...

Momonga exited the Tomb.

He had activated a golden ring with the Guild Crest engraved inside a Maroon gem. It was the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown], which allowed Guild Members to freely traverse through the different floors of Nazarick despite the multiple teleportation bans in place.

Said rings were Divine Class Items; and while their functions were simple, it could be said to be worth more than an entire set of Divine Gear. The reason for this was its ability. Many people in the past had tried to attack the Great Tomb of Nazarick- all of whom failed.

If they could gain an item that allowed them to bypass the security measures and defensive NPCs, a single set of Divine Gear is little to nothing compared to the fame they would attain.

There had only been 100 of those rings produced, supposedly for the possible 100 members of Ainz Ooal Gown; however, since only 41 of those available slots were filled, only 41 of those rings were distributed.

Momonga looked at his finger and recalled the countless debates his friends had over the design. Something so minuscule, yet it warmed his heart knowing there were people he could call his family.

He walked through the Catacombs of Nazarick's First Floor and navigated his way to the surface. As he approached the staircase, seven shadows slithered between the stone pillars lining the passage he walked through. The seven figures, whose shadows they belonged to, stepped out into the light and stood between Momonga and the exit.

He now faced seven dangerously threatening faces. Evil Lords, whose very sight would've made the old him cower in fear. And they now blocked his path.

But he didn't back down.

While the Evil Lords were all imposing, they didn't hold a threatening aura.

At least not in his presence.

Instead, they were all kneeling in servitude to the Supreme Being they served.

"Thank you for blessing this one with your presence."

"Umu, pay it no heed, Greed..."

The one who Momonga addressed was a tall, lean demon with red hair and six red eyes. He held onto Scythe that could rival his height; and even while he placed it on the floor, it still covered a great area.

"...shouldn't you be on the Seventh Floor though?"

"Yes, we normally would be; but Demiurge-sama has ordered us to gather here for when he discusses his task with Albedo-sama."

"Then does that mean Demiurge is here right now?"

"Yes, he came earlier to watch Aura-sama set up the security net."

"I see. I'll be leaving now, keep up the good work."

""Yes, Momonga-sama!""

All of the Evil Lords replied unanimously, and Momonga continued onwards. He wanted to see the area for himself, but he couldn't help but feel nervous. Though he was supposed to be the 'Master' to everyone in the Tomb, he often found himself feeling like he was the one asking for permission whenever he encountered an NPC.

Is this the inner Salaryman engraved into me? Or is this me not wanting to fail their trust in me?

"Ma, I'll think about it later… [Fly]"

Momonga rose through the air, gaining altitude with each second. He stopped a good portion above the Tomb and looked down, watching his precious home take it's first steps to this new life.

He breathed in the fresh air - albeit it was bland and didn't have a distinct scent. Yet it was still leagues ahead than the poisonous atmosphere he was used to. His hand unconsciously reached for his face to feel for the plastic hazard mask he wore his entire life.

Such an item no longer had a purpose in this world.

"...This is really real… … amazing…"

Momonga muttered to himself as he thought of all the places he could get lost in. Places that were either too hazardous in the Old World, or simply didn't exist.

After all, this was a fantasy world.

One that dove into depths beyond humanity.

Blue Planet would have loved to see this.

His friend, the romanticist, often found himself basking in the history of when the Earth was healthier. A time when Mount Fuji could be hiked, and the waters could be swam in without the risk of intaking toxins.

The vivid memory of his friend downloading Books, about anything and everything when it came to nature, into Nazarick's Library was enough for him to find a calm amidst the strange anomaly he found himself in.

But it wouldn't last long.

"Momonga-sama, I apologize for my late arrival."

The Archdemon - Demiurge - spoke with guilt, but he didn't mind it since he didn't want to be disturbed.

"...It's nothing to worry about. I didn't tell you I was coming and I didn't call for you, so there isn't a need for you to have found me."

"What are you saying Momonga-sama? It is our duty as Floor Guardians- no, it's our duty as servants of Nazarick, to always ensure you have what you require."

"...Is that so…"

Momonga wanted to yell, Right now I require alone time! But he didn't because he knew Demiurge was only looking out for him.

"...Then how about you tell me how Aura's security net is coming along. I heard you observed her setting it up."

"Ah yes, although there were some holes in it, I did find it rather impressive. Originally I thought she made a mistake, but when I inquired about it, she purposefully left it open as bait. Not to mention, her decision to plant Gricks in the ground left me speechless. I was foolish to have underestimated her ability."

