Time. Its flow inexorably moved the clock hands toward midnight — the moment when the Yggdrasil servers closed. The game interface showed the time in the style of an electronic clock, but there was no particular difference; an hourglass or a dial. The problem was in the end — the end of this world.
"23:58:40"
In a minute and twenty seconds, the game will end on a sad note, and my unfinished beauty will forever remain a simple collection of parts of elite bosses that did not have time to combine into something beautiful. The project to create the terrifying "NEH" weighs on the strings of the soul more than the static smile of Albedo, the beauty of whose lips will soon fade forever.
The lovely girl is programmed to smile so that the ruler has something to admire while aimlessly sitting on the majestic throne. However, we simply did not have enough time to fool around while sitting on it. Circumstances required persistent farming of resources outside the guild hall so that enemy players do not bomb our base while the guild members are absent from the game. This was helped by traps, NPCs, monsters and other misfortunes for all who want to profit from the work of the guild Ainz Ooal Gown. And naturally, any protection is not eternal, it requires an infusion of gold circles.
Momonga worked in dungeons and instances, as well as various spots with periodic monster respawns. I have different interests, a different game model, completely different targets to attack. What is the point of killing monsters from zeros and ones? Apart from the need to collect more advanced parts of dead monsters to improve your own body, they are otherwise useless.
Unlike the players from whom I collected emotions of indignation, amusing my inflated pride after a hard day at work. Such a matter requires only choosing the right victim to attack. For example, my targets could farm legendary gear in difficult dungeons for days, and after meeting me, lose absolutely everything they had achieved in a few days.
Then fall into despair, watching through the inscription "You are dead" at my indifference to their work. Also, their bloodshot eyes did not give anything in the fight against me, who was already leaving, who specially demonstrated in his hands the most valuable item that dropped from the inventory of the fallen player.
Some might call this roleplaying cruel and toxic, but not everyone can play good guys and fighters for justice. I am the ultimate development of a chimera, a creature assembled from parts of elite bosses of Yggdrasil. Although I can easily be confused with a human due to my humanoid form and the skill I have in controlling flesh, the chimera belongs to the "Undead" category. Therefore, the roleplaying must correspond to a creature with distorted morality. Not like a skeleton, where thinking is tied to necromancy, but of a slightly different kind.
A striking example is the Archliches' natural desire to turn all living things into a branch of the Necropolis - the city of the dead. Liches live by this idea, filling their absent brains with it; destroying life, turning it into living death. But chimeras, especially chimera lords - are a completely different matter.
We are by nature perverted creators, architects and designers in matters of creating new life. It is considered our honor, having seen before our eyes two powerful beings, to try to cross them together, taking the best from both, discarding from the perfect individual the weaknesses of the ancestors.
The image of Lord Dawn is mixed into this ideology, making the roleplaying quite "amazing". If there were intelligent monsters in Yggdrasil, Bondrewd would certainly be considered an unattainable ideal among them.
"23:59:55"
It's extremely annoying that I'll have to think up a new game personality. And in a new game, or try to transfer the current one to new realities. In order to enjoy the sunrise with her, which will inevitably be followed by sunset.
Like now...
"23:59:59"
"…"
"
In my work, the expression "bug or feature" is often used.
Most likely, there was a slight delay with the servers being disconnected, before the player was automatically disconnected from the system, the interface was disabled. The mini-map was no longer visible in front of his eyes, as well as access to the game menu, timer and other delights of game navigation. An absolutely sterile screen, like in some games that took the "live interface" as a basis. Displaying the amount of health of the character through the indicator of his suit, and not crude labels in the upper right corner of the screen.
I'm almost 100% sure that this is not a way to advertise a game that is on its last legs. Instead of shutting down the servers, add a new update that can increase immersion? No, that's out of the question. The company that made the game wouldn't do that, especially in the world of 2138, which lives off of the harsh forecasts of analysts and a well-thought-out advertising campaign. No, it's hard to imagine such stupidity, and you can't surprise anyone with the surprise effect.
