Raazuka left the room known as the Round Table, his head heavy with the burden of his sorrows. He was the only player left who would spend the final moments of the game here. His mood lifted slightly as he strode through the hallways of the Tomb, or his Tomb now, he supposed. Even just the hallways in this place were magnificent. Chandeliers hung from high arched stone ceilings, casting warm light onto a floor of white marble, which reflected it in fragments, making it gleam like thousands of tiny stars. The grandeur of it all would take one's breath away and, if any nonmember came here, they'd be amazed that such luxury could exist in the notorious Great Tomb of Nazarick, where 1,500 players (the largest army in the game's history) had once arrived on a raid only to be completely wiped out.

Currently, there were ten underground levels, each with its own distinct features. Levels one through three made up the Mausoleum. The fourth was The Black Lake. Five was a glacier. Six was a jungle. Seven was lava. Eight was wilderness. Nine was a shrine and the tenth floor consisted mainly of the royal chambers. These were the headquarters of a guild that broke the top ten back in an era when there were thousands, the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown.

Raazuka's footsteps echoed throughout the halls accompanied by the hard clack of his staff on the floor. After walking a ways down the wide corridor and turning a number of corners, he saw a woman coming toward him from up ahead. She was gorgeous, with a waterfall of blond hair falling around her shoulders and face. Her clothing was a maid uniform with a broad apron and a long, unobtrusive skirt. She stood at about five foot seven and had long, delicate limbs. Despite the ample bosom straining against the chest of her outfit, the overall impression she made was one of modesty. As the gap between them closed, the woman moved into a nook and bowed deeply to Raazuka.

He responded with a slight nod and continued walking.

Her expression didn't change. In Yggdrasil, expressions never changed, but in her case, for a different reason: this maid was an NPC, a "non-player character". She was not controlled by a human but moved on her own according to her AI—a program. No matter how sophisticated she seemed or how politely she bowed, it was all just according to her programming.

Raazuka's response might have seemed a foolish way to treat what was basically a walking mannequin, but there was a reason he wanted to show some consideration. The forty-one NPC maids working in the Great Tomb of Nazarick were all based on custom drawings that he had brainstormed.

As he continued on, the maid emerged from her alcove and began, ever dutifully, to clean once more. He checked the semitransparent watch face on his left wrist.

No time to waste.

But then Raazuka stopped and turned back. "Thanks for all your hard work," he said quickly. Of course, there was no reply, but he felt like it was the proper thing to do on this last day.

Leaving the maid behind, Raazuka continued walking.

It was not long before a grand staircase with its primarily red carpeting came into view. Ten people could walk abreast down it with their arms outstretched. Raazuka sighed heavily and used one of his skills. "[Smoke Form]" He had places to be. He grew even hazier and he dissolved into a cloud of smoke. The last thing to completely dissolve was the Staff. As he flew off down the stairs, he wondered what he would do after it all ended.

He rematerialised at the bottom of the stairs where he found several people. The first was an old man dressed in a crisp butler's uniform. His hair was completely white, as was his beard, but his back was as rigidly straight as the blade of a sword. His wrinkles gave him an air of almost grandfatherly kindness, but his penetrating eyes were like those of a hawk targeting its prey. Following him like shadows, were six maids. These, however, were equipped completely differently from the one before.

They all wore armour based on manga-style maid uniforms featuring metal vambraces and greaves of black, silver, and gold, with white lace headpieces instead of helmets. They also each carried a different weapon. Their hairstyles were varied as well: a chignon, a ponytail, a straight cut, braids, rolled curls, a French twist. The only thing they had in common was their beauty. These were the six Battle Maids of the Pleiades. Naturally, they were also NPCs, but unlike the earlier one who was made pretty much for kicks, these existed to intercept raiders.

In Yggdrasil, there were perks for guilds who possessed a base of castle size or larger. One was the right to create the guild's own NPCs from scratch. Even a weak guild that occupied a base of at least castle size would get at least seven hundred levels to create custom NPCs as they liked. Since the level cap in Yggdrasil was 100, one could, for example, make five level 100s and four level 40s. And for this type of NPC, it was possible to adjust their looks, AI, and gear for those who could equip it. With this system, guilds could station guards far stronger than the auto-spawning mobs at key locations.

