Chapter 002: Downward Spiral

Author: WolfSpatial

Co-Author: Lucifer

[As time passes, memories fade. And sometimes feelings change. It's not about who you were; it's about who you'll become. This story is far from over.]

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Without the Master Source to send me back to the Throne Room and no Guild Ring to teleport with, I was forced to walk back through the floors of Nazarick.

I was lucky on that front, however, having long memorized the floor plan of the Tomb. The floors were about as I expected, and though the winding maze of broken coffins and catacombs that made up the First Floor were present, they were lacking in number, and entire sections were missing as if blown apart by strong magic.

I turned the corner to a pitfall trap, seeing the grate open and a suit of armor with bones impaled on one of the steel spikes. Clicking my tongue, I looked around at the intersection of three paths where the trap was laid. Straight from the pitfall was a statue of one of the Old Guard, behind which was a button that reset the pitfall manually.

The third strongest of the undead that roamed the halls was the Nazarick Old Guard, a group of several thousand skeletons that answered to the Floor Guardian of the first three floors, Shalltear. The Old Guard were formidable soldiers, standing tall and proud with their bony frames.

They wore dark, simply-designed breastplates that covered their torsos and upper arms and were made of a mysterious metal that seemed to absorb light, giving them a menacing appearance. They possessed a veritable arsenal of weapons, each wielding a sword, shield, and bow arrow. Despite their undead nature, they carried themselves with the precision and discipline of a well-trained army.

The pathway to the left, which should have been a dead end after forty feet and a right turn, continued straight into a bone-littered expanse from which a faint humming was coming.

The path to the right would eventually lead me to the second floor if I continued past the area where the Old Guard used to have a squad of five soldiers stationed. It was a square room with four pillars surrounding a coffin in the center. That room split into two more corridors, one continuing straight and the other turning left.

Not quite ready to return to the Throne Room and wanting to see the extent of the damage done to my home, I went left at the pitfall trap, not before clicking the button to reset the trap. However, only the grate on the right side came back up, the left side shuttering and opening again.

Ignoring the trap, I entered the newly-formed cavern littered with bones, broken weapons, and armor. Sitting in the corner was one of the weaker 'mobs' of Nazarick. The Gravekeeper, a mass of skeletons and bones, was a naturally occurring, though rare, undead formed by an abundance of Negative Energy.

What made them so rare was that large amounts of Negative Energy usually spawned more undead of low levels. If any NPC in Nazarick could've stayed with me, this wasn't the worst choice, but it was far from the best.

Stepping closer, the Gravekeeper growled and looked up at me, the glow in its fiery eyes dying out slightly at seeing it was me. I set a hand on its head and smiled, "I'm glad you're still here… I'm lucky to have you."

The Gravekeeper, somehow understanding me, leaned slightly into my hand. It felt like a puppy. A deformed, bony, murderous, giant puppy that would rend the steel and iron of my enemy's weapons and armor into nothing but scrap to be used for rebuilding our home.

"I need your help," The Gravekeeper responded immediately, standing up and stretching its bones which gave off cracks as the limbs that hadn't been used in so long finally rotated.

The Gravekeeper stood a full yard taller than me, yet it still seemed like a child to me. It was my child now. In place of our Overlord of Death, Momonga, I was now to take care of the various undead and, indeed, the rest of the Tomb in place of my friends.

"We need to rebuild our Tomb, our Kingdom," It roared in response, assuring me that I wasn't alone in my quest. Tapping its shoulder, I started walking before pausing at the mess of bones and perfectly fine materials for me to use to help repair the Tomb.

Turning to the confused bone puppy, I reached up on my tip-toes to pat its head, "You've done the job without even knowing it; such a good boy."

It groaned, and I almost pictured the thing smiling, causing me to laugh, "Go push all these precious materials into a pile so I can collect them."

The Gravekeeper worked quickly despite its size, using its massive arms to carry large loads of materials into the center of the room and standing by as I tossed everything into my inventory.

The Gravekeeper followed me through the first floor, grabbing the broken grate of the pitfall trap and pulling it up into place, which happened to work as it held both of our weights when we passed over. I was glad to see that the defense mechanisms of Nazarick still recognized friend from foe, not activating when allies passed through.

Our steps — its much louder than mine — echoed through the empty halls. I wished they weren't, hoping beyond hope that a Vampire Bride or an Old Guard soldier would pop up from around the corner and tell me that everything was fine, the Guild was playing a prank, and everything would go back to normal after a few days.

But I became disillusioned after reaching the second-floor bastion, a wall built on either side of a deep chasm that usually held a few elementals. The drawbridge had fallen into the abyss, and the chains that held it were dangling from the half-destroyed wall, showing where someone had shattered the links.

