DMMO-RPG.
The full name is "Dive Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game," a motion-sensing online game that suddenly became popular about eleven years ago. By means of mature nanotechnology, it connects the neuron nano-interface inside the human brain with the electronic network through a dedicated control device, allowing players to experience an immersive sensation as if they were truly inside the game.
YGGDRASIL.
Yggdrasil, a game named after the clichéd concept of the World Tree.
It was released in the year 2126 by a certain company from Japan. Among the many DMMO-RPGs, it stood as a representative at the top. Simply put, it had wild creativity, strict settings (?), high freedom, and was also extremely pay-to-win. The last point was said to be influenced by the philosophy of a major Chinese IT giant: "If you don't pay, how can you become strong?"
Including basic and advanced classes, the total easily exceeded two thousand. At its peak, it was even called "the second world." But if compared to the true simulation masterpiece "World Conquest Online" created by Western developers, or the other Asian chart-dominating hit "Classic of Mountains and Seas," its achievements and player numbers were far inferior.
Because this game had too many loopholes and bugs.
For example: the game claimed to have more than two thousand combined professions. What balance could possibly exist with that? Even finding a guide that suited one's class was extremely difficult. As a result, the overall tone of the game most of the time was:
"Eh, what's this skill?" — a newbie player.
"Oh, turns out this skill is passive. No wonder nothing happened no matter how many times I clicked." — a scientific-minded player.
"Hahahahahaha~ all of you, die for me!!!!!" — the most common phrase of a player who supposedly changed into the hidden class 'Suicidal Maniac.' His entire skill set consisted of various forms of self-destruction, all of them unreasonable forced-percentage-damage abilities.
The power was determined by the yield chosen at the time of self-destruction, but regardless of the choice, he himself would certainly die.
So he always chose the most powerful: "Tsar Bomba III-Type Self-Destruct Nuclear Bomb."
Skill name: Tsar Bomba III-Type Self-Destruct Nuclear Bomb
Skill description: In the radiance of truth, all things return to ash.
Effect: Forces all targets within a 3000-meter radius to lose 500% of their maximum HP.
Aside from using world-class items to resist it, this move basically killed any player or monster instantly. It was utterly ridiculous.
After enjoying a few rounds of explosive fun, this player completely stopped "being human." He spent an entire year's salary to custom-order an official plug-in, an infinite-respawn cross, turning himself into a terrifying existence no weaker than a raid boss.
At the slightest disagreement, he would self-destruct on the spot, then revive shortly after—only to self-destruct again…
If the developers hadn't later set the cooldown of these skills to once per week, the entire game world might have been drowned in the terror of the Tsar Bomba.
...
By the year 2137, the eleventh year since the game's launch, this so-called "second world" finally came to its end.
...
In terms of a game's lifespan, this was quite long-lived. But in terms of a "world," it was probably still just at the fertilized egg stage.
And in a certain desolate region far from the suicidal maniac—Alfheim.
Ainz Ooal Gown.
A peculiar guild built upon the Great Underground Tomb of Nazarick. At this moment, in their grand chamber known as the "Round Table," a massive moon-white stone-carved round table stood in the center. Around it were forty-one luxurious chairs arranged in a circle.
Most of the seats were occupied by bizarre-looking heteromorphic beings—creatures that looked like monsters, and in fact, were not much different. Yet each one of them was actually a top-tier player in this game, sharing a common title—the Supreme Beings.
This guild, formed of players with twisted aesthetics, did not have large numbers. Even so, this underground tomb had once withstood an assault by more than 1500 players. Though no top guilds had participated, this fact alone showed one thing: the game's balance had been completely thrown into the far side of the Pacific Ocean.
Now, seated in the host's position was an undead wearing a scholar's robe embroidered with intricate borders. He was one of the guild's owners, the guild master of the heteromorphic-player-only guild in YGGDRASIL known as "Ainz Ooal Gown"—a guild notorious for its anti-human nature. His name: Momonga.
As one of the game's few "whales," Momonga naturally had a dedicated customer service representative, which allowed him to learn certain insider information earlier than ordinary players—such as the devastating news that this game wouldn't last more than a year.
As guild master of Ainz Ooal Gown, Momonga had poured more passion and money into the game than ordinary players—no, more than even the most obsessive shut-ins. So when he suddenly learned this news, his feelings could only be described with one song:
Snowflakes drifting, the north wind whistling
Was his youth ending?
