3 A Meeting of Heroes

Within the world of YGGDRASIL lie nine playable realms for the Players to explore, fight in, and conquer. Each realm was meticulously modeled and named after the real-life counterpart within Norse Mythology. Those worlds were:

Niðavellir: Niflheim, the world of fog, mist, and ice.

Múspellsheimr: Muspelheim, the land of fire. Home to the fabled fire giants and inferno demons.

Miðgarðr: Midgard, the cradle of humanity.

Jötunheimr: Jotunheim, the domain of the giants.

Álfheimr: Alfheim, the birthplace of the elves.

Niðavellir: Nidavellir, the home of the dwarves.

Vanaheimr: Vanaheim, the hold of the Vanir Gods.

Ásgarðr: Asgard, the realm of the Aesir Gods.

And finally, Helheim or Hel, the realm of the dishonorable dead.

Each separate world was beyond massive, with an approximate estimation of 6,800 total kilometers squared in size. Combined, the nine distinct worlds collectively spanned an area of about 59,130 km2. An insanely large overworld, especially when one takes into account that the game didn't have accessible fast travel. With the exception of when a Player teleports between starting towns to reach a particular location in the overworld.

Starting towns for Players were located near the center of the realm, and everything else was spread outward and all around. As one moves further from the center of the world, the various locations and regions gradually get more difficult. The environment can change to become unfavorable if a Player wasn't adequately prepared, and enemies get stronger the further they travel. The further one travels, the greater the chance of death becomes, increasing the possibility of Players losing a piece of valuable equipment. Nevertheless, the overworld wasn't entirely hostile; there were a few spots scattered throughout the open world that offered a momentary safe zone but nothing more.

When playing as Heteromorphic characters, these limitations were almost doubled. Technically speaking, all Players, whether they were Humanoids, Demi-Humans, or Heteromorphs, had access to all nine worlds. However, it may restrict where they can go depending on what race their Player was. For instance, a Heteromorphic Player who was undead was unable to enter any town that was populated in Midgard. They would need to choose a spawn point far removed from the area.

Some of these limitations apply to Demi-humans, but not to the same extent as to heteromorphs. There were no such restrictions for Humanoid Players like humans, elves, and dwarfs. Another factor that contributed to Humanoid Players being the most popular character race. They were not hindered by the YGGDRASIL worlds, making them one of the common choices.

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November 8th, 2129. World: Niflheim. The Shores of Ice. Recommended level: 50-55

On this day, Niflheim's virtual sun cast a brilliant glow upon the land, painting a cloudless sky that seemed to stretch out endlessly. The sun's rays brilliantly illuminated everything that lay beneath them. In a particular expanse of grassy fields, a thick and visible mist hung low over the land, enveloping the serene and peaceful meadow.

The meager amount of sunlight that managed to break through the fog created a dazzling effect on the tiny droplets of water that clung to every surface. The dew adorned the untouched blades of grass, their slender forms swaying in the breeze as it blew past. Not a single creature, neither mob nor POP, could be seen inhabiting the tranquil grassland, leaving the area brimming with a sense of calm and contentment.

A calm that would be broken by a shout.

"Don't lose him!" Several light beams emerged from the mist, shooting off in all directions but striking nothing.

Shirou leaped out of the mist, his trusted black bow in hand.

He released them back into the fog after reaching the height limit of his jump. A second later, the three arrows exploded, clearing the fog to reveal a pack of five Players pursuing him. One of his pursuers charged at him as he descended.

"Hold still! [Consecutive Spiral Thrust]!" The Player roared and raised a thick, asymmetrical cavalry lance made of silver. As soon as Shirou's eyes landed on the weapon, he immediately cataloged the lance in his Unlimited Blade Works.

The YGGDRASIL skill system detected the use of a skill as the Player's body operated automatically and sought to complete the action.

[Consecutive Spiral Thrust] was a skill that was exclusive to Players who used polearm-style weapons. The original lance was accompanied by four spectral-like arms, brandishing a copy of the lance. Shirou's head was the target of five attacks that came in close succession. If it had been another Player, they would have had to decide whether to block it or take the blow. The magus did neither; instead, he moved his head, causing each attack to miss with the help of his Mind's Eye and extreme nimbleness. Shirou kicked the lance wielder, who was startled by such an outlandish feat.

He carried on sprinting across the field without even turning around.

"How the hell is he doing that?!" A Player dressed in black bushido armor and armed with a flaming katana shouted. He quickly helped his friend up.

"Who cares?! Don't let him get away!" Another screamed; this time, the speaker was a female Player dressed in dark green robes with a tree symbol branded on them.

The party of five gave chase to Shirou.

Shirou couldn't help but think back on the course his new life had taken and how it had led to this as he raced through the misty plains.

It has been around six months since Zelretch intervened. During this time, Shirou has been exploring YGGDRASIL and expanding his knowledge while continuing his endeavor. He could never go too long without going out of his way to help out new Players or protect Heteromorphic parties from the more malicious Players and PKers. With the knowledge that the YGGDRASIL's forums revealed to him, it was only a matter of time before the Humanoid community collected themselves and actively hunted him down as he continued to be a thorn in their side. In that respect, it wasn't all that dissimilar from his time on Earth, where magi would occasionally come after him for various reasons. Whether it be for revenge, fame, fortune, or some other asinine reason. Shirou figured he had maybe another two or so months before this would occur, factoring in how vast the overworld was and how often Shirou jumped between realms since he was never struck by one for too long.

The faker, however, greatly underestimated the impact of his presence and actions, as well as the widespread influence of YGGDRASIL's forums. After the second month after his arrival, the attacks began. He was initially attacked by the occasional Player here and there. Every week or so, there were typically no more than one or two Players. Shirou continued to protect Heteromorphic Players from PK parties as time passed, adding more bodies to the growing pile as he did so. From one or two Players, there were eventually four, and occasionally even six. It didn't take long before large hunting parties were organized with the sole purpose of pursuing him. The largest party he had encountered yet was ten people. What was once a weekly occurrence became a routine as Shirou fended off attacks from Players nearly every day.

In the beginning, he opted to run away and evade these attempts on his life. Shirou thought they would eventually give up if they couldn't, but sadly, that wasn't the case. This only seemed to embolden them and intensify their efforts. He started fighting back because he realized he couldn't keep eluding capture forever. He hoped to make them think twice about coming after him, but unfortunately, this had the unintended consequence of fueling the rumor mill around him further.

Stories and complaints revolving around the fake hero continue to circulate and gather steam. As they passed from one mouth to another, the tales grew twisted and even more outlandish. Every story and post was fueled by a vitriolic desire to see him brought low and PK Crushed — to be killed so many times that he would be reduced back to level 1, similar to what had happened with Momonga when Shirou first intervened. By the end of the fourth month, a virtual bounty regarding the Player known only as Emiya began to circulate among the community.

Some pursued him to exact revenge, others to gain access to his potent loot, and a few did it for the thrill of the hunt and to defeat the supposedly unbeatable [Heteromorphic Savior].

Hence the situation at hand.

The party of five was the latest entry of contenders. The party consisted of a lightly armored human Player wielding a lance, a black-clad halfling samurai wielding a flaming katana, a female human druid, a white-robed elf with glowing runes circling on his robes, and lastly, a female Humanoid Player wearing a schoolgirl's uniform and holding a crystal ball.

The PK party chased after the archer to the edge of the terrain. Ahead of them was a small ridge obscured by fog. With a leap, Shirou's form disappeared, prompting the group to increase their speed. The hazy surroundings obscured their vision before receding as they entered a new area. In front of them was a great lake, whose shore connected the two areas. A quick survey showed Shirou was on the shore, his back facing the lake, as if waiting for them. The PKers grinned, believing him to have met a dead end. Finally! The goose chase came to an end. There was no way for him to escape them now, with a lake cutting his escape route.

The group lost themselves in their haste and excitement to reach the shore, which played exactly into Shirou's hands.

"[Delay Triplet Magic: Explosive Land Mines]!"

The Players' eyes all widened as a group. The spell circle appeared before they could react. Balls of condensed fire erupted from the sandy shores, surrounding the party, and then detonated. The explosion rocked the area and took a significant chunk of their HP in the process. The situation didn't end there, as arrows of solar energy began to rain on them, forcing the Players to split up, lest they become a pin cushion.

"Fuck! We're getting ambushed!"

"No shit! Focus, we can do this! [Create High Tier Guardian: Colossus]!" The Player in the school uniform yelled. She raised the orb into the air, the crystal ball acting as a catalyst to channel her spell. A magic circle appeared in front of her, but another spell blocked her summon before it could even begin.

