VOLUME 1 (Chapter 1 Prologue Part 1)

DMMORPG (Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) [Yggdrasil].

In 2126, it was released by a local Japanese producer and is a sensory-based MMO.

By using a sensory-based dedicated console, you could link up your five senses and play a game in which you feel as if you are in reality.

This system was born in 2079.

The first aim was the military, and then it was developmented for the field of medicine, but the cost was high. It was then simplified after 10 years and now every home has it.

Although techniques created by net shops and tourist sites were used to lower the development costs, it still took 15 years before the first DMMORPG was born.

One of the reasons why the DMMORPG, Yggdrasil was better than any other was because of the amount of data.

The choice of characters diverged from the basic Humanoid races of Humans, Elves and Dwarfs. You can also be a Goblin or an Orc which both are part of the Demi-human race that boasts better abilities than the Humanoid races although their appearance are unsightly. Lastly, races that posses a variety of monstrous abilities but suffered from penalties in other aspects, the Heteromorphic races. In total, there were 420 of such races.

In addition, the number of classes, both basic and advance, can be summed to about 880.Naturally, the basic classes made of half of those, it was that large of a quantity.

And if you satisfied the basic conditions, you could have a taste of multiple ones. The classes could only go up to level 15 and the maximum limit was level 100. No matter what race you were, you could choose more than 7 of them and pile it up.

If you wanted, you could have 100 classes. However, you'll be weak.

Basically it was such a large amount of data that it was impossible to create two identical characters unless it was intentional.

It was at a level where you could still make it more elaborate. By using the creator tools sold separately, you could customize the appearance of weapons and armour, your own appearance, and the settings of your own dwelling.

For example, say you have killed a dragon. Money and experience drop as per normal DMMOs. However, this is different. The dropping of money and experience does not change. However, in place of items, crystals containing data are dropped.

It was this type of data.

Length: +1, Weight: 40, Physical Damage increased by 5%, Special Effect: Additional Damage/Fire+10, Special Effect: [Martial Arts] Rush+1

Although there are actually more details in the data, you already have the general picture.

You could tinker with this data by using the creator tools and make original items. You could also buy appearances within the MMO.

By doing this, you could make an unlimited variety of original items.

Also, if you were a Necromancer, you could turn the corpse of a Dragon into an undead monster. Alternatively, if you were a berserking warrior, you could bathe in the corpse's blood and gain a bonus. Classes that could turn Dragon Bones into Golems existed, as well as those that could turn it to medicine.

If this was a normal DMMO, the body would disappear immediately after death, so this would provide many advantages to the players.

For example, you could make a Golem out of Dragon Bones due to the data. By playing around with this data with the creator tools, you could create your own Golem. In addition, you could add your own AI to use for gate keeping and for transportation.

It kickstarted the creator souls of the Japanese, resulting in the following.

You could distribute your own data on 2channel or the official homepage. From there emerged people called God's Craftsmen. They could do things such as a partnership with the illustrator and make a present of a special appearance.

Some used AI to strengthen their creations, others created cat AIs as cute pets.

[Yggdrasil] had changed the way that DMMOs had been up til now, from focusing on battles to explorations.

As expected, when comparing a sword made of clear crystal and a sword comprised wholly of iron, the amount of data needed for the exterior is completely different. The amount of data is determined by the resources of the item, such as minerals.

So the goal was not only to destroy monsters, but also to search for resources and to explore for new discoveries. Players enjoyed calling themselves adventurers to do such things.

Those players seeking unknown knowledge and unseen lands had a large map waiting for them.

Asgard, Alfheim, Vanaheim, Nidavellir, Midgard, Jotunheim, Niflheim, Helheim, Muspelheim. There were 9 worlds, each with their own particular traits, each were 2 to 3 times the size of Tokyo.

It was common not to meet other players at the frontier for a week.

A DMMO that promised unlimited enjoyment.

The creators made a famous remark, [A DMMO where strength is not everything] which perfectly embodied the game.