Bakana! (No way!)
Thus, he began paying even more attention to gathering every bit of information and even started sending razor blades and threatening letters to the game developers.
Finally, whether moved by his sincerity or struck by another bout of insanity in some nation's government—
One day, from a newspaper, he read a piece of news that filled him with joy: YGGDRASIL had suddenly received a wave of funding from a certain large South Asian country (tactically shakes head). With this capital injection, the game could continue operating for another year. To honor these "daddy investors," YGGDRASIL prepared a once-in-history, unique world dungeon.
Written in blood-red letters across the announcement:
End-Tier Dungeon—"Six Heavens of Desire."
Opening the dungeon's introduction only displayed a series of ??? icons.
This dungeon had not only an extremely long chain of prerequisite quests, but even the minor bosses of the Desire Realm reportedly had special voice acting. As for the final boss of the Sixth Heaven of Desire—who had always appeared only as a shadow in promotional trailers—it was voiced simultaneously by three different voice actors. Every line echoed with three overlapping voices. Whether it had any skill effect or not, just that reverberating aura alone practically overflowed with overwhelming dominance.
The developers also issued a special announcement: the investors declared that if someone could clear this dungeon within a year, they would continue to provide funding to keep the game running.
Although the members of Ainz Ooal Gown were slower than others in progressing through the prerequisite quests, today had finally arrived—the day this unprecedented End-Tier Dungeon would officially open.
Nearly all the guild's old comrades reunited once again in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, something that had not happened in a very long time.
Momonga, with his skeletal face, looked around and let out a sigh.
From his left came the ever-lazy and gloomy voice of Ulbert Alain Odle: "Truly rare. I haven't seen this hall filled with so many companions for a long time. Momonga-san, your organizational skills are impressive. If one day you can't keep going and want to switch careers into yakuza work, you can give me a call."
"Yakuza? You must be joking."
Momonga cautiously glanced at him. The "World Disaster" was equally dangerous no matter where he spoke—his words and his magic incantations alike were perilous.
Though everyone in this guild were working adults, they had never deeply revealed their jobs to each other. So wisely, Momonga took it as nothing more than an offhand remark.
From his right came the steady, calm voice of Touch Me, the guild's strongest warrior: "Momonga-san, even if it's the highest difficulty End-Tier Dungeon, don't neglect your health."
"Ah, thank you for your concern, I—"
"Momonga-san! Help me—!" Momonga's words were abruptly cut off by the lively, explosive shout of Peroroncino.
As an undead, Momonga was so startled that green light flickered across his whole body. He hurriedly opened the "Message" tab and asked: "W-what happened, Peroroncino-san? Are you alright? How is the scouting going?"
On the other end, Peroroncino poured out his grievances: "Not alright at all! Good thing you didn't come along with us, Momonga-san. I'm telling you, this dungeon's difficulty is insanely absurd. The blow to my spirit is second only to the time I bought an H-GAME and found out my older sister was the voice actress—"
Bang!
Momonga seemed to see a -0hp prompt appear as if the Round Table itself had been pounded.
One had to admire Peroroncino—daring to openly offend his own elder sister in the guild channel. Truly a ruthless man.
Ah, correction—a bird-brain!!
The guild channel instantly filled with messages:
(World Champion) Touch Me: "It's an End-Tier dungeon, so naturally the difficulty will not be like before. We must be cautious and prepare thoroughly."
(Sharpshooter) Peroroncino: "Touch Me-san is right. From what I know, three top world guilds have already sent raid teams: Asgard, Niflheim, and Muspelheim. But it seems none of them are having much success. It's been several days, and they haven't even broken through the first floor."
(Sword Saint) Warrior Takemikazuchi: "Before my God Slaying Emperor Blade, all are mere chickens and dogs—not worth mentioning. Hmph."
(Shadow) Nishikienrai: "The ninja's way—strike once and vanish."
(Strategist) Bukubukuchagama: "Oh dear, looks like today I won't get to teach Momonga-san the seven hundred and sixty-second set of tactics from 'Anyone Can Easily PK Techniques.'"
(Guildmaster) Momonga: "If possible, I'd rather learn 'Anyone Can Easily Master the Art of Winning Hearts.'"
...
Guild Daily Life: The topic takes a strange turn.
In the end, it was Tabula Smaragdina who pulled the conversation back.