"[Boost Magic: Greater Rejection]!" Cracks spread across the magic circle and destroyed it, rejecting the summoning.

"Damn it all! Where the hell is the magic caster?!" The rune mage cried out. All he could see were his party members and Shirou.

Separated from the rest, the two vanguards rushed toward their target. A pinkish Elder Slime emerged from the water and stepped between Shirou and the two Players as they unleashed their skills.

"[Ebony Skin], [Elasticity]!" The slime's pink skin changed to a dark hue. [Elasticity] was a skill that allows the Player to manipulate their body by stretching and twisting it however they want. The slime's body expanded to form a protective wall in front of Shirou. The two attacks struck the living wall and bounced off, with Bukubukchagama's HP dropping only a little bit.

Shirou quickly dismissed his bow and projected Kanshou and Bakuya in his hand.

"Thank you, Bukubukchagama-san!"

"You're welcome~!" The slime happily replied.

Dashing from the makeshift shield, he attacked the samurai, and the two engaged in a duel. Bukubukchagama continued her role as the tank and kept the lancer at bay. While that was happening, the remaining three PKers were dealing with their own problem in the form of a long-range archer and an invisible magic user. The barrage of light arrows prevented them from helping or interfering with the other fight going on.

"We're getting pounded! We need to find a way to catch that magic caster, he can't be that far away!"

"I would, but I can't channel my spells seeing as we're playing hopscotch!" The elven rune mage shouted back.

"Leave that to me! [Vineguard]!" The druid raised both of her hands, and thick, green vines began to grow from the sleeves of her robes, wrapping themselves into a shield. It protected them from the storm of arrows, giving the rune mage the space he needed to cast his spell.

"[Boost Magic: All-Seeing Arcane Vision]!" From the rune mage's point of view, everything suddenly turned blue. The 9th tier spell adds a filter to the Player's sight, enabling them to see through any potential invisibility or camouflage, be it skill or magic.

As he quickly swept his eyes across the field, he noticed a Player standing only a few meters away from them with a transparent rippling effect surrounding him.

"He's invisible! Right there!" The mage pointed in the general direction.

"Finally!" The crystal ball user exclaimed. "Eat this! [Boost Magic: Wild Thunder]!"

"[Boost Magic: Chaos Orb]!" The invisible caster countered.

The two spells collided, one was a burst of concentrated darkness, and the other was a blast of pure electrical energy. The subsequent explosion temporarily rendered the group blind and deaf as it threw up sand and dirt from the surroundings. Momonga happily took advantage of the opportunity to relocate as they were recovering.

"[Fly], [Greater Teleportation]." With silent casting, Momonga disappeared, and the group was none the wiser.

"Did we get him?!"

"…No. Damn, he must have moved!"

"Well, find him! I don't think my—" The druid never got to finish as a more potently charged arrow of light smashed into the vines and destroyed the barrier. This allowed a flurry of rapid-fire explosive arrows to hit the three Players. With their HP in the lower yellow range, it was time to finish it.

"[Maximize Triplet Magic: Dark Rend]!"

Over the three PKers, three enormous spell circles that overlapped one another appeared. The already powerful 8th tier spell, enhanced by the maximize and triplet metamagics, was more than enough to reduce all three Players' HP to zero. They were engulfed in a spire of pure dark energy as soon as the spell was cast. Their bodies broke apart into polygons, leaving behind a single piece of equipment and a pile of gold.

Shirou swiftly put an end to his fight by maneuvering himself within the samurai's guard and decapitating him with Kanshou in a single swing. The samurai felt a rush of vertigo take over as his virtual head still registered the sight of his headless body facing him. A split second later, his body and head shattered into polygons. The lancer, after witnessing the quick and merciless execution of his last party member, stopped attacking Bukubukchagama and attempted to escape.

Attempted being the keyword.

Another supercharged arrow of light pierced the air before slamming into the fleeing Player's defenseless back, landing a critical hit. His HP hit zero, and he quickly joined his companions.

"We did it~!" Bukubukchagama cheered, her form bobbing up and down in what Shirou assumed was her jumping.

"Indeed." Shirou said. "Nice work out there, Momonga-san, Peroroncino-san."

Momonga appeared next to the pair without fanfare, canceling his invisibility spell, [Perfect Unknowable]. Meanwhile, Peroroncino circled in the air before diving and landing nimbly on his feet to join everyone.

"And to you as well, Emiya-san and Bukubukchagama-san." Momonga returned the compliment.

"That was awesome! We were like, Bam!" And Boom! And you were like Shnnk! And they were like, Kaaa! They never stood a chance!" Peroroncino excitedly narrates with many onomatopoeias and hand motions. "How'd I do, Emiya-senpai?" He eagerly turned to his friend and mentor.

"You did great. All those months of training are finally paying off. It would seem you've found your perfect calling as an archer."

"Hell yea!" The avian Player fist-bumped the air.

After the battle, the group began to collect their spoils and distribute the loot. The gold was equally divided between them, leaving the dropped items untouched. Shirou had defeated the samurai, who dropped a Legendary class necklace that enhanced health regeneration. The lancer dropped his Divine class lance. The rune mage left behind a Legendary class metal gauntlet that boosts a magic user's spell power, while the druid dropped a single potion. The last item belonged to the orb user and was a set of boots that raised the Player's overall MP.

In the end, Bukubukchagama was given the necklace, Momonga took the boots and gauntlets, Peroroncino received the potion, and Shirou was left with the lance.

Shirou wanted one of them to take the lance as well. Unlimited Blade Works rendered the weapon in his hand useless because, if he so desired, he could trace as many copies as he wanted. Despite his assurance that he didn't mind receiving any reward, his friends would have none of it and were adamant that he got his fair share until he reluctantly agreed.

That said, it wasn't like it would be completely useless. He could break the weapon down for its components and Data Crystals. Any weapon he acquired, from Low or Common class to Legendary and Divine class weapons, would typically undergo this dismantling.

Many Players would weep tears of sorrow should they ever learn of Shirou's casual dismantling of their high-tier items, especially those that they invested a lot of time, effort, and perhaps money into maximizing.

Oh well, that was what they got for constantly trying to PK Shirou.

"Thank you again for the help. The constant PK attempts were getting a bit tiring." Shirou said.

"It's of no issue, Emiya-san. Especially after everything you've done for us and for those that play Heteromorphs out there." Momonga replied.

"Yea! We kicked ass and took names. Those PKers better watch out, for now, there's a bigger fish in the sea!" Peroroncino chimed in. A smirking emoticon popped onto his avatar.

"Hypocrites, the lot of them. They don't bat an eye for those killing Heteromorphs, but as soon as you showed up, everyone began making you out as the bad guy." An angry emoticon appeared above the pink slime, mirroring her disapproval.

"You can blame the shitty devs, Bukubukchagama. They've always had it out for Heteromorphs from the very beginning." The undead skeleton snarked, agreeing with the slime. "At least with Emiya-san, PKers are now hesitant, knowing they might face the wrath of the great [Heteromorphic Savior]."

"Ughhh." Shirou groaned. "I'm not getting rid of that name any time soon, am I?"

"Nope!" Was Peroroncino's humorful reply, popping the 'p' at the end of his word and slinging an arm around his friend's shoulder. The others joined in for a quick laugh.

The four quickly settled in, quaint conversations passing between them as they discussed what to do next. Suggestions were passed around between farming, exploring some new areas, or taking on a few quests.

"Are you guys free for the rest of the day?" Shirou suddenly asked.

A quick look at the time showed it to be 13:34:56, or 1:34 p.m. standard time.

The three Heteromorphic Players exchanged quick glances before responding.

"Hmm, my company called in yesterday, telling me that work for the entire week was canceled due to some sort of emergency." Momonga answered.

"I had my rehearsal this morning, so I'm free throughout the day." Bukubukchagama said.

"Well… I should be getting the latest copy of Sex and Steal 5: The Revenge of Tentacle soon, so maybe I'll—"

Bukubukchagama quickly slapped the backside of her perverted brother's head, shutting him up. "What he means to say… is that we're available. Right?" The elder sister emphasized, and despite possessing no visible eyes, Shirou could feel her glare boring into her little brother.

"Yeah… right." Peroroncino reluctantly agreed. "Something on your mind? Oh! Are we going to do some more PK hunting, Emiya-senpai?"

"Not exactly. I made a new friend when I rescued him a few weeks ago, and he contacted me this morning. Apparently, he found a hidden area and invited me to join him and his clan in exploring it." Shirou revealed.

All three Heteromorphic Players perked up when they heard this. With such a sprawling overworld, there were inevitably going to be a ton of hidden locations and secret areas. And these areas always guarantee great loot for anyone who first discovers and conquers them.

