Author note: I was out for 3 years and I came back again. Would love to continue this until volume 16, so drop all your spirit stones and let's cook!
After reading the email sent by the developers of YGGDRASIL, I became interested in what they had to say. The collaboration they mentioned was actually a unique gift, one reserved for players who had reached a certain level of donations to the game.
Having donated more than 400 million yen in the span of just one month, I had undoubtedly surpassed the required amount by a considerable margin. It was an absurd sum of money, enough to purchase several mansions in this futuristic world I lived in. Yet, that was how much I had spent on YGGDRASIL in such a short period of time.
The gift consisted of the opportunity to create my very own unique title, along with a custom Divine-class item that would be granted to me by the developers later in the game.
According to the email, all I had to do was provide the necessary details regarding the customization of my unique Divine-class equipment, including its design, abilities, and other specifications. The developers would then create the item based on the details I provided and give it to me in-game at a later date.
After sending the email to the developers, I received a reply from them. They thanked me once again for my generous donations and assured me that they would take my requests into consideration.
I had also included a few reports about bugs I had encountered during the beta test, particularly in Jotunheim. There was this annoying bug involving wolves that would cause their AI to freeze whenever they used a skill called Razor Bite.
The developers acknowledged the issue and promised to compensate me for the inconvenience.
With everything taken care of, I leaned back in my comfortable chair and gazed at the ceiling, letting out a long sigh.
"Damn, the beta test was so much fun, but it'll be over soon."
There was still so much I wanted to explore, so many things I wanted to try, and so many places I hadn't visited yet.
"Man… I hope they release the game soon. I want to meet the original forty-one members of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild."
Just thinking about it made me look forward to the game's official release. The thought of meeting the other members and experiencing YGGDRASIL alongside them was something I genuinely wanted to look forward to.
For now, though, there wasn't much else I could do.
"I should probably get some sleep."
After shutting down my PC, I stood up and made my way to bed. I didn't even bother putting on any clothes, collapsing onto the mattress completely naked.
It didn't take long before I drifted off to sleep.
. . .
. . .
In the darkness of another room, a rather chubby man sat hunched over his holographic screen, scrolling through the YGGDRASIL forums.
He had intended to log out an hour ago.
That was before he found a thread titled:
[General Discussion] So uhh, man, I hate to say this but I became the enemy of the forest lmao.
The original poster explained that he had been exploring Alfheim when three elves attacked him without warning. He fought back and killed all three in self-defense. Unfortunately, the elves in the surrounding area had now become hostile toward him, and he was worried that he had ruined an important questline.
The comments were a complete mess.
LevelOneLawyer: Your Honor, my client pleads self-defense.
ElfProtectionAgency: Typical human behavior. Invade our forest, murder our people, then claim self-defense.
DefinitelyAnElf: Sounds like something an elf murderer would say.
The man paused at that comment.
The account's profile picture was a skeleton wearing sunglasses.
"…Sure. Definitely an elf."
He continued scrolling.
TaxCollector: I've contacted the local authorities. I can turn you in for fifty gold coins.
DefinitelyAnElf: That's disgusting. You're profiting from injustice.
TaxCollector: Do you want to split the reward or not?
DefinitelyAnElf: …Sixty-Forty?
TaxCollector: Fifty-fifty.
DefinitelyAnElf: Deal.
The man behind the screen nearly choked on his drink.
"These people are worse than the actual NPCs." Someone had even uploaded a wanted poster.
WANTED: DANGEROUS INDIVIDUAL
Crime: Killing three forest residents.
Threat Level: Undetermined.
Reward: 50 gold coins.
He stared at the reward."Fifty gold? That's not even enough to cover my character's grocery budget." He clicked the comment box and typed:
Ifckwitheverythingexcpttentacles: Have you tried apologizing? Bring flowers. Maybe some fruit. If that doesn't work, offer them three wolves as compensation.
A few seconds later, someone replied.
LevelOneLawyer: Your username suggests you're unqualified to give advice on literally anything.
Ifckwitheverythingexcpttentacles: Objection. My username has nothing to do with my qualifications.
LevelOneLawyer: Sustained. Unfortunately, the judge is also concerned about your username.
The man smirked. "Ha. Got you there."
