The Supreme ones

A gigantic table carved of gleaming black stone sat in the center of the room, surrounded by forty one luxurious chairs.

However, most of those seats were empty.

Once, every single place had been filled, but now only three were occupied.One of the seated people was clothed in a magnificent black academic robe, edged in violet and gold. The collar seemed excessively gaudy, but somehow it fit the overall design.

However, the exposed head was a bare skull. Points of dark red light glowed in its large eye sockets, and behind that skull glowed a halo of black radiance.

The being in the other seat was not human either, a Scary Vampire God commands attention with its towering form, draped in tattered, regal robes of midnight black. Its ashen skin glows faintly, enhancing the eerie ambiance as it moves gracefully. Glowing purple eyes fixate unblinkingly, radiating an unsettling power that seems to pierce through the very soul of anyone who dares to meet its gaze.

The former was an Overlord — the highest-ranked of those magic casters who had become undead in order to learn the most potent spells, The latter was a Vampire god who ascended godhood for his never-ending lust for strength

One might encounter these monsters in the most difficult dungeons. Overlords could use powerful spells of the highest tiers of magic, while Vampire god were dreaded for their ability to regenerate from fatal damages

However, they were not game monsters, but players.

In YGGDRASIL, players could choose their character races from three broad groups; humanoid, demihuman and heteromorphic.

Humanoids were the basic player type and comprised humans, dwarves, wood elves, and the like. Demihumans tended to be ugly, but possessed superior attributes to humanoids. Examples of demihumans were goblins, beastmen, ogres, and so on. Finally, heteromorphic races had monstrous abilities, but despite their stats being generally higher than those of other races, they also possessed various drawbacks. There were around seven hundred playable races in total, including the advanced versions of these races.

Naturally, the Overlord and Vampire god were among the high-tier heteromorphic races that were playable.

The Overlord — who was speaking at the moment — did not move his mouth. That was because even the most advanced DMMO-RPGs of the time still could not overcome the technological hurdle of properly modeling the changes on a character's face in response to emotions and speech.

"It's really been a while, Hyper index - san. Although this is the last day of YGGDRASIL, I didn't expect you to show up."

"Indeed it has, Momonga-san."

Hyper index POV (Name will change from next chapter)

At first, the only thing I knew was that I had been isekai'd to this world. I was aimless for several months, losing hope day by day, living within someone else's body with savings that I could use to survive for 2 or 3 years. In this pollution-filled hell, I even had to pay for the oxygen I breathed.

But what rekindled my spirit was the name of the MMORPG game, Yggdrasil, and the dive-in controller pod. It struck a chord within my mind, and then suddenly I remembered the manga "Overlord."

The good news was that I at least knew where I was and what to do, but the bad news was that I was lacking in money. I had dropped this manga at chapter 2 due to its slow update speed, so I had no idea what to do after the server shutdown part so it was up to me to find some hope.

For the past 10 years, I have been working tirelessly in this game. I streamed myself playing Yggdrasil to earn money and sustain myself and due to the fame Yggdrasil had during its beginning and being one of the top 10 players in the world, it was easy for me to make money, and you could say I lived a fairly luxurious life in this virtual world.

Now the time has finally arrived, with just a few minutes left before the server shuts down and the official story begins. I've invested both my time and money into this game, grinding to make my character powerful enough to solo the last boss. This way, I hope to secure a peaceful life in the next world I'm going to dive into.

General POV

"Haahh."

Momonga's sigh came from the bottom of his heart

"Let's meet up again somewhere… huh."

Let's meet up again somewhere.

See you again.

He had heard these words several times before, but they had never come true

Nobody had ever returned to YGGDRASIL."When and where will we meet again—"

Momonga's shoulders shook violently, and the words he could no longer hold back exploded forth:

"—Are you kidding me!?"He pounded the table as he shouted.

The YGGDRASIL system registered this action as an attack, and began the complex calculations of Momonga's barehanded attack strength against the table's defensive strength to determine the final total of damage inflicted. In the end, the area Momonga had struck emitted a simple [0].

"This is the Great Tomb of Nazarick that we built together! How could they abandon it just like that!?"

"Momonga, please, take a moment to collect yourself. It's important to understand that their inability to continue the journey isn't their fault. Each person had valid reasons and their own struggles that diverted them from what they loved." The one member who remained loyal to Yggdrasil till the end now tries to console the sorrow among friends. He knows, to some extent, the intricacies of their choices.

"Let us resurrect our former selves, if only for this fleeting moment. Cast aside the despondent Sasuke and the office worker Satao, and embrace once again the unconquerable champion of Yggdrasil Hyper Index, the immortal vampire deity, and the eminent leader of Yggdrasil's foremost guild — Momonga, the Overlord, a paragon of unwavering strength," he declared, his gaze resting upon his skeletal companion.

"Indeed, you're correct. It wasn't a casual abandonment; rather, it was a painful choice between reality and fantasy. There was no other way. Loyalty to the guild prevails. Those who chose this path must have felt the sting deeply," Momonga spoke with a softened tone, now displaying a more amicable demeanor. Rising to his feet, he strode toward the adorned wall, lost in thought.

Before him lay the wall adorned with a meticulously crafted magic staff.

—Seven serpents intricately entwined around the staff's form, reminiscent of the kerykeion borne by Hermes Trismegistus. Agonized, their mouths gaped wide, each clasping a gem of unique hue. The grip, fashioned from crystal, emanated a serene blue luminescence.

Any observer would identify this staff as a pinnacle of quality — a Guild Weapon, exclusive to this guild. It stood as the emblem of Ainz Ooal Gown.

Yet, this staff, a treasure befitting a guildmaster, now found its place as a mere decoration within this room.

This choice was grounded in the fact that no other artifact encapsulated the essence of the guild quite like this did.

Guild weapons, renowned for their immense power, were typically concealed in secure confines. Their potency left untapped, for should a guild's associated weapon be sundered, so too would the guild itself disband. Even Ainz Ooal Gown, an apex guild in the realm of YGGDRASIL, was not exempt from this truth.

Suspended just above the staff, a sword emanated an aura of unquenchable bloodlust. This blade held a unique origin—it was the coveted spoils of victory over the most formidable adversary in Yggdrasil, Garlock the Eater of Worlds. This monolithic boss bore the infamous title of the game's "Evilest," and the sword's presence alone hinted at the tremendous feat its possessor had achieved. It was a weapon exclusively reserved for the triumphant conqueror of Garlock, endowing its master with unparalleled supremacy. The sword's mastery bestowed a remarkable boon—an immunity against all forms of magical onslaught. A treasure of such magnitude stood as the ultimate testament to one's prowess, truly embodying the grand prize that any warrior would covet.

Every day, they adventured with a singular purpose: crafting their guild's legendary weapon. Contests for swift material gathering and debates over its appearance marked those times. Slowly, collective opinions shaped the weapon.

This was the apex of Ainz Ooal Gown, where their finest memories were etched.

Players logged in exhausted, some argued with family due to gaming dedication, while others took special leave for virtual immersion.

Days were spent in playful conversations, strategizing quests, and seeking treasures. They raided foes, survived a powerful hidden boss, and defended their base. But only nine remained today.

Of forty-one members, thirty-seven had departed, three remained distant. Momonga checked the dwindled rankings online: they'd fallen to ninth from First, even forty-eighth. Their ranking endured due to comrades' artifacts.

This was a relic of past glory, a hollow guild.

This was the embodiment of those days.

This was the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown and Voidpulse Edge: Essence Eater