Yggdrasil.
The most popular DMMORPG game created in the year 2126.
It is in the guildhall of one of the greatest guilds in all of the game, that our story begins.
Ainz Ooal Gown.
The guild that had become like a second home to me in this stupid dystopian world that I had found myself in over two decades ago.
A virtual world where I had met people that were once fiction to me, yet soon, became treasured friends that stood by my side through the darkest times of my life.
But today, was the day I was dreading the most ever since I first joined this guild. The day when everything I held dear in this crazy world would end and push me back into the so-called reality where I had to work day and night just so I could survive.
"…Haah".
"You should have joined me in the main hall, Zarathos-san" a voice rang out from behind me, making me realize that I had been staring at the massive decorative throne of the Guild in thought all this time.
"…Sorry Momonga, I was just thinking about our future from here"
"I know how you feel Zarathos-san, because I too feel the same, I too do not wish to leave the friends I had gained in this world, but there is nothing we can do" For the first time since I got to know him from over 5 years ago, I sensed despair from his tone.
"….How was Herohero?" I asked as Momonga perked up again.
"He was fine! although he appeared to be working himself into the ground at his job"
"That is something everyone is doing nowadays, the price of water and air is rising every month, making it real difficult for the average people to survive while the high class are using their influence and money to build specialized residences outside of the city domes, leading a comfortable life" I said while looking back at the throne.
When I had first awakened as Alex Connor in this new world after dying in my world in a plane crash, I was stunned by the fact that I had arrived in the future by over a century.
But my excitement for the future was quickly crushed when I realized the true state of the world I had found myself in.
A world where Humanity had ignored the earliest signs of global pollution and ended up almost killing the planet.
A world where real food was a precious and luxurious commodity that was only accessible to the privileged while the rest of the population must work really hard to earn synthetic food that had neither taste nor texture, only containing enough protein and vitamins to keep the human body alive.
A world where Water and Air was packaged and sold at exorbitant prices by the government, demanding people to work over 12 hours a day just to get enough money to support their life.
However, there were a few things that allowed for the local population to enjoy in this shitty world.
Things such as VR, Neural-Nano interface. Things that were given at such a low cost that they might as well have been free. Their primary purpose was to allow the people to control machines at their offices or factories by connecting them directly to the brain, however, this technology also allowed for the emergence of the DMMORPG games.
It was the existence of this technology and the game Yggdrasil, that revealed to me just where I had found myself at.
In the world of an anime called Overlord.
When I realized exactly where I was, I had already begun my plans to join the guild Ainz Ooal Gown when it was formed so that I can escape to the new world when the game inevitably shut down.
However, I never did anticipate that I would end up getting attached to the guild members, people who I once thought mere fiction, but ended up becoming my comrades in this unforgiving world.
"….You could have taken it you know?" I was distracted from my thoughts as Momonga stood beside me, staring at the throne as well.
I knew exactly what he was talking about but that was a responsibility I was not prepared for nor did I ever desire it.
"You know better than anyone that I am not suited to be a Guild Master Momonga, I think the Guild did a good job at choosing you to lead up when Touchme left the position because of that idiot Ulbert"
"But I was only made Guild Leader because you refused that role, I am sure that if you had just shown even the slightest interest in it you would have directly been selected as the leader"
"Again, I am not cut out for that role Momonga, I don't like elaborate strategies nor can I think up such things, the only thing I am good at is blowing things up and fighting like a brute"
And that was the truth.
My avatar belonged to the Heteromorphic race, An Angel to be exact.
While the Heteromorphic races were banned from having many job classes or possessing a few rare and powerful ones, I myself had access to over 8 Job classes while the rest of the members of the guild members each had at least 15 or 16 job classes. While this was not so impressive compared to the Humanoid races that could have as many as 40 job classes and beast races that could have a maximum of 30 job classes, it was still ridiculously powerful when considering the fact that Heteromorphic races had a distinct advantage in terms of stats.
Thankfully, since I only had 8 job classes, I was able to advance them to an unimaginably high level and attain powers that not many have seen in the game.
In essence, while the rest of my guild were min-maxing their avatars with their specialties in mind, I had been overspecializing in my Racial level and job classes.
This resulted in me being called the weakest member of the guild during the initial stages, however, during the many dungeon raids and guild wars, I showed my worth and earned a title for myself.
A title given to me by the player base rather than the game itself.
The Thunder God of Nazarick.
Due to how much I had specialized in lightning-based job skills and leveled them up to ridiculous levels combined with how two of my four super tier spells were based on thunder, I had ended up gaining that title from the players that suffered at my hands during pvp.
I watched as Momonga slowly walked towards the throne, the NPCs following him around just like how I vaguely remember it being in the novels.
I slowly followed him and stood by his side, watching him change the settings of Albedo while waiting for the inevitable to happen.
"A relic of the past, huh" I heard him mutter as he leaned back into the throne, waiting for the server to shut down, but I knew that it was not going to happen, he would end up being taken to a different world.
Something I hoped would also happen to me.
Ever since I realized where I was, I always did wonder who was responsible for transporting the players to the new world in their avatar bodies? And why did they select only a handful of players to travel to the new world?.
I was not so stupid as to believe that only a handful of people were logged in towards the end of the game, both due to my personal experience right now as well as common sense, especially considering the fact that Yggdrasil is one of the greatest Dmmorpg of all time, meaning that there were at least a few million players active at any given time.
It is here that the question is raised.
Why were only a selected few chosen to travel to a new world? And who chose them?.
When I asked myself this question, I had already prepared myself for failure, so that if I was not 'chosen' so to speak, I could go back to being the random common man in this fucked up world.
I waited while holding my breath, watching the countdown happen, only 20 seconds left now.
19.
"Thank you, Zarathos-san, for staying with me to the end"
18.
17.
"…I wish we had gathered the whole guild, at least the original nine" I muttered, wishing to see my friends in this new world once again.
16.
15.
14.
13.
12.
11.
"….Yeah, I wish the same thing"
10.
9.
8.
7.
"If life allows it, let's meet again someday, Alex-san"
6.
5.
4.
"Yeah, let's meet again someday, Satoru"
3.
This is it.
I closed my eyes, hoping to open my eyes to the familiar hall of Nazarick but also preparing my self to face the disappointing reality of the real world.
2.
1.
0.
When the countdown stopped, I suddenly felt a strange feeling before a gust of wind hit my face.
I immediately opened my eyes in elation, thinking that I had indeed traveled to the new world but instead, I was met with a stunning sight.
All around me, there were lush forests that would be unimaginable in the desolate future, my sharp ears heard the telltale sounds of critters and creatures in the forest while my unnaturally sharp eyes saw a world of green and blue around me.
I looked towards the sky to find it not covered in perpetual black smog, but instead it was the clear blue color it was supposed to be.
Sounds of the ocean waves crashing on the shores of this land filled me with a renewed vigor for exploration, and yet, it also filled me with contentment at the same time.
I could not hold myself back any longer.
I unfurled my six wings while a halo of light burst into existence above my head as it usually did when I shed my human form.
"Let's see where we are!"
Flying for the first time, was somewhat awkward, my body retained all the muscle memory and instincts of a top-ranking Archangel but its fluidity was impaired by my human mind giving it the wrong instructions, but after some time, I managed to regain full control of my avatar body and flew like I had done it every day of my life.