Moreover, disabling the interface will cause full-scale panic.
Without an interface, I have no way to exit the game, and a body with disabled sensitivity is unable to remove the VR headset on its own. I've seen this before somewhere. Oh, right, getting stuck in the game. Now it became clear to me why reincarnation fell on this world.
I hope the transfer of consciousness was complete and not tied to the VR headset, otherwise my health insurance will only pay for a couple of months in the hospital of the future, after which I will be disposed of as waste material. This is not friendly to everyone Japan, here death not from old age is a natural phenomenon, as ordinary as going to the store.
It's a shame, but there's always time to jump to conclusions, it's better to try to understand the sensations. Involuntarily, I took a few breaths, feeling my chest filling with heavy air. A slight itch in different parts of my body caused imaginary discomfort from being unaccustomed, and my tail stopped being perceived as an additional weapon, but rather as an extension of my own body. Inhaling through my nose made it clear that my sense of smell had appeared, even though my face was hidden under the helmet of Lord Dawn.
There is no interface, but there are new sensations.
If you look closely, the world has become more clearly visible, the roughness of the textures has disappeared. There is also Albedo, who has a new animation. She should behave elegantly, but now she looked at me with the gaze of a devoted fan. Her fingers were clasped together, and her elbows were raised almost in a pleading gesture. Somewhere I have already seen girls with sparkling eyes, drooling over the subjects of praise ... Oh, I completely forgot - in the past world. There, unbridled fans behaved in much the same way in the presence of their idol. An hour is not far off, a few moments will pass, and they will ask me for an autograph.
There was also another oddity concerning my brain, namely the way I thought. It was as if some kind of conflict was starting to happen in my head, but because of a world-class item, such a thing was impossible, the mind had to be protected from any mental magic. So, the effect of the chimera essence? Coupled with who exactly I had to play in Yggdrasil, there was a slight heat of passion, which did not frighten me at all, although a panic attack was bound to form. But the fear seemed to have grabbed me by the throat and strangled me in the bud.
The identity of Bondrewd - Lord of the Dawn.
There aren't many children in Nazarick, which is already good. Otherwise, you never know, anything can happen.
Letting go of the guild staff, making it hover in the air, I stood up from the throne and unconsciously took a couple of steps towards the girl with dark wings, approaching her almost point-blank. Then a purple handkerchief materialized in my hand, of which there were plenty in the inventory, as well as other junk. This handkerchief slowly, unobtrusively, but at the same time with confidence, my hand extended to Albedo. To the succubus, who had drool on the edge of her lips.
There are now more questions than answers.
The inventory is not visible, but it exists "somewhere out there" and there is direct access to it. In addition to this oddity, there is also, for example, partly my actions were more like instinct than a conscious decision. As it was said there... Did my hand tremble? Perhaps that is so. As if I made a normal gesture, like waving my hand or warming up my fingers.
- Ah, but-but you mustn't, - with a heavy breath, the girl's face lit up with a scarlet blush. Quickly realizing her mistake, she swallowed, took the handkerchief and quickly tidied up her face, and then elegantly hid my item behind her back. - Thank you, I will cherish it for the rest of my life, - melodically and excitedly, she said words of gratitude, getting up on one knee and pressing one palm to her heart, while the other, along with the handkerchief, continued to hide behind her back.
"Amazing devotion, but you don't need to lower your head over such trifles. We are all united by a common idea, an obsessive thought that pursues every creature in Nazarick like a hellhound. You can imagine this idea as an endless web. It restrains us, but at the same time obliges us to take care of each other, helping us stand above the rest of the world. You can rise up." My own magnanimous speech and kindness of intention surprised me. Even amazed me.
The manners of a good-natured guy, even though his voice was distorted by the mask, it was spoken as if from the heart, without a hint of evil intent. Incredible. To my amazement, the speech came out completely different, different from what it was before. In the game, I had to play all sorts of personalities, like an experienced roleplayer of the middle league, and the main game personality was the Lord of Dawn. When playing, I had all sorts of embarrassments, stutters and mistakes. But here, even without preparation and thought, everything came out painfully natural. I could try to forcefully interfere with each of the speeches, intentions and actions, but without need there was no point in this.
