floor Guardian, Victim, all the other Floor Guardians assembled before Momonga. After they pledged their unwavering loyalty to their Supreme Ruler, Momonga addressed them, outlining the dire circumstances they currently faced.
"Excellent. Guardians, I know that you will understand my aims and successfully carry out my commands. There may be some things which may be difficult for you to understand, but I hope you will pay attention and listen. I believe the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick has been caught up in some kind of unknown situation.
Although I do not know what has caused this incident, the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick has been displaced from its original location in the swamps to a vast plain where magic behaves differently compared to within the tomb. Sebas is currently reconnoitring the surface."
Momonga looked at his illusory timer,
"It's about time for him to return."
Just then, Momonga saw Sebas jogging over to them, until he reached the Guardians genuflecting before Momonga and went to one knee as well.
"Momonga-sama, forgive my lateness."
"It's fine. Then, your report on the surrounding conditions."
"Yes. To begin with, the terrain surrounding us for a kilometre in each direction is a plain. There are no signs of man-made structures. I spotted some small animals, but there were no humanoid or large creatures."
"Were those small animals monsters?"
"No, they were life forms which had no combat power."
"...I see. Then, were the plains you spoke of covered in frozen grass which would cut you as you passed them?"
"No, it was simple grass. There was nothing special about it."
"And what did you observe about Magic?" Momonga inquired.
"Although I am not a magic caster, I was able to compensate for it with my Ki Sense to perceive the spiritual energy of the world," Sebas explained. "It appears that the laws of magic are not well defined here, and a person's magical abilities are largely dependent on their emotions and innate talent. Even the strength and cooldown of skills/spells can be altered depending on the situation. However, there is a greater chance of their powers going berserk.
"I see. Unlike Yggdrasil's Tier System of magic, which has well-defined rules, the magic outside Nazarick is much more volatile… Thank you for your hard work, Sebas."
As he praised Sebas for his efforts, Momonga was somewhat disappointed because he had not obtained any useful information. However, he was slowly realizing that he was no longer in the game world of Yggdrasil, although he did not understand why he could use Yggdrasil's equipment and use its spells.
He did not know why they had come here, but it would be wise to heighten Nazarick's combat readiness just in case. For all he knew, this might be someone else's territory, and he might be censured for having come here without permission. No, he would be lucky if that were all that happened.
"Guardians, increase the readiness of each floor by one level. We are unsure of what has happened, so do not act incautiously. If you encounter an intruder, do not slay them, but capture them alive at all costs. When you capture them, do as little harm to them as possible. I apologize for imposing such demands on all of you at a time like this."
The Guardians voiced their acknowledgment and nodded in unison.
"Next, Aura and Mare... can you conceal the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick? Simple illusions don't seem very reliable, and thinking about the cost of illusions gives me a headache."
Aura and Mare looked at each other and began thinking. After a while, Mare spoke up:
"U-Using magic might be tricky. If we had to hide everything along with the surface... although, we could cover the walls in mud, and then add plants as camouflage."
"Do you intend to soil the glorious walls of Nazarick with base dirt?"
Albedo said that with her back turned to Mare. Although her voice was sweet and velvet, the tone it carried was anything but. Mare's shoulders trembled, and although the surrounding Guardians remained silent, their attitudes suggested that they shared Albedo's opinion. In contrast, Momonga felt Albedo was being too much of a busybody. The situation was hardly serious enough to warrant such a reaction.
"Albedo... don't speak out of turn. I am addressing Mare."
His voice was so deep that it surprised Momonga himself.
"Ah, my deepest apologies, Momonga-sama!"
Momonga continued speaking to Mare:
"Can you conceal the walls by heaping dirt onto them?"
"Yes, yes I can, if you allow it, Momonga-sama ... However..."
"Yes, an observer from a distance would think the ground was bulging up unnaturally. Let's also make dummy hills as camouflage?"
"Y-Yes. U-Understood."
That was all he could think of at the moment. There were probably a lot of holes left in the plan, but that could be dealt with slowly, later on. After all, it had only been a few hours since all this had happened.
"Then, you are dismissed for today. Everyone, take a break before beginning your duties. There are many things we do not know, so do not push yourselves too hard."
The Guardians nodded as one to show that they understood.