"And you wish for us to join you, Emiya-san? I am grateful, but will your friend approve of us joining you?" Momonga couldn't help but ask. No one gave out important information, like an undiscovered area, for free.

"That's what I'm going to figure out right now." Shirou paused. He was silent for a while, but it was obvious to them that he was using [Message]. "I ran it by him, and he has no problem with you guys joining me." He finally answered.

"Sweet! I can't wait to see this." Peroroncino exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

Where will we be heading to, Emiya-san?" Bukubukuchagama asked.

"Vanaheim. We'll be meeting my friend, Amanomahitotsu-san, in Vanaheim."

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Vanaheim, the divine abode of the Vanir gods in Norse mythology, was a realm of breathtaking beauty. Picturesque depictions of this mythological world unveil a tranquil landscape that was unmatched in its diversity and richness. The overworld of Vanaheim boasted a vast expanse of terrain that included towering mountain ranges, sprawling plateaus, verdant marshlands, sparkling oceans and beaches, arid deserts, and lush rainforests. In addition to its overworld wonders, the realm features a network of underground cave systems that have yet to be fully explored. Despite its allure, Vanaheim remains shrouded in mystery, with much of its landscape still waiting to be discovered by eager adventurers.

Near one of Vanaheim's starting towns lies a small ruin. The site bore a striking resemblance to Stonehenge, with tall pillars of stone arranged in a circular pattern. While Shirou was occupied with other affairs, Momonga, Peroroncino, and Bukubukchagama patiently waited for his return. Shirou had to make a quick trip to the town to gather some supplies for the journey, at the request of Amanomahitotsu. Due to their Heteromorphic status, they were not allowed to enter the starting town, as doing so would attract unwanted attention and possibly lead to attacks from other Players. Therefore, Shirou had to complete the errand alone.

"[Life-Detection Boundary], [Anti-Scrying Protection], [Range Defense Cocoon], [Protection against Assassination]."

A series of magic circles formed and were activated. The surrounding area glowed a different color for each spell before returning to normal.

"There, now we don't need to worry about any possible ambushes." Said Momonga.

"A bit over the top, don't you think, Momonga-san? Sure, we're close to the towns, but there was nothing in our direction last time I checked. I doubt we'll have Players spotting us." Peroroncino said. He sat on top of one of the stone pillars, lazily kicking his leg to and fro.

"You can never be too safe, Peroroncino-san. This is YGGDRASIL after all." The necromancer replied. Approximately 80% of all of his ventures with Shirou resulted in PKers attacking in some form or fashion. Ever since then, he has started to expand his spell roster to ensure they don't get ambushed by a bored party. "Better safe than sorry, I would say."

"Whatever." The aerial sniper shrugged. "Man, Emiya-sempai does get around a lot, doesn't he? His friend's list probably got at least a thousand Players that he must have saved or something crazy like that."

"Agreed. He doesn't do things halfway, that's for sure." Bukubukuchagama praised.

"I do have to wonder where he has the time for all of this. Maybe he's a NEET or a Hikikomori? Would explain how and why he has the time to go around saving people."

"Otouto! How can you say that about Emiya-san?!" An angry emoticon popped up over the pink slime's head.

One even popped up for Momonga, showing that he too didn't take too kindly to Peroroncino's comment.

"I'm not saying he is one, nee-chan!" The golden archer panickedly replied, and an equally panicked emoticon popped up. "I'm grateful for everything Emiya-sempai did for us. Really! I was just curious, is all. You do have to admit, sis, that he always seems to be online, no matter what time it is. He plays this game a lot, even more than me, and that's saying something!"

Simmering down, Momonga did find there was some truth to Peroroncino's words. There was a mechanic in the game that kept track of and tallied the Player's total playtime and offline time. If a Player wants to know if any of their friends have recently been online, they can check their friend list to see when and for how long. Whenever Momonga would log in, Shirou would always send a brief hello after a few minutes. Curiously, the undead mage noted that it never did state when was the last time the crimson archer logged off. A detail that gave Peroroncino's theory some backing to a degree.

This brought on further speculation regarding their mysterious friend. Despite the unusual circumstances of how they first met, they were able to connect and develop a genuine bond of friendship. Although they had gradually learned more about Emiya over time, like any friendship, neither Momonga nor the siblings knew much about him besides what he shared, and they were okay with that. They came to YGGDRASIL to play a game and to lose themselves in the fantastical setting, temporarily forgetting about the worries of their real lives and savoring their virtual counterparts.

'Does it matter if Emiya-san is a shut-in?' Momonga idily thought.

The answer was an immediate and resounding no.

Since the day Momonga encountered Shirou, or Emiya, as he was known to him and his peers, he has not regretted it. The man has been nothing but kind and respectful to him, always extending a helping hand without asking for anything in return. Momonga was confident in saying that had Shirou not intervened to save him on that fateful day, he likely would've quit YGGDRASIL altogether. The mounting frustration and despair he experienced from not only being harassed in YGGDRASIL but also his real-life problems would've made him reconsider giving the game another try for fear of being burned once more by the cruel player base.

Shirou had done a lot for them, as evidenced by the lengthy list. Everything from power leveling them up, protecting them from PKers, offering up valuable items and equipment they find, handing out thousands of gold coins if they were running dry, smithing and enhancing their current weapons and equipment, and so much more. He went beyond the call of duty for them, but that wasn't all that endeared him to them. Shirou was a good friend to them, plain and simple. Something Momonga and the siblings had never encountered before, be it in the game or IRL, until him.

Shirou was Momomga's first true friend, and he could never look down on him for that. After all the good he had done for him and so many others, it didn't matter to him whether he was a shut-in or not. The salaryman didn't think he would be able to look himself in the mirror if he let a bias like that cloud his opinion of the one man who had already done so much for them.

"Maybe. Or maybe, he's an ultrarich or something?" Bukubukchagama made a suggestion. "Maybe he's so well off that he doesn't need to work."

"That would be the life, wouldn't it? To not worry about a single thing and play YGGDRASIL all day. Tch, lucky bastard." Peroroncino snarked, but there was no real bite to his words, only humor.

"Whether the case may be, we shouldn't jump to conclusions without any concrete evidence. Emiya-san will share it with us if and when he is comfortable. Until then, we should not needlessly pry into his personal affairs." Momonga added. The discussion ceased after that final comment.

Immediately, notifications from all of Momonga's previously active wards flooded his head-up display (HUD).

"Oh no. We have attacks incoming!"

His words were proven true when Momonga's defenses were struck by several magic-based attacks, but fortunately, they were successfully blocked.

Peroroncino and Bukubukchagama sprung to their feet and readied themselves.

"Shit! Of all times…" Peroroncino cursed, pulling out his bow. "How many are we dealing with, Momonga-san?"

"…By the looks of it, around eight."

"I just [Message] Emiya-san, he's on his way back. He'll be here in about two minutes!" Bukubukchagama reported in, bringing her shields to bear.

'I don't think we have that long.' Momonga silently lamented, his notifications going crazy as his protective spells were dispelled one by one.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" A fourth, unknown voice made itself heard. The three Heteromorphs turned around to see a large party of Players ambling towards them.

Momonga grimaced. Their attackers had a full party and were all level 100, just like them. The party consisted of a tank, two frontliners, two magic casters, and a cleric. That left two Players unaccounted for, and Momonga could only assume they were either long-range support, such as an archer or sniper, or possibly a rogue or assassin. Given that they lacked Shirou as a vanguard, a balanced party like theirs would easily defeat the three of them.

"What are a couple of freaks like yourselves doing here?" The Player at the front of the group asked.

"None of your business, jackass!" Bukubukchagama ever so elegantly replied. An emoticon with its tongue sticking out appeared for good measure.

"We don't wish for any trouble. We're simply waiting for our friend." Momonga made an effort to diffuse the situation. A plan was rapidly forming in his head. If they could just stall for a minute or so, it should give Emiya enough time to come back, but even then, it'll be a difficult fight against a full party like theirs.

"I'm sorry, but I missed the part where I should give a flying fuck." The party leader snarked. And with that, negotiations broke down.

Tensing, the group readied themselves.

"Not so fast, evildoers! You will not be harming these innocent souls this day!" A boisterous voice declared in a loud tone. A Player in brilliant silver armor with a sword and shield descended upon them from above.

It wasn't the man's entrance that gave everyone pause, but rather, his gamertag. A name that was gradually becoming well-known throughout YGGDRASIL.

Touch Me – Lvl: 100 [World Champion]

Before anyone could process what just happened, another voice was heard.

"Damn it, Touch Me! We could have gotten them by surprise, but you had to ruin it!" A loud voice chastised.

