Chapter 6: 1-5: The World Tree Burns

I continued my erratic 'chases' as the months trickled by, choosing one feature of the game at a time to master. I dedicated years of my life to the world of YGGDRASIL, exploring every nuance to its fullest. I collected seventeen more World Items on my own, just by virtue of being the first to try so many things. The name 'Ancient One' became synonymous with 'experience', my character known by every player on the servers even if I never featured on a single leaderboard. I fought others only rarely, but when I did, I crushed them utterly.

I was the god of my own world, my destiny firmly in my own hands. No matter how shitty the world outside was, no matter how terrible reality was growing to be, the shining light of YGGDRASIL kept me going.

But as with all things, it had to come to an end.

"I'm quitting the game."

Those words, such simple words, threatened to crush my little utopia. But I refused to lose hope, knowing that things had to end before they could truly begin. I watched as the forty-one members of the Guild began to slowly lose interest, the demon known as 'real life' rearing its head. Forty-one became thirty-five, and Momonga's heart began to break.

They would go to Momonga to deposit their equipment, to drain their inventory into the Guild's. Then they said their goodbyes and left without another word, tearing holes in the poor lich's life. I knew that the salaryman didn't have much to live for, and that this game was his only escape from cruel reality. After all, it was mine, too. I watched them go with a sad smile, knowing that this was the beginning of the end.

As time passed, the remaining members logged in less and less. One by one, they started to quit due to personal reasons. All of their reasons made perfect sense, and in their shoes I would do the exact same, but that didn't make it hurt any less. Nazarick, once filled with life and activity every night, was soon populated only by the ever-vigilant NPCs. Momonga never recruited any more members, his reasons plain to see.

This Guild had been our child. Our beautiful utopia. Inviting in outsiders just wouldn't be the same.

"They… they put their things in Guild Storage." Momonga once told me, voice full of more hurt than I had ever heard from the gentle lich. "T-that means they might come back to pick them up again, right?"

I knew it wasn't going to happen, and deep down, so did he. But neither of us admitted it. Hell, I had already started picking through their Storage for Items that I had never gotten around to gathering myself.

…Probably not the best idea to tell Momonga that, though. I doubt he'd be amused to learn I had looted several Shooting Star rings from Guild Members that had left them behind.

"Some of the stronger Guilds have been getting subtler lately." I said instead. "They'd definitely try to slip people into our Guild to get a chance at our weapons. I store some of my World Items in the Guild Treasury, you know?"

He nodded immediately. "Yeah, I know. It would be too much of a risk to invite others in. Spies might take something valuable. We should keep it like this in case they return."

It was an excuse. A flimsy one at that. But it was more than enough to justify why we refused to fill the Guild once more. I didn't pretend to know Momonga's reasons, and I admitted mine only to the still-patrolling NPCs. The knowledge that they had gradually become at least somewhat sentient was both the best and worst part about it.

So, in respect for what they were becoming, I spoke frankly of what had happened.

"Your parents left." I stated quietly. "It wasn't your fault, not in the least. Nor was it mine, or Momonga's, or even Ulbert's." I looked over the gathered NPCs, remembering the time I had taken to create and nurture them into the beings they were. "They… they had to leave. Our world is a terrible place to live, and this was our getaway."

I took a shuddering breath. "We… in our world, you can't even step outside without a mask and several coats. Our own race poisoned the earth so badly that we're still dying from it fifty years later. Momonga… he's just a workingman, and I'm just a child with far too much memory than he should have. The rest of them did the smart thing, the brave thing, and left to try and make the world a better place. Some dedicated more time to their jobs, and some chose new worlds to build and create in."

I smiled at Archer, reaching out to brush her skin. "But Momonga and I… we could never leave. This place is our home. Yggdrasil is dying, I'm afraid, but I plan to stay until the end. The others might decide to change worlds or make a new paradise, but this will always be my home."

I looked over the gathered characters, sighing softly. "You know… I had a wish once. I wished that I never had to go back to that shitty world. I looked forward to the next life, the next great adventure. And then I realized that I would never get my 'great adventure', and that humanity's flaws were too numerous to ever escape their poisonous miasma. I never talk about my 'real life', because to me… this little fantasy is better than anything reality has to offer. There I'm just someone making it through the day, but here? Here, I'm whatever I want to be."

I slipped my hand into Archer's, bowing low. "So thank you. All of you. You might be NPCs, but you're closer to me than my own family ever was. You're a part of my ideal world, and even if your creators can't be here with us, you carry on their legacy better than I ever could alone. You're all that remains of Ainz Ooal Gown. So bear the name 'Nazarick' proudly, and live your lives to their fullest." I smiled kindly at them. "Chin up, gents. You've got a life to live."

They all bowed in unison, surprising the hell out of me for a second. Then I chuckled, waving them away. "Well, get to it you lot. Return to normal duties."

They all straightened, turning and beginning to walk towards their assigned posts. Archer's hand remained in mine, and she didn't move a muscle. I released her, leaning over to peck her lightly on the cheek. "Go on, love. Go guard the mansion."

She bowed for a moment, then turned to do as she had been commanded. I watched her go, smiling wistfully. Then I, too, turned and left.

These days there were only about ten members that were still a part of the Guild, and only Ulbert logged in with any regularity. It was lonely, to be sure, but I didn't lose heart. The end of an age heralded the beginning of the next, after all.

