Prologue

Nothing good ever lasts. That was a harsh lesson in life, and one that had left Suzuki Satoru despondent. He had actually been rather depressed for some time, particularly since the announcement that his favorite game, Yggrassil, was about to be shut down. After a decade of being active, the Full-Dive game which allowed players to experience a world of monsters, magic and fantasy, had decided it couldn't stay alive.

In the form of a skeletal magic caster, clad in fine black robes, Suzuki Satoru – or rather his avatar, Lord Momonga – casually studied the halls of guild Ainz Ooal Gown. Magnificent and incredible, anyone who walked through those corridors should have been at awe. The golden staff he carried, the epitome of the guild, was just as breathtaking with its jewels and in detail.

The very walls of the Great Tomb of Nazarick had fine carvings depicting the guild's great victories. There was even a humongeous silver statue dedicated to the one boss none of Ainz Ooal Gown could ever forget: the final boss of the very Tomb of Nazarick, back when it was just a dungeon. Such had been that victory, the developers had awarded the dungeon, and a special item, to the guild.

Suzuki, no matter his surroundings or his equipment, couldn't help but feel dismal and dejected.

His glowing red eyes took in everything around him, as if trying to record them to memory. These were, after all, the last time he would ever walk those halls. He placed a hand on one of the columns. He felt the resistance to his touch, but nothing else.

"It all looks so real," commented Suzuki. "Yet it isn't…"

Suzuki wondered if the game Ulbert, one of his friends and fellow guildmates, had mention before he left really had actually managed to mimic the feeling of touch.

In the end, Suzuki sighed. He would think about other games once Yggrassil was done for. Until then…

Suzuki composed himself and kept his steady march across the guild base. He came across various maids on his way, each one absentmindedly staring ahead and patrolling the corridors. They were all NPCs, soulless husks clad in maid attire and with pretty faces. They could very well have been dolls, for their purpose was none other to look pretty for their creators and to decorate the hallways of the Ninth Floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

However, even if they were lifeless, Suzuki took his time to study them as well. They were part of his friends' legacy, particularly the player called Whitebrim. Admittedly, the man's obsession with maids was a bit… weird… but that was the gift of hindsight. It was still funny to remember any time Whitebrim would vehemently claim that maid uniforms were justice.

"Ah, Increment," Suzuki said to one of the maids that patrolled close to him.

Upon hearing its name, the NPC stopped and turned towards Suzuki. Its face was stuck in a kind smile, even if her eyes lacked any sign of life or intelligence. The brown-haired maid was nothing but code, yet Suzuki felt sad for her as much as the other NPCs.

"Working hard until the very end, I see," Suzuki said with an approving nod.

Once he would have felt like an idiot talking to NPCs. Then again, once he had actually people to talk to. At the moment, the NPCs were all Suzuki had left. Just like him, they too had been abandoned…

"Carry on," Suzuki dismissively said. "Do not let me distract you from your duties."

The maid said nothing and stood still. Not that she would do anything different. Suzuki kept walking and the NPC went back to its programmed patrols.

Suzuki felt each step grow harder for him. How could they not? He was nearing his destination, the last place that he had yet to look at. To think he had pretty much gone from First Floor to the last one, taking in the sights, as well as pictures, of the entire massive Tomb of Nazarick.

At last, Suzuki's heart clenched when he looked at a group of maids and a butler standing guard. This was it, the near end of his journey and where he would spend the remaining minutes before the server officially shut down.

"Sebas, Pleaides," Suzuki greeted the odd group of one old looking gentleman and six maids.

Differently from the other ones, these maids had actually been created as a deterrent if any player made it to the Ninth Floor. They were not that powerful, however, except for Sebas Tian, the butler. After all, they were only meant to hold back attackers until the Guild could regroup and receive any invaders in the next and final floor, Suzuki's current destination: the Throne Room.

"Come along, my loyal servants," Suzuki said with practiced theatrics (he did like the whole evil Overlord cosplaying, to tell the truth). "Follow me!"

At the word "follow", the NPCs immediately stepped aside and waited. Suzuki just walked past them. A glance back confirmed that all seven NPCs were following him at a steady pace in single-file, as programmed.