Momonga swung around to face the new voice. Standing atop one of the stone pillars was another Player, a clear Heteromorph if he ever saw one. At first glance, he appeared to be a humanoid goat with gray fur and a pair of wickedly curved golden horns on the crown of his head. His hooves for feet and sharp, talon-like fingers gleamed in the light, adding to his menacing appearance. He was clothed in a combination of a black suit and obsidian robes, with a velvet cape fashioned to the backside. The vest of his suit was adorned with golden trinkets and accessories, while a crimson rose was sewn onto the fabric of his left shoulder. A black top hat sat atop his head, with a gold stopwatch attached to it, visible for all to see. To complete his ensemble, a crimson veil-like cloth and a elaborate golden mask concealed part of the right side of his face.

Ulbert Alain Odle – Lvl: 100

"What's done is done, Ulbert-san. There's no point in crying over spilled milk." A calmer voice assuaged.

Touch Me was joined by another Heteromorphic Player.

If Momonga were to articulate his impression of this entity, "eldritch" would have been the most fitting term. The Player's avatar bore a humanoid appearance that was both aberrant and perplexing. To begin with, his head manifested an uncanny resemblance to a contorted squid. From the sides of his mouth, six elongated tentacles protruded downward towards his thighs. His head was covered by a metallic headpiece, concealing his eyes, which were bluish-white orbs with a cloudy, pupil-less texture. The outfit he was wearing was uncomplicated, a black leather ensemble that covered his arms and legs, leaving his upper body exposed. Black belts of varying widths were wrapped around his body, with a black cape attached to his back. His skin was an eerie, inhuman shade of white, interrupted by patches of purple amidst the pale flesh. His hands featured only four fingers, but these digits were abnormally lengthy and possessed webbing between them. Despite his otherworldly appearance, there was an unmistakable aura of refinement surrounding the eldritch Player.

Tabula Smaragdina – Lvl: 100

'Where did they come from?' Momonga didn't have a single clue, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Nevertheless!" Touch Me took charge of the situation. "We shall not allow you to do as you please! If you wish to continue on this path of villainy, you'll have to deal with the six of us!"

"Seven." A familiar voice corrected.

As soon as Momonga heard his voice, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He quickly glanced in Shirou's direction and saw that it was indeed him. Shirou stood atop a nearby stone pillar, keeping a safe distance with his eyes trained on the enemy party. Momonga could see that he was armed with his trusty black bow and had an arrow already notched back, ready for action.

"You're… him! The [Heteromorphic Savior]..." The enemy party took a collective step back upon recognizing just who exactly Shirou was.

Momonga moved swiftly to seize the opportunity of their momentary relapse. "What will it be? Can you withstand the combined might of a [World Champion] and the [Heteromorphic Savior]?" Said Momonga, projecting a false image of bravado.

Tension rose as both sides braced themselves. Everyone kept an eye on their respective opponents. Both sides were waiting, to see who would make the first move. In the end, after several protracted seconds of silence, the standoff was broken. The enemy party chose the sensible option.

"Back it up, guys. This fight ain't worth it." The group of eight carefully and cautiously began to move backward, ensuring to maintain a watchful eye on the other Heteromorphic Players - for only a fool would leave their back open to their opponent. They couldn't be certain that a sudden ambush wouldn't be attempted. The process of backing away took an entire minute to complete. Even after the group vanished from sight, the six Heteromorphs and one human remained vigilant with their weapons and guard up, unwilling to let their guard down until they were sure the coast was clear.

"Are they gone, Momonga-san?" Shirou asked.

The answer soon came to him after a quick, silent cast spell.

"...Yes. They're moving in the opposite direction of us and aren't stopping."

Hearing this, the tension drained away, allowing them a moment to relax. Shirou jumped down and joined his friends.

"Man, for a second there, I thought we were goners." Peroroncino groaned in relief.

Momonga nodded, knowing that if the other three Players hadn't arrived as they did, things would have quickly turned ugly for them. Turning to face them, the undead was about to speak when the World Champion beat him to the punch.

"I must say, it's a pleasant surprise to meet you so soon, [Heteromorphic Savior]. May I call you Emiya-san?" Touch Me made a beeline to Shirou directly, disregarding the others momentarily. "It's an honor to meet a fellow ally of justice here in YGGDRASIL." He extended his hand in greeting.

"I, um, thank you...? And please, you give me too much credit. I'm only doing what's right. After all, it's only common sense—"

"—to help those in need." The two Players finished simultaneously. There was a brief pause as the two exchanged glances.

"…I think you and I are going to be great friends." Touch Me remarked, the smile in his voice was clear for all to hear.

"I concur." Shirou returned with his own smile, taking Touch Me's hand.

The two men shook hands energetically. Momonga got the distinct impression that his crimson-dressed friend was pleasantly surprised and happy with the meeting.

"Oh, great, they're multiplying." Ulbert bemoaned.

"You say that as if that's a bad thing, Ulbert-san." Tabula returned, chortling under his breath at his friend's lament.

The two Heteromorphs stepped forward and joined Touch Me. After releasing their handshake, the silver paladin addressed Momonga and the others.

"Ah, where are my manners? I am Touch Me, it's a pleasure to meet you all!" Touch Me happily greeted with a bow. He then shook hands with all three of them.

"I don't see why we have to introduce ourselves, but very well. You have the pleasure of meeting I, Ulbert Alain Odle, The Great Demon of Disaster!" Ulbert made his introduction with an extravagant stance, positioning one arm tucked in front of his abdomen and extending the other as if preparing to perform an eloquent bow.

"Hello, I am Tabula Smaragdina." Tabula waved at them. The Brain Eater's introduction was tame and straight to the point in comparison to the other two.

The rounds of introductions continued as Momonga, Peroroncino, and Bukubukuchagama greeted and thanked them for their timely intervention.

"Oi, oi, hurry it up already Touch Me. They don't need our help anymore. We're already late, so let's not keep Amanomahitotsu-san waiting any longer!" Ulbert insisted.

"…I'm sorry, but did you say Amanomahitotsu-san?" Shirou suddenly asked. All eyes turned in his direction.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"A Heteromorphic Player, looks like a humanoid crab with four arms, with one of the arms being a massive claw?"

"I-I… How did you…!?" Ulbert was caught flat-footed by Shirou's accurate description of their friend.

"We too were on our way to meet him…" Shirou explained.

The two groups fell silent and stared at each other for a moment. Ten minutes later, the seven of them were traveling across Vanaheim together. They exchanged light conversation as they made their way to their destination. Shirou and Touch Me in particular, hit it off quickly. They didn't have to travel far to get to the rendezvous location, which was a small hill with a view of a mountain range.

At the spot, two individuals stood patiently, both of whom were Heteromorphs. The first one stood out among them, catching the attention of everyone from Shirou's group.

The Player's avatar was a humanoid creature that resembled a crustacean, with a shell that had an orangish-yellow hue and numerous small bumps and spikes protruding from its surface, giving it an unusual look. The Player's physical appearance was quite peculiar, with two extra limbs in addition to the two typical hands. One was a claw equivalent in size to the human hand, and another was a massive pincer claw resembling that of a crab. His face was concealed by a red turban cloth, leaving only the eyes visible, protected by goggles. He clearly was no warrior, if the smithing attire was anything to go by, with various pockets snitched on and the lack of a clear weapon in hand.

Amanomahitotsu – Lvl: 95

The second Player donned a striking high-collar yellow overcoat, adorned with several layers of yellow mantles. Like Ulbert, the Player sported a fashionable top hat that featured a frontal design resembling a cross. The high collar and hat effectively concealed the Player's true appearance, except for their eyes. Additionally, a black cloth was fastened at the waist, extending down to the kneecaps. Two coattails were visible, alongside a metallic cross-like accessory that matched the one on the top hat. However, the most intriguing aspect of the Player's appearance was the two massive pinkish-black gauntlets that she had equipped. They appeared to be weighty and pack quite the punch.

Yamaiko – Lvl: 100

The moment Shirou laid eyes on them, Unlimited Blade Work got to work and categorized them within his reality marble. They were known as [Female Sensei's Iron Fist of Wrath].

"Touch Me-san! There you are, we were starting to get worried, and—Emiya-san?!" Amanomahitotsu exclaimed upon seeing his clanmates and his friend together.

From there, Amanomahitotsu and Yamaiko were both brought up to speed with a brief explanation by the group.

"Wow, that's quite the coincidence." Yamaiko whistled. "What were the odds of something like that happening?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps it's Fate's hand at work. Moving us like chess pieces on a board, stripping us of true free will. A pawn to the power that be." Ulbert mused out loud, waxing poetically.

