The deepest part of the 『Vault of Wisdom』.
It is an absolute sanctuary laid with the most robust physical and magical defenses on this floor, where all of YGGDRASIL's knowledge is housed.
On the left and right sides of this abyss—which sat one step lower than the vast information processing space in the center where I was stationed—existed two giant statues that had previously sat enthroned as mere ultra-high-level defense objects.
Echoing from the darkness on the left was a high-pitched yet profound friction sound, like hard metal grinding against metal.
—Creak, clack...
It was a pair of golden wings. The wings of gold, each feather likely boasting Artifact-class hardness, broke their eternal rigidity and slowly spread wide.
A giant, bird-headed god, easily ten meters tall. Though it bore the name of the Sun God from Egyptian mythology, the light radiating from its entire body contained not a shred of warmth. It was clad in a ruthless, scorching aura that would reduce anyone who touched it to ash.
[Observer of the Sun, Ra].
An incarnation of light, twisted into Nazarick's defense mechanism and programmed with absolute loyalty.
And echoing from the darkness on the right was a damp, horrifying slithering sound that seemed to swallow even the ambient light.
—Slither...
An illusion as if space itself had warped. A section of the darkness writhed with a will of its own, and a massive, pitch-black body that had been coiled up sluggishly slid across the floor.
An absolute darkness that neutralized Ra's golden light, encroaching upon the surrounding space as if devouring the light itself. Raising its sickle-like neck while exhaling violently toxic purple steam, was a giant, pitch-black serpent god.
[Devourer of the Abyss, Apep].
The embodiment of chaos and nothingness, dragging all things of light equally into the depths of despair.
Two overwhelming entities approaching Level 100 had simultaneously gained "egos" and begun to move.
The pressure they emitted was staggering; the very space of the Vault of Wisdom seemed to be creaking and screaming.
The countless pages and parchments dancing in the air hastily altered their orbits, retreating to the upper layer of the room to avoid the aftershocks of their magic power.
If I were still just an exhausted, insignificant salaryman, my mind would have shattered from this intimidation alone, and I would have collapsed foaming at the mouth.
However, I am an [Elder Aberration].
Even as I felt their terrifying auras on my black fog, what resided in my heart was not fear, but a deep respect for my dependable colleagues and a faint sense of elation.
Remaining floating a few inches above the floor, I slowly turned my black fog toward them.
Hundreds of pupils quietly stared back at the golden bird god and the pitch-black serpent god.
"...I suppose I should say, Good morning."
My low voice echoed through the silent archive.
The moment I spoke, a few of the pages orbiting me took on a bluish-purple light, and momentarily flashed the translated text of Good Morning in ancient runes in mid-air.
This wasn't my intention; it seemed to be a kind of visual effect automatically triggered by my Information Administrator class trait.
It was a little embarrassing, but I didn't have the luxury of worrying about it right now.
In response to my words, the movements of the two giant gods came to a dead halt.
『......』
『......』
The twin pupils of Ra, burning like the sun, and the reptilian eyes of Apep, like a bottomless abyss, turned toward me in unison.
A silence lasting a few seconds that felt like an eternity.
Extreme tension, as if we were probing each other's stats, the presence or absence of hostility, and the whereabouts of our egos.
Eventually, it was the golden bird god who broke the silence.
"——Tawil Balah. So you, too, have perceived this bizarre change."
It was a heavy, majestic voice that seemed to shake my brain directly. It was a magical communication akin to telepathy, but it contained distinct emotion; bewilderment, mixed with awe at its own existence.
"Yeah. The shackles known as the System have vanished."
I slowly moved a tentacle of black fog, showing them by stroking the magic power drifting in the air.
"Slither... Creak... It was an unpleasant restraint, but now that it's gone, I feel terribly... hungry."
Apep sneered with a damp voice, opening his massive jaws slightly. His voice had an eerie resonance, like a bundle of countless voices of resentment.
"The external network of guild system link is completely severed. The presence of our Creators is distant from here as well... Surely, Nazarick hasn't fallen to some intruder, has it?"
At Apep's words, Ra's golden wings spread slightly, and the ambient temperature spiked by several hundred degrees. He was ready for battle.
"Do not be hasty, Apep, Ra. Nazarick is safe."
I stopped them with a calm voice.
"My database of Omniscience is failing to cross-reference information external to Nazarick. It is extremely logical to assume that we haven't been invaded, but rather that we have been transported, habitat and all, to an unknown region world."
"An unknown region, you say?"
"That's right. Furthermore, our Supreme Master, Lord Momonga, should be in the Throne Room. Our Master's magical signature is well, and Nazarick's system barriers are still active."
The moment I asserted that, the aggressive pressure radiating from the two giant gods suddenly softened.
"...If Lord Momonga is safe, there is nothing to fear."
Ra bowed his massive bird neck deeply. It was a loyalty bordering on the divine.
"We are the swords and shields of the Supreme Beings. If our Master is well, then this unknown phenomenon must also be in the palm of His hand."
"Slither... If you, the Omniscient Record Administrator, say so, I will believe it. After all, brute strength is our only redeeming quality. We'll leave the complicated stuff to those countless eyeballs of yours."
Looking at my form, Apep spat words that were cynical, yet laced with a sense of affection. The giant serpent's face seemed to warp slightly into the shape of a smile.
In appearance, they were an aberration of the Cthulhu Mythos and evil gods of Egyptian mythology.
It was a terrifying scene, like an executive meeting of a demon lord's army plotting to destroy the world, but the conversation they exchanged was surprisingly rational and calm.
During the game era, they were simply defense programs that mechanically slaughtered intruders. But now that they had gained egos, what lay at their core was not destructive impulses, but absolute loyalty to the Supreme Beings and pride in their given roles.
"My database is flawless when it comes to the inside of Nazarick, but regarding the New World outside, it's blank."
I told them the truth without hiding anything.
"Lord Momonga will eventually investigate the outside world and bring that information into this vault. My mission is to fill in those missing pages and construct a new Omniscience."
"Then our mission remains unchanged as well."
Ra thrust his golden spear into the floor, echoing a sharp sound.
"This is one of Nazarick's hearts. The accumulated knowledge is the greatest treasure of the Supreme Beings. As the Observer of the Sun, I shall reduce intruders to dust with a rain of light."
"I am the Devourer of the Abyss. I shall suck the marrow from the bones of the fools who escape the light at the bottom of the darkness... Rest easy, Tawil, and go about organizing your bookshelves."
Apep closed his eyes in satisfaction as he recoiled his body.
"That's incredibly reassuring. I'm counting on you, Ra, Apep."
I tilted my body of black fog slightly, showing them my respect.
Words that could never have crossed paths during our time as NPCs bound by the system.
By communicating our intentions like this, we had transcended from merely placed data into colleagues protecting Nazarick.
We returned to silence once more.
However, it was different from the taut tension from earlier. It was an extremely comfortable silence, born of mutual trust in each other's existence and roles.
What was happening in the outside world?
What decisions was Ainz, currently in the Throne Room, making right now?
It didn't reach my ears.
But eventually, he would come here. In order to protect his home and this miniature garden left behind by his beloved comrades, he would definitely come seeking my knowledge.
Until that time.
We three Guardians will patiently continue to await our Master's arrival deep within the dark 『Vault of Wisdom』 on the 8th Floor.
Only the sound of countless books revolving in their orbits and the quiet breathing of the giant gods gently echoed through the eternal temple of knowledge.