Every action must be useful and motivated.
Action.
Truly, there is too much work, I need to contact several NPCs, if each of them received intelligence according to the data embedded in them, then their actions and deeds are quite predictable. Albedo became a fan, and behaved appropriately, therefore the rest did not deviate too far from the initial settings. I wonder if since they are intelligent, they can be contacted remotely using "Message".
Resisting the urge to speak in a slightly obscure manner, I tried to send the message as I do at work. I tried to voice specific thoughts for the most part, since the ambiguity of allegories is dangerous in our situation.
Message: "Kurumi, prepare the research section on the third floor for my arrival, and then restrict access to the section on the sixth floor for everyone. When the mission is completed, report it." Quickly activating the communication, I contacted the guardian of my laboratory, which was divided into three sections, each of which was located on a different floor of Nazarick. Some experiments required specific conditions for the best growth of creatures from dead flesh.
Now one more assignment.
Message: "Demiurge, organize sixteen scouting teams of intelligent and replenished undead. Using the entrance to the above-ground floor of Nazarick as a reference point, send four teams at three, seven, ten, and twelve o'clock. Length: the first expedition is nine, the second is twenty-four, the third is eleven, and the fourth is fifteen kilometers. The distance between teams from one expedition is one kilometer, if communication with one of them is lost, immediately send a message to me." The second mission is more important, if all the players are stuck in this world, then there will soon be a risk of war between players. I decided to send teams of useless undead to scout the nearby player associations, and given Demiurge's written intelligence, he should add a million and one details to my order.
Reply Message: "Well, well, I'll try, father."
Reply Message: "Will be executed in the best possible way."
It is dangerous and expensive to use non-renewable resources now. For now, we will play off defense and reconnaissance, preparing a full-scale attack on all potential player associations. It is important not only to strike ahead, but also to collect information, and the most valuable is whether players are resurrected after death.
"With you..." my fan asked worriedly, trying to casually come as close as possible, so close that her breath could already be felt through the thick cloak on me.
It seems I was briefly stuck while sending messages to two of Nazarick's subordinates. Since I am the guild's deputy, and due to Momonga's absence, my position has risen to the leader, I can be considered the only one who can give orders to all the creatures in this crypt. This can be played on, since every NPC has the highest level of loyalty to Ainz Ooal Gown.
But a small test won't hurt.
"There is no need to worry. Bring our loyal allies to the throne room in an hour — Shalltear, Cocytus, Aura and Mare, Victim, and Demiurge when he is free from the mission I have assigned." Without turning to the girl, I conveyed the order to her in a rather friendly manner. As if I was inviting a friend to eat together, and not giving an order to a subordinate during a critical lack of time to react.
"Umm... I'll do it as soon as possible!" Albedo said eloquently. It's dangerous to give such people a thoughtless order, just look at how you order them to jump off a cliff, and they'll only ask "when it's convenient for you."
Not all floor guardians have such high loyalty to me, but it doesn't matter. The loyalty of others is easy to manipulate as you please, as long as you don't make mistakes. That's why I invited intelligent guardians.
Except for the floor guards invited to the throne room, there is also the spineless golem Gargantua and my personal creation, responsible for certain areas of Nazarick. The former does not require explanations, I will personally talk to my creation, and the rest have intelligence. It is useful to keep intelligent ones close to you, and the closer and tighter the leash, the better for the common good.
Reply message: "My dear father, I am free, should I make you a cup of tea?" - came a message from Kurumi. But her address, it makes me involuntarily twitch, and think about all sorts of things. So to speak, experimental.
"There is no need to rush, approach the issue with ease. Rudeness, like a cancerous tumor, corrodes a positive result with small mistakes made in haste," involuntarily throwing a final piece of advice to Albedo, I used the teleportation ring of the Ainz Ooal Gown guild and moved to the third floor.
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