"Hm." Raazuka brought a hand to his chin and looked at the butler bowing before him. He didn't come here very often, since he normally used teleportation magic to go from room to room. That must have been why the sight of the butler and maids here made him feel so nostalgic. He stretched his fingers out for the menu and opened up the members-only guild page. Checking a box there instantly caused the names of all the NPCs in the room to appear over their heads.

"So that's what you're called." He cracked a smile. It was part pained wince for not remembering their names, but also part nostalgic grin, as memories of the dispute over what the names should be surfaced from his fragmented recollection.

The butler's—Sebas Tian—background said he could perform all the duties of a house steward. The team of combat maids, known as the Pleiades, reported directly to him. Besides them he was also in charge of the male servants and assistant butlers. There was probably more detailed background info in the text log, but Raazuka wasn't interested in reading any more. Sebas and the maids were meant to be the last line of defense against raiders. Not that anyone thought it was possible to repel players who managed to penetrate this far, but at least NPC guards could buy some time. That said, no players had ever gotten past the sixth level, so all the guards had ever done was wait.

They had never received orders from anyone, but just stood by wondering if or when an enemy would arrive. Raazuka tightened his grip on the staff. It didn't matter in any case, after all, they were just data. If it seemed like they had emotions, it just meant the human who designed the AI had done a good job.

But…

"A guild master should make his NPCs work!" Inwardly he smiled at his imperious tone. After a moment of thought, he added, "Follow!"

Sebas and the maids acknowledged the order with a bow.

Raazuka's guild mates didn't mean for these NPCs to leave this area, and Ainz Ooal Gown valued majority rule. It was unacceptable for one person to do what he wanted with things that everyone had made together.

Oh well. It's the last day anyway, and they aren't here, he thought as he continued on with multiple sets of footsteps sounding behind him. Presently they arrived at a large domed hall. Crystals on the ceiling gave off white light. There were seventy-two alcoves dug into the walls, that contained massive statues. This was the Lemegeton named after the famed grimoire also known as The Lesser Key of Solomon. All of the statues, fashioned from ultra rare magical metals, were golems based on Solomon's seventy-two demons.

The crystals on the ceiling were summoning crystals. During an enemy raid they could summon the major elementals and simultaneously bombard the enemy with wide-range area-of-effect magic attacks. If all of them were mobilised, it would be enough power to take out twelve level 100 players (two parties) with ease. This room was the very last line of defence before entering the heart of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

Raazuka took the servants with him as he crossed Lemegeton to stand in front of a large door. It was a huge—probably more than sixteen feet tall—set of double doors with extraordinarily detailed carvings: a goddess on the left and a demon on the right. They looked so real it seemed like they might jump off the door to attack. Despite that, Raazuka was fairly sure they didn't move. "If a bunch of heroes manage to get this far, we should welcome them. A lot of people say we're evil and whatnot, so let's lie in wait for them here like final bosses." The suggestion was adopted by majority rule.

Raazuka took another sentimental look around the grand hall. He wouldn't have been surprised if one of the retired members had left a twisted "parting gift," and the guy who made this door was definitely the type to do something like that. Once, he said he wanted to show Raazuka a powerful golem he had just made, but when Raazuka booted the golem up, a bug in the combat AI caused it to start throwing punches at him. He still wondered if that had been on purpose.

"LuciFer, if you attack me today of all days, I will be seriously angry."

Raazuka touched the massive door with caution, but his worries had been for nothing; it opened automatically but slowly, with appropriate gravity.

The mood changed.

The previous room had already been as tranquil and solemn as a shrine, but the scene here surpassed even that. The new atmosphere exerted a physical pressure; the exquisite workmanship could be felt weighing on one's entire body.

The room was massive—a hundred people could come in and it wouldn't be half full—with arched ceilings stretching high above. The walls were primarily white with gold detailing. The magnificent chandeliers that hung from the ceiling were made of jewels that cast a dreamy sparkling light in an iridescent rainbow of colour. On the walls, stretching from floor to ceiling, were forty-one large, deep red banners, each with a different crest sown into them with silver thread.