With such explosive popularity behind it, it had reached a level of acclaim where Yggdrasil and DMMOs were considered as one and the same in Japan.

However, that was from a time long past.

The Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick.

It was a large tomb with 8 floors, an infamous dungeon.

Once, there was a union of 6 Guilds with players and NPCs totaling up to 1500 people. It was the first time in the server that such a large group of people aimed to get to the lowest floor. Then, they were all wiped out. It was a place where such a legend was born.

However, the level of monsters were not particularly high.

According to the rules, at best the monsters were at level 30. The level cap in [Yggdrasil] was 100, and since a third of the 1500 people were at that level, they should not have been much of an enemy. On the contrary, they should have been able to tear through them like paper.

However, the characteristics of the undead that appear there—-can heal by negative damage, and get damaged by positive energy. They are also unaffected by instant death attacks and mental attacks as well—-It is a strategy that takes advantage of it.

The negative damage spread across the floors—- by about 1 point—- and reduces the area effects on positive energy while still allowing recovery magic.

In addition, there was a transportation trap system that could divide a party. That wasn't the only trap as there were many other types strung up all over the place. Traps that blinded people and ones that poisoned the air, all for the sake of blocking the path of the adventurers.

Also, coupled with the typical undead of zombies and skeletons, original monsters could be used and is one of the major factors of the crushing defeat.

While having the appearance of a bloated zombie, the Plague Bomber detonated itself and dealt negative damage and healed nearby undead.

The Ghost could pass through walls and had a specialisation in hit and run tactics to touch you with their weakening touch and deal damage.

The Screaming Banshee had the ability to instantly kill anyone who heard it or deal mental damage.

The Deathborn Totem had the appearance of tens of skeletons merged together and could attack multiple times.

There were tens of other undead races that waited elsewhere, all were capable of sending chills down your spine.

Of course all the enemies were comprised solely of undead, but it still was not easy to cope with them.

Elementals, Demons, and Devils appeared more suddenly frequently than Summons. Summoned monsters could be specifically chosen to be disadvantageous to the opponent. In a nutshell, you could choose those with fatal special abilities.

Naturally, the deeper you go, more difficult monsters would appear.

It was a wall of monsters so thick that you could not even imagine how much resources were spent for it.

Now, according to what was currently known, the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick had 8 floors. The intruders merely thought that they just had to get through 8 floors.

There were actually 10 Floors in total.

When you enter the 9th Floor onwards, the scenery of the tomb changes. It becomes similar to that of a white castle.

Countless chandeliers, that emitted light, hanged from the ceiling, furniture suitable for kings and nobles were placed around. The marble floor was polished and sparkled.

For those that were clueless, would they even believe their eyes?

Wouldn't it be natural to think that way?

This Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick, in the DMMO [Yggdrasil], was the stronghold of the guild standing at its peak, [Ainz Ooal Gown].

On the 9th Floor of the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick—-

The marble passage was without a single speck of dust, and a set of large mahogany doors were opened.

In it, a giant round table made of obsidian was placed, and surrounded by 41 gorgeous chairs.

However most of them were empty.

The once-full seats were now only occupied by two people.

Sitting in one of the seats was a humanoid figure clad in a jet black robe fringed with gold and purple.

It was not a normal human. It had a close resemblance to a dried-up corpse, with skin covering a little bit of its bones.

A dark red light flickered in its empty eye sockets.

Another one was a lump of black mass making a "doro doro" sound. It made you think of coal tar and it was constantly moving around. It was impossible for it to hold the same shape for more than a second.

The former was an undead that was pursuing magic—-an existence that was the strongest amongst the Liches, an Overlord. The latter was an Elder Black Ooze. An existence that had the strongest acidic abilities amongst the slimes.

Their figures occasionally appear in the hardest dungeon, their names infamous among the adventurers.

The first of the infamous figures, the Overlord, spoke. Of course, its mouth never moved.

"Really, it has been a while, Herohero-san."