Shirou's group, who were only just becoming familiar with Ulbert's distinctively chunni speaking style, gave him a strange look for this. A glance at Touch Me's group revealed them all shrugging and quickly ignoring that peculiar statement made by the goat Heteromorph.

"By the sound of it, you planned for Touch Me-san and Emiya-san to meet each other later rather than sooner. Ain't that right?" Tabula guessed.

Amanomahitotsu chuckled demurely and scratched the back of his head, or rather, the top of his shell, in embarrassment.

"I wanted to surprise you, Touch Me-san. I met Emiya-san some time ago when he rescued me, and since you seemed interested in meeting him, I thought it would be nice to invite both of you to meet. Your personalities are quite similar, so I thought it would be a good match."

"That was very generous of you, Amanomahitotsu-san. Though I believe the surprise was ruined." Touch Me chuckled, patting the crustacean Player on the shell.

"Now that we're all here, I was thinking of extending Emiya-san and his friends an invitation to the clan." The World Champion admitted, surprising Shirou and his friends.

Shirou had received several invitations to join clans or guilds before, particularly from Heteromorphic Players he had saved over the course of several months. However, he respectfully declined all of them due to his obligation to remain unattached. Even though some of the invitations came from a place of genuine consideration, most were handed out for the sole purpose of recruiting someone as powerful as him to their side. This wasn't the first time that someone had sought him out solely for his strength, and it made him hesitant to commit to any groups he had just met, whether on this in-game world or back on Earth.

After conversing with the World Champion, Shirou felt a connection with him despite the brevity of their interaction. Touch Me's vision for the clan, which centered around the gathering of exceptional individuals under a unified banner, proved to be a persuasive argument for Shirou to accept his offer. That, and along with his friends joining him made him more inclined to agree to the invitation.

Peroroncino was seen excitedly conversing with his sister, while Momonga appeared intrigued. Amanomahitotsu had no reservations whatsoever about agreeing, while Tabula and Yamaiko did not seem to voice any objections.

However, there was one who disagreed with Touch Me's decision.

"Hold up, what happened to the 'only being a clan for Heteromorph' schtick we were going for? Doesn't that defeat the purpose if he allows a Humanoid Player in? The exact reason why you started up the clan in the first place?" Ulbert rudely remarked. The happy atmosphere dimmed a bit.

"Have I offended you in any way, Ulbert-san?" Shirou politely inquired.

"Don't flatter yourself." The goat demon swiftly dismissed. "I'm merely questioning Touch Me's flippant use of his authority."

"Why don't we put it to a vote?" Momonga suggested diplomatically.

"A vote that's heavily skewed in his favor." Was Ulbert's biting retort. "Amanomahitotsu will agree, seeing as they're already friends. Yamaiko and Tabula don't give two shit, and the rest are from Emiya's group that will want him in the clan. Eight to one, hardly a fair vote." The destructive magic caster snorted.

"I don't understand why this has you so worked up, Ulbert-san." Touch Me admitted, a note of exasperation creeping into his voice.

"Hmph." The World Disaster snorted. "If you're going to make such a proclamation, make sure you can follow through with it. Or else, you'll just look like a big liar, Mr. Hero." He sneered.

"Ulbert-san!" Touch Me exclaimed, taking an aggressive step forward.

"Enough, both of you!" The eldritch Player intervened before a fight could break out, placing his webbed hands on each of their chests to keep them apart. "Ulbert-san, do you have any personal grudges against Emiya-san?" Tabula addressed the man directly.

"Well, no…"

"Let us not forget why Nine's Own Goal was created in the first place and why we all joined. It was to aid those like us who have been persecuted unfairly and unjustly. The clan was always meant to be a place where all were welcome. Given Emiya-san's track record and his reputation, he has proven which camp he's on. Regardless of how you feel about it, Touch Me-san is the clan's leader and has the authority to choose who to invite. Emiya-san has done nothing to harm either us, the clan members, or the clan as a whole, so you, and by extension, all of us, have no right to deny him entry.

"Hmph, fine." The goat demon huffed and turned away.

"I don't want to create any trouble or conflicts among your clanmates. Maybe it's best if I don't join if it causes any problems. I'm happy to remain friends with everyone." Shirou expressed his concern.

"It's fine. It is not that uncommon for Ulbert-san and Touch Me-san to butt heads when it comes to certain things. Give it a day or two, and it'll be water under the bridge." Tabula assured him. "Despite Ulbert-san's abrasive attitude, he isn't that bad. Well, most of the time anyway... Anyhow, here you all go."

Opening the menu, he sent out the invites.

||||||||Tabula Smaragdina has sent you a clan invite. Do you wish to join "Nine's Own Goal"? [Yes/No]||||||||

Shirou was reluctant to accept after seeing the argument that it produced, but gentle coaxing from Momonga and Peroroncino convinced him to join. After selecting yes, a brief window congratulating him appeared. His friend list was automatically expanded to include a list of available Players within the clan.

With that out of the way, the group convened once more, with Touch Me and Ulbert putting their differences aside for the moment.

"So, Amanomahitotsu-san, what was this secret location that you spoke of?" Touch Me said.

"Yes, of course. It was around last week when Emiya-san accompanied me to an area called [The Stony Peaks]. We ran into a small PK party, and Emiya-san told me to run and hide. I remember stumbling into a cave somewhere near the mountainside that I didn't give much thought about until later."

"How do we know it's truly a secret area if it's plainly in the open?" Ulbert pointed it out.

"Because when I came back there with Nishikienrai-san, Takemikazuchi-san, and Bellriver-san, the entrance was gone. Like it was never there in the first place. We searched the entire area, and I couldn't find it again." The crustacean Heteromorph answered.

"Oh? That would mean this cave requires a condition to be met for it to appear again." Momonga said, stroking his bony chin.

"If that's the case, then what's the thing that triggers the appearance of the entrance? It isn't the number of Players, by the looks of it." Yamaiko noted.

The group paused as they digested the information to try and see what connection there was that triggered the appearance of the secret area.

Shirou came up with the answer: "Blacksmith." All eyes turned to him, curious to hear his explanation. "If the number of Players isn't the deciding factor, then it must be something that he and I share in common," He explained. "Amanomahitotsu-san, you have a job classification as a [Blacksmith], and so do I."

"A blacksmith? A bit of a stretch, don't you think, Emiya-senpai?" Peroroncino expressed, voicing the skepticism that the others shared. It seems a bit indeterminate, in his opinion.

"No, that's not entirely wrong." Amanomahitotsu defended, reconsidering their initial statement. "The description of [The Stony Peaks] suggests that it contains an abundance of minerals and ores that are unique to this world. This wouldn't be the first time the shitty devs made an area accessible only to certain job classes, as they have done in the past."

"Whatever the case may be, the location revealed itself when both you and Emiya-san were present. It should do so again if that's the case." Tabula concluded.

The next important task was managing the party. Since there were nine members, they decided to split into three groups of three. The first group consisted of Touch Me, Bukubukchagama, and Shirou, who served as the vanguard. The second group was made up of Peroroncino, Yamaiko, and Amanomahitotsu. Lastly, Ulbert, Tabula, and Momonga formed the backline. This formation allowed the party to minimize casualties and maximize efficiency. The DPS mages were placed in the back, and Momonga was a useful utility mage. Yamaiko could also serve as a frontline if needed and could switch with anyone, while Shirou could double as a vanguard and archer when necessary. Amanomahitotsu was placed in the middle to provide support and offer enchantments as required.

"Momonga-san, do you happen to know [Mass Fly] by any chance?" Tabula asked the undead.

"I do."

"Good. Then it'll make getting there easier."

The spell [Mass Fly] allows the caster to select up to five Players, including the caster, to fly. Tabula and Momonga cast the spell on the group, and they were on their way, with Amanomahitotsu guiding the party toward their destination. With the power of flight, they managed to skip the annoying terrain and trek, allowing them to avoid obstacles and enemies on the ground. The only thing they needed to worry about were the flying mobs. However, Shirou and Peroroncino were able to eliminate them with ease before they posed a threat. After just ten minutes, the group arrived at their destination, located on the snowy mountainside of "The Stony Peak," which was painted in beautiful white snow.

"Right there." He gestured with his large claw. It was a wall of stone, a natural part of the rocky mountain. At first glance, it appeared to be an unremarkable backdrop that one would easily overlook. However, as they approached, it shimmered like a mirage and gradually disappeared, revealing an entrance.