On the far side of this hall was a short flight of ten stairs. At the top was a throne carved out of a black stone inlaid with rubies and garnets, its back tall enough to reach the heavens. Behind it was a large scarlet tapestry bearing the guild's crest.

This was the most important location in the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick, the Throne Room.

An appreciative hum of approval escaped Raazuka's lips as he admired the overwhelming room. He was sure the workmanship was the best in all of Yggdrasil. That made it a perfect place to spend the last few minutes of the game. It was so large, the sound of his footsteps seemed to vanish into the room as he entered. He eyed the female NPC standing next to the throne.

She was gorgeous, wearing a snow-white dress. Her faint smile was like that of a goddess. Her lustrous hair was a black so dark it looked as though she had obsidian spilling down to her waist. She had golden eyes with vertical cat-like pupils. They were slightly odd, but they didn't detract one bit from her peerless beauty. She also had thick horns that curled forward out of her temples, like a ram's. Black feathered wings sprouted out of her back just above her hips. Perhaps because of the shadows caused by her horns, her radiant smile seemed cold, like a mask hiding something else. She wore a glittering necklace that sat around her chest and shoulders like a golden spider web. In her delicate silken-gloved hands, she carried a strange wand-like object. It was about eighteen inches long, its end tipped by a black orb that floated there with no supports.

She was Albedo, captain of the Great Tomb of Nazarick's floor guardians. There were seven floor guardians, and she was the NPC who oversaw them; she was the character at the top of the NPC hierarchy in the Great Tomb of Nazarick. Which was why she was allowed to stand by in that innermost room. But there was some harshness in the way Raazuka looked at her now.

"Another World Item. Here? How curious."

There were only two hundred of these extraordinary items in Yggdrasil. Each World Item contained an absolutely unique power. There were even game-breaking items that allowed their owner to demand the admins to change a part of the game's system. Of course, not all of them were so extravagant. Even so, if a player were able to own one individually, one can imagine how far their reputation would spread.

Ainz Ooal Gown was in possession of eleven World Items. That was more than any other guild—far more, in fact. The guild with the next most had only three. Of Ainz Ooal Gown's, Raazuka had gotten permission to carry one as his own, and the rest were scattered around the Great Tomb of Nazarick, although most of them stayed in the treasury.

There could only be one reason that Albedo had come into possession of one of these secret treasures without his knowledge: The guild member who created her had given it to her.

Ainz Ooal Gown valued majority rule. It was unacceptable to move the treasure everyone collected together around on one's own. Well, that, and he was the remaining majority. Raazuka was somewhat offended as he stretched out his hand to take the wand from her. She offered it to him as he took it out of her hands and put it into one of his bigger-on-the-inside pockets. Not like he could return it to the treasury now.

"Stand by." Raazuka said to Sebas and the Pleiades in a dignified tone when they'd reached the steps to the throne. He turned to make sure they'd stopped, and then, he climbed the stairs and stood before the throne. He took his rightful seat and scrutinised Albedo closely. He never really came to this room and couldn't remember ever taking a good look at her. "I wonder what her backstory is… ah, no matter." All he could remember was that she was captain of the floor guardians and the most elite NPC in the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

Raazuka put his head in his hands and sighed. As he looked out across the room he noticed Sebas and the maids standing stiffly at the bottom of the stairs. In this majestic room, their rigid postures seemed somehow lacking. He thought for a moment before dredging up a command from his memory.

"Bow Down!"

Albedo, Sebas, and the six maids all dropped to one knee at once and bowed as if they were his subjects. Much better.

Raazuka checked the time: 23:55:48. He leaned back in the throne and looked up at the ceiling. Maybe he would… yes. That might pass the time. He pointed at one of the maids. Entoma? Yes, I think that was her name.

"Approach."

As she bowed at his feet, he accessed the menu to look up her info. And there certainly was info—writing flooded his vision. Her backstory was the length of a book. If he were to take his time reading it, the servers would shut down before he was done. If he could, his face would have been screwed up in disbelief. Genjiro had written an entire novel's worth of backstory here. He had been planning to just read the flavour text on the NPCs, but now he resigned himself to skimming the main points. As he read, he murmured quietly to himself.

