In the year 2138, the earth was at its wit's end surviving barely due to the harsh environment created by humans. Acid rain, pollution, and toxic and harsh climates were common things. People were used as slaves working not 8-hour shifts but 14-16 hours daily just to survive on low wages due to just one of many factors given by none other than the mega-corporations who can easily be called dictators of the world in this era.
Suzuki Satoru, a man in his 30s was also a one of slave or in generic terms offered by the world an 'Office worker' for the mega-corporations, working 10 hours a day 6 days a week barely surviving the evil given by the current world due to just one thing in his mind, one goal, one destiny which is Yggdrasil.
Yggdrasil a DMMO-RPG or Dive massively multiplayer role-playing game, was among the most popular games among the masses at that time with a high level of classes to choose from, a huge amount of character customization, and absolute player freedom the game was purely the peak of mmo's evolution, but after a huge success for 12 years, the game finally comes to its final ends.
Suzuki Satoru was a call center employee whose work was just to hear the complaints of the customers; the job was not well paid but still enough for survival with a modest way of living.
After coming from a long 10 hrs shift from work getting a quick shower, ingesting an ample amount of the tasteless synthetic nutrient paste, and injecting some nanomachines, he was ready to put on that dive gear, prepared to live the real life he had for the last time not as the weak Suzuki Satoru who is oppressed by the harsh society but as Momonga the Supreme leader of the Great tomb of Nazarick and the Guild Leader of the Most Notorious and one of the most powerful guilds of all Yggdrasil AINZ OOAL GOWN.
Ainz Ooal Gown, previously known as Nine's Own Goal, created by the world champion touch-me was a guild of 41 heteromorphic players. Due to being of different races and being oppressed by the Shitty devs having a 1.5x exp gain from player-killing, heteromorphs are the most targeted races of Yggdrasil but not for so long, hunters became the hunted after obliterating the 1500-player raid on the guild base, having the highest number of world items, having the most efficient players in all of Yggdrasil, Ainz Ooal Gown showed that they doesn't know defeat.
Suzuki Satoru after logging in for the final time in Yggdrasil was spawned on the last location which was the meeting room of the great tomb.
Here he was Momonga the Overlord, a towering skeletal figure draped in elaborate, intricate robes. His skull was perfectly polished, with glowing crimson eyes that radiated an intense and otherworldly power. The sharp contours of his skeletal face seem frozen in an eternal, haunting expression, exuding an aura of cold authority, he a level 100 player, and being the highest evolution of the undead race he was fit for being a ruler, his build was basically for roleplaying purposes but not at all weak in all regards rather being a wild card in battles, with more than 700+ spells and the Top Secret World Item know to defeat half of the raiders in one fell swoop the 'Orb Of Momonga' in his arsenal, Momonga was indeed feared the most.
Sitting on one of the chairs in the grand meeting room Momonga was reminiscing about the time he loved the most, the time with his guild mates, the time he had fun in his miserable life, the time which he can say he never felt alone.
'It's been like 6 months since someone last showed up here, they sure are so tangled into their IRL that they can't even come for 10 minutes to even see their creations.'
Momonga banged his fist on the table with a thud echoing into the room with a notification popped up.
< Total damage: 0 >
'Well, it's not their fault, IRL is important as well, can't complain but still not able to come even for some time to see their creation, the tomb they put their virtual blood and sweat into, and to meet their friend.'
Momonga chuckled thinking about the last line 'and to meet their friend', he sent emails to all the members telling them about the shutdown of Yggdrasil servers and to finally come like the old days and have a nice farewell together, some of them replied, some of them ignored, while some said they are unable to join, while some give him hope that they will try. That little hope was enough for him to wait till the end like the Ruler of Death in the lost tomb.
After waiting some time, going through all the inventory and security checks for the last time a beep alert came, which filled Momonga with joy that for the last time, he would not be alone, finally, someone who he could call a friend joined him at the end.
< Player HeroHero logged in >
A black slime named HeroHero, the early member of Ainz Ooal Gown, materialized on one of the chairs, giving a Hi Emote he said.
"It's been a long time Momonga. It's nice to see the guild still in great shape."
Sending a smiley Emote Momonga replied with a happy tone, hiding all the emotions he was having some time ago. "Indeed, it is Herohero, it's been like 2 years since you last logged in. Hope work treats you well."
"Work has been a lot, too much compulsory overtime, been a little sick lately, Sometimes I feel like my game avatar.". HeroHero replied, with a sigh, and continued talking to Momonga for another 10 minutes telling him all the hardships he gets off work. After some time, he realized that he was going too far nagging about the work conditions and he apologized.