"Just what happened to Nazarick?" I wasn't expecting an answer, but the Gravekeeper grunted anyway.

Sighing, I looked at the NPC and gave a lamenting tap to its chest, "You won't be able to come any further; I don't know if I can really fly with these wings, let alone carry you."

The Gravekeeper made a sad noise and started walking back to the first floor, presumably to patrol or head to where I found it.

Flapping my mismatched wings, I found myself in the air, though uneven, despite the measured flapping of my wings. Given that it was my first time taking flight after coming to the strange world, I figured I was doing pretty well.

Leaning forward — given that was how birds did it — I found myself moving in the direction I wanted. The chasm seemed welcoming enough as I passed over it, a black hole of death waiting for its next victim.

I landed on the other side, shaky at best, falling to one knee as my wings clung to my back. Standing back up, I righted myself and flexed my back to get a better feel for my attachments.

It felt a little wrong to leave the Gravekeeper behind, but I continued past the bastion to the Adipocere Chamber, where Shalltear Bloodfallen used to reside with her Vampire Brides.

Shalltear was the Floor Guardian of the first three floors. She had a petite figure, her pale skin was almost translucent, and her long white hair was styled in a flowing wave that cascaded down her back. Her piercing red eyes revealed her vampiric nature, while her delicate features gave her an ethereal beauty. She wore a dark red dress fitted to her form, and the sleeves were so long that they often covered her hands.

She wore a choker adorned with a single red gem on her neck, and her pointed ears were adorned with tiny gold earrings. Shalltear often held an air of confidence, and her movements were graceful and fluid, making her seem almost otherworldly. She was known to be one of the most powerful NPCs in the guild, and her powers as a vampire were unmatched by most of the occupants of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

She was often accompanied by said Vampire Brides, weaker Vampires that served her as concubines and bodyguards.

I actually missed her; I missed her creator, Peroroncino. I missed all my friends, even the ones who had no choice but to abandon the Guild for their real-life jobs.

Picking up the broken shards and cloth of one of Shalltear's chokers, I gripped it in my hand and held it to my chest, "I'll bring you back, Little Red."

Sticking the items into my inventory, I moved from Shalltear's Adipocere to the third floor. The third floor had two main parts, a chapel that held a secret portal to the sixth floor and a grand hall where Shalltear would mount her final offensive against any intruders that came against us.

An offshoot of the grand hall, usually hidden behind a false wall, led to an armory for the Old Guard and their spawner. I glanced into it to find the weapon racks empty and the wood they were made of rotted away.

The crystal that used to spawn the Old Guard was broken in half and lay in the corner. Grabbing the two halves of the crystal, I felt a small drain below my sternum as the two halves glowed, and a dark miasma spewed from each and collected on the ground ahead of me.

The black mass grew thin metallic armor and a cloth hood with an empty quiver on his back and sheath on his hip. The armory was out of order, so the NPC, which I recognized as an Old Guard soldier, didn't carry a bow or sword. He kneeled as soon as he was fully formed, dipping his head to avert my gaze.

Tossing the split summoning crystal into my inventory, I gazed down at the soldier and couldn't stop the smile forming on my lips, "We're slowly making progress. Come with me."

The soldier stood and followed after me just as the Gravekeeper had. The Grand Hall connected to the fourth floor via a large set of wooden double doors about twenty-five feet tall and about ten feet wide.

The doors groaned as I opened them, and I was surprised to find that they still functioned mostly as usual and stayed in one piece. I got the door about a third of the way open before walking through it with my new entourage.

The door led to a large spiral staircase, at the top of which I found an intact corpse. Walking over to it, I found the chest rising and falling in shallow breaths. My anger rose almost immediately at this intruder, and the attitude of the soldier behind me reflected that as he lumbered forward to attack the man.

I held out a hand as my judgment took root, and a calming sensation filled my body with a deep breath, "You there, are you awake?"

The man's eyes slowly opened about halfway before he scanned me from boot to halo. His tired gaze turned to one of fear and remorse. His cracked lips spread in a crooked smile, "I knew I shouldn't have been so greedy…"

He coughed and laughed simultaneously, his bloody iron chest plate restricting his breathing as the top of it pressed into his throat. Putting a black boot on his stomach, I pushed slightly and watched the pressure bulge his eyes. His hands twitched, trying to move to grip my leg.

"Why have you invaded my home?" He groaned in pain, not having enough energy to move, let alone scream.