X
After the departure of the master of their revered creators, the Guardians shared their impressions of Momonga.
Then, as though to wipe away this jubilant atmosphere, Sebas said:
"Then, I shall take my leave first. I do not know where Momonga-sama has gone, but I should stay by his side."
Jealousy was written all over Albedo's face, but she quashed her feelings and replied:
"I understand. Then, Sebas, serve Momonga-sama well and do not disgrace him. Report to me if anything happens. In particular, if Momonga-sama summons me, you must let me know immediately. Everything else is of secondary importance to that!"
A pained expression crossed Demiurge's face as he listened quietly from the side.
"But if he desires me in his bedchamber, you must inform Momonga-sama that I might take a while, in order to bathe and cleanse myself for him. Of course, if he wants me to proceed to him immediately, that is fine as well. After all, I do my best to keep clean for him, and my clothes have already been selected so I can heed his call whenever it comes. In any case, Momonga-sama's wishes will always come first—"
"You slut," Shalltear exclaimed, following Albedo's command, her voice laced with venom as she remained on the floor.
"Shouldn't that be my line?" Albedo retorted, casting a pointed glance at the wet stain beneath Shalltear.
The two of them glared at each other. The Guardians did not know if they would fight as a result of this, but the way they were looking at each other was very unsettling. Shalltear slowly stood back up, and the two of them approached each other. Even so, their eyes remained locked. Eventually, the two of them came so close that they collided into each other.
"Don't think you've won just because you're the Guardian Overseer and can stay next to Momonga-sama. If you really think that way, I'll laugh my ass off."
"Hmph. That's correct. While you're stationed in a faraway place, I'll swoop in and achieve a complete victory."
"...What do you mean by 'a complete victory?' Teach me, Guardian Overseer-Sama."
"As a slut, you should be fully aware of what that means."
Throughout their trade of verbal barbs, neither of them had turned their gaze from each other. With a pacha, Albedo unfurled her wings in a threat display. Black mist wreathed Shalltear as she responded in kind, unwilling to admit weakness.
"Ah — Aura, matters between women should be settled by a fellow woman. If anything happens I'll come to help, let me know when the time comes, all right?"
"Hey, wait, Demiurge! Are you planning to dump all of this on me?"
Demiurge simply waved lazily as he walked away from the feuding pair. Cocytus and Mare took a step back as well. Nobody wanted to get caught between them.
"Really, do they have to argue over this sort of thing?"
"Personally, I would be quite interested in the result."
"What do you mean by the 'result,' Demiurge?"
"I refer to the increase in our fighting power, the future of Nazarick, and so on."
"D-Demiurge, what do you mean?"
"Hmm..." Demiurge pondered on how he should answer Mare's question.
"Any great leader requires a successor, no? Momonga-sama may have stayed with us until the end, but if he loses interest in us one day, he may leave for another place like the rest of the Supreme Beings. Thus, there is a need for a successor to whom we can pledge our loyalty."
"I see. Then, which of us will be Momonga-sama's successor?"
"How. Disrespectful. As. Guardians. We. Are. To. Serve. Momonga-sama. Faithfully. So. He. May. Stay. That. Is. What. We. Were. Made. For."
Demiurge turned to the interrupting Cocytus.
"Of course I understand that, Cocytus. But do you not wish to pledge your loyalty to Momonga-sama's heir?"
"Hmm... Of. Course. I. Would. Like. To. Swear. My. Allegiance. To. Momonga-Sama's. Heir..." Cocytus began imagining himself running around with said heir on his shoulders.
Demiurge averted his eyes from Cocytus, who was fully into imagining himself as a cool old uncle, faithfully serving Momonga's heir.
"Well, that aside, I think this is a test by Momonga Sama on deciding who is qualified enough to give birth and raise his Heir."
"Eh? Ehhhhh?" After a short exclamation, Mare calmed down.
"This will be the start of the Queen War. the one who will raise the child that shall rule over us after the Supreme One's eventual departure."
Demiurge averted his eyes towards the feuding pair.
"Are Albedo and Shalltear still fighting?"
The one that answered Demiurge was the tired-looking Aura, standing by the side.
"They're... done. Right now, they're arguing about the problem of who should be the first wife."
"It would be strange for the ruler of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick to only have one wife. The question now is who is worthy of being Momonga-Sama's first wife..."