Great tomb of Nazarick
9th Floor – Royal Suite
Round Table Room
"Goodbye Hero-hero" said the incredibly pale women with short black as midnight hair with crimson red lips, icy blood red eyes, wearing a matching crimson red skin-tight ombre dress with golden crescent halve moon earrings. Several rings could be seen on her hands, each one unique to the others. She was sporting golden one-inch heels that rung on the floor as she raised from the head of the table, a table set for the 41 teammates she once had.
Too bad only one turned up, only one came back to see off the world of YGGDRASIL and even then, Hero-hero left before its end. With the log-off of her last guild mate, Cereza was left alone in silence in the Great Tomb of Nazarick where the guild Ainz Ooal Gown had made its home.
Ragnarök was to occur at midnight, 30 minutes away, yet it was not going to be as the old Norse legend described. No doomsday, no devil like character destroying Asgrad and all in sight.
A flip of a switch and the game the Cereza has poured her life and soul into for the last 10 years would be no more.
Her achievements in PvP tournaments gone.
The time she spent collecting armour sets and weapons, days wasted.
Her grind to a level 100 as true vampire, years of heart arche, forum searching, try and error, and min maxing destroyed; a flick of the switch, gone.
The guild her friends made together over countless hours turned only into memory, a featured article on a website. Granted it was rated as the second most famous guild, after the famous human guild The Alliance, but still only those who wanted to reminisce on old glory days would ever see what her guild mates built together.
Sighing the raven headed woman moved away from the table as her 1 and ½ hand sword reappearing on her hip. The clicking of her high held could be heard with each of her long, measured strides on the marble floor as she skirted around the outside of the meeting room, the ornamental flags of the guild flapping in no existent wind.
As she approached the large twin doors they opened on their own accord, passing through them Cereza began her walk down the halls of the 9th floor making her way to the teleport platform a couple of rooms away.
One had to be carefully when selecting which teleporter to use in the Tomb for each one could just as easily lead you to your destination or to your doom. This was one of the defences crafted up early during the rebuilding phase of the Tomb once the original members of Ainz Ooal Gown had cleared the dungeon. Having entered the correct room Cereza selected and teleported to the Treasury Floor.
Arriving Cereza slowly made her way to the only room on the floor. Opening the doors to the Mausoleum Cereza walked slowly pass all her old guild mate statues. Each of them wearing either their own armour set that they given to Cereza when they left the game or a set that she had personal grinded to get that was similar, in the case of unique or crafted armour sets, or an exact copy of their armour.
Walking passed her old friends brought up memories of their time together as she slowly made her way to Here-Hero statue. The raids they undertook, guild wars and farming for the possibility of unique armour or weapons. Reaching Hero-hero manikin she went about the business of removing the armour she had giving it as a place holder for his actual set he had just transferred over to her in their chat. Once arming the statue, she continued down the path towards her own manikin but not before stopping at Touch-me statue were Cereza was brought back to how they first meet.
"ohh look boys, that vampire girl is here again" said a male voice behind Cereza as she was collecting herbs for her quest.
At level 10 she didn't have much in the way of items other than the promotional ranger set that was released last week consisting of worn leather boots, leather pants, sturdy leather armour and leather bracers. To match her old cloak Cereza had dyed the armour a dark forest green to give the appearance of old medieval rangers.
She had chosen this outfit to role plays as rogue/ranger like character that she so loved in high fantasy novels, movie and games she enjoyed as a kid. The adventures, quests and amazing vistas were everything she dream off when escaping the smog fill world she lived in.
She had selected to be part of the heteromorphic race, loving the idea of being an immortal vampire watching and guiding the world to be that of her own making. That and the fact it gave more options for leveling. Being able to have to point points into both her race class and job class gave her the ability to create the perfect role playing character.
Too bad the high fantasies of books and her day dreams didn't include Player Killing or, in the case of this particular group, truanting heteromorphic players before PKing for fun.
"Do you not have anything better to do?" Said Cereza turning around to face the group. "Surely you would find better loot elsewhere than in this area, you are level 30 players after all."
"Hehe, why should we when killing you will get us more gold and experience anyway?" Replied the leader, a human armoured in black metal plating.
"Oh? so it because you are a smuf and cannot survive more than 10 seconds in Midgard's wild lands then?"
Rather that retorting, the group drew their swords and advanced on Cereza, who in turn drew her sword and dagger.
"he he, looks like you need another lesson in pain girl" yelled the one on the right as he charged forward with his war hammer.
While more skilful than the ruffians attacking her, Cereza could not close the gap between the level differences. Parring another strike from the swordsman she left her flank exposed allowing the for the war hammer welder to strike her side knock her down onto the path the had reach in their brief scuffle.
