The members of the guild Ainz Ooal Gown — once known as the clan Nine's Own Goal — gathered on the outskirts of Helheim, roughly one hundred meters away from the toxic fog covered Poison Swamp, in a place called the Piercing Crystal Plains.
Much like the Poison Swamp, the Piercing Crystal Plains were a hazardous environment, covered in frozen vegetation that resembled crystal razors. These razors dealt damage with every step taken within the Plains, and they could damage players wearing Relic-class armor. In addition, mineralized monsters wandered through the plains, and anyone who did not use bludgeoning-type weapons would have a hard time dealing with them.
In any world — especially on the heteromorphic species' home turf of Niflheim, Helheim and Muspelheim — things became more dangerous the further one went from the center of the world. In addition to the wandering monsters, the very terrain itself is a dangerous obstacle.
Still, this was nothing for the members of Ainz Ooal Gown. Although certain countermeasures had to be taken, and though these countermeasures were not permanent, with them in place it was still possible to move at full speed through the Piercing Crystal Plains. In fact, they were making preparations on the plains.
Of course, this was not to say that they were not tense, or that they were careless.
After casting several layers of defensive magic, they used magically-created eyes to scout their surroundings. In addition, they used illusion magic of the highest tier, the [Mirror World] spell, to create a hemispherical screen which enclosed the members of the guild.
One could observe the outside world from inside the bubble without any problems, but from the outside, the inhabitants of the barrier were invisible, and people outside would only see the background. Aside from making the user harder to detect, the spell could also deflect a certain proportion of attacks directed at the occupants within.
Such extensive preparations were made not because they feared monsters, but because they were on guard against players of similar power to themselves. Not only was there no penalty for PKing heteromorphic species, there were even benefits for doing so. In fact, some powerful classes were unlocked by PKing heteromorphs, and although heteromorph hunting was not as common now as it was in the past, it was still a very real thing. Only a fool would lower their guard, even in a heteromorphic home world.
Momonga fiddled with the console with his mind. A practice he was quickly getting used to. His new VR was a super advanced version of what he was used to, that with a mere thought the system would instantly follow.
There he saw a list of guild members, along with their HP and MP gauges. At the top was Touch Me, followed by Nishiki Enrai, Wish III, Warrior Takemikazuchi, Momonga, Ancient One, Flatfoot, and Amanomahitotsu, the eight remaining founding members. After that were the nineteen who joined later: Peroroncino, Bukubukuchagama, Herohero, Blue Planet, Ulbert Alain Odle, Garnet, Bellriver, Variable Talisman, Nearata, Nuubou, Genjiro, Yamaiko, Whitebrim, Punitto Moe, Tabula Smaragdina, Beast King Mekongawa, Tigris Euphrates, Temperance and Slathan.
In total, there were 27 people — the full strength of Ainz Ooal Gown.
Momonga's stomach churned as he looked at his friends and guildmates. It has only been minutes since the establishment of their guild. Now leader of Ainz Ooal Gown, he could only grit his teeth in nervousness as he realized how badly he had jumped the gun.
That in his eagerness to prove himself, he had prematurely decided to undertake the Guild's first biggest event. An event that can make or break their moral.
Why clenched fist, he mutters. "Failure is not an option."
"You're wrong." appears a message in his chat. "Even if you fail, they would understand. They would be sad, for a time, disappointed even. But eventually you and everyone here will look back at it with fondness and laugh at how young and stupid you once were.... It will be one hell of a memory."
'At least you admitted that I'm stupid.' Suzuki answers back.
"Yes. Yes you are... the best kind of stupid."
Suzuki smiles. 'I never did asked for your name.'
"You haven't given me one."
"Huh..." he looked surprised. 'Did your previous owner not give you name? The whole time?'
"She did. She tends to mistake me for someone else but, yeah I guess I did have a name. I just never gave it to you because you are now my new owner. I had thought you'd prefer to give me one."
Suzuki frowned in thought for a moment, 'Well... did you like your previous name?'
"I'm used to it."
Suzuki smiles. "Then let's go with that."'...it would feel more natural won't it?'
"True...ok then." Eliza acknowledges.
"Great!" 'So! What do I call you?' Suzuki asked excitedly.
"Eliza."
"...What!?"
"As I said, you can call me Eliza."
"Bu-but! I thought you said you were a dude!" Suzuki shouted in panic.
"No. I said my core memory was. But I had always been addressed by my previous owner as if I was her nurse."
"Whats the difference anyway!?"
"Exactly. Look, my 'Core Memory' means that all my action would always be centered around that memory. But that doesn't make me anyone. I am neither that man nor that woman. I am an A.I. which means you may address me however which way you like."
"No. Uh- uhmm... yeah. Sorry, I just sort of panic there."
"Don't be. As difficult as it may seem for you to hear. I am a machine, Suzuki. I am not anyone... I am a thing." sensing a coming rejection from her new charge, Eliza decided to change the subject. "Besides... its not as if I have a voice yet after all."
"True... but, you said you didn't dislike it right."
"How could I? I hardly cared."