He raised his hand, operated the settings interface, and spoke up:
(Grand Alchemist) Tabula Smaragdina: "If I recall correctly, today's discussion is supposed to be about strategies for clearing the End-Tier dungeon, isn't it?"
"Ohhh! As expected of Tabula-san, you pulled us right back on track!" Warrior Takemikazuchi was the first to praise.
"Guildmaster Momonga~ I volunteer to go scout the frontlines! Hmph~ and it's definitely not because I want to duel that bird-brain!" Bukubukuchagama gave off a terrifying aura. Truly worthy of being Peroroncino's real sister.
Just as the guild chat was buzzing lively, two flashes of green light suddenly appeared at the hall's entrance.
It was the glow effect of teleporting back to town. Within the Great Tomb of Nazarick, which was protected by world-class items, only guild members could directly enter using teleportation items or dimensional spells.
"You're back, Momonga-san. This time things are a bit strange. We couldn't even get close to the dungeon from the outside. While there weren't any wild monsters around, once we entered a certain range of the dungeon, a debuff called 'Brahma Chant' appeared. When it reached 100%, we were brainwashed and forced to attack nearby players. That zone also forbade flight magic and teleportation magic. The distance was so great it was impossible to run into the dungeon." Peroroncino sounded exasperated.
"Only Herohero is left unaccounted for. I vaguely saw him trying to escape before being completely brainwashed by the Sanskrit chant…" Peroroncino trailed off in confusion.
"It seems he disconnected and fell asleep just as he was about to escape. Honestly…" Unsure whether to feel sympathy for their companion's miserable state or facepalm at such a ridiculous way of leaving the team, Tabula Smaragdina simply shook his head.
"What exactly is the effect of this debuff? Mind control, or a type of sonic attack?" Nishikienrai asked.
"Not very clear. I think maybe it's a bit of both. Herohero seemed able to resist it slightly." Peroroncino plucked at his feathers. "I even used my own feathers to make earplugs, but they didn't work."
"How did the other three groups manage to enter the dungeon's range then?" Tabula Smaragdina keenly seized on the crucial point.
"Oh, their methods were downright crazy, I'll tell you that…"
Another who had returned to the tomb, the muscle-headed Teacher Yamaiko, swung her "Teacher's Iron Fist" dramatically and said: "I saw a strategy posted on the forums. They had people enter one by one, and when someone was about to be brainwashed, they took off their equipment and let the person behind kill them. Since you don't drop equipment or lose experience, once they revived, the 'Brahma Chant' debuff reset… so they cycled through mutual kills to get inside the dungeon."
Hearing this, Bukubukuchagama was dumbfounded: "You mean—they used sheer numbers and the debuff's time gap, killing each other in cycles to enter the dungeon?"
Everyone stared at one another in silence. To come up with such a method in so little time—were players from other worlds really this inhuman? If this dungeon hadn't been tied to the game's very survival, this kind of strategy probably would never have been revealed.
"It seems for now, this is the only feasible method."
As guild master of Ainz Ooal Gown, Momonga felt it was his duty to reassure his comrades: "Well then, everyone, thank you for your hard work! As your guildmaster, I haven't been able to contribute to reconnaissance. If there's anywhere I can be of use now, please speak up—I will do my utmost!"
Bukubukuchagama instantly perked up: "Anything? Even crossdressing!?"
"Hey, sis, don't just push your perverted hobbies onto others," Peroroncino retorted. But as an old veteran himself, everyone felt he had little right to say that.
The very next moment, the "chatroom" went silent regarding this sibling pair. But based on what Momonga knew of them, they were probably already bickering face-to-face again.
Unexpectedly, Ulbert Alain Odle recalled something: "Momonga-san, for this dungeon, you should bring the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown."
The Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown was crafted in imitation of the Caduceus, forged by pooling the entire guild's resources as a weapon tailored for their guildmaster. Made of a material faintly translucent and luminous, its staff twisted extravagantly before rejoining, entwined with seven sinister serpents whose gaping maws each clutched a large, round gemstone of a different color.
As the very symbol of "Ainz Ooal Gown"—a weapon tied to its life and death—the staff was always kept deep within Nazarick, decorating a chamber only accessible with guildmember-exclusive rings. Not even Momonga, its nominal owner, had ever truly wielded it for even a second.
So when Ulbert made this thunderous suggestion, to Momonga it was as shocking as a nuclear detonation.