Another notification appeared.
DefinitelyAnElf: Your username is disgusting.
Ifckwitheverythingexcpttentacles: And yet you took the time to read it.
DefinitelyAnElf: I'm reporting you.
Ifckwitheverythingexcpttentacles: For what?
DefinitelyAnElf: I don't know yet. Give me a minute.
The man leaned back in his chair, satisfied with himself. Then he typed another comment.
Ifckwitheverythingexcpttentacles: Honestly, I'd turn you in for fifty gold coins. Nothing personal. My character has bills to pay.
He refreshed the thread, waiting for another reply, but nothing appeared. The original poster had apparently decided that arguing with these people was a waste of time.
"Smart guy," He muttered. "Should've done that before posting."
He closed the thread and noticed another title that immediately caught his attention.
[Question] Is it possible to romance NPCs in YGGDRASIL?
The man's eyes widened. "Oh?" He clicked it so quickly that he nearly misclicked the thread below it. For the next several minutes, he read every comment, checked every linked discussion, and even searched for related posts. He eventually left fourteen comments of his own. Unfortunately, after all that effort, he learned absolutely nothing useful.
Hayate stared at the screen in disbelief.
"…Fourteen comments. Three searches. Two arguments. Zero answers." He rubbed his face. "This game has everything except a proper dating guide."
. . .
"Hayate! What the fuck are you doing? Are you jacking off right now?!"
A girl's voice, surprisingly beautiful despite the vulgar words coming out of her mouth, suddenly rang through the room. She had a naturally sweet voice, the kind that could easily belong to a professional voice actress, yet her choice of words often ruined the entire impression. Anyone who knew her online persona would probably find the contrast rather amusing.
The man who was now known as Hayate nearly jumped out of his chair.
"NO, BIG SIS! I'M JUST SCROLLING THROUGH THAT NEW GAME I TOLD YOU ABOUT! IT'S YGGDRASIL!"
He hurriedly minimized the forum window, as if that would somehow make him look less suspicious.
There was a brief silence outside his door.
"…You're awfully defensive for someone who's supposedly just scrolling."
"BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS ASSUME THE WORST!"
"Maybe because you keep giving me reasons to!"
Hayate opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again.
He couldn't exactly deny that.
"Whatever! Just come downstairs right now. Auntie's back, and we're having dinner."
"Okay, okay! I'm coming!"
"AND DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE!"
"YES, MA'AM!"
Hayate quickly shut down the holographic screen and pushed his chair back. Before leaving, however, he glanced at his monitor one last time.
The forum thread was still open.
A new notification had appeared.
LevelOneLawyer replied to your comment.
Hayate narrowed his eyes.
"…I'll deal with you later, bastard."
He hurried out of his room and headed downstairs.
The smell of freshly cooked food greeted him as he reached the dining area. His aunt was already seated at the table, while his big sister was helping arrange the dishes.
"You're late," his sister remarked without even looking at him.
"It's been like thirty seconds!"
"Thirty seconds too long."
Hayate pulled out a chair and sat down.
"You're so annoying."
"And yet, here you are, still living under the same roof as me."
"Unfortunately."
His sister smiled sweetly.
"Would you like me to tell Auntie what you were actually doing upstairs?"
Hayate immediately straightened his posture.
"I love you, Big Sis. You're the best sister in the entire world."
"That's what I thought."
His aunt looked between the two of them, letting out a small sigh.
"Can the two of you please behave for once? Let's just eat while the food is still warm."
"Yes, Auntie," they answered simultaneously.
For the next few minutes, the three of them ate their dinner, occasionally exchanging small talk about their day.
Hayate tried his best to participate in the conversation, but his mind kept wandering back to the forum.
He wondered whether the original poster had found a way to resolve his little elf problem.
He was going to have to wait until dinner was over to get back to shitposting.
. . .
. . .
Baron woke up in his luxurious apartment, the morning sun shining brightly across his handsome face. He stretched lazily before getting out of bed and making his way to the bathroom to answer nature's call before taking a shower.
While he was washing up, a maid waiting outside knocked on the door.
"Excuse me, Sir Baron. I'll leave your breakfast here. Please call me if you need anything."
"Thanks!" Baron shouted from inside the bathroom.
