Strictly speaking, the current Sig is actually a Transmigrator who took over a body, entering it the moment the original owner died suddenly.
From then on, a soul from modern times became Koshito Touma in a dystopian world, and also Sig in the game.
Except for Ulbert, everyone habitually called him Sig; he himself preferred this name over his Japanese one.
During the period immediately after his transmigration, Sig was extremely cautious, as he had no memories of the original owner, so he stayed at home, afraid to go out, and could only obtain information through the internet.
Fortunately, his social circle wasn't complicated; he had no relatives, had just been fired from his company, and didn't even own a pet, with only one online friend.
Based on the information in their chat logs, he quickly became close with this online friend, who was the one who got him into YGGDRASIL in the first place.
Even his game name was chosen by the other party, reportedly inspired by Norse mythology, while the other party took the name Ulbert.
During this time, to avoid repeating past mistakes, he exercised his body to be somewhat fit and found a job as an auxiliary police officer.
As a former office worker, Sig easily adapted to the job, and his gaming went smoothly in his leisure time.
In a conversation with his police partner, he learned that the other person was also playing the same game and quickly added him as a friend.
Oh, his game name is Touch Me.
Ulbert and Touch Me, these two names were really familiar.
When he searched online and found news of YGGDRASIL's release, Sig felt something was off, and after some investigation, he finally understood where he had transmigrated to.
This was a novel titled Overlord, which told the 'adventure' story of Flying Squirrel bringing the Great Tomb of Nazarick to another world at the last moment before YGGDRASIL's servers shut down.
Sig really liked the adapted anime and was quite familiar with the plot of the original novel.
He hadn't thought about it in this way before, but once he understood, everything suddenly became clear.
The current timeline was before the transmigration.
Living in this ravaged world, being a corporate slave was truly being a corporate slave.
Knowledge monopoly, environmental pollution, rampant corruption, and even needing to wear a gas mask just to go outside—no normal person could endure it.
Therefore, Sig's choice to follow Flying Squirrel in transmigration was an inevitable outcome.
As for the other guild members, he couldn't control too much, and besides, if he really told them, he'd probably be considered crazy.
A corporate slave obsessed with gaming, resorting to any means to get his companions online—most people would only think that.
Everyone was an adult; they all had their own lives, and there was no need to interfere with others' karma.
...
"Ding, the current time is 23:50."
"It's almost time."
Sig took out the Guild Ring from his backpack, teleported to the tenth floor of the Great Tomb, and then walked to the Throne Room.
Possessing the Anz Ul-Gown Ring allowed free teleportation to most places in Nazarick, but the Throne Room was not within that range.
Because his work was too busy, he could only log in ten minutes early, right on time; he shouldn't miss it.
Stepping into the Throne Room, Sig raised his hand in greeting.
"Sorry, Guildmaster, I'm late. Has everyone already left?"
He paced forward, the sound of his metal armor clashing against the ground was perfectly reproduced, just like in reality, giving a great sense of realism.
Looking around, the entire Throne Room contained only Flying Squirrel and a multitude of kneeling NPCs.
"Eh? Sig-san, I thought you weren't coming."
Flying Squirrel's hand was still paused on the open settings panel, looking so flustered, as if he was doing something bad.
Sig naturally knew what Flying Squirrel was stealthily doing and teased, "Are you going to modify the settings?"
"Just taking a look."
"Sig-san, what do you think of Albedo?" Flying Squirrel awkwardly changed the subject.
"She's a good woman, very suitable as a wife."
Sig said this, but what he was thinking was that he couldn't enjoy such a blessing; it was better for Flying Squirrel to bear all of it.
Flying Squirrel seemed to glance at Sig, then typed a few words on the settings panel.
It was shameful to change it to 'in love with me,' but it wouldn't be for others, so he would prank his companion one last time.
Sig thought the matter was settled, then changed the subject, "I remember when we first conquered Nazarick, it was a similar scene. It's a bit nostalgic."
Flying Squirrel asked, "Sig-san, I thought you wouldn't come because you were busy. Herohero-san just logged off a few minutes ago."
"Is that so? What a pity. I thought the few who hadn't quit the game would all come online." Sig said helplessly, "In that case, only the two of us will witness the end."
"Are Touch Me and Ulbert doing well recently?"
