Ignoring Luke, Momonga had long since grown used to Luke's constant sarcastic remarks.
But still in disbelief, he read it a few more times but could not find any other meaning. There was no mistaking it — "slut" meant "slut." There was no alternative interpretation.
Among the forty-two guild members, each person was required to design at least one NPC. Due to system limitations, the main combat force was concentrated in the Floor Guardians.
Only Luke, by exploiting a system loophole, had managed to create four "Wives' Council" NPCs whose combined levels reached 95 and they did not count toward the guild's total NPC level cap of 2750.
This even once caught the attention of the game's operators, but in the end nothing came of it.
After all, in a pay-to-win game, those who spend money are treated like royalty. And in Japanese MMOs, the players really are treated as the big bosses.
But setting a character as a "slut," Momonga really couldn't wrap his head around it. Then again, among the guild members there truly were those who gave their NPCs all sorts of bizarre and quirky settings.
The guild member who created Albedo, Tabula Smaragdina, was precisely such a person.
"Hmm… could it be gap moe? Tabula Smaragdina-san… Even so…"
Momonga felt a little embarrassed to speak ill of his companion, but Luke still voiced what was in his heart, "This kind of character setting is just way too much, don't you think?"
"This probably has something to do with you, Luke-san…"
Luke sent a shocked emote, "What does this have to do with me — like, what connection are you trying to make here?"
"Don't you often tell Tabula Smaragdina-san things like, 'If you want to get through life, you've got to wear a green hat… love is a green light, so wonderful,' and so on?"
Luke froze. It really seemed like he had said that before.
'But still — this isn't my fault, right? Even if I hadn't said anything, Tabula Smaragdina would have made such a setting anyway!'
"But having Albedo, the head of the NPCs, designed like this… it just feels beyond saving. It feels like such a massive poison point," Luke said.
Momonga nodded.
"Then, let me edit it. Hahahahahaha! Time to hand out some fanservice!"
"Wait a minute, Luke-san! That's Tabula Smaragdina-san's setting! What are you planning to do?"
"No worries, no worries. Tabula Smaragdina-san definitely wouldn't mind. And if she does, she can just log in and bite me! As long as you're on my side, Momonga, it's two against one. According to the guild rules, we totally have the advantage here."
With that, Luke directly changed Albedo's final setting to: "Now deeply in love with Momonga, desperately wants to become Momonga's wife, and is extremely grateful to matchmaker Luke."
"Luke-san! What are you doing?!" Momonga was shocked.
"Momonga, stop pretending, you single dog! Being single in real life is one thing, but you can't stay single in the game too. Look, isn't this just perfect? Deep down, you wanted to do this too, right?"
"Hahahaha! I already have Hatsune, Luo Tianyi, and the others. If you don't get one yourself, how will you ever be able to hold your head up in front of me later?"
"Nooo! Luke-san! Ahhh! This is so embarrassing, I can't stand it!"
Momonga covered his face as if he were blushing in shame.
But in the end, he still didn't say out loud that he should alter the line again. After all, the game was going to end today—this shy, flustered feeling would soon disappear anyway.
'"Letting go of myself" - Luke-san often said that. This was probably what he meant…'
Once he calmed down, Momonga sat upon the throne, a little embarrassed yet strangely satisfied. He looked around the room, taking in everything one more time, and sank once again into nostalgic memories.
Luke felt conflicted inside.
Momonga, this isn't right.
He knew that in the end, Momonga was supposed to order all the NPCs to kneel and salute him. Could it be that, because Luke was here, Momonga felt too embarrassed to do it?
If that was the case, then he would just have to do it himself. After all, no one knew exactly what the trigger for the "isekai transfer" would be. If they could stick to the original story, they might as well.
Even so, Luke still felt uneasy. The change he had made to Albedo's setting went a bit far. If it had just been about her loving Momonga, that would have been fine. But now what about himself?
Albedo's obsessive devotion was just like Tabula Smaragdina's obsessive personality. If things went wrong and she ever thought Luke threatened Momonga, she might just "deal with" him.
For safety's sake, he had to take the risk and add that extra detail. If this stopped them from being transported, then so be it.
Better to stay in the real world than get transported only to be stabbed in the back later…
Thinking this, Luke gave the command that Momonga was supposed to give: "Kneel."
