YGGDRASIL is a term referring to the World Tree in Norse mythology, and a DMMO-RPG game named YGGDRASIL was launched in 2126 CE.
YGGDRASIL utilized network and nanotechnology to allow players to experience the virtual world as if they were in the real world, and its extremely wide degree of freedom in gameplay attracted a large number of players.
However, this glory only lasted for twelve years, and now, its life is nearing its end.
In a room with a luxurious decor, a long, walnut-colored rectangular table was placed in the center, with well-crafted chairs on both sides of the table. Although these furnishings were opulent, what was most striking were the giant cat statues placed against the walls in the four corners of the room.
The lifelike cat statues seemed as if they were alive, and in fact, with just one command, these four cat statues would move.
This was because the material they were made from was a construct called a "Golem," which, although referred to as a life form, was actually an artificial product without self-awareness or the ability to think, only passively accepting and acting on its master's commands.
However, the six players in this room had no intention of commanding them to move, or perhaps they were in such a bad mood that they had no interest.
Today was the last day of YGGDRASIL's operation; the game would shut down after midnight, and everything that existed now would cease to be.
Although they did not want this meticulously built guild, Great Kingdom of Cats, to disappear, once they left this virtual world, they were merely ordinary, unremarkable citizens, powerless to stop the operator's decision.
The guild Great Kingdom of Cats, formed by cat lovers, grew to a scale of nearly a hundred members, but at the very last moment before the game shut down, only six people were online.
"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, everyone's time is precious, especially at a time like this," Sursana said helplessly to the other five online guild members while sitting in a chair.
Although he wanted to show a helpless expression on his face, he couldn't; his character's race was Undead, with only bleached bones remaining all over his body, including his skull.
"Even though it's true, it still feels a bit regrettable that even the guild leader couldn't log on at the very last moment."
"Ara · Araf," dressed in white, monk-like attire, said. Unlike Sursana, his character's race was human. Although his tone sounded somewhat sad, there was no expression on his face, and he could only use the in-game expression system to show a regretful expression.
Although he was not an Undead skeleton, the game setting prevented player characters from making expressions.
"Speaking of which, the last time the guild leader logged on, he said he didn't have time to play due to a work transfer. Now that I think about it, I should have said a proper goodbye to him back then."
"Charge ~ Cat Fist" said, with an orange cat nestled in his arms, which he was continuously stroking. Needless to say, this cat was also a creature made from a "Golem."
"Ahem, at this very end, let's talk about something happy."
"Kikotenshin Nekonyan" said, tapping the table. He made an angry expression, complaining about the melancholic atmosphere of their conversation. His pure white full armor, adorned with gold trim, made him look like a medieval nobleman.
"Sorry," "Charge ~ Cat Fist" said, looking at "Kikotenshin Nekonyan" and apologizing.
Immediately after, the handsome guild member wearing fiery red armor among the six looked at "Kikotenshin Nekonyan" and asked, "By the way, did you notify that guy?"
"Eh? Who?" "Kikotenshin Nekonyan" looked at "Meow Meow Mi Ya," his tone revealing surprise.
"Of course, it's Hahahaha Hades," Kara Mifa Nya interjected, his voice tinged with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Ah!" "Kikotenshin Nekonyan" exclaimed, then shrugged helplessly, "I don't think he'd care, after all, he's part of the 'winning group' in life."
"No matter what, he prepared for this for a long time," Kara Mifa Nya said.
"The Great Tomb of Nazarick, huh?" "Kikotenshin Nekonyan" made an amused expression and said, "I wonder if anyone organized a final assault on that heteromorphic guild at this last moment."
"That's hard to say, after all, even Hahahaha Hades doesn't care anymore. He was once a fanatic who swore to eliminate that group of heteromorphic races in Nazarick, but later... sigh..." Sursana said, ending with a long sigh.
Although the rest of the sentence was left unsaid, everyone present knew that Sursana meant that as YGGDRASIL's popularity declined, even past grievances had faded away.
After a moment of silence, Kara Mifa Nya broke it.
"Ahem, actually, I already notified him, just now."
Kara Mifa Nya's words made everyone look at each other, finally erupting in a burst of teasing.
"Hahaha, you're too wicked."
"Notifying him at this point will only annoy him, won't it?"
"Even if he logs on, he won't be able to do anything, right?"
"Just in terms of distance, it would take a lot of time to reach Helheim."
YGGDRASIL had nine derivative worlds; Helheim was the world for heteromorphic players, and the world where the Great Kingdom of Cats guild was located was not in Helheim.
Just as everyone was teasing, their voices suddenly paused, because at that moment, in their friend online notifications, the object of their teasing—Hahahaha Hades—logged on.