While the Neural Nano-Interface wasn't harmful and did not transfer the full extent of pain, the strike from the war hammer was enough to cause Cereza to gasp out as she landed.
"When will you learn to keep that tongue in check around your betters you vampire scum." The leader said as he walked up to her as she slowly got to her knees from the prone position. "give up that nice set of armour and we will leave well enough alone. For today."
"Ballshit, if I was a human character you would be fawning over me" she replied as she raised to her head.
"he he, true. Nathaniel execute this vampiric bitch, let's get the gold and find another noob to line our coffees."
"Sure thing boss" said the now named Nathaniel as he walked forward with his War hammer. "Nightie night little vampire"
He struck.
Only for his war hammer intercepted by sword.
"I wouldn't be a good knight if I left this damsel in distress now would I" said a vaguely human males voice.
Turning Cereza looked up to her savour, a swordsman encased with enough armour to survive a full party of archers shooting at him and not take any damage.
Knocking the war hammer aside the swordsman began his assault, slicing left and right parrying body blows with his shield before knocking the three would be PKers away, separating the two sides.
"Your a brave man taking on three" said the leader.
"That makes you the fool" replied her knight is shinny armour.
What transpired in the next few seconds place an everlasting impression on the young vampire girl.
"One day I'll be this good, no... I'll be better".
"If only you could see me now Touch-me; I didn't just get better, I become the best" Cereza said looking at the life-sized statue of her friend clad in his world champion armour.
Turning around Cereza faced her own statue. Standing at 5" 11' her life-sized statue was just over 6" while wearing her black leather high held boots. Gone was her dream of playing the lone rouge in the wilderness, the moment she partied up with Touch-me and his friends her play style had to change. The more raids and harder bosses that they faced as a group forced Cereza to start directed her skill points to DPS and combat magic.
From there her new role-playing experience began, the more time she spent with the group the more twisted her character became. The guild started to be known not only as a group of high-level players who often competed to be the first to complete dungeons but also known as the greatest group of PKers, and she loved it.
Dressed in a gothic Victorian combat dress, the first layer was made from spider silk dyed red, with a dragon leather overlay before working its way up to form a tight fitting corset body armour and shoulder pads both made with a mixture of dragon and basilisk leather. The top of her arm was bare while on her forearms she had a dragon leather vambrace.
The armour was made for her as her prize for winning the 10th anniversary 1v1 duelling tournament by the devs themselves, the only downside of that tournament was announcement of the shutdown. Talk about a grand prize that she would not be able to use.
Shitty devs.
Reaching to down her side she unequipped her sword before transferring it to the manikin. Looking to the chest to the side Cereza moved the old equipment from Hero-hero statue into it. Locking it away forever.
"And now the hall is complete" Cereza mumbled to herself. She found it fitting that at the end of the world of YGGDRASIL the Great Tomb of Nazarick would be left as a memorial to her guild, her friends; a crypt to Ainz Ooal Gown.
20 minutes till midnight…
She left the Mausoleum and made her way to the back to the 9th Floor. Re-entering the hallway on the 9th floor Cereza made her way towards the Throne room. Entering the final hallway revealed the Pleiades maids of Nazarick lined up on the left-hand wall.
The Pleiades maids, like all members of Ainz Ooal Gown, were made up of a group of heteromorphic members. The group consisted primarily of six female sisters with a seventh residing on the 8th floor. They served both as maids to the leader of guild and as the last line of defence for the guild itself. Each having a different set of skills to ensure victory should the unforeseen happen.
"Follow me Pleiades" Cereza commanded as she continued down the hallway. Following the twist and turns Cereza lead the group deeper into the Tomb of Nazarick.
Entering the Throne room Cereza saw the overseer of the Great Tomb of Nazarick Albedo standing ever faithfully beside the throne. Albedo is an impossible beauty with long black hair dressed in an innocent white gown with black wings spreading from the small of her back. Her face was that of an angel, pale and flawless, she has golden eyes with split irises showing a level of innocent about her. Out of her left and right temples were two thick horns protruding crookedly. The image presented look of a innocent fallen Goddess; but underneath conceal a terrible truth, for below the surface of all the innocence held a fell hearted succubus waited to be let out.
Walking between the pillars holding up the room Cereza made her way to the raised platform where Albedo stood beside the Throne of Kings. The Throne was made from a single piece of obsidian carved into the shape of a throne that the leader of the guild would wait upon to greet any invaders who reached the room. On top of the menacing look the Throne itself had power in its own right with it being a World Item granting buffs to whomever sat upon it. Stopping in front of Albedo, Cereza turned her head to the maids to address them "Ladies wait here; Albedo follow me, I may as well get one more session with you in these last few moments."