23:55:48
At that very moment, Luke looked over at Momonga.
Momonga leaned back against the throne, slowly raising his head to look at the ceiling.
He waited — as the guild master, waiting to face any challengers.
He waited — as the guild master, waiting to welcome his former companions.
Even though the guild had already declined, those times had been truly joyful.
"Luke-san, just looking at these banners… it's so nostalgic."
Momonga shifted his gaze, counting the massive banners hanging from the ceiling — forty-two in total, one for each guild member.
"Yes, it really is nostalgic." Following Momonga's gaze, Luke looked at the crests of their former companions. Even if they were transported, who knew if they would ever meet again?
Those good days, those good memories, might only ever live on in their conversations.
"I…" Momonga stretched out a bony finger, pointing at one of them.
"Luke…" Then he pointed at Luke's banner. As one of the original ten and the guild's second-highest contributor, who had stayed with the guild until the very end, Luke's position was naturally second only to Momonga's.
If not for his unwavering support of Momonga, he could have contested for the guildmaster position himself.
"Luke," Momonga thought, "your stance has always been firm. You consciously uphold the guild's unity and leadership, keeping in line with the guildmaster's decisions in both thought and action. On all matters of principle and importance, your position is firm and your banner flies high…"
This was Luke's usual self-praise…
Momonga's finger moved to the next banner — the one representing the guild's founder, the strongest player in all of YGGDRASIL, the one who united the "Original Ten."
"Touch Me…"
Then he pointed at the banner of a guild member who was a university professor in real life and also the guild's eldest member.
"Ulbert Alain Odle…"
Time was running short. Momonga's hand moved faster, pointing to the banner of one of the guild's only three female members.
"Bellriver…"
Luke quietly listened. At this moment, there was no need for words — everything was in the names Momonga spoke with such emotion.
"Herohero… Peroroncino… Bubble Teapot… Tabula Smaragdina… Warrior Takemikazuchi… Variable Talisman… Genjiro…"
Reading the names of forty companions didn't take long.
Those names were still deeply engraved in the hearts of both Momonga and Luke.
Momonga slumped on the throne, exhausted, "Yes… it really was fun…"
Although YGGDRASIL was a free-to-play game, it was clear that it followed the "free games cost the most" rule.
Momonga had spent a huge part of his salary on the guild. Not because he was wealthy but because he had no other hobbies. For him, YGGDRASIL was all his entertainment, all his life.
His spending was enough to rank among the top spenders on the server, though he knew Luke was ranked first.
That was how deep their obsession went. It wasn't just the game content; it was the fact that they could enjoy it with friends. That was the greatest joy of all.
If a game no longer had companions to play with, what meaning would it have?
Luke understood this feeling well. It was like World of Warcraft or League of Legends — if all your old friends were gone, what was the point of running dungeons, no matter how fun they were?
What was the point of new heroes, no matter how overpowered they were?
Like Luke, Momonga had lost both parents and had no friends in the real world. The guild was his beautiful memory of time spent with friends.
And now, this guild was about to vanish, leaving him full of regret and unwillingness to let go.
Momonga gripped his Staff tightly. As an ordinary man, he had no power or connections to change this. He could only silently accept the shutdown as just another player.
The clock in his view read 23:57. The server would shut down at 00:00. Time was running out. The virtual world would end, and then he would face the real world again, every single day.
'It was natural — humans cannot live in the virtual world forever. That's why everyone had left, one by one. And in the end, the only ones remaining were me and Luke, who had nothing in the outside world.'
Momonga sighed. He would need to wake up at 4 a.m. tomorrow. After the server shutdown, he had to sleep immediately, so as not to affect work the next day.
"Luke-san, when you have time, come over to my place. Let's have a drink together. It's been so long since I've seen you in real life." Momonga looked at the last of his companions, one of the Original Ten.
"No problem. But seriously, I'm telling you, your Japanese sake really is awful. I still prefer soda…"
"Hahaha, that's only because you're a lightweight."
36
37
38
Momonga closed his eyes. Luke glanced at him. He had no intention of closing his eyes to await the shutdown. On the contrary, he stared at the clock intently.
45
50
58
59
As Momonga counted off the last number, the fantasy world came to its curtain call. Luke's eyes widened.