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For DMMO-RPG games like YGGDRASIL, which utilized nanoneural technology, allowing players to feel as if they were in the real world, their in-game behavior could also reflect some aspects of their real-life character.
While not entirely identical, as an immersive multiplayer online game, one's words and actions would always carry some shadow of reality. If a person was kind in real life, they would not frequently engage in PK (player killing) to seize equipment in such a realistic game.
If one was not a good person in reality, they would not feel any psychological burden doing PK to seize equipment in the game.
Because everyone knew that equipment represented players' hard work, not just money but also time. Although it was a virtual game, it was still their property, and people who could seize others' property without any burden.
Then in reality, even if they acted like good people, it might be due to legal constraints. Once they had the chance, they would reveal the evil in their hearts, and virtual games could lure out this evil.
For this reason, the malicious behavior of Ainz Ooal Gown led everyone to speculate that they might be a group of social-hating villains.
The members of this guild operated as a gang, engaging in PK everywhere. Because those who were PKed were often ambushed unprepared, they almost never failed.
Their behavior was not only directed at individual players but also at guilds. There was once a guild that, due to their sudden attack, lost a World Item because they were not sufficiently prepared.
Such malicious behavior finally backfired, leading to a 1500-person Expeditionary Force (punishment squad) formed by several major guilds to attack that notorious guild.
This was the largest guild offensive and defensive battle since YGGDRASIL opened its servers.
Before this operation, a website was established where victims who had been maliciously PKed by this guild wrote about their experiences.
It was assumed that such a righteous army would achieve ultimate victory, but they were completely annihilated by that guild. Afterward, the information reported to the officials due to abnormal data was met with a reply from the officials stating there were no abnormalities.
As a result of this outcome, many players who participated in the punishment squad quit the game in anger. Perhaps YGGDRASIL's decline from prosperity began with this operation.
Subsequently, Ainz Ooal Gown continued as usual, PK-ing everywhere like locusts. Although a small number of players later organized counterattacks, they were ineffective.
Later, as the game's popularity declined, many members of that guild might have quit, so their behavior became much more restrained. However, it was said that the guild leader of that guild persisted in this behavior until the very end.
Even in the late stages of the game, news of that guild's members engaging in PK could still be heard from time to time.
Hades recalled the reason for the subjugation of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild, which was initiated by a joint army composed of eight guilds.
Hades, who had always been a lone wolf, joined the punishment squad totaling 1,500 people. As a casual player, Hades's strength was not outstanding. He followed the main force all the way to the Eighth Floor of The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
However, during the subjugation process, something happened that made the young Hades feel indignant. Perhaps it was his self-awareness as a casual player that he would always retreat to the rear at the first sign of danger. Thus, in the annihilation battle on the Eighth Floor of The Great Tomb of Nazarick, he was left until the very end.
As expected, as a casual player, he was completely powerless to resist the counterattack of Nazarick's members. He was cornered by Momonga, the guild leader of Ainz Ooal Gown, who shared the same character race as the guild member Sursana.
"Do you wish to dance too?"
Hades would never forget the contemptuous provocation from the completely villainous Ainz Ooal Gown guild leader, Momonga, who spoke down to him with that embarrassingly chuunibyou line from a popular anime over a hundred years ago, a line that made people feel physically uncomfortable.
The grudge between Hades and Ainz Ooal Gown's guild leader, Momonga, was thus formed. Perhaps due to youthful impetuosity, Hades was not short of money in real life. He began to spend heavily to improve his strength, hoping that one day he could stand before that skeleton face and return those words.
But as time passed and the game's popularity declined, the initial anger of that old grudge had long faded. As he grew older, the game became less important to Hades. After all, he belonged to the "winning group" in life; the game was not his everything, and getting worked up over such a small matter seemed rather undignified.
When he received a Message from his guild member Kara Mifa Nya, old, dead memories flooded back.
The memories of his youthful chuunibyou phase stirred his heart. Perhaps he wanted to commemorate that chuunibyou youth.
Or perhaps it was to put a period to his once seemingly pointless efforts, he activated his nanovirtual device and logged into YGGDRASIL.
Although Hades saw the names of the six guild members in his friend list displayed as online, and their location was within the guild headquarters.
But he didn't have time to greet them, after all, the Ainz Ooal Gown guild was not in the same derivative world as Great Kingdom of Cats, and there wasn't much time left before the server shut down.
Hades's relationship with these few guild members was average, but out of politeness, he still sent them a greeting Message while on his way to Helheim, the world where the Ainz Ooal Gown guild was located.
Next, he traveled while familiarizing himself with the somewhat unfamiliar operation interface, heading towards the Ainz Ooal Gown guild's headquarters, The Great Tomb of Nazarick.