Momonga?

Chapter 84

Third Person POV (Ainz Ool Gown)

A grand round table of obsidian lustre was in the center of the guildhall, surrounded by 42 luxurious seats. But most of them were vacant; however, that was not to say that the place was empty. Ironically, the members who were here were not the newest, but rather most of the original 9.

One wore an elaborate, jet-black academic gown adorned with gold and violet edges. The decoration around its neck seemed somewhat excessive, but strangely, it was rather fitting. However, the head that should have been sitting above the lavish collar was nothing more than a skull, devoid of skin and flesh. There was a dark red glow inside the empty eye sockets, and a dark halo-like object glimmered behind its head.

One of the other individuals sitting in another seat was not a human, either. It was a lump of black goo. Its surface, reminiscent of coal tar, quivered and never maintained a consistent shape even for a second. There was also a demon goat holding what seemed to the culmination of evil in his right hand, his face charred to look like a permanent burning face in agony. To his right sat a figure that looked human, but was not. In the Full Plate of Massive Armor was 'Touch Me', the insectoid World Champion, the Paladin of Pure Silver who once stood for the unrivaled strength of Ainz Ool Gown. Along with them was another slime and a monster that looked like a hybrid between a bird and man.

At the center of all of them was an Overlord that ranked top even among the Elder Liches — Magic Casters who had turned into the undead in the pursuit of ultimate magic. The latter was an Elder Black Ooze, a race with powerful acidic abilities that was close to the strongest among the slime types. Yet, they were not monsters. They were player characters.

The selectable races in Yggdrasil were divided into three diverse categories: classic, humanoid races such as humans, dwarves and elves; demi-human races with hideous appearances such as goblins, orcs, and ogres, favored for their physical prowess; and the heteromorphic races who possessed monster abilities and higher stats than any other races, but were given restrictions in various aspects. If you include the high-tier races for these three, the number of all the races reached a total of 700.

Of course, Overlord was one of the high-tier heteromorphic races that players were able to pick. Between those two people, the Overlord talked without its mouth moving. Despite being the previous generation's top DMMO-RPG, it was technologically impossible to change expressions to go with the conversation.

HeroHero: It's been about…hmm, a week since I saw you Momonga-san? It's nice that you called us all back here today for a final celebration though.

Momonga: It really is Hero-san. *sigh* I can't believe that today is the last day. All the work and effort we put into building this magnificent place. And tomorrow…it'll be gone.

Ulbert Alain Odle: kekeke…Momonga-san, you shouldn't be too worried about that. I'm sure Loli-san would have saved this world onto her private server so she can continue to play the game on her own.

Touch Me: I don't often agree with that Evil Crackhead but I'm willing to bet on that as well. Kara is kind of a, well, a hoarder. Just ask her to invite us to her private server and we'll continue to join occasionally. For old times' sake.

Momonga: That aside, how is everyone doing?

Peroponcino: Really, that question again Skelly? Even if you are guildmaster, you don't need to ask about our conditions every day. We're fine, ever since Loli-san got us our new dream jobs I've been able to purchase the new —OW! Sis, why'd you have to hit me?

BukuBuku Chagama: You dirty little brother! You're making me look bad! Always with that h-games of yours and shit! I half hoped that with the money you're receiving you'll actually put it to good use. And what do I see on the card? Porn?!! Are you serious?

Momonga: Kuhmm!! Please…um…Pero, please don't do that and Buku, please don't say that out loud here.

Ulbert: By the way, did anyone see the Loli around?

Momonga: She dropped by earlier. It seemed like she was planning to see the end of the game with her sister in Society

Touch Me: Usually, I would call the betrayal but after all she's done for us…I know better than to say that.

The Knight in pure silver looked kind of unknight-like before he confessed to the group.

Touch Me: Momonga-san, I am so sorry but actually tomorrow is our Wedding Anniversary and I haven't prepared at all. My wife will kill me if I don't do anything aga—- I mean if I don't have anything planned. I'm afraid this is where we say goodbye.

Momonga: I understand. Thanks for dropping by Touch-Me san. We'll meet up next week at the usual place?

Touch Me: Yes, yes. Coffee's on me.

With that, the knight in pure silver logged off for the last time.

Peroponcino: Really brings to mind how lucky we were…

That brought a round of silence around the table as each member remembered what their life was like just years ago. Before they met the Loli they now praised as a savior, when they had to literally eat insect processed protein bars just to live another day.

Peroponcino: I actually have a new job tomorrow since the game's ending. You know, I'm working with the builders who built Society starting tomorrow. I don't want to be late because first impressions are important and I have a feeling Mr. Fujitora's going to be there so I'm going to log off now. I think sis also has something as well.

BukuBuku Chagama: New anime releasing. I need to be there by 5am since the schedule was already pushed back. I'm sorry Momonga, I really wanted to stay with you until the end.

Momonga: No, no. it's fine. You've been here with me for 10 years through everything. Why would I be mad about this? Besides, we'll be meeting up again soon, aren't I right?

BukuBuku Chagama: Damn right. I'll going to make Touch Me buy a Caramel Expresso for me.

Peroponcino: Sis, you really are more evil than me sometimes. Anyway, see you around Skelly.

With that, the two siblings logged off the game for the last time.

HeroHero: It's just us three now. Brings back some memories when there was a time when we ran the entire guild, trying to keep it afloat.

Ulbert: Kekeke, could you believe what it would have been like if we had left the game as we had planned to? Old bones here would have been all alone!

Momonga: …now that's a topic for a nightmare.

Ulbert: Aw come on Bonny. It's not like it's real anyway. Besides, you should also go to sleep. Now that the game's over, we're all being moved to that other game for work.