"Let us go and wait for the end together," Suzuki grimly said, mostly to himself.

The gates to the Throne Room were as much a piece of art as the rest of the Floor, and evidence of Yggrassil's former glory. His friends had truly enjoyed decorating their Guild base, something Suzuki couldn't blame them. Yggrassil's main selling point had been its immersion and customization. It definitely hadn't been for its gameplay. After all, the PVP was broken, the class system was a mess, the lore was near non-existent and the power creep was atrocious.

Yggrassil's own weak point had been its lack of accessibility for new players. At the very start, when there were few powerful players, it had been fun. Sadly, anyone who joined in after the first Season were at a massive disadvantage. The developers, in all of their wisdom, created extremely unfair mechanics that favored those who started earlier.

For example, at the very end of the Throne Room was a World-Class item, the mightiest class of item in the game. Truthfully, it was outrageous just how OP those items were, negating any spells other than World-Tier in the game. Worse, the Throne of Kings like any other World-Class item, was unique, meaning the Guild who gathered the most World-Class items would probably have no fear of ever seeing such items being used against them. In fact, the guild with the most World-Class items had an advantage that would be near impossible to deal with… which so happened to be Ainz Ooal Gown.

Suzuki sighed and shook his head. As much as the game itself was broken and had never been balanced, Suzuki still loved it with all his heart.

"Kneel," Suzuki said without looking back.

He reached the Throne of Kings and unceremoniously sat down, before he took a deep breath. In front of him, Sebas and the Pleiades were on their knees. Next to him, standing tall and radiant, was the NPC Albedo.

"Well, hello again, Lady Overseer," Suzuki greeted the beautiful virtual being.

Black silky hair, a voluptuous figure and a face carved by an artist, Albedo was truly Tabula Smaragdina's masterpiece. Sometimes Suzuki wished Albedo could talk to him, if only not to feel so lonely each time Suzuki visited the Throne Room to check on the Guild's defenses and NPC status on the Throne of Kings. Then again, Albedo was the second NPC Suzuki talked the most to. There was another one, one Suzuki had already paid a visit to.

"I- I'm sorry that your creator didn't show up," Suzuki told Albedo.

It was a phrase he had uttered many times already. Albedo, being an NPC, just smiled back, unable to do anything other than stand there and look pretty.

"I wish that they had all come, at least to bid farewells to our great guild," Suzuki said.

He glanced at Albedo, who hadn't moved. Suzuki smiled and shook his head.

Here I am, chatting with NPCs and being all depressed, Suzuki thought. It's just a game; there are plenty out there…

And yet, the thought of playing anything else felt like heresy. It felt like betraying his guild. For some reason, he felt responsible for the entire Tomb of Nazarick, and its NPCs. Why? Suzuki had no idea, but he hadn't let go of the game or guild.

Maybe it's because I wasted way too much money in this game, thought Suzuki.

Another thing a lot of players came to hate about Yggrassil was the gacha system. Because of the broken mechanics and overall lack of balance, anyone who wanted to thrive would have found him or herself forced to pay real money for random items in the hopes of getting something to help them.

Suzuki glanced at Albedo. Truth to be told, he had fantasized about Albedo. How could she not? She was beautiful in every regard… well, except her BIO. Suzuki sweatdropped as he remembered what her creator, Tabula Smaragdina, had written. He hadn't read most of it, given how long and convoluted all of Albedo's BIO was, but there was one line in particular Suzuki had stared at many times, tempted on changing but never finding the strength of will to carry out his desire…

"Bah, what the hell," decided Suzuki. "If he has anything to say, he might as well have come here himself!"

Suzuki pointed the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown at Albedo. Technically, only the creator of the NPC had administrator privileges to modify their NPCs. Suzuki, as the guild master and wielding the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, however, had his own administrator privileges and there was something he had longed to change. With the ending so close, it was now or never.

"Alright, here we go," Suzuki chuckled as a flat holographic screen appeared in front of Albedo.

Suzuki was greeted by a wall of text (courtesy of Tabula). He scrolled down to the very bottom to find the damned line Suzuki abhorred.

She is also a slut, Suzuki read. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Tabula, but this is necessary," Suzuki told himself.

He proceeded to erase the entire phrase.