Seeing the uneasiness of his friend Momonga gives a thumbs-up emote to Hero ensuring him to be at ease. "Well, you should see to your health HeroHero, by the way, you are stopping here to see the end of Yggdrasil, right?". Momonga finally has a little hope that he won't be alone at the end of the world he calls his real life, but all hopes come crashing down.
"I really need to sleep Momonga, I need to go to work early but, thanks for being a great guild master, it suited you. You ensure the running of the tomb we all created, thanks again."
With a chuckle, Momonga replied, not showing any hint of sadness.
"Good night HeroHero, you all gave me the responsibility of guild master, so it was my duty to keep the creations of you and all other members safe."
"Have a good night Momonga, and let's meet sometime IRL, and thanks again for all. I really need to sleep now, bye." Giving a yawn, HeroHero left without even getting a reply back from Momonga.
< Player HeroHero logged off >
Once again, the entire conference room went silent with no one except Momonga alone, with a huge bang on the table the room again echoed with a thud noise.
"Dammit...., meet IRL When? Where? It's all just nonsense words, I...I... I'm fed up hearing this all the time...."
Controlling his anger Momonga stood up from his chair, moving toward the guild weapon of Ainz Ooal Gown he picked it up, reminiscing about the time when his all guildmates grinds materials for the 'Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown'.
"Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, the sign of our guild, the sign of our friendship. You all even sacrificed your sleep just to grind the materials for this, we all even spent a ton of our IRL money buying the items of the auctions for the embodiment of the guild, the item into which we all pour our blood and sweat. Why? You all forsake it? Why did you forsake Narazick? Why forsake your creations?"
With a jolt of realization, Momonga came back to his senses. "Nuh... No one forsaken anything, they just chose what was necessary and moved on."
Seeing the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown roaring up with negative energy, an idea struck Momonga's mind, after seeing the timer on the console he thought. 'Just 1 hour left till the server's shutdown, let's take a tour of the tomb for the last time, it's my duty to give all the denizens the final goodbye. They deserve a way better farewell....'
After visiting all 7 floors of Nazarick, he finally teleported to the most powerful floor of the tomb, the Infamous 8th floor, famous for subjugating the majority of the 1500 raiders. Teleported to the floor, Momonga was greeted by the floor guardian of the floor 'Victim', a low-level pink fetus who upon death cast a large AOE debuff and activated Rubedo.
'Ahh 8th floor still holds its mystery, it's good that the shitty devs did not ban us from copying all the world enemy's skills into the 8th-floor hierarchy. The looks on people's faces when they entered the 8th floor, the forum chats damn... I love the despair they had back then.'
Momonga chucking and suppressing the inner Ulbert Alain Odle traveled deep within the 8th floor reaching the sacred Cherry Blossom Sanctuary, home of Rubedo and the Real Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown.
Walking to the main Sakura tree in the center of the sanctuary he saw a sight he saw only a couple of times in his whole Yggdrasil life. A sleeping girl with a perfect balance of elegance and menace, made from an otherworldly metallic substance. Her face is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, unnervingly beautiful yet emotionless, with long flowing hair with a gradient of red and ruby. Wrapped in the branches of the Sakura tree, she was the Weapon of Nazarick ready to be unleashed upon the world.
Coming close to Rubedo, Momonga clutched the Staff tightly and thought. 'Tabula kept a lot of mystery in her, well what to expect her core is made of a world item...indeed entire floor guardians and even Touch-me can't even beat her.'
'Well let's look at her lore, it's Tabula so I already know how this will go, pages and pages of lore.' Momonga pointed the Staff towards Rubedo and said in a deep voice. "Console Command Open."
< Console Command Open failed: Real Instance of guild weapon required. >
With a sigh, Momonga facepalmed. ' I'm getting rusty as a guild leader, another security step from Punitto-Moe to prevent Takemikazuchi and Touch from activating her for a duel. Now I have to get the real Staff...'
Momonga went deep inside the secret part of the Sanctuary; after passing all the traps put by the great tacticians of the guild Punitto-moe and Ancient One, he went to a small dark room made of Prismatic ore the most resistant and strong metal in all of Yggdrasil. There the real Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown was kept keeping the immense power and the guild together.
'Umu, that's the third time I will equip the real staff. Well... what was the command?' Momonga thought for a second then raising both his hands he chanted. "By the will of Ainz Ooal Gown, the true staff awakens! Unleash the power of the guild, and let the heavens tremble beneath its might!"