Upon landing, the group proceeded with caution, anticipating any potential hazards or enemies. The vanguard led the way, with the rest of the group following behind at a slow pace. As they continued further into the cavern, they came across a passageway that led to a staircase leading downward. One by one, they descended the staircase, with the torches lining the walls providing enough illumination to guide their way. Eventually, they reached the bottom, where they found a door leading to an unknown destination. Touch Me signaled to Bukubukchagama and Shirou, and upon receiving their nods, they prepared themselves for what lay ahead.

As one, they darted forward, weapons at the ready. Shirou kept a watchful eye, scanning the room for any threats or unusual activity. After about five seconds, he loosened his posture.

"I do not see anything." Shirou reported.

"Neither do I." Touch Me answered.

"All clear on my side." Bukubukchagama confirmed.

Once the all-clear signal was given, the remaining members of the party proceeded to enter the area. With the situation deemed safe, the party took a moment to relax and appreciate the breathtaking scenery. The cavern was not as spacious as originally anticipated, but it was still ample enough to comfortably accommodate all nine individuals with plenty of room to move about. Positioned at the opposite end of the chamber was a passageway that led further into the cave. The surrounding area was adorned with an array of crystal-like minerals that jutted out of the ground, walls, and ceiling. These minerals varied in size and color and reflected light in a magnificent manner that illuminated the entire area.

Shirou's [Blacksmith] class kicked in, and his vision was flooded with information regarding the quality of each crystal.

"Ore deposits, and not just that but also data crystal mineral deposits as well. I even see a few Legendary and Divine tiers mixed in."

"Looks like we hit the jackpot. Wooohooo!" Yamaiko whooped. The others join in as well, especially with such a rare and lucky discovery.

"Let's get them first before we start celebrating." The crustacean blacksmith interjected. "Emiya-san, do you have them?"

Shirou nodded. Operating his menu, he brought out several pickaxes and dumped them on the floor. In YGGDRASIL, items such as torches and pickaxes were consumables, thus, they would wear down or break after a certain amount of usage. It was for this reason that Shirou went to town to purchase some pickaxes for the venture. Amanomahitotsu and Shirou grabbed one each and got to work.

"Shouldn't we help you guys?" The pink slime asked, reaching for one of the pickaxes.

"No. With high-quality ores and minerals like these, only those with the appropriate [Blacksmith] class can safely extract them. Anyone else would just degrade the quality of the material." Amanomahitotsu explained.

"He's right. Leave this to us. In the meantime, we should still be careful as enemies might spawn or rush us from that other pathway." Shirou added.

With the utmost concentration, Shirou began mining the material. The mining process was akin to a mini-game, with circular sweet spots appearing on the deposit. Players had to manually use their pickaxes to chip away at the material, hitting the sweet spots to mine it more quickly. The quality of the mineral determined the level of difficulty in mining it to perfection, with a small margin for error when it came to Legendary and Divine data crystals. Absolute concentration was crucial to avoid making any mistakes, as a single error could result in a degraded ore or data crystal.

The next half an hour flew by in silence. The party remained vigilant for any potential mob spawns but quickly gave up by the ten-minute mark and remained silent to not disturb the two miners. They had little to do but laze about as they watched Shirou and Amanomahitotsu do their work. The more antsy Players like Peroroncino and Yamaiko were bored out of their minds but kept it to themselves. By the thirty minute mark, everyone else was starting to feel the effects of the inactivity. The only thing that kept their restlessness at bay was the prospect of the rewards that was to follow.

'This is quite the haul.' Shirou thought. One more hit, and he finally exhausted the vein deposit. Finishing the last spot, he looked back to see Amanomahitotsu finishing up as well.

"Alright, what's the score?" Ulbert eagerly rubbed his hands together.

"I've managed to mine plenty of high-quality ores like diamonds, ebony, platinum, and even adamantite. For the data crystals, there are plenty of Legendary tiers and a couple of Divine tiers all around."

"My mining results were similar to Amanomahitotsu-san's, although I have obtained more Divine tier data crystals and... huh?" Shirou trailed off as he suddenly realized something. "Where's Peroroncino-san and Yamaiko-san?"

"My brother and Yamaiko-san were getting a bit too antsy, so we decided to let them explore the rest of the area." Bukubukuchagama answered.

"Isn't that a bit dangerous?"

"Perhaps, but we didn't want to disturb you. We also gave them explicit instructions to retreat if they encountered anything. They haven't messaged us back yet, so…" Tabula said.

At that moment, the party received a group message from Peroroncino.

"[Touch Me: Peroroncino-san? Yamaiko-san? Is something wrong?]"

"[Peroroncino: Errr, not exactly boss. Turns out the passageway just leads into this smaller room. We haven't encountered a single thing.]"

"[Tabula: A room? Anything of note inside?]"

"[Yamaiko: Completely barren, save for this… statue.]"

"[Bukubukchagama: A statue?]"

"[Amanomahitotsu: What does it look like?]"

"[Peroroncino: It looks like… actually, I don't have a single idea what it looks like. It just looks… weird. Like, really weird.]"

"[Momonga: Weird? In what way?]"

"[Yamaiko: It's hard to describe. You're going to have to see it for yourselves.]"

"[Ulbert: Why the hell are we bothering with something like a statue? We just got the jackpot, and instead of distributing the loot, we're all suddenly interested in a statue.]"

"[Emiya: I don't see any harm in checking it out. We already know there are no enemies, so what's the harm in spending another few minutes in here? Who knows, perhaps it'll lead to more secrets.]"

Ulbert merely grumbled, while the others made sounds of agreement. With a near-unanimous vote, the party decided to dive further into the cave. Before arriving at the doorway to the other room, where Peroroncino and Yamaiko were waiting, the passageway grew smaller as they moved forward. The room was indeed small, only having enough space to barely fit the entire group at all.

Shirou was the last in line, walking in after everyone else.

"Huh, that is weird."

"I know, right? Wonder what it represents?"

"Maybe a boss from some flavor text? It certainly looks the part."

Hearing all these comments piqued Shirou's curiosity, increasing his pace to see the statue with his own eyes.

'I wonder what it lo…oks…lik…e.' Shirou never finished his thought as he laid his eye on the statue in the middle of the room.

Type Mercury.

More accurately, an extremely detailed statue of the ORT.

"W-what?!" He whispered.

As soon as Shirou entered the room, a surprise awaited him. The statue illuminated and vanished, transforming into shimmering particles of light. Suddenly, a magical circle materialized beneath their feet, and before they could react, the floor vanished, and the party plummeted downward.

"AHHHHHH!"

WHHHHAAAATTTT TTTTHHHEEEEEEE HHHHEEEELLLLLLL!"

"WEEEEEE'RRRRRRRREEEE!"

As the group continued to fall down the long, seemingly endless hole, their screams echoed and bounced off the walls, creating an eerie soundtrack to their descent. It felt like an eternity before, like the light at the end of the tunnel, they dropped into a new area. For a brief moment, the screams were replaced by gasps of awe as they stared in wonder at their surroundings.

However, the moment was fleeting, as vertigo took over and left them unable to react to the sudden change in circumstances. Righting his sense of balance, Shirou looked to see the ground rapidly approaching. He clenched his teeth and quickly reinforced his body to the maximum limit, bracing for impact.

It proved unnecessary as they experienced a reversal of gravity, which slowed down their descent. One by one, each of the nine individual Players safely landed on the ground. They collapsed, their labored breaths echoing throughout, as they attempted to calm their rapidly beating virtual hearts.

"What in the absolute fuck was that!"

"I think I almost had a heart attack!"

"That… that was crazy..."

"What the hell, I thought you said that there was nothing there!" Ulbert screamed, pointing an accusing finger at the avian Player.

"There wasn't, or else me and Yamaiko-san would have fallen first!" Peroroncino argued back.

"It only triggered the moment Emiya-san joined us. I can only assume, just like with the entrance, it too had a condition requirement placed on it, and having all of us together triggered it." Momonga threw out, swallowing and catching his breath.

"Tch, they would make something like that. Lure Players in and then rip the rug from under them. Damn shitty devs." Tabula cursed.

The others joined in with curses of their own. Shirou blamed a more specific individual, a certain trolling Root-damned immortal vampire.

"Anyway, it looks like there's more to this hidden area than we originally thought." Amanomahitotsu's comment snapped them out of their rage.

Upon taking in the new cavern, their eyes widened in amazement. The vast space before them was much larger and grander in scale than before. The area was abundant with hundreds, possibly thousands, of crystals varying in shape and size. Each crystal was unique; some resembled blades of grass, while others stood tall like colossal pillars that sprouted from the walls and ground. However, the crystal that stood out the most was directly above them, shining brightly and exuding an array of colors like a grand chandelier. The entire area was illuminated with a beautiful spectrum of hues, creating an atmosphere that seemed like a mystical realm. And in the heart of it all, a crystal-clear lake glistened, reflecting the surrounding crystals in a captivating performance.