Momonga: *sigh* It's just not the same you know?

Ulbert: Shut it bones! I got Loli to tell me how to evolve to Kronos!

HeroHero: Even in another game you still choose to be the evil warlord huh?

Ulbert: Kekeke! What else would I be? Anyway, I'll be leaving now as well. See you around.

Just like that, the goat demon logged off, and was soon followed by the Elder Black Ooze. Soon the only person still remaining was the Overlord who still sat in the seat of guild master. Contemplating about the last 12 years of the game.

Momonga: Well, it was a good run I guess. We built this wonderful godlike place…maybe a final tour is in order.

The Skeleton stood up, his royal butt separating from his golden chair as he made his way out of the conference room as he began the tour around his home, Ainz Ool Gown, for what he believed to be the last time.

While the guild weapon usually kept in safety in the hands of Omega on the hidden floor, today it was kept in the center of the conference room as to symbolize all of them. All their efforts and the guild itself.

Having the Greek god Herme's caduceus as its motif, the staff was entwined by seven serpents. Each of the squirming serpents' mouths held a jewel of a different colour. Its grip had a transparent quality like crystal, and was emitting a bluish white light.

The staff of supreme quality was a 'guild weapon' that each guild can possess only one of, and it was an item that could be said to be the symbol of Ainz Ooal Gown. Originally, guild masters were supposed to carry it with them, so why was it hanging on the wall in the room as a decoration?

That was because it was an existence that symbolized the guild. The destruction of a guild weapon signified the dissolution of the guild. That was why guild weapons were stored in the most secure location in many cases, with their powerful abilities never seeing the light of day. Even a prominent guild like Ainz Ooal Gown was no exception. For such a reason, the staff was never handed to Momonga despite it being custom-made for him, and instead was adorned on the wall.

Momonga reached out his hand for the staff, but he stopped halfway. At this very moment — even though Yggdrasil's service shutdown was near, he felt hesitation towards the act of debasing the glorious memories that they had made together.

The days they spent together adventuring repeatedly in order to create the guild weapon. Those good old times of dividing up into teams and gathering materials as though it were a contest, arguing over what its appearance should be like, and combining everyone's suggested idea and making it little by little…it seemed like yesterday…until he realized that they actually did something similar yesterday. They've gone for a final farming for some of the rarest materials still hiding out there in the 9 realms.

There was a person who went as far as to strain his overworked body to show up. There was even a person who showed up after having a big fight with his wife due to him neglecting time with his family. There was also a person who laughed saying he took paid leave.

There were times where they spent the whole day chattering, getting worked up over idle stories. There were days where they planned their adventures and swept up the treasures. There were times where they went on raids and captured hostile guilds' castles. There were days when they destroyed every hidden boss monster that they could find. They had found countless undiscovered resources. They had placed various monsters in their base and cleared out invading players. Ainz Ool Gown, or more specifically Nine's Own Goals, had stuck together no matter what for so long…up until the last day of the game.

Momonga opened the console and accessed the official data, where he searched for the guild's ranking. At one point in time, Ainz Ool Gown had reached Rank 9 on their own. Until the guild declined to the 23rd…but that all changed when a specific loli joined the guild and began to cleanse the higher ranker guilds for their World Items. During the final weeks of the game, Society had begun what the remained players of the game called a No Competitors in which they literally eliminated the guilds above them to be ranked first before the gamed ended. As a result of this, the guilds under them were automatically pulled up a rank.

All this time, Momonga had placed importance on majority vote. Although he was in the position of a guild master, what he actually did was miscellaneous work like contacting people. That was why, in this moment with nobody around, the thought of wanting to use his authority as the guild master crossed his mind for the first time.

Momonga: This outfit doesn't have enough swag.

Muttering to himself, Momonga started operating his console to equip his avatar with armaments befitting his position as a prominent guild master.

Armaments in Yggdrasil were classified according to their data size. The greater the data, the higher the grade of the weapon. Starting from the bottom, the classes were: Lesser, Minor, Medium, Major, Greater, Legacy, Relic, and Legendary. But right now, Momonga was armed to the teeth in the highest class of them all— Divine. Well, the two sisters in Society were decked out with items that would make anyone cry…even Momonga…but they didn't count. They were broken characters who stood for the corruption in the world.

On his fleshless fingers were nine rings, each imbued with different powers. Furthermore, his necklace, gauntlet, boots, cloak, and circlet were all Divine class. Just their prices alone, every one of them were masterpieces of tremendous worth.

A brilliant gown hung from the shoulder pieces, and a rippling dark red aura rose from his feet. Although the aura was turbulent and sinister, it was not Momonga's skill. He had simply embedded a 'chaotic aura' effect into the robe since there was some space left over in its visual data capacity. Touching it was perfectly harmless.

Numerous icons popped up in the corner of Momonga's field of vision, indicating that his abilities have increased. Having changed his gear and armed himself from top to toe, Momonga nodded in satisfaction with his current equipment befitting of a guild master. Then he reached out his hand and grabbed the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.

The moment he held the staff in his hand, it spewed out a vortex of dark red aura. Sometimes it formed the face of a human in agony and crumbled away. It was so vivid that it felt as though you could hear their voices of pain.

Momonga: …Sick details.

The supreme staff that he had never held even once after its completion finally fell into the hands of its original owner with the end of Yggdrasil's online service ahead of him.

Momonga: Should we get going, symbol of our guild? No, that's not it — Let us go, symbol of our guild. Let us enjoy our final moments with what my friends left for us.

It seemed stupid, but he wanted to brag to an inanimate object about the deeds of his friends and what they had accomplished over the years.