"It… was…" He coughed blood as I increased the pressure under my foot, "...just… a job…"

"Who asked you to come here?" Pulling back my foot, I reached down and ripped the iron chest plate from his body, a hand placed on his shoulder. Grabbing his shirt – as he wouldn't be able to respond if I grabbed his neck – I lifted him until his toes barely touched the ground.

"I only know his… first name…" His head bobbed as he tried to keep it straight, staring at the fragmented circle above my head as best he could.

"What is it?" Pushing him into the stone behind him, he released a shallow breath and flicked his brown pupils to my cold purple eyes.

"...An…Andre…" He passed out again, causing me to toss him aside. The Old Guard soldier beside me caught him, seeming to understand my mental commands.

Running a hand through my hair, I felt my hand brush against one of the fragments of my halo. I paused and grabbed the fragment, pulling it down to look at it. It only occurred to me now that the reason I could see inside the dark tunnels wasn't because of the light that used to be native to the Tomb but because of the bright light that my halo provided to the area around me.

Despite its luminosity, the piece didn't harm me as I focused on it. Instead, it felt like a gentle street lamp at night, providing me with a comforting feeling. I released the piece from between my thumb and forefinger, watching as it slowly floated back into its place above my head.

In Yggdrasil, that wasn't something one could do. Equipment items like my halo were static, making one unable to pull them apart as I had. Looking at the man asleep in the arms of my soldier, I continued down the stairs to the fourth floor.

Floor Four was referred to as the "Underground Lake," I remembered it as a vast underground chamber filled with crystal-clear water. The lake was surrounded by towering cliffs of jagged rock that provided a natural barrier and protected the area from intruders. It was home to various species of fish and underwater creatures, including some unique to the site.

The warm and inviting water provided a peaceful and serene environment for those who visited it. In the lake's center was an island home to a small temple dedicated to the Floor Guardian, Gargantua. The temple was made of smooth white marble and is surrounded by beautifully sculpted columns that support a roof of woven vines. The temple was lit by the soft glow of bioluminescent creatures that live in the lake, casting a warm and calming light over the area.

A variety of NPCs could be found residing within the underground lake. These NPCs were created by the members of the guild, each with its own unique personality, abilities, and appearance.

One such NPC type was the mermaids. They had long, flowing hair the color of the sea, and their scales shimmered in the dim light of the lake. They were known for their beautiful singing voice, which could lure any listener into a trance.

Another was a group of aquatic demons known as the Kraken. These massive creatures had multiple arms, each ending in a menacing claw, and their eyes glowed with a sinister light. They were fiercely loyal to their master and were known for their incredible strength and cunning.

The last was a tribe of lizardmen that lived within the lake. They were skilled hunters and fierce warriors with sharp claws and teeth that they used to defend their territory and hunt for food. The lizardmen lived in large communities and were led by a powerful chieftain, who greatly influenced the tribe.

The floor guardian of the fourth floor was Gargantua, a massive golem towering over all creatures in Nazarick. It was created by the game developers and gifted to the guild as a bonus. Its body was made of solid stone and metal, giving it immense durability and strength. Its large size and robust build made it an imposing figure, an effective deterrent against intruders.

Gargantua's head was large and rounded. Its eyes were glowing orbs of light, and its face was expressionless, giving it an ominous appearance. Its arms were massive and ended in huge stone fists that could easily crush anything in its grasp.

A small opening at the center of its chest, where a faint light shone, indicated that it was powered by a mysterious source. It wasn't known whether that was cosmetic or served a purpose, even to the Guild Members.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, my gaze turned empty at the red-tinged water, and my blood boiled at the corpses that I recognized as former Old Guard and even some maids, their blood-soaked uniforms tattered and full of holes.

The invaders seemed to be finally considered a threat, but Nazarick couldn't mount a defense because of how fast the enemy was moving through the Tomb. I could tell whoever was commanding our forces did their best, even making tough choices hoping that Nazarick's defense would be ready by the time the Homunculi were slaughtered.

My eyes burned with fury as my attention returned to the invader in the Old Guard's arms. I was half tempted to snap his neck here, but I wanted more information about what had happened and who had asked these pawns to intrude upon someone else's home.

My fist clenched tightly, the fabric of my glove rubbing together and squeezing against my forearm as my muscles expanded. My breath came out shakily as the anger bled from me, and the rocks nearby shook. I watched as the red water in the half-drained lake rippled in concert with the shaking rocks.

Forcing myself to calm down, the rocks and water settled. The area remained broken, and the corpses remained corpses; nothing would change by killing this man before extracting as much information as possible from him. I placed the bodies, weapons, and loose armor into my inventory as I walked.