After finishing his shower, he stood in front of the mirror and examined his reflection. Damn, this handsome face is going to be gone once I enter the New World. He sighed at the thought. At least, he hoped his new appearance would still look cool. After all, he was going to become a Dragonoid. It wasn't exactly the worst race to have, but losing his current face was still a tragedy in his eyes.
I wonder if there's some kind of cosmetic item that can change my appearance. Something like the item Sebas uses to conceal his true form would be nice.
He continued staring at his reflection for a few more seconds before finally giving up. There was no point mourning a face he hadn't even lost yet. After getting dressed, Baron sat down for breakfast and logged into the YGGDRASIL forums on his holographic screen while eating.
The moment he opened the thread, his expression soured.
"Damn, these commenters are assholes!"
He scrolled through the replies, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something new. "…What the hell?"
A wanted poster had been uploaded. His wanted poster. Baron stared at the screen in disbelief.
"They actually made a wanted poster for me?" He leaned closer, examining the ridiculous reward and the accusations written beneath his character's image. "Fifty gold? Seriously? Is my life worth that little?"
He clicked back into the comments, hoping to find someone with a functioning brain.
Instead, one username caught his attention.
Ifckwitheverythingexcpttentacles.
Baron blinked.
"…Who the hell is this? And what kind of name is that?" He stared at the username for a moment, wondering whether the person behind it had suffered some kind of mental breakdown during account creation.
With an irritated grunt, he returned to his breakfast and continued eating. Once he had finished, he called for his personal maid to clear the table.
"Please take everything away," he said, gesturing toward the dishes. "I'll be going out for a while. I'm heading to the gym."
"Of course, Sir Baron."
The maid began clearing the table as Baron got up and prepared to leave. He had spent enough time sitting around. If he was going to enter the New World with the body of a Dragonoid, he might as well make sure he was ready for it.
After finishing my workout at the gym, I headed home and spent some time practicing martial arts. It had become part of my daily routine, and I wasn't planning to stop anytime soon.
Surprisingly, I had also discovered that I was pretty good at mastering musical instruments.
Damn, the god who gave me this skill is a real one.
Whoever was responsible for that particular blessing deserved a raise. Not that I had any idea how to give one to a god, but the thought counted. After cleaning myself up, I settled down in front of my computer and logged into YGGDRASIL.
Ah, my beloved game.
I checked my inventory, reviewed my equipment, and headed out to do some grinding as usual. Nothing too serious, just the usual routine of hunting monsters, collecting drops, and earning experience.
There was something strangely comforting about it. No annoying responsibilities, no one bothering me, and no need to think too hard about the future.
For now, I could just enjoy the game.
A week passed, and the YGGDRASIL beta test finally came to an end.
The official announcement of the game had made headlines, attracting attention from gamers all over the world. YGGDRASIL was being praised as one of the first MMORPGs to offer an unprecedented level of customization, allowing players to personalize almost everything, from their character's appearance and race to their equipment, abilities, and even the worlds they could create.
The gaming community was practically going crazy over it.
With its advanced technology and seemingly endless possibilities, YGGDRASIL was shaping up to be more than just another MMORPG. It was a game where players could create their own identities, build their own legacies, and experience a virtual world unlike anything that had come before.
And for Baron, the official release couldn't come soon enough.
. . .
. . .
Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan, a salaryman sat in front of his computer, his tired eyes scanning through the latest headlines.
YGGDRASIL: The Next Generation of MMORPGs. A Virtual World Where Almost Everything Is Possible.
He stared at the screen for a moment, reading through the article's description of the game's seemingly limitless customization.
"Hmm…"
Satoru Suzuki leaned back in his chair, contemplating the idea.
He wasn't particularly interested in games that required too much of his time, but something about YGGDRASIL caught his attention. Perhaps it was the freedom it offered, or maybe he was simply curious about what made so many people excited about it.
After a few seconds, he shrugged."Mhm. Should I give it a try?"
He clicked on the official website.
YGGDRASIL — OFFICIAL RELEASE COMING SOON.
Satoru stared at the announcement, his finger hovering over the registration button.
"…Well, it wouldn't hurt to take a look." And just like that, another player was about to step into a world that would change his life forever.