"Perfect," Suzuki nodded, satisfied with his action. He glanced at Albedo, who hadn't changed one bit. His heart, back in real life, clenched at her beauty.

Well… it is the end of Yggrassil… I could as well fool around a bit, Suzuki thought.

He then typed down a new line on Albedo's bio:

She's deeply in love with Lord Momonga.

Oh, I'm such a dork, Suzuki chuckled.

He saved the new BIO and, thoroughly embarrassed for his transgression, decided to stay put on his throne. Unfortunately, aside from fooling around, there wasn't much else to do. He looked around. At the corner of his HUD he noticed there were a few minutes remaining.

That's all I have, Suzuki thought. Minutes before the very end in this place

"Here I am," Suzuki whispered, staring at the banners of his friends. "The last of Ainz Ooal Gown…"

He pointed at each banner, remembering their owners. With each name, Suzuki felt a feeling of bitterness rise to his gut.

Where are you now, Touch Me? Enjoying life, no doubt, with your wife and daughter, Suzuki mentally muttered. What about you, Warrior Takemikazuchi? Having fun playing more thrilling combat games? Oh, Peroronchino, I hope you finally found one of those Full-Dive perverted games you coveted so much…

But for all his bitterness, Suzuki felt sad and found himself slumping on his throne. For all the visible glories of the guild, it was all just code. For all the amazing items and stuff the guild had acquired, it was going to be destroyed. Nothing other than pictures and videos would remain of Ainz Ooal Gown and the Great Tomb of Nazarick. In the end, Suzuki smiled and looked at the banners.

"It was fun while it lasted," Suzuki wistfully said. He closed his eyes and leaned back against his throne. "It was actually… quite a blast."

Tired after a day of work and emotionally exhausted, he quietly waited for the end of Yggrassil.

Farewell… Ainz Ooal Gown, he thought.

The last seconds ticked away. And so, Suzuki Satoru – currently Lord Momonga - waited.

And waited.

And then he waited some more.

Slowly, Suzuki opened one eyes, trying to check just how much time was left on the servers only to realize something.

"Huh, where did the HUD go?" He said.

Wait, is that my voice? He thought, baffled. It sounded… so real, as if he didn't have the Dive-System engaged. In fact, the way his voice carried over across the hall was rather realistic. Not only that but everything looked better, more real. Damn, he hadn't realized how cold it was.

"HUD, M'Lord?" A voice next to him said.

Suzuki froze. Slowly, so very slowly, Suzuki turned his head sideways. There, the once lifeless yet beautiful Albedo was staring at him. She had her head tilted to a side rather cutely, but her face and eyes seemed to shine with confusion.

"Lord Momonga?" Albedo called.

Down below the steps, the Pleiades and Sebas were staring at him intently, with a tension in their bodies that Suzuki could only summarize as eagerness. Suzuki, however, averted his eyes, unable to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

That- that was impossible! They weren't suppose to do that. Well, Albedo wasn't supposed to speak to begin with… but what the hell?! Satoru's heart started racing – wait, heart?

Satoru looked at his hands, and his eyes almost jumped off their sockets. Human hands. Oh, and he had a pulse apparently… and skin everywhere. So not only had every single human-hating NPC gained some sort of life, and not only had the game been replaced by reality or some hyper-realistic replacement of the game… but he was no longer Lord Momonga, the ruler of the Tomb of Nazarick, but Suzuki Satoru, the pathetic salary-man who never had a girlfriend in his life?

There was one thing he could say in his current predicament:

"What the hell?!" squawked Satoru.


Author Notes:

Hello dear reader! Thanks for making it this far. Let me start by saying that I had no intention of posting this story. However, one day I developed an Overlord-obsessed madness and found myself writing ten chapters in one go. Allow me to say, it was nuts. Thus, this story was born and I thought it would be a pity to let it go to waste.

I have another story I have to finish first, so I won't post more than three more chapters of this story, at least until now. Next chapter will come at some point next week. Once I am done with my other story, "The Fox and The Rabbit" from My Hero Academia, I might resume with this story. Thus, I want to know what you think.

I want to learn what you expect, what you think should happen, etc.

Thanks for reading!

The Emerald Commander