Chapter 1 is finally closed.
"Body data scan complete. Beginning consciousness upload…"
An emotionless female system voice echoed inside his mind through the neuro-immersive headset. The sensation of sinking into another reality was absolute—this was the pinnacle of DMMO-RPG technology.
A progress bar filled his vision. When it reached 100%, a gentle chime followed.
"Welcome back, Player: Siegfried Herasvarg. Welcome to YGGDRASIL. We wish you an enjoyable adventure."
The voice faded. A countdown appeared.
Wind howled.
Above him stretched an endless night sky, choked with rolling black clouds that never parted.
He stood in the Tomb of Nazarick, hidden deep within the Great Forest of Tob—a dungeon so infamous that countless players called it the most impregnable fortress in the game.
To outsiders, the tomb appeared silent and abandoned.
In truth, it was a slaughterhouse that had devoured thousands.
Raiders came in waves, lured by the glory of conquering the headquarters of Ainz Ooal Gown, one of YGGDRASIL's most feared guilds. Sieg had personally taken part in the largest invasion: over a thousand players and mercenary NPCs. Not a single attacker had left alive.
Victory had been absolute. As always.
His thoughts drifted backward—three years into the past.
Flashback
The round table chamber of Nazarick buzzed with noise.
Dozens of heteromorphic avatars crowded the room. Heated arguments overlapped.
"Ulbert! We already agreed to hunt Surshana's Flame Elemental Lord first!"
Touch Me—encased in shining silver armor, the embodiment of justice—spoke with righteous intensity.
Across from him, Ulbert Alain Odle lounged lazily in his demonic form, wings folded like a cape.
"Exactly why you're too emotional, Touch Me. Some members still need the Frost Wyrm materials to unlock their advanced classes."
"You're the emotional one! We can't sacrifice long-term stability for short-term efficiency!"
"I didn't say—"
Here we go again.
The thought passed through every mind present. These arguments were routine—part of daily life in the guild.
YGGDRASIL avatars could not display real facial expressions beyond preset animations. If this were reality, exasperation would have filled the room.
YGGDRASIL—the World Tree. A game boasting nine worlds, hundreds of races, and an unprecedented degree of freedom.
Races were divided broadly into Humanoids, Demi-Humans, and Heteromorphs.
Humanoids had no racial levels but vast class freedom.
Demi-humans balanced racial abilities with job flexibility.
Heteromorphs possessed powerful racial traits and superior stat growth—but at great cost.
Grotesque appearances. Severe racial weaknesses. And worst of all:
Certain high-tier classes required killing heteromorph players.
As a result, heteromorph players were hunted relentlessly. Most quit. Those who remained formed tight communities—and among them, the guild Ainz Ooal Gown was born.
That history bound them together.
"Alright, everyone, calm down."
Ainz Ooal Gown—the skeletal overlord avatar of Momonga—spoke with weary amusement. He enjoyed the guild's noisy camaraderie more than he would ever admit.
A flash of light erupted.
A figure wrapped in faint radiance materialized inside the chamber.
Only those wearing Guild Rings could teleport within Nazarick. The newcomer was undoubtedly a member.
"Yo. Long time no see, Sieg."
Peroroncino—golden-feathered and ever-cheerful—raised a wing in greeting.
"Long time," Sieg replied. His name, Siegfried Herasvarg, illuminated in the guild list.
"You haven't logged in much lately," Ainz said. There was quiet concern in his synthesized voice.
"Work's been rough. Touch Me mentioned it, right?"
"He did. If anything's wrong, tell me. Touch Me's reliable."
I can't exactly say I'm grinding real-life overtime to afford in-game cash items… Sieg thought wryly.
Instead, he offered a simple excuse: a job change, little free time. Ainz understood. Many guild members were working adults.
"Take care of yourself," Ainz said softly.
"I'm fine, Guildmaster," Sieg replied with a laugh.
"If I can live to see YGGDRASIL's shutdown, I'll consider my life complete."
Everyone assumed it was a joke.
Even Ainz—who treasured this world more than anyone—did not imagine how serious those words were.
"I hope that day never comes," Ainz said.
"You're too kind, Guildmaster."
Ulbert finally noticed him.
"You're online at last!" the demon laughed.
"What are you fighting about this time?" Sieg asked helplessly.
"Dragons versus elementals. I say dragons. Touch Me disagrees."
Herohero muttered sleepily:
"Sieg's a Dragon Knight… hunting dragons makes sense…"
No one objected.
Within Ainz Ooal Gown:
Touch Me was the supreme warrior.
Ulbert was the greatest magic caster.
Sieg—though more casual in temperament—was the guild's unrivaled Dragon Knight, a rare advanced class specialized in anti-dragon warfare.
His build was complex and versatile. Fully equipped, he could even match Touch Me in direct combat and unleash devastating wide-area spells.
In the end?
They hunted both.
They always did.
And afterward, they laughed together.
That was how Sieg remembered those days.
Three years had passed.
One by one, his friends logged out for the last time.
Player counts fell. Events ended. The world grew quiet.
No matter how the developers struggled, the era of YGGDRASIL was over.
Now, at last, the final day had arrived.
Sieg exhaled softly.
"So… it's finally shutting down."