The party was left in awe at the majesty of the new area. Even Shirou was taken aback by just how beautiful it was, admiring the splendid details. Say what one will about YGGDRASIL, but no one could deny that the game has some of the most stunning views, real or otherwise.

"As amazing as this is, we need to get ready." Ulbert called out to everyone.

"Huh? What makes you say that?" Peroroncino asked.

"Really?" Ulbert spread his arms, gesturing to the entire area. "There's no way those shitty devs would make assets like these and not have a boss fight or something."

"I agree with Ulbert-san. The question is, where is it?" Said Momonga, casting his gaze to look for the potential foe.

"Everyone, over there." Touch Me pointed to the lake.

Following the party leaders' words, all the Players looked towards the pristine lake. The serene atmosphere of the lake was suddenly shattered by a series of bubbles that started to appear on its surface. Gradually, the number of bubbles increased, and the once-calm waters were now in turmoil, with waves spreading outward in all directions. A shadowy formation slowly emerged from beneath the surface. Suddenly, a monstrous creature shot up out of the lake, sending sprays of water everywhere. Its head was serpent-like, covered in acid-green scales with spiky protrusions running along its length. It wasn't just one head, as it was joined by four identical heads that burst from the lake. Its body was partially concealed within the lake, yet that did nothing to hinder its gigantic form.

Shirou immediately recognized the creature. "A hydra!"

The five heads of the serpentine beast let out a monstrous roar, shaking the entire cavern itself. Crystal shards and stalactites shook loose and crashed against the ground, shattering into thousands of pieces.

Up above, far away from the Player's line of sight, a small crack appeared on the giant crystal.

Something inside stirred.

'Clink. Clink. Clink.'

The Forgotten Hydra – Lvl: 150

A massive health bar appeared beside its name and filled up.

"Everyone! Get into position, by the look of it, it's an Area Boss. It shouldn't give us too much trouble if we play it safe. Stay calm and keep focused!" Touch Me rallied.

The party quickly organized itself into the optimal position. Touch Me, Shirou, and Bukubukchagama positioned themselves close to the water. Yamaiko and Amanomahitotsu remained on standby, with Peroroncino taking to the air. Ulbert, Tabula, and Momonga stayed at the very back, where they had a clear view of the entire battlefield.

"[Iron Will], [Maximize Defense], [Honor Guard], [Feet of Flight], [Maximize Striking Power]." Amanomahitotsu applied several buffs and enchantments, aiding the vanguard.

"RRRRRAAAAAWWWWRRRRR" With a challenging roar, four of the hydra's heads shot toward the frontlines.

Clutching Bakuya and Kanshou, Shirou sidestepped the lunge. The monster's attack missed, its open jaw biting the crystal floor where Shirou had been standing moments before. Its long neck wriggled as it tried to free itself. Recognizing the monster's attack pattern, the magus unleashed a flurry of slashes and jabs at its scaly neck. The boss eventually shook itself free and hissed, rearing its head back.

"[Chaos Flames]!"

"[Nightmare Burst]!"

"[Electric Cyclone]!"

"[Solar Snipe]!"

Momonga and the rest remained far from idle as a barrage of spells and solar arrows struck the hydra, each head letting out a scream of pain.

'Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.'

Overall, the fight itself wasn't that difficult, especially with a coordinated team like theirs. Despite the boss's overall menacing appearance and size, its only form of attack was its lunge. Bukubukchagama would draw in the aggro of the boss, tanking all the damage, which allowed for Touch Me and Shirou to wail on the heads without worry or fear. Yamaiko kept the pink slime topped up with her healing while Peroroncino, Momonga, Ulbert, and Tabula fired off attacks and spells with impunity as the hydra was unable to reach the trio of magic casters. Within just five minutes, the boss's health was reduced to a little over half of its original HP.

The moment its health bar was depleted halfway, the Area Boss let out a terrifying screech. The hydra's body rocked the ground and cavern as its five heads shot forth in a blind frenzy.

Shirou dodged one, Bukubukchagama tanked another, and a third head flew through the air in a vain attempt to catch Peroroncino, who easily dodged out of the way. Two lunged at Touch Me, but the World Champion was more than ready.

"[Stalwart Shield]" His shield glowed brightly. Timing it correctly, Touch Me backhanded one of the hydra's heads with his skill, deflecting the attack.

"[Mountain Cleaver]!" Raising his sword high, he brought it down and severed the second head with a single swing. The hydra let out another ear-piercing screech at the loss of one of its heads. Bright green blood gushed from the wound like a geyser, spraying it across the battlefield as the neck wiggled wildly.

"Everyone stay clear of the blood!" Shirou warned.

His words were proven correct as hissing noises emerged from the spots where the blood landed. Smoke arose as the acidic blood melted everything it touched. As the hydra reared its long, severed neck back, the party was treated to a disgusting sight. The neck that Touch Me severed started to convulse. The bleeding halted, and flesh began to puff up and regrow. Its severed neck split and formed two entirely new heads from one neck.

Touch Me's attack wasn't the only one that incurred the transformation. A shot fired from Peroroncino and the spells from the backline destroyed the initial four other heads, leading to their regeneration. Where once there were only five heads to contend with, now there were ten. Twenty baleful eyes stared back at the party of nine.

'Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.'

With the number of heads doubled, the hydra attacked with renewed vigor, temporarily putting them on the back foot. Its hissing jaws snapped relentlessly to take a bite out of the Players.

Shirou's vast century of experience and rigorous training were prominently displayed as he adeptly kept up with the swift pace of the four heads that were charging toward him. His movements were light and nimble as he skillfully danced and avoided each lunge, delivering quick and precise attacks whenever possible. A brief glance to the side revealed Touch Me, standing his ground with unwavering determination even as he was relentlessly bombarded by six heads. He was like an unyielding rock in the midst of a raging river, steadfast and unbreakable. His sturdy shield effortlessly deflected any incoming attacks, while his sword struck with a ferocious zeal. As expected of one who holds the title of [World Champion]. Even Peroroncino, who was hovering in the air and sniping the boss, was no longer safe from harm as one or two of the beast's heads would make a sudden lunge towards the airborne Player.

The fight continued, with the Players redoubling their efforts. The initial gimmick and surprise of the Area Boss caught them off guard, but they quickly learned. Not much changed in the boss's attack pattern, save for how many heads lunged at the Players. While the hydra grew more heads the more its HP dropped, they were able to handle it. The battle in itself was far from difficult, being more repetitive, and downright boring in Shirou's mind, seeing as the massive boss's only method of attack was its bite, leaving those within the backline to attack without any worry even in its second stage. The only reason that it was taking as long as it did was due to the boss being a complete damage sponge. Reaching the ten-minute mark, the party lowered the hydra's HP into the high red, and it was time to finish the boss fight once and for all.

"Tabula-san, Ulbert-san! Now!" Touch Me ordered.

"With pleasure. [Super-Tier Magic: World's End]!" Unabated, Tabula began the channeling process for his Super-Tier Spell a minute before the depletion of the boss's health bar. With no means of reaching the back-line casters to interrupt the casting, Tabula finished the channeling in time to coincide with his clanmate's ultimate attack.

"Feast your eyes on he who has claimed the title of [World Disaster], you multi-headed reptile!" Ulbert declared. "Let the heavens be rent asunder, befall my machination, and bring with it despair and destruction! [Grand Catastrophe]!" As the one who holds the [World Disaster] class, his ultimate attack, [Grand Catastrophe], possessed destructive power that far outstrips even the mightiest of Super-Tier Spells at the cost of roughly 60% of his MP.

The Area Boss couldn't even finish its preprogrammed animation before the two spells struck it. For the briefest of moments, the whole world turned white, and Shirou was forced to close his eyes and turn away from the source. The hydra's horrifying shriek intensified, but it was drowned out by the collective blast that followed it.

Slowly, Shirou opened his eyes. The entire body of water was gone, having been completely evaporated thanks to the two spells. All that remained of the Area Boss was a shriveled corpse. With its health bar at zero, cracks appeared and spread across the once mighty hydra's body. It cracked and disappeared in a shower of light and polygons.

The party broke out into cheers at their victory.

All but one.

Something immediately stood out for Shirou.

'Where's the congratulations?" He wondered.

In the six months that Shirou has lived in YGGDRASIL, he has come to learn many of the world's mechanics and systems. While he generally kept away from full-on dungeon raids and exploration, he has come across his fair share of bosses and learned a thing or two. Namely, every time he defeated them, the system would always send a [Congratulation] screen to indicate that the fight was over and for loot to rain down.