"Kinda makes it difficult for me to come up with a name if you don't really care about it yourself." Suzuki reasoned with half a smile.
"Sorry... to put it simply, my Core Memory is like a movie. True it has a lifetime worth of emotions and filled experiences. But mix that into an A.I. and it all turns to numbers and letters. The feelings themselves are understood but the A.I. does not truly know them. Which renders the feeling, mute. And while I'm a special case, there is still this part of me that tries to reason my feelings."
"I see."
"Oi! Momonga!" Suzuki was stunned when he finally realized that everyone was looking at him. "Invite her! We need one more." shouted Tabula Smaragdina, a Brain Eater creature with an avian beak, exposed brain and tentacles for limbs.
"Wha-!"
"We have 27 members right now. It would do us good if we have one more." said Hero-Hero, an Elder Ooze. A black slime whos body continue to shift like lava.
"Bu-"
"That and I'm curious." Pereroncino then wrapped his arm around his shoulder. His avian features and muscular yet feather covered body, leaning against him. "You've been holding out on me huh Momo-chan~ And here I thought you were busy with work when you were gone."
"I would like to meet this girl too, Onii-chan~" teased a pink slime named, Buku-BukuChagama in a childish voice.
Everyone else joined after, each one expressing great enthusiasm at his friend. But Suzuki could only sweat, not knowing what to do in such a situation.
'How exactly do I tell them?'
"YOU DON'T!" Eliza cautioned. "Suzuki, Do not tell anyone! I will explain. Just tell them I'm on my way and I'll see you then!"
"She-" *ahem!* "She's on her way. Uhmm... Let's just wait here."
"Yeeaahhh!!!"
"Curious as to whom our glorious leader had found to be his mate." said a Lion headed, and heavily armored humanoid named Beast King Mekongawa.
"Me too." said Nishikienrai, a golem shinobi clad head to toe with black cloth, armored with several steel platings covering his biceps to his fingers and his thighs to his toes. "We had been playing for a while but I don't believe I have met this person."
"I feel a little hurt Suzuki~ and here I thought you and I shared many things, from fucked up bosses, to fucked up schedule, all the way to fucked up work ethics."
"Oi! No work talk!!" said a goat headed demon, wearing a black suit with a velvet cape and a rose pinned on one of his shoulder. "Momonga, I think we should ban that kind of topic from here on in."
"Relax Ulbert, its just a joke." said a silver armored paladin with a red cape covering one shoulder.
"...so was I..."
"...oh... my bad."
"Still! A girl!!!" shouted Peroroncino.
"I think we should mute him."
"I doubt that would stop him."
Conversation filled the group as they waited. All except Momonga, who remained consumed in a typing spree against their mysterious person.
'How exactly are you doing this again?' asked Suzuki.
"You are in a virtual world Suzuki-kun. What exactly where you expecting?"
"Sorry..." Momonga mumbles, earning him the smug emoji from everyone.
"...damn, this girl already tamed him."
"Maybe they knew each other longer than we thought?"
"I doubt it, our leader being sorry isn't exactly new..."
"The character is in progress, I should be done shortly. Now to explain myself. Do you remember about how the Imprint was found and its original purpose?"
"Yes.."
"The whole project in itself isn't only to make things safe for the Higher Ups. Not just to make it a viable product but also to finish it."
"...its incomplete?"
"Yes. The Core Memory is the foundation of each data. But there is a problem,Translated into code, it becomes just that. It can define anger, joy, sadness, confusion, it can define emotions... but it fails to understand what it is. Because by its understanding, the definition is what it is."
"...it doesn't understand what it is to feel."
"An over simplification but yes. This is their problem. And also yours, because the only true way to successfully Imprint someone, is to remove the core memories, and attach another's in its place. But by doing so would mean-"
"That it would be limited. I highly doubt there's a lot of you out there."
"Exactly, Suzuki-kun. Only fifteen thousand Imprints exist against the tide of over hundreds of thousands who would sell even their souls for such a chance. The loss of one is not acceptable. So each one cost a whole building along with everything and everyone in it."
*gulp-* "If anyone ever finds out..."
"You would be on the run on a world where there is nowhere to run to... Don't worry, this could be good. We will have to improvise but I need you to act along if possible ok? I'm already there."
"Ok." Suzuki turns to everyone else. "She should be-" *thud!* "here..."
Everyone turned to the one who landed in front of Momonga. She stood from a kneel and as the dust settles, appears her curvaceous form.
She is encased in black armor trimmed with gold and decorated with rubies. A dull full plate covering her from neck to to toe, all the way down to her toes and fingers. Around her neck is a hood, and her beautiful face is framed by a raven colored hair, bright red eyes and full red lips, each one contrasting against her alabaster skin.
A figure of beauty that shone against her simple and plain armor.
"Hi~" says Eliza.
Her voice, mature and dignified like the finest of white silks that hands hesitate to hold let alone touch. Along with an air of elegance exuding from her form and figure. And for a time there was silence till...
""""Woooohhhh!!!! A Girl!!!""""
"""...boys..."""