I stopped before a specific corpse, a blonde Homunculus that I had become attached to a few weeks before the game shut down. While none of the NPCs had personalities, it was practically effortless to have lesser NPCs, like a maid, disappear for a few hours without anyone asking questions. I spent some time with her just to act like an average person.

The Yakuza needed me to be cold and rational, and Junichi needed me to be supportive and strong so that he could get through his college courses without too much fuss. Despite her inability to respond or console me, spending time with Cixous felt good after a few days of being the perfect brother or a Yakuza Oyabun.

Kneeling down to her, I closed her golden eyes and pulled the long sword from her abdomen. Despite the blood and slight rust of the iron, it was in otherwise good condition. Looking at the Old Guard, I stuck the sword into the sheath on his hip and found it a near-perfect match.

That told me that Cixous had been killed with her own weapon – or the weapon of another NPC – a standard-issue Nazarick sword with enchantments to increase durability and sharpness. The soldier looked down at the blade, showing some intelligence, and tightened his grip on the unconscious man before he could fall from the soldier's grasp.

I placed Cixous' body into my inventory and walked to the next NPC I recognized, Pestonya Shortcake Wanko. She was a woman with a reasonably attractive body but the head of a Sheepdog and a scar running down the center of her face with stitches down the edges.

She held a high-class staff that she used to boost her Holy Magic and the natural Cold Resistance granted to her by her fur. She was by far the best healer the tomb had access to, her maid uniform being the same item class as her staff. She was strong enough to cast resurrection magic at the cost of precious items, considered unique in Yggdrasil as it removed the loss of experience by taking large portions of wealth in exchange.

Taking the staff for myself, despite not having any Magic to cast, I put it into my inventory and gingerly placed the Head Maid along with it. That being the last corpse I could see, I rubbed my right thumb, which my Guild Ring used to sit on.

My ring had been placed with the rest of my items in the mausoleum. Originally, Momonga only had thirty-seven statues commissioned for the Mausoleum as some of the Guild didn't give him their items to be stored. Fortunately, as Guild Leader, I could commission four more statues and populate them with items I borrowed from my friends' rooms. I was lucky they didn't keep their most vital gear on their person in case they were killed, and it got stolen.

I smiled at the thought of playing a prank on them again; it was a decent reprieve from life that even talking to Cixous couldn't provide. Their reactions as Gremory jumped from behind a gargoyle or my bathhouse lion struck them down as they tried to peep at the other members were priceless.

There was nothing I wouldn't trade to have that back, to be yelled at or chastised by Blue Planet or Ankoro Mochi Mochi. Being punted into next week by Touch Me would also be acceptable, so long as my friends returned to me. I was consoled that I still had our Guild Home and some of their creations to keep me company.

I wasn't sure if I was immortal now that I was in the body of an unaging race, but the thought occurred to me as we walked the side of the once great lake. I found no more bodies, but we did come across a large pile of rocks. The rock at the bottom of the pile looked like a face asking me where I had been when all this happened.

"Gargantua…" I whispered, picking up the Golem's head. His head was almost undamaged, but the scorch marks on the rest of his large rocks told me I was looking for a Fire Mage, and a strong one at that, "I'm sorry."

Despite not being made by one of the members of Ainz Ooal Gown, Gargantua played a massive role in our defense. To be able to take down our Strategic Seige Golem, the NPC with the highest raw stats in Nazarick, whoever attacked either had extreme strength or stamina to be able to outrun the Golems rock throwing and environmental attacks.

I gathered the rocks – not worried about filling my bottomless inventory in the slightest – until I got down to the red core of our Golem. It was still in one piece, but it wasn't glowing. There was no life left in the giant, nothing for me to cling to or save.

I held it briefly before putting it into my inventory's black hole. I didn't like using my subordinates as materials, but I knew they wouldn't mind if they had a choice.

The man in my soldier's arms began to squirm and gain consciousness, causing me to grab him again and toss him into the lake. He splashed and breathed heavily as he struggled to stay afloat with his heavy body and stunted stamina. Crouching near the edge of the water, I looked out at him, "You ready to tell me everything you know?"

"Y-yes!" He reached for me to pull him in, to which I nodded over my shoulder. Realizing I didn't have Yakuza to do my bidding, I snorted and looked at the undead that accompanied me.

"Bring him to me," The soldier began walking into the water and surprisingly started to swim – something I wasn't aware they could do – bringing the man over to the shore.

I grabbed the man by his collar once more and stared into his fear-filled eyes, his hands reaching for his waist, where he pulled a knife. I watched as he brought the knife forward and thrust it into my chest, the blade breaking against my robes. He kept trying to stab at me, the soldier next to me clearly itching to cut him apart.

"Are you quite done?" My tone sounded bored, and the man looked into my disappointed eyes with a crazed expression.