< User Momonga Detected >
< Role GuildMaster Conformed >
With this, the case around the staff opens and it starts floating. With a flick of the hand, Momonga called the real staff, merging it with the copy. Now giving the Staff, the 100% power output. Grasping the staff Momonga felt all the buffs the staff put on him. "The copy of Staff can't hold a candle to the real one." With a chuckle, Momonga thought. "With the staff, I can give Touch-me a run for his money."
After getting the Staff he went back to the place where Rubedo was sleeping, pointing to the staff at Rubedo Momonga spoke. "Console Command Open."
< Console Command Open Success: NPC - 1059 Rubedo >
A console window opened in front of Momonga with all the details about the lore, stats, and items equipped by Rubedo. Reaching the lore section Momonga found the usual lines and lines of the lore written by none other than his friend the setting's Maniac Tabula Smaragdina.
"I knew it would be not small lines, but essays of lore as expected from Tabula." Momonga scrolled a bit, but one line caught his eye. 'Destined to always be alone and always used as a Weapon.' The line hit Momonga's mind harder than a direct blunt attack without any resistance, staring at the sleeping Rubedo Momonga thought.
'Why....Tabula?....What's the point of making her like that... Why alone?' Momonga chuckled. "And I thought I was all alone back then, she suffered more than me, just made to be alone, sorry Tabula but that's Unacceptable. As a Guild Leader of Ainz Ooal Gown, I can't let it pass."
Raising the Staff, Momonga chanted "Rise, Rubedo....the Crimson Sovereign of Destruction. Unleash the wrath of yours and reduce all to nothingness in the name of Nazarick!"
< Activated Rubedo Success >
With that, all the branches around Rubedo loosened up, Rubedo after opening her eyes saw the one who reigns supreme, her master and the Leader of all the Supreme beings Momonga. Seeing Momonga, Rubedo quickly went on one Knee as a sign of submission ready to do the bidding of her master.
Momonga, after seeing her activated, once again opened the console. Seeing only 15 min left until shutdown. He was sad but the deed now needs to be completed. He quickly opened Rubedo's lore again and deleted the last line. 'Umu, now what should I put here?....'. Once again Momonga's mind ran and thought of an idea with a smirk he changed the lines to 'Deeply in love with Momonga'.
Momonga facepalmed and chuckled seeing the deed he did. 'Ahh....I'm such a dork, hope Tabula doesn't get angry.... Well, it's the end so I don't think he will be angry. Well, now just one thing left.'
Scrolling more in the console, Momonga went to the Addons section. 'Now just a flesh cosmetic effect is needed, and she will get emotions. I was saving this pack of effects for Pandora but he's a doppelganger so it's not required I think... well not the time to think about that, it's good that no one read his lore, or it will cringe as hell.'
After thinking about a particular doppelganger, doing an eccentric salute. He watched how the effect pack took effect. After some time, what he saw filled him with joy, now standing in front of him was not an emotionless, golem body Rubedo, but a smiling Rubedo made up of flesh.
'Well, she still looks the same but it's good that she now has emotions like the rest of the NPCs here.' Momonga coming close to Rubedo.
"I hope you are feeling great Rubedo, now you don't have to be alone anymore. Cause I Momonga the Ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick will always be with you.". Momonga in his Overlord roleplay said it Patting the head of the girl.
With that, Momonga saw the timer was coming to a close, with only 3 min left till shutdown. With a sigh, Momonga said. "Ahh....time passes when you have fun. Well now let's just sit on the bench, under the cherry blossoms, and see the world of Yggdrasil end. What was the command....".
With that, Momonga gestured toward Rubedo and gave a command. "Follow Me." walking towards the bench Momonga sat down with Rubedo bowing down.
< 23 Hrs, 59 Min, 56 sec >
"Well, it's sad that no one stayed till the end, but I can't complain. They missed meeting Rubedo." Seeing Rubedo Momonga chuckled and thought. 'The one NPC who I least interacted with is staying with me till the end. Well, she deserves it. I promised her to never leave her ever.'
< 23 Hrs, 59 Min, 58 sec >
'Ahh.... Yggdrasil was fun, nuh... it was a blast. I need to go to sleep after the shutdown, need to wake up at 4.'
< 23 Hrs, 59 Min, 59 sec >
"See you Rubedo in the next life." Clutching the Staff, Momonga with all his lungs Shouted. "All Hail Ainz Ooal Gown.".
< 00 Hrs, 00 Min, 00 sec >
< 00 Hrs, 00 Min, 01 sec >
< 00 Hrs, 00 Min, 02 sec >
Everything went dark...