Yet, none of that happened.

This meant only one thing. It wasn't over, not yet anyway. If so, then—

'Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.'

His ears perked up, picking up on a strange noise. Reinforcing his ears, the noises of his friends dimmed as Shirou recognized the sound, the crackling of glass. One that grew louder and louder by the second.

How long has this been going on?

What was more worrying was where the source was emanating from.

From above.

He looked up, stunned by what he saw. The massive and pristine overhead crystal he saw before was now riddled with innumerable cracks across its surface. It looked loose and all but ready to fall.

"Emiya-san?" He heard Momonga call out to him. "What's wrong…" The skeletal mage petered off as he followed Shirou's line of sight and froze. Like a domino effect, the rest of the party followed the undead's example and looked up.

CCCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

Suddenly, a thunderous crack echoed throughout the chamber as the colossal crystal dislodged and plummeted towards the ground, bringing part chunks of the ceiling down with it. Large fragments broke off from the original, sending a deluge of crystals of varying sizes cascading down upon them, intermingled with heaps of stone and debris.

"Everyone, back away!"

It was an all-out mad sprint to get away from the general splash zone of the falling crystals. Shirou pumped all the prana he could into his [Reinforcement] as he made a beeline for the safety of the cavern walls. During his escape, he noticed Bukubukchagama and Amanomahitotsu struggling to keep up, so he grabbed them and propelled them forward with him. The falling debris was relentless, and each second felt like an eternity as they raced toward safety.

As they arrived at the walls, they braced themselves for impact, and the ground shook violently beneath their feet. Shirou couldn't help but fear that the entire underground structure would collapse onto them. The sound of debris slamming onto the empty lakebed echoed throughout the cavern, and the group was knocked to the ground by the force of the impact. For a full minute, the rumbling continued, and they waited anxiously, hoping that the worst was over. Finally, the trembling ceased, and they were left to catch their breath and survey the aftermath.

"Everyone alright?" Touch Me called out, calling for a headcount.

Despite only receiving groans and grunts, he managed to account for everyone in the party. Miraculously, everyone made it through without any injuries.

"What the heck was that?" Yamaiko voiced the question everyone was thinking.

"We never got a [Congratulation] screen when we beat the Hydra. Which means we're nowhere near finished with the boss battle just yet." Shirou grimly explained.

"Shit. Emiya-sempai is right. Fuck!" Peroroncino cursed. "Damn shitty devs, leave it to them to have a second boss right after the first!"

He wasn't alone, as the rest of the party released their usual diatribe, pinning all the blame on those shitty devs.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a silhouette of something standing in the spot where the Hydra boss had just been. Coincidentally, this was also the exact location where the main crystal had fallen and made impact.

"Was there something that broke free?" Shirou's eyes narrowed.

That silhouette looked familiar, very, very familiar. As the dust slowly settled, its form became more recognizable.

'Ba-dum!'

Shirou felt his virtual heart skip a bit. If his body could, it would have broken into a cold sweat. Dread and fear twisted in his stomach as the smoke cleared and he recognized the shape and form of the mysterious new boss.

'No… no…! It... not possible!' Shirou screamed in his mind.

His friends' words faded away as his mind seemingly traveled back in time. No longer was he standing in an underground cavern but on an empty sidewalk. It was nighttime; darkness overtook the surroundings, with lamp posts providing what little illumination they could, and an eerie mist shrouding the area.

And from his memory, something walked out. Or rather, someone.

A little girl, one that looked no older than twelve years old, stood in front of him. Her complexion was as white as alabaster, and her white hair was as beautiful as snow, with two crimson eyes that glistened like jewels. She wore a long purple winter coat, complete with a purple cap. A serene smile graced her lips. Overall, she looked to be the perfect picture of an innocent little girl.

She was anything but innocent.

In a flash, those eyes held nothing but malice, glee, and a hint of insanity. Her smile became twisted and sneering, as if all those in her sight were nothing more than insects.

Shirou's heart raced as a shadow crept up, growing and growling before eclipsing the little girl entirely. It was an outline of a man, one easily eclipsing the girl's height, standing behind her like a silent vigil, its form hidden by fog. Everything about the shrouded figure screamed of monstrosity and danger, from its absurd height that no regular human could achieve to its looming presence. The only discernible feature within the fog were two burning red orbs that glowed with intense madness and power. As the orbs stared directly at Shirou, he felt a chill run down his spine, frozen in fear and anticipation of what might come next.

Her mouth opened, and she spoke. Her voice was as sweet as honey but dripped with malice and intent.

Three simple words. Three words that he'll remember until the end of his days.

"Get him, Berserker!"

Snapping out of his memories, he saw that the dust had finally settled down. Shirou's fears were proven correct. There, in the center of the dry lakebed, surrounded by enormous crystallized debris, was none other than a Servant. Not just any Servant, but the Mad Servant himself.

Standing there was Herakles, the Berserker of the Fifth Holy Grail War.

Berserker – Lvl: 250

Status - God Hand: [12]

Omake:

"Umm sir?" A programmer called out.

"What is it, Phil?" Zelretch, dressed in a formal suit, lazily turns towards him.

"We, well, I have some concerns, sir."

"Whatever could you mean, Rob?

"I mean, I know we like to troll our player base, but don't you think this is a bit ridiculous?" The employee displayed Berserker's stat chart. "Eleven additional lives combined with the NPC's already powerful base stats at level 250 and a skill that grants it complete resistance to the methods that kill it. I don't think even a legion (a 36-player party) would take something like this on and win, sir."

"That's the point, Will. The greater the challenge, the greater the sense of victory that will come when - read as 'if' - they beat it.

"Why do you keep on referring to me by a different name, sir?"

"Because you're an unimportant background character that the author made up for this bit and will be banished to the realm of forgotten nobodies after this is all said and done." The vampire answered with a straight face.

"…R-right… But still, sir, we should still be careful. We can only mess with our player base so far before they start getting sick of this and leave the game, sir."

"Hmm, an interesting argument, David." Zelretch nodded. "Counter argument. I'm your boss, and I write your paycheck. So shut up, sit down, and program a near-unbeatable boss battle that can only be beaten by a stupidly overpowered ability that allows someone to spawn a near-infinite number of powerful weapons that would make Divine tier weapons look like a wooden stick in comparison."

"That's... an oddly specific example, sir."

"I'm not hearing a Yes, sir!' John."

The programmer sighed. "Yes sir."

"Good, keep up the good work, Ryan."

Sir, my name is…"

"And I don't care." Zelretch interrupted and disappeared from sight. With a smile on his face and a skip in his step, he made his way towards his office. "I love my job!"

Author's note: By far the longest chapter I've written. Now we're introduced to Nines Own Goal and some more members of the original members of Ainz Oown Gown. More importantly, the introduction of Servants within the virtual world of YGGDRASIL. This was the first major shift I had planned and I do hope I handle the surprise well enough.

Also omakes. I've been thinking of incorporating funny omakes at end, all involving Zelretch and how much power and influence he can use just to punk the players. I imagined someone like Zelretch, whom can visit multiple realities can be rather genre savvy and self aware of everything that he's doing.

My thoughts:

1. Servants: When writing and planning out the beginning for my story one thing I was concerned about was power escalation. Was there anything that I could write that would give the story a sense of weight and tension without having to rely too heavily on AU material. At the same time I didn't want the story to be completely an Ovelord story with only Shirou being added into the mix and nothing else. I immediately came up with servants as they in of themselves would make the perfect role for powerful bosses. That, and to shake up the formula and not rely on imaginary made up bosses but characters we all know and love.

Why Berserker? Simple, it'll finally allow me to write Shirou using the full extent of his Unlimited Blade Works. Any other Servant could be taken down with enough coordination and team works. But not Berserker and that was why I chose him. Well, that and for one more specific reason but that won't come into play until much, much later.

2. Nines Own Goal/Ainz Oown Goal: From the beginning of the story people have been asking for HOW would Shirou join an all heteromorph guild. The answer was surprisingly very simple and easy for me. Most people seem to forget that before Ainz Oown Goal came into existence Nines Own Goal existed before it and was led by Touch Me. With my portrayal of Shirou in my story, it was easy to write a scene of the two meeting and Touch Me more than happily inviting him considering both are 'Heroes of Justice.' From what I remember from the Ln of Overlord, Nines Own Goal was first created by Touch Me as a clan of 'outcast' if you will, heteromorph, to ban together and help one another out. I figured Shirou would fit in perfectly.

Please, do leave a review on your thoughts on the chapter. Good? Bad? Grammar mistake? Complaints? I read them all and they all motivate me to write better and faster. Each brings a smile on my face