"M-monster…" He whispered, dropping his arms and letting the knife fall to the stone beneath us.

"Yes, you are." Scanning the man again, I found him to be about thirty years old – maybe a bit younger – and far too weak to have done this himself. The blood I had noticed on his armor wasn't his; he had no wounds I could see. I pulled him closer and said, "You could not have destroyed my home alone? Where are your allies? Are they waiting ahead?"

According to the Facilities page of the Master Source, every floor was destroyed. If that was the case, the chances of me finding another NPC were slim to none. Mulling over that thought in my mind, I decided that I could use this Human for now. At least until I got a few more Followers who would follow my commands.

First, I'd deprive this miscreant of food until he's even closer to death and almost allow him to die. Then, I'd feed him a bit and repeat the process until he's broken and only listens to my commands.

If that didn't work, I'd beat him repeatedly until he listened. If that didn't produce my desired results, I'd kill him in the most painful way possible.

"Drag him with us." Handing the man to my soldier again, I picked up the pieces of his weapon and kept walking to the Fifth Floor. The man kicked and fought to no avail as my obedient subject grabbed him by his ankle and pulled him along.

The fifth floor of Nazarick was known as the Glacier. It was a frigid, snow-covered landscape with ice-capped mountains and frozen lakes. The air was bitter cold, and the harsh environment was home to many dangerous creatures.

The NPCs of the fifth floor specialized in ice-type Magic or close-range combat, and many of them blended in perfectly with the snowy wasteland. Of those that were present, two stuck out as being exceptionally dangerous. The Yeti and Snow Fox.

The Yeti were massive, imposing creatures with white fur covering their entire bodies. They stood at least ten feet tall and were incredibly muscular, giving them immense strength. Their faces were almost simian in appearance, with wide nostrils and sharp, pointed teeth. Their eyes were small but bright, looking like tiny stars to the unsuspecting intruder. The Yeti moved with an eerie grace despite their size, making them all the more intimidating to those who encountered them. However, they were primarily peaceful creatures yet highly territorial.

The small Snow Foxes roamed the floor on the opposite end of the spectrum. They were majestic-looking creatures with pristine white fur and piercing blue eyes. They had slender bodies and long, bushy tails that they used to balance themselves as they moved around the icy terrain. Their paws were equipped with sharp claws that let them easily grip the slick ice and traverse the snow.

These Foxes were not only skilled hunters but were also adept at using magic. They were known to have powerful ice-based abilities and magic, which they used to freeze their prey or create blizzards to hide in. They could always create illusions to disorient their enemies and move swiftly through the snow with their magic-enhanced agility. They were also intelligent and capable of communicating telepathically, they rarely did with other races.

The guardian of the fifth floor was Cocytus, a formidable and frightening figure. He was a giant humanoid insect-type creature with four arms. His carapace, which doubled as armor, was made of a material resembling ice that sheened in the light. His weapons consisted of a katana, halberd, and shield, though he rarely used the katana and shield.

Cocytus was a highly skilled combatant, and his ice-based attacks made him a fearsome opponent. His fighting style emphasized precision and technique, and he often employed defensive maneuvers that crushed his enemies' attacks instead of letting them complete their moves. Despite his coldness to outsiders, Cocytus was programmed with a kind heart toward the Great Tomb of Nazarick members and was steadfast in his loyalty and determination to the Tomb and its Masters.

Cocytus' castle, Snowball Earth, was crumbled, and sections had been melted and refrozen over time. The floor didn't have its usual blizzard; now, a subtle wind carried bits of frost and a nip that made the dragged man shiver.

I found Cocytus' halberd split in half, and his katana was left with a hilt near his throne. I thought I had become numb to seeing my friends' creations dead, but seeing his hand still clutched onto the half of the halberd stuck into the ground caused my chest to tighten and my throat to close up.

Looking up, I found the four towers of Snowball Earth destroyed, with no sign of the Frost Virgins that used to reside there. I picked up the pieces of my subordinates' weapons that I could find and stuck them into my inventory. Nothing was left in the castle beside the stuff that couldn't be stolen, just like the other floors.

Leaning my head against one of the pillars that still stood, I screamed and slammed my fist into it, burying it up to my elbow. Looking up to the ceiling, I shouted, "Why couldn't I have been here!? I could have stopped this! Why!? …why?..."

Pulling my arm from the pillar, I fell to my knees and sat back on my feet. Holding my hands out before me, I held them shakily and tried to calm my breathing. I found it difficult, my blood deciding to boil and bringing thoughts of my creations fighting tooth and nail to the last being to protect our home.

To protect me.