No, rather than moping around Nazarick as Momonga was inclined to do, I roped the lich into a few of my 'mad schemes' as he called them, forming a party with Ulbert whenever possible. I took them all over the Nine Realms, showing them all the wonders and sights that I had seen over the ten years we had been playing. I taught them how to activate the most rewarding Hidden Quests, pillage the deepest vaults, discover the most terrifying Raid Bosses.

For a time, we were invincible. Momonga the sorcerer, Ulbert the battlemage, and Ancient One the brute force tank. We ruled the battlefield, tearing through Boss mobs like rice paper. Every attack we aimed levelled an area, and every move we made caused dozens of high-level monsters to die.

But I knew it wouldn't last. It never would. So I began to prepare for The End. The Quests became less of a sightseeing journey and more of a necessity. I targeted specific dungeons, leading along my clueless Party and effortlessly clearing each one. I gathered all the materials I could, locking them away inside the Guild Treasury. I traded in my entire account's worth of in-game currency for every cash item I thought might ever be useful, even dipping into my personal savings to make doubly certain I would have enough.

The End was neigh. And I would be ready for it.

Once upon a time, there were 41 Gods in Nazarick. 41 beings with power so incredible that it granted them the ability to create life itself. And create life they did. From nothingness they were drawn, formed, perfected. Day after day, they poured their heart out into the vessel they created for their new lives. Slowly, surely, those vessels became aware.

They woke from their silent slumbers, learning of the world around them. They listened as they were taught by the older vessels, growing to understand the world they lived in. They learned of other Gods, other beings of supreme power, but they found the very idea of their creators being challenged by anything to be utterly absurd.

Their makers were their world. The reason the sun rose in the morning, and the reason the moon watched over the night. The vessels took on the shapes that they were given, in mind and body and soul. Their existence was what they were formed to be by the guiding hands of their Gods. Their Gods, the Supreme Beings of Nazarick.

They were the NPCs. They didn't know what that meant, but it was what they were referred to as. They had one task in life, and that was to fulfil their makers' vision for them. They did so with great joy, for it was what they loved doing more than anything else in the world.

The NPC named Albedo was created by her father, Tabula Smergema. She was given a personality and skillset perfectly suited to her task. She was to guard the Throne Room and direct the defenses of the Great Tomb of Nazarick in case of an invasion. She relished her task, standing in her position every day without fail. She listened as the Supreme Beings spoke, basking in their everyday interactions.

Some of the younger NPCs often came to her after their creation and perfection, worried that their creators had tired of them or found them unsatisfactory. She assured them otherwise, telling them of how the Supreme Beings would brag to each other about their creations' might or features. Feeling proud that they had been entrusted to work without supervision, the young NPCs would return to their post, doing their best to fulfil their task.

But lately… the other Supreme Beings slowly ceased appearing before them. Their absence was like a raw wound, as if something vital to her existence were missing. She made do with what she had, but it was hard to deal with the loneliness sometimes. She found herself envying the Maidens, who had their creator visit them daily to lavish affection onto them. But she would shake off such jealousy, for she had a role to fulfil. And even if that role was interpreted slightly differently than her departed creator had intended, it didn't matter as long as it was being fulfilled, right?

Albedo looked on as the Ancient One began gathering supplies. It was what she was programmed to do, after all. She served the Supreme Beings with all her heart, following their every command as the words of Gods.

She had heard the mighty Dragon's words, and knew he was preparing for the supposed 'Server shutdown' that Momonga-sama often spoke of in a worried voice. The old Dragon tried to keep her lord's mind off the impending 'shutdown', but in the end it was futile. The emptiness of Nazarick couldn't be filled by one Dragon, no matter how much he tried.

The Dragon often spoke to her and her fellow Servants, reminiscing about the old times. Times when the Tomb was full of hopeful Players hoping to make something of their world. She, too, missed those times, when her creator Tabula-sama would show her off as his prized creation…

"Albedo-nee-sama… is everything all right?" A soft voice asked worriedly.

She turned, seeing the beautiful face of Innocence. She smiled, reaching out to brush the Angel's hair behind her ear. "It's all right." She whispered, hiding the worry gnawing at her heart. "I'm just attending to my duties."

The blonde Angel looked confused. "But aren't you supposed to be in the Throne Room? This is the Treasury."

Albedo sighed, glad for once that the little Angel was so naïve. It would protect her from the truth. "I'm watching over Ancient One-sama." She stated simply, turning back to the doorway.

"Oh." The Angel's wings quivered slightly. "I-is there something wrong with him?"

Albedo shook her head. "No, no…" Her eyes lost focus slightly as she looked into the middle distance. "No, it's just… he's worried about the Guild."

Green eyes widened as the innocent Angel gasped. "W-what? Why?"

Albedo sighed, reaching out to stroke her blonde hair. "Do you remember what he told us?"

"He said that the other Supreme Beings had to return to try and save their world." Innocence said, tilting her head. "Right?"

Albedo hid her snarl of rage. The Angel was too innocent to understand what the old Dragon had truly meant. "They left to fix the mess they made." She agreed instead, forcing a smile.

Inside, however, she fumed. They had left Nazarick behind, leaving the few remaining members to fend for themselves. She had stood in the Throne Room as every one of them handed in their resignation and their gear, disappearing forever.

"Albedo-nee-sama?"

She shook off her poisonous thoughts, forcing a smile once more. "It's nothing, Innocence."

Faintly, on the edge of her hearing, she could hear a lone voice crooning softly.

"It's the ennnd of the wooorld as we know it…"

The Ancient One… was singing.

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