"It really has been a long time."

"Um, I believe it was since you transferred jobs?"

"It seems so. Actually even now I'm in the middle of a death match."

"Uwaa. That's terrible. Are you okay?"

"My body? It's in tatters."

The Elder Black Ooze prodded its arm, looking very much like a strange dance.

"I had no time to rest at all. I'm being whipped like a slave at my job."

"Uwaa"

"It's really terrible."

Their conversation turned to complaining about their jobs.

To join [Ainz Ooal Gown], you had to satisfy several conditions. One was that you had to be a functioning member of society. Another was that you had to be of the heteromorphic race.

Their conversation went on for a while and stopped.

It was a silence caused by them wondering what should happen next.

"Oh no, sorry for having you listen to all that."

"What are you saying. I'm very happy that I could meet with everyone after such a long time."

"Hearing you say that takes a lot off my shoulders."

"Maa, I really want to stay until the last moment, but I'm too tired."

"Ah. That's true. Take a good rest OK."

"And what will the Guildmaster be doing?"

"I will be here until the end. Someone else might come."

"I see. ...Thanks for everything up to now, Momonga-san. The reason why this game was so fun was all thanks to you."

Momonga, as the Overlord, made a large gesture in reply.

"That is not true at all. It was because everyone was here. I didn't really do anything special."

"I believe that it's not true...Thank you. I will be taking my leave now."

"Right. Thanks for everything."

Just like that, the last of the 6 people to visit the guild disappeared.

Momonga gazed at the seat where Herohero just was. Making a gesture like he was shaking off something, he slowly rose to his feet.

In the direction he was facing, there was a staff.

It had the motif of a Caduceus, with 7 snakes entwining around it. In each of the snake's mouths were different coloured gems. The grip was made of a clear crystal that sparkled a blueish white light.

Anyone could tell that it was a first class item, it was a guild weapon of which a guild could only own one, a the symbol of [Ainz Ooal Gown].

Originally the Guildmaster was supposed to own it, but it was decorating this room instead. The reason was because it was none other than the symbol of the Guild.

It was for the sake of making this weapon that everyone cooperated and spent their days on adventures.

The teams separated and competed to collect the materials, everyone argued over the appearance, pushing for their own views and making it one bit at a time.

That was the golden age of [Ainz Ooal Gown] —- a story from that time.

While reaching out his hand, he stopped in mid-motion.

He stopped at this moment as, the staff that everyone made—-this brilliant piece of his memories, he felt that he was about to throw it to the ground.

But, he should not leave it here in the end.

There were people who came despite their bodies tired from work. There were also those that gave up their family time, causing them to have a fight with their wives. Also, there were those who laughed while saying they took a paid leave.

There was a time where they would just talk about it for one whole day. Lots of stupid ideas were made. They planned adventures to collect treasures. They also ambushed an enemy guild's castle and conquered it. There was also once when they brought down the strongest class of boss monsters. While they were defeating monsters, they were also attacked by other players.

Now, everyone was gone.

Out of the 41, 37 had quit. Momonga could not remember the last time the other 3 had came.

It was a guild in ruins, but it had its golden age.

It was the crystallisation of that sparkling lustrous time. And that was why he did not want to pull it into the current remains of that.

However, he was thinking of the opposite.

[Ainz Ooal Gown] respected the use of majority vote. He, as the Guildmaster, merely did the clerical work of communicating with everyone.

And that was probably the reason. He wanted to try out the power wielded by the Guildmaster for the first time.

Hesitating—-

He reached out with his hand, and took the staff, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.

The moment his hand touched the staff, it released a wavering blackish red aura. Sometimes, an anguished expression of a human appeared and crumbled a moment later.

"...We really added too many details into this thing."

The supreme staff that he had never held even once after its completion finally fell into the hands of its intended owner.

While feeling the drastic increase in his status, he felt lonely.

"Shall we make a move, symbol of our guild. No—-Let us go symbol of our guild."