"Oho, likes to eat human flesh, eh? Well, can't say I blame her. Oh, what's this? Not evil? Well, good on you…" He checked the time: 23:56

"Withdraw."

Entoma went back to bow next to her sisters.

Next he pointed at Albedo. Since she already kneeled next to him, he simply motioned for her info to appear. He shook his head in disbelief. Again, writing bibles. One of these days there will be an NPC with a short, communicative backstory. Although to be fair, I don't have room to talk here, do I. Such were the the thoughts that went through Raazuka's head as he resigned himself once more to skimming.

"Hmm…let's see here then. Fanatically loyal, methodical, slightly bizarre views on marriage, vocal about opinions, calm and collected, beautiful on the outside but on the inside… Damn Tabula." His eye had been caught by the last line of the Great and Extensive Histories of Albedo the NPC. It read as follows: By the way, she's a bitch.

"Aaaallllright. Not sure what to do with that information." He checked the time again: 23:57. "I'm not one for contradictions, and I've got time. I think I'll change that."

Raazuka took his staff from where it floated and pointed at the info screen. Usually one would need the creator's tool kit to edit bios, but the privileges granted by a guild weapon were extensive. A couple menu inputs later and the sentence about being a "bitch" was gone. "I guess that'll do." Then, he thought for a moment and looked at the space he'd opened up. Maybe I should put something in there…

"This is so stupid." Raazuka took a moment to giggle at himself for what he was doing, before inputting the characters via the menu keyboard. It was a simple sentence: She loves Raazuka.

He snickered to himself. God, he was such a child. He took a deep breath and closed her info screen.

He tightened his grip on the staff. Raazuka was a normal office worker. He didn't have the money or connections to do anything. He was just another user whose only choice was to silently accept the end.

In the corner of his field of vision, he saw the time: 23:58. The servers would shut down at midnight.

There was almost no time left. His fantasy world was ending, and soon all his days would be spent in reality.

It's only natural. Humans can't live in a daydream. That's why everyone left. Raazuka sighed.

He had to be up at four tomorrow morning. If he didn't go to bed as soon as the servers went down, it would affect his work. It was time for him to face the end.

23:59:35, 36, 37…

Raazuka counted down along with the numbers.

23:59:48, 49, 50…

He closed his eyes.

23:59:58, 59—

He counted the moments as they ticked off the clock…to the end of his fantasy… Here comes the blackout—

0:00:00… One, two, three…

"What on earth?"

Raazuka opened his eyes. He wasn't back in his room. He was still in the Throne Room.

"…What's going on?"

The time was accurate. He should have been booted by now.

0:00:38…

It was definitely after midnight. The time displayed by the system clock could not possibly be off.

Unsure how to proceed, he looked around for any information.

"Was the shutdown postponed?"

Or is there some kind of lost time?

Countless possibilities crossed his mind, but they were all far from convincing. The most likely was that for some reason, some unfavourable reason, the server shutdown had been postponed. If that were the case, the GMs would probably be making announcements. He rushed to turn the communication channels back on—his hands stopped.

His menu wouldn't come up.

"What the…?"

Feeling slightly uneasy and confused (but surprised by how calm he was), Raazuka tried to use some other features: forced system access that bypassed the menu, chat, a GM call, force quit. He couldn't get to any of them. It was like he'd been locked out of the system.

"What is going on?!" His irate voice echoed across the spacious Throne Room and faded away.

This is the last day. It's unthinkable that something like this could happen on the day that is supposed to be the end of it all. Are they teasing us? What came over him now was irritation at not being able to make a beautiful exit at the game's glorious end. It could be felt in each word he spoke and almost sounded like he was taking out his anger on someone, but there shouldn't have been any response. However…

"Is something the matter, Lord Raazuka?"

It was a woman's pretty voice, and he was hearing it for the first time.

Dumbfounded, Raazuka looked to see where it had come from. When he saw who had spoken, he was absolutely shocked.

It was an NPC who was looking up at him—Albedo.