Together the guild mistress and the overseer of the floor guardians began their trek through Nazarick floors till they reach the Necropolis on the surface.
10 minutes till midnight…
"I'm going to miss our walks when this is all over, your companionship, particularly over the last few years has been a great boon for me" Cereza said to Albedo. "Though I wished the shitty devs gave you guys the ability to response."
Albedo continued to walk beside her Mistress, unresponsive as always, though this did not stop Cereza from continuing.
"The boss got up me again today, still don't know why he is pissed off at me. I think it's because I did not go to the work function with him last weekend, but I don't think it could be that mundane. Plus, between a work function or hang out with you guys, well you are definitely the better looking group." Cereza said shotting a quick look at the succubus beside her.
Cereza continued to lay out her day, the highs, the lows, the feelings of inadequacies in her day life to Albedo who offered her silent support as they slowly walked around the entrance to Nazarick. This session is one that the two had every night, becoming Cerezas' crutch for the day. She knew she should be doing these sessions with an actual physiologist but the NPCs Albedo, Shalltear, and Pandora Actor were her friends and her own creations. She could trust them, she could rely on them that, and a tinker here or there in their bio to ensure those three were to be loyal to her directly help her broke down her reservation in sharing her thoughts and feelings.
2 minutes till midnight…
Stopping by the border of the dungeon Cereza looked up to the sky simulating a stary night, one that would never be seen in the real world in the 22nd century.
It's so clear here, why did we screw up our planet? Thought Cereza, mesmerised by the stars in the sky. She had read stories of them growing up, to never see them till joining YGGDRISL.
1 minute till midnight
"I going to miss this when it gone" she said out loud still gazing into the night sky. Turning she faced Albedo "I'll miss all of you."
10 seconds till midnight…
"I wonder if you had the ability to speak and act on your own accord what would say, what would you do?"
"I would be by your side, my mistress."
"WHAT!"
"Does my answer displease you, my lady?" asked Albedo with her innocent eyes staring back at her.
What is going on here, what is happening! Thought Cereza before noticing her normal HUD was no longer there. Raising her right hand, she pressed where the menu option was located not mere seconds ago.
Nothing happened.
She swiped again, same result. She tried to open the admin chat to get in contact. Again, no pop up occurred. Starting to get despite she tried to open character and inventory menus; no result.
"Shit shit shit, what the fuck is going on" mattered Cereza under her breath "What the fuck have the Devs done now" she yelled a bit loud.
"My lady, can I help you?" Asked Albedo softly not liking how angry her lady was getting after each failed attempt at, well, what ever she was trying to do.
"No Albedo, you cannot help me." Snaped Cereza as she was franticly trying to access any of the menu or HUD option. No no no, fuck thought Cereza Wait, if Albedo can talk...
Turning slightly to face Albedo Cereza was shocked to see that she had a look of genuine concern on her face. This was definitely not a feature in YGGDRASIL for NPC, while they did have a handful of facial expression programmed into them none of them were as complex as what was currently staring back at her.
Slowly approaching Cereza asked gently "Albedo, may I touch you please?" Well if YGGDRASIL options are not works let's try to do something not in YGGDRASIL.
"Of course, my lady, my body is yours always" Albedo replied with an undertone of want as she slowly started to show some skin as she approached Cereza.
Of course, she would take it that way, hmm she smells nice – like lavender, no down girl, bad girl no sexual thoughts no sexual thought. I will be touching her beautiful tits though. No down girl, test first and have fun later thought Cereza as she quickly reaches out and cupped Albedo's round tit. Weirdly there was no interfere when she reached out, normally her hand would have hit an invisible wall doing such an act. The devs had added it in to stop any R18 actions in the game after a particularly nasty incident just after the release of the game.
Hmm I always wondered what these felt like pondered Cereza as she gave them another squeeze. So my HUD is gone, I cannot use the message systems, but I can do R18 actions. What is going on here, did the devs play a nasty trick or is something else going on. While lost in thought she absentmindedly moved her hand to the other breast.
That was a mistake.
"hmm, yesss" moaned Albedo "do you want, take me if you must" as she started to show more and more of her body.
Shit
"Make yourself presentable Albedo" a very flushed Cereza said as she quickly turned around moved her hand back to her side, only to have to use it to stop herself from fall.
Nazarick wasn't there…
Only marshland was present where the Necropolis entrance should be.
Nazarick was gone…
Albedo knelt by her lady, placing a hand on her back. Her eyes holding none of the lust and want they previously had only concern. "My lady, what is wrong?"
"Nazarick, its… NAZARICK IS GONE"