Hello, just a small note before you continue.
This story doesn't really focus on anything important. It's not filled with major conflicts or dramatic twists.
It's simply about small moments, quiet conversations, and the ordinary things in between. And might feel boring to read it.
Thats all i wanna say, thank you for your time.
------
Several years had passed, and Nazarick no longer felt as crowded as it once did.
One by one, half of the members had quietly stepped away—claimed by work, responsibilities, and the slow pull of adulthood. The guild chat wasn't as lively. The laughter during strategy meetings wasn't as frequent. But the bond remained, even if time had thinned their numbers.
Tonight, however, four member gathered once more.
The gathering chamber before the teleport gate shimmered with layered magic circles. Blue light pulsed beneath their feet as preparation spells activated one by one.
Momonga stood at the center, reviewing buffs.
TouchMe adjusted his gauntlets, radiant armor gleaming under the arcane glow.
Ulbert leaned casually against a pillar, arms crossed, infernal aura flickering low.
Henry stood a few steps away, quietly observing.
The objective was simple—raid a mid-tier dungeon and collect rare materials for potion crafting. Nothing too ambitious. Just enough to restock supplies.
Momonga said calmly. "Let's make it quick, We all have to work tomorrow."
TouchMe gave a light chuckle. "Just like the old days."
Ulbert adjusted his gloves, flames around him faint. "Don't get sentimental. It's just farming."
Henry glanced at him. "You sound different." His voice wasn't as sharp or trying to challenge TouchMe as always like before.
Ulbert frowned slightly "Different how?"
"You're not sounding as fiercely as you normally do."
Ulbert scoffed, but it lacked its usual edge. "I'm fine. Just tired with this old bone."
Momonga's red orbs flickered thoughtfully. "Ulbert. If you felling tired, we can just raid another time."
Ulbert straightened immediately, flames around him flaring brighter as if in protest. "I said I'm fine."
Henry held his gaze for a moment longer, then nodded. "Alright. But I'm watching you."
Ulbert didn't reply, and walk first into the doungen.
The teleportation light flared—and the raid began.
The dungeon wasn't particularly large, but its corridors twisted unpredictably. Swarms of monsters ambushed them at every turn—venomous insects, skeletal warriors, and elemental beasts guarding crystal clusters rich with alchemical value.
Henry and TouchMe took the front lines, Blade and shield raised. Momonga and And Ulbert—unleashed precise spells that wiped entire groups cleanly.
Ulbert laught while burning everything. His devastating magic illuminated the dungeon halls in flashes of crimson and black, turning enemies into ash before they could even scream.
For a moment, it truly felt like the past had returned.
Then, in the middle of a heated encounter against a hulking stone guardian, Ulbert suddenly froze.
His casting circle vanished, and his avatar stood motionless.
And then—He disappeared.
A system notification blinked in the corner of their interface. [Player Ulbert Alain Odle has logged out.]
Henry reacted immediately, blocking another attack, "Momonga! Finish it!" Momonga who finally done with the spell cast it on the Golem, dealing the final damage.
Thankfully, this wasn't a high-level dungeon. The guardian was already weakened. Without Ulbert's overwhelming firepower, the fight would have lasted longer, and TouchMe took minor damage shielding Momonga from a stray impact.
Silence returned to the dungeon hall.
TouchMe lowered his sword. "That was sudden."
Momonga's hollow gaze flickered thoughtfully. "He's been pushing himself lately."
A soft chime echoed, a private message from Ulbert.
["Sorry. Exhausted. This month been brutal. I'm logging off for the night."]
Henry stared at the message for a moment before replying simply ["Ok, rest well."], Momonga and TouchMe replying to.
There was no dramatics shifting guilt.
Just understanding.
They continued gathering the remaining potion materials—glowing herbs, crystallized venom sacs, alchemical stones. The loot wasn't impressive, but it was enough.
Enough to justify for the night.
When the dungeon was cleared and their inventories were full, the four of them stood at the exit portal.
Momonga broke the quiet first. "Let's call it here."
TouchMe nodded. "Agreed."
Henry glanced at the empty party slot where Ulbert's name had been. "Yeah… let's rest."
One by one, they logged out...
----
But i didn't!
After the others disappeared from the party list, I remained standing outside of the dungeon, and then open one of my map.
The world felt quieter these days. Fewer player signals. Fewer guild banners lit across the regions. The once-bustling continents of Yggdrasil were thinning out.
Half our members had already left for good.
And the rest… were slowly being claimed by reality.
I couldn't help but think about how empty everything was becoming.
But that silence—It was the perfect time.
But… I still had to be careful.
I began targeting smaller guilds first.
Not recklessly this time.
I would scout them for days—sometimes weeks—monitoring login patterns, checking activity logs, confirming whether there is any active players remained. Only when I was absolutely certain that no one still cared for that guild… only then would I make my move.
I cleared their defensive NPCs, looted their vaults, dismantled their traps, and finally destroyed their spawn points completely.
But I will never destroyed a guild if there is a single player remained actived.
If someone were online and discovered it was me, who destroy their base, they absolutely would seek revenge. And with Yggdrasil nearing its end, desperation could drive players to do reckless things.
I couldn't allow anyone to enter the New World out of spite. And i couldn't risk someone trying to kill me on the very last day before the servers shut down.
So I erased them quietly.
By the time they respawned, they would have no idea who had destroyed their base.
------
My raids mostly took place at night.
After all, they all had work in the morning. Fewer would be online at 2 AM server time. That was when I could move freely—without interruption, without witnesses.
Under the artificial starlight of Yggdrasil's sky, I became a shadow between territories.
It didn't take long for the NPCs of Nazarick to notice.
Even if they didn't know the details, they sensed the something different. The increasing loot, the growing vault. And the subtle change in my presence.
I also adjusted my avatar appearence, like my old one.
I added scars across my body, and face. Of course, the NPCs had no way of knowing about the scars on my body, since I had always wore my formal suit, leaving only my hands or face visible.
Also let my hair grow longer. Altered my appearance slightly to reflect the "battles" I had endured. The only difference from the old one, is that im not looking old
I wasn't always alone during these raids.
Sometimes I brought Ainz—I mean Momonga.
Even when he was exhausted from work, he would still log in to chat for a short while. We sometimes would clear a dungeon together, with his magic that complemented my fighting style.
Other times, I would take Alastor or Demiurge, raiding dungeons or bases as a way to strengthen our bond. Raiding dungeons, infiltrating abandoned guild bases, testing tactics together—it created shared experiences. Shared victories.