Perhaps due to a guilty conscience or the overly somber atmosphere, Flying Squirrel quickly changed the subject.
"I don't know; we haven't been in touch for a long time."
Sig pondered for a moment. The auxiliary police salary was somewhat unsatisfactory, so he changed to a more lucrative job for the sake of microtransactions.
Consequently, his contact with Touch Me lessened, and after Touch Me quit the game, there was no longer a communication channel, and they gradually drifted apart.
The same was true for Ulbert. Even with many years as an online friend, it was difficult to maintain the relationship without common topics, and he didn't have the money or energy to play new games.
Aside from essential living expenses, all his remaining money was poured into YGGDRASIL, eventually making him a heavier spender than Flying Squirrel.
Sig, adorned in his pay-to-win gear, was ready to embrace the new world.
A pang of bitterness arose in Flying Squirrel's heart. For a moment, he was relieved that he wasn't the only lonely one, feeling suddenly a bit better, yet he also felt it was too despicable to think that way.
He glanced at the Guild Weapon, which embodied everyone's efforts, and sincerely said, "Thank you, Sig. You've worked hard during this time."
"No need to be so polite; these are all my duties." Sig smiled and stood at the foot of the throne steps.
In the last month leading up to the server shutdown, only two people in the entire guild were consistently online.
Flying Squirrel was the type who was always active, while Sig would often disappear for a period but never missed crucial moments. Because of his activity, the guild's ranking generally stayed in the teens.
After a brief chat, the two fell into a tacit silence. The time in the upper right corner of their vision slowly ticked, showing 23:59:50, with only 10 seconds remaining until the server shutdown.
Flying Squirrel's mind was racing with thoughts, and he sighed deeply, thinking about having to wake up at four in the morning tomorrow.
Sig, on the other hand, stared intently at the countdown, his fingers rhythmically tapping on his armor, hoping time would pass faster.
52
...
56
...
59
...
00:00:01
"Huh, did the official server shutdown get delayed? Where's the operation panel? GM communication isn't working either, I can't contact the operators!"
Sig suddenly opened his eyes, a red light flashing under his helmet. Taking advantage of Flying Squirrel's stunned state, he quickly felt the changes in his body.
This was the real sensation, acute five senses, the feeling of freely controlling his body; this wasn't a game character, but a truly existing body!
"Thud!"
Within the vast hall, a crisp sound like a sudden clap of thunder echoed, and a 'HP-0' prompt appeared on the ground.
Sig awkwardly straightened his body, almost falling over, truly speechless.
Sebas, who was closer, asked with concern, "Lord Sigris, what's wrong?"
At once, the Pleiades Battle Maids also looked over.
Albedo made a startled expression; a succubus specialized in defense actually seemed somewhat delicate.
This was too strange. Making such disrespectful behavior in front of Flying Squirrel, shouldn't she be very angry at this moment? Was she enduring it out of respect for his status as a Supreme Being?
"Nothing, just a little surprised."
Sig calmly retracted his tail. It seemed he couldn't immediately control his new body.
"Guildmaster, have we transmigrated?"
"Sig-san, why are you suddenly saying such things in such a serious tone? It feels too strange."
"I'm discussing this very seriously. What should we do next?"
Hearing their conversation, Albedo's cheeks flushed, and her wings trembled, looking as if she wanted to speak but dared not.
"Lord Flying Squirrel, Lord Sig... Lord Sigris, please forgive this subordinate for not being able to answer what transmigration means."
Flying Squirrel sighed, "It's alright, Albedo, I'll question you later."
Being treated so respectfully all of a sudden felt very strange. He was just a small office worker; he had never seen such a scene. Sig must also be very uncomfortable.
Hm? Is he happily chatting with an NPC?
"I'll go out and scout, then share my vision with you, and also test my abilities. I'll leave the rest to you." After obtaining some information, Sig turned to Flying Squirrel and said.
Flying Squirrel thought for a few seconds, then slowly nodded, "Mm, be careful!"
Although safety was paramount, the two of them together would be too big a target. If they were suddenly attacked, the other person could still provide support. Right now, the most important thing was to gather intelligence.
Sig used teleportation magic and disappeared from the spot. Flying Squirrel gave orders to the NPCs, and the Great Tomb of Nazarick quickly sprang into action.
"Lord Sig..." Albedo hesitated, a complex emotion showing in her golden eyes.