He flusteredly objected: "Nani!? N-no way, Ulbert-san! This staff is the crystallization of everyone's effort, the very symbol of Ainz Ooal Gown. To move it around casually unless absolutely necessary—it doesn't feel right!"
"Don't be so quick to refuse, Momonga-san. Surely you remember this photograph, yes?"
A data transmission ping sounded, and a photo was displayed before Momonga. In the Throne Room on the 10th floor of Nazarick, Momonga stood imposingly before the world-class item, the "Throne of Kings," raising his hand high. Bukubukuchagama, Peroroncino, Yamaiko, and Herohero struck ferocious charging poses in the direction he pointed. Facing them was Touch Me, activating his much-mocked pay-to-win background "Justice Descends" as he raised his sword toward his comrades—an almost textbook scene of a "Holy Paladin storming the Demon Castle."
Immediately the Round Table filled with voices: "Ohhh, what a great picture!" "Eh? When was this taken?" "Ah, ahhh, it was back then…"
Momonga, too, was stirred by the memory. That was one of the pleasant days when, at Peroroncino's suggestion, they all played out the roles of "Demon King and Heroes." "Of course I remember it, Ulbert-san. But… what does this have to do with the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown?"
Ulbert explained: "Actually, from the first moment you showed me this picture, I felt something was missing. That sense of incompleteness always lingered in my heart. So I thought—why not make up for it this time? This dungeon gives us a whole year to clear it, with no penalties for failure. Naturally, we should prepare thoroughly. And it's the perfect chance for you to show your full power."
"The legendary Overlord of Death is about to reveal his full form?" Touch Me looked at Momonga with eyes full of fighting spirit.
"Spare me, Touch Me-san." The "cold sweat" icon appeared beside Momonga's skull.
Everyone burst into laughter…
Moments later, Tabula Smaragdina was the first to voice support: "That's a fine idea, Ulbert-san. Actually, I once imagined the scene of Momonga-san seated on the Throne with the Staff in hand, while everyone lined up with their creations along the hall. It's a shame we've never had the chance to see it for real."
"I want to hear Demon King-like Momonga-san say to us, 'My fearless warriors, welcome back to the Great Tomb of Nazarick. You've truly worked hard this time!'" Bukubukuchagama's voice suddenly chimed in again.
"You even thought of the lines, Kaze-chan? So you want to stage a scene of the Demon King welcoming his subordinates returning from a mission?" Yamaiko said.
Warrior Takemikazuchi pointed out a certain conflict between ideal and reality: "But in the photo, wasn't Touch Me-san the hero? What's this, a betrayal?"
Nishikienrai snickered: "Pfft, a 'Fallen Hero'? I like this twist."
Touch Me tried earnestly to salvage his character setting: "No, this is absolutely not betrayal. It was merely strategic infiltration in the face of overwhelming odds!"
"Give it up, Touch Me-san. Who would believe that excuse? Admit it—body and soul, you already belong to us! As long as I, Peroroncino, First of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings, still live, you can never defect!" Peroroncino even played along.
The hall filled with cheerful banter, every word carrying overwhelming approval for Ulbert's proposal.
"Well, since everyone is so eager…" Minority yields to majority. Momonga could only obey. "I'll head out now to retrieve the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown. Then, let's all depart together."
With that, Momonga took the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown from its display case opposite the guildmaster's seat and walked out. On the way near the "Key of Solomon," he also brought along Sebas Tian, Nazarick's head butler NPC, as well as the "Pleiades"—the team of six battle-maid NPCs. He had originally planned to summon all the floor guardians as well, but personally moving and gathering them all would have taken too much time, so he gave up on that.
During this time, Herohero also managed to log back in, apologizing for his clumsy disconnection. He responded to their concern with, "Even if I keel over dead, I won't rest until we've conquered this dungeon."
Though not the full forty-one members, this was already an unprecedented gathering of over thirty guildmates.
With solemn, orderly footsteps, even the usually scatterbrained Peroroncino and Bukubukuchagama fell silent. A massive teleportation circle enveloped everyone, sending them all to the gates of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
Under the expectant gazes of all, Momonga took the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown in one hand, and with the other received the guild banner passed to him by the guardian overseer, Albedo. Then, with a turn of his figure, the skeletal hand holding the flag swept it aloft.
"Ainz Ooal Gown—march to war!"