Momonga was surprised to hear Demiurge's high appraisal. He was one of the most intelligent beings in Nazarick.

"...Gricks were level 15 if I'm correct… "

"Yes, while I was also concerned with their ability to neutralize targets too, she had also placed several Mountain Salamanders and made stationary nests for them where the dummy hills will be."

"Hm, if the strength of this world is based on what we've seen so far, then those level 35 monsters should suffice for now. But as long as it prioritizes stealth, as I've said before, then it should be fine."

Momonga ended that topic and looked directly below. He had been so caught up with the sky and surroundings, he failed to note the drastic change going on underneath him.

Mare was raising the barren plains around Nazarick to form a trench that looked like a hill. He was also creating similar hills around the Tomb. The whole ordeal was causing a large dust cloud to form, but it wasn't deadly so Momonga paid it no heed.

"Demiurge, what do you think would be a good reward?"

"Reward? I don't understand, serving you is the highest reward itself."

"...Listen, it's good to have desires other than serving me. I wish to reward you all for your services…"

"I see. Though I can't speak for others, for me, I would love some pets to play with. Ever since I heard of the ones Sebas had, it gave me the idea of starting up a farm."

"Hoh? A farm you say?"

"Of course, it would be used to serve Nazarick first though."

"Hm, that does sound interesting. I give you permission to do so. However, you must make it outside of Nazarick and only after we gather more information about this New World… but if you find any interesting animals, you may store them on your floor for the time being."

"Thank you, my lord. You are most gracious."

Demiurge let out a grin and internally chuckled, Kukuku… Animals indeed…

Not that Momonga saw it though. Rather, he was fixating on this feeling he had. A feeling for how he would have to 'force' the NPCs to receive their rewards.

Then his vision focused on Mare working below.

He surely is working hard.

Momonga descended from the sky and landed next to the boy.

"M-M-Momonga-sama!"

Mare quickly noticed him and happily looked at his master.

"Wh-what brings you here?"

"I wanted to thank you for your hard work. Concealing Nazarick is a huge task for our future plans with this World; so I would like to give you a reward."

"N-no there's no need to reward me. I-I was only following your instructions."

"You misunderstand, Mare. It isn't good for a master to work his servants to the bone and not take care of them. I wish to reward you to thank you for your loyalty."

Momonga put his hand into his personal inventory, and pulled out an item. When he held it in his palm for Mare to take-

"I-I can't take this! Th-this is the [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown]! Only the S-supreme Beings can wear this!"

"Well, I want you to have it as a sign of the faith I have in you."

"Momonga-sama, I c-can't take this! I'm unworthy of such an item!"

"How about this then, you take it and remain diligent to show me you deserve it."

"I-if you say so… then o-okay."

The boy hesitantly accepted the gift and slowly placed it on his finger. Seeing the item only bestowed upon the Supreme Beings now in his possession, his eyes shone like the gem the ring had.

Momonga sighed once he accepted it, This is going to be harder than I thought.

"So this is where you were, Demiurge."

The voice came from behind Momonga. The person who spoke was the seductress herself - Albedo. If he was human, Momonga knew he would be head over heels for her. In fact, he probably felt this way inside his Overlord body; but his lack of libido hid it underneath the layers of his robes. Deep beneath it.

"My apologies, Albedo. When I heard Momonga-sama had come here himself, I couldn't help but approach him."

"Don't worry about it, I fully agree with you. If someone as magnanimous as Momonga-sama were to approach any of us, it would be impossible not to stop what we were doing to gaze upon his glorious body!"

"-Um, Al-Albedo! I'm right here!"

"Ahh~"

The succubus let out the sound of her fantasies. Being so close to her one and only made it impossible to compose herself.

"~Momonga-sama~ Momonga-sama~ Momo-"

Her daydreams were brought to an abrupt end, not from Momonga calling out to her, rather it was the item that sparkled her way as it reflected off the sun. Her attention to this detail was quick- but the snake in her mouth was quicker.

"Mare, how did you get that?"

Though her face was as neutral as it could be, she didn't try to hide the venom in her words.

"Th-this?"

"Yes, how did you get a [Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown]? Only the Supreme Being could access them."

"A-ah, Momonga-sama gave it to me as a g-gift."

For a split second, her calm pupils burst open with daggers- and then it returned to normal. It was so fast that nobody noticed it. And if one did see it, they would merely think they were hallucinating. With the composure she held herself to, it was impossible to think such a person was capable of it.

"That reminds me, I should also give you one too since you're the Guardian Overseer."

