4 Aging Demon

A towering demon, radiating an aura of unfathomable terror, appeared amidst the thrones of Ainz Ooal Gown.

This grand demon was draped in an exquisitely ornate black robe, embroidered with intricate golden patterns that concealed its mysterious form.

The demon was a creature of the Overlord race, manifesting as a skeletal figure.

Yet the demon standing before him, while humanoid in shape, was vastly different from any human.

Its body was composed of an almost tangible, jet-black flame. Rather than a living being, it was more akin to a personification of the dark flames.

This fit the description of the heteromorphic race typical among Ainz Ooal Gown members.

In his mind, the character of this world's strongest player rapidly came into focus.

As the Demon King who had won five consecutive world championships, he was awarded the top-ranking world-class item on his last championship. The previous victories had also earned him official rewards.

For instance, unique races and classes.

He remembered that Zarathustra's race was Aging Demon, and his classes included Demon LV.10 and Last Trial of Mankind LV.10.

Though the exact nature of the Last Trial of Mankind class was unclear to him.

Much like his race, many of Zarathustra's abilities were related to aging.

However, this power, while formidable, had its drawbacks.

It was notably less effective against undead races, as the concept of aging doesn't apply to the dead—a reasonable limitation.

As a member of the Overlord, the character was a quintessential undead race. Nevertheless, he didn't consider himself a match for Zarathustra.

Mastery over abilities related to aging might suggest that Zarathustra was a mage, yet in reality, he was a warrior of extreme prowess.

Or rather, he was a master of both physical and magical combat. Regardless of group battles, in one-on-one confrontations, no one in Yggdrasill could match him.

The title of five-time world champion was not one to be taken lightly.

Curiously, though Zarathustra was classified as an Aging Demon, his classification was not as a demon but as an undead.

Guild members once joked that perhaps the Yggdrasill system considered Zarathustra's abilities to be effective even against himself.

To avoid the awkward scenario where one might die from their own abilities before defeating their opponent, he was categorized as undead.

Sighing with a hint of helplessness, Saigou looked at the dazed skeleton and couldn't help but speak.

"...Momonga, have you finally developed Alzheimer's? Is Alzheimer's now common among the younger generation? What are you thinking about?"

At Saigou's words, Momonga finally came to his senses.

The skeleton, which initially evoked a sense of dread, now rubbed its bald head with an endearing expression and said, "...Ah, sorry, sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment."

Hearing Zarathustra's familiar voice and teasing words, Momonga felt as though he had been transported back to the time when all members of Ainz Ooal Gown were still around.

Back then, the Great Tomb of Nazarick was always filled with laughter. Every day, they completed quests together, leveled up together, and developed the guild together.

Those were the happiest times of Momonga's life.

However, such times would never return.

Momonga now felt a tinge of guilt, unsure if Zarathustra had noticed his earlier attempt to covertly retrieve the Avesta.

At that moment, Saigou didn't pay much attention to Momonga. In fact, he had noticed Momonga's small action when he logged in but chose to disregard it.

Having known each other for nearly twelve years, Saigou was well-acquainted with Momonga.

Simply put, Momonga was a kind-hearted person, diligent and uncomplaining, who valued relationships deeply and preferred to mediate conflicts.

It was precisely this nature that led the members of Ainz Ooal Gown to elect him as their leader.

Although initially, they had hoped Saigou would take on the role, he found the responsibilities and the numerous trivial matters involved too burdensome.

Thus, he declined the position and instead supported the nomination of the hardworking and selfless Momonga.

Saigou's jet-black eyes, akin to crystallized flames, swept over the surroundings. Everything within the throne room was within his view.

As one of the founding pillars of Ainz Ooal Gown, and having fought in the game for nearly twelve years, Saigou felt no unfamiliarity with the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

He was deeply familiar with every inch of this place, for it was built brick by brick by him and the guild members.

His gaze swept around the room, taking in the Ainz Ooal Gown banner hanging in the center of the northern wall, surrounded by the individual flags representing the forty-two guild members.

He noted the luxurious carpets in shades of gold and silver, the Roman columns that stood within the throne room, and the colorful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.

Then, Saigou's eyes fell upon a corner of the hall.

There, a beautiful demon stood poised with an air of elegance.

She was adorned in a resplendent white gown that clung to her sinuous figure like silk, highlighting her graceful form with its flowing lines.

Her features were exquisitely delicate, her face adorned with a gentle smile, resembling a goddess of Venus. Her glossy, jet-black hair cascaded down to her waist, her golden irises and oval pupils setting her apart from ordinary beings.

Were it not for the demon horns sprouting from her head like a goat's and the black angel wings extending from her sides, one might mistake her for an unmatched beauty.

No, she was indeed a supreme enchantress, a demon of unimaginable allure, embodying the perfect temptation from human imagination.

Ainz Ooal Gown's most cherished NPC, created by Tabula Smaragdina, was Albedo, the Guardian Overseer of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

In the cyberpunk-like reality of the real world, where many lived in a state of numbness and few appreciated history and mythology, Albedo's creator, Tabula, was a mythology enthusiast with a wide-ranging knowledge of global myths.

Sharing the same interests, Saigou had naturally become close friends with him.

Saigou's gaze moved away from Albedo, a soulless NPC, no matter how beautiful, was essentially just a sculpture, a soulless doll.

Finally, Saigou's eyes rested on Momonga.

The black flames under his hood flickered as if smiling. His voice was steady and clear as he spoke, "...It's been a while, Momonga."

"...I came to check in before the game shuts down, and as expected, even though everyone has left, you're still here guarding everything we created."

"In that regard, electing you as guild leader might have been the best decision we ever made."

At that moment, Momonga's emotions surged, a mix of sadness and nostalgia overwhelming him, nearly bringing him to tears.

Unfortunately, being in the game meant that this skeletal form had no tears to shed.

Nevertheless, he was deeply touched and grateful for Saigou's words.

Wiping his tearless skeletal face, Momonga's voice trembled with a sobbing tone as he said.

"...Thank you, Zarathustra. Hearing those words from you makes everything I've done feel worthwhile."