Momonga proceeded to pull out another ring from his inventory and hand it to Albedo. Unlike Mare, Albedo didn't hesitate to accept it. Her fingers slithered between the curves of the band, and her knuckle tucked behind the gem.

Hm, I guess Tabula programmed her to like rewards?

Momonga pushed the thought away. Seeing Albedo put on the ring and retain her neutral face made him feel a little disappointed.

A part of him hoped she was more ecstatic about receiving it. Even though it wasn't much, it was still an item left behind by his friends; and he treasured it greatly.

"If Albedo's here then you two should get started on your tasks. A stable communication network within Nazarick is crucial, so I'll leave you two at it."

Momonga looked at the three Guardians once more, and activated his ring, teleporting to the Ninth Floor.

Man, that's tiring. Is this how CEOs feel when talking with their employees? And I swear I heard someone scream…! Don't tell me… ...am I losing my mind!?

In his exhausted state, Momonga leaned against the wall and rested for a decent amount of time. When a couple of minutes passed by, he cracked his back and felt ready to return to 'work.'

"Man, that break felt great!"

When he turned around, all the stress he relieved managed to crawl up his spine again.

"...H-how long were you there...?"

"Ever since you returned to the Ninth Floor, Momonga-sama."

The stoic face of Narberal Gamma made him question what she was feeling. It wouldn't be weird for an employee to feel awkward if they saw their superior take a break. It would be like meeting someone who was supposed to be the pinnacle of authority; only to realize they are a douchebag that slacks off 24/7.

But none of that was on her face.

The Pleiades Maid was unwavering as usual, which put Momonga's heart at ease. If he could go on without worrying about his 'absolute ruler' persona when he was around at least one NPC, he would gladly take it.

And he was quick to jump into this boat.

"Don't mention anything of what you saw to anyone, do you understand?"

"I understand."

Momonga internally signed in relief. It would be bad if she went around blabbing about this incident, and he wouldn't find it weird if the other NPCs' loyalty wavered because of it. After all, nobody would want to work for someone who was less competent than them.

"Follow me, I'd like to see some things."

Both of them returned to his room, where Narberal stood stock still in the corner, and Momonga opened a storage room.

Every member of the Guild had a personal room. While some of them customized it to fit their persona or theme they went with, Momonga didn't really care. His room was the default design that went along with the Floor theme. He had used his room to store some of his items that he considered excessive, but not necessarily enough to place it in the Treasury nor throw away.

Inside his storage, he pulled out a box filled with weapons, armor, and items.

He pulled out a basic broadsword he got from when he was a beginner.

I can feel its texture so realistically...

Momonga raised the sword in above his head, and when he swung in a downwards slash and-

"Kuh!"

- the sword slipped out of his hand and fell to the ground.

"It seems that's still like the game…"

In Yggdrasil, in order to wield weapons, a player had to have a fighter class. Unfortunately for Momonga, he didn't have any.

Since he was a magic caster - Necromancer - he had to cast [Perfect Warrior] if he wanted to hold and equip swords or other weapons.

Inside the Perfect Warrior state, all of his class levels would go to warrior-related class levels, and he wouldn't be able to cast magic. Against lower-level players, this wasn't bad since he would have a level advantage.

However, against another level 100 player, he would be at a complete disadvantage. Since his build was designed for a magic caster, his stats would be the same. In other words, the fields he maximized since it was effective as a magic caster, were ineffective as a warrior; and the fields he minimized because it was ineffective as a magic caster, were the stats that made a warrior strong.

It was only when Narberal's figure began to clean up the mess he made, that he realized she was still there. He had totally forgotten she was there, and so he began to tense up.

Wait, why am I so tense? She doesn't care if I'm like this.

Remembering Naberal's indifferent stance towards his faults, he felt a little better. When he started thinking more about her, he recalled that she was a battle mage, and had a fighter class.

"Narberal, try to swing that sword."

The maid bowed and did as instructed. Without any hesitation or doubt, she completed the down strike he had failed to do.

It seems I was right. At least she can wield weapons.

Having enough for now, Momonga watched Narberal finish cleaning.

"Good job."

Narberal's face flushed a little when she heard her master's praise. While she was happy to serve him, she couldn't help but think, Momonga-sama's such a kind master. Not only did he praise me for cleaning up, but he also pretended to fail so I could clean up his mess. Only he, who noticed how bored I was, would be kind enough to stay behind while the other Supreme Beings left.

With the determination to serve her generous master better, she followed him out the door, and to their next destination.

...