NOVEL NEXT 002 💀 Bubbling Teapot
“I sent messages to everyone else too, but so far, you're the only one who logged in. Looks like it's just going to be the two of us tonight. I guess it's not too lonely, haha...”
Momonga forced a laugh as he spoke. A few days ago, he had sent messages to all their guildmates, hoping they could all log in and witness the final moments of YGGDRASIL together.
But in the end, only Arnold, the friend he had known since the beginning, had logged in.
Even within the game, Arnold could clearly sense Momonga’s dejection and disappointment. The once proud guild Ainz Ooal Gown, which had been built with the blood, sweat, and tears of 42 members, was now reduced to just Momonga and Arnold. The others had disappeared without a trace, leaving nothing but emptiness behind.
“Ainz Ooal Gown,” in its prime, had been ranked the third-best guild in the world. Yet despite only having 42 members, far fewer than the thousands in other guilds, Ainz Ooal Gown had fought its way up to that lofty position. Each member of the guild was an elite in their respective fields, at the pinnacle of their abilities. If a real battle broke out, few guilds could match the might of Ainz Ooal Gown.
—Ding dong!
A crisp system notification chimed, and suddenly, a strange, ominous black liquid-like creature appeared in the empty space near Arnold. Its sudden appearance brought a flicker of surprise to Momonga’s face.
“Oh! It's been a while, HeroHero! I didn’t expect you to suddenly log in, especially since today is the last day of YGGDRASIL.”
“Oh… it’s you, Momonga and Arnold~ You two are still online as usual, somehow making me feel a little better... I’ve been away for a long time, you know? I think it’s been a year or two since I last logged in?”
The liquid-like creature raised one of its gooey hands, greeting the two of them. In contrast to Momonga’s lively voice, HeroHero’s tone sounded much more drained and weary. One could practically hear the exhaustion in his voice.
As he glanced at the time in the top-left corner of his screen, HeroHero, in his slime-like form, let out a sigh of frustration.
“Ugh… I’ve been working through the night shifts lately. I didn’t realize it was already this late. My sense of time is completely messed up... I feel like I’m falling apart. But I still need to work to make a living. I really want to sleep…”
HeroHero helplessly waved his liquid-like hands, his tired voice sounding hollow and dejected. It was as if he were a slave, beaten and forced to keep working. Just holding on until now was a miracle.
He started to vent about his exhausting real-world life, how he worked long hours, often shouted at by his boss, his upside-down sleep schedule, the illnesses he had developed from not eating properly, and his growing dependency on medication.
Arnold simply listened, offering a quiet ear. In the real world, no one would listen to HeroHero’s complaints, and here in the game was the only place he could truly express his feelings.
“Ugh… sorry for unloading all this on you two. There’s really no one in real life who’d listen to my gripes. It’s been so long since I logged in, but seeing you two again really makes me happy.”
“You don’t have to apologize, HeroHero! You’re so busy, and yet you took the time to log in. It’s only natural for us to listen to your troubles as friends!”
“Thanks, Momonga.”
HeroHero sent a smiling emoji, then began to manipulate the system interface with his thick, gooey tendrils. As he did so, he continued to speak, his voice slow and fatigued.
“But I guess it’s about time for me to log off…”
“I really can’t keep going. I’ve got to wake up early for work tomorrow. I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to stay with you two for the final moments.”
HeroHero’s voice was filled with regret. Even though he was fully immersed in the game, his body was clearly on the verge of collapse. If he didn’t log off soon, he feared he wouldn’t be able to keep going.
“Is that so…”
Arnold's eyes took on a complicated expression as he glanced at the time in the top-left corner. It was 10:29 PM—just over an hour before the game servers shut down for good.
For those whose bodies were at their breaking point, even a few minutes could feel like an eternity. A whole hour would be an unbearable torment.
“Well then, HeroHero, you should rest up. Momonga and I will hold the fort here. Maybe someone else will log in soon too.”
“Haha... you’re right. Thanks for everything, you two. I’ll see you again, if fate allows.”
With that, HeroHero’s figure disappeared, leaving Momonga, whose bony skeletal hand had reached out in farewell, standing there alone. He slowly retracted his hand, his expression filled with a kind of quiet sadness as he turned to Arnold.
“‘If fate allows’…”
His shoulders trembled, his gaze sweeping over the remaining empty seats. Those were the spots where his guildmates once sat. The oppressive atmosphere of sorrow began to crack, replaced by something deeper—a feeling of loss that was on the verge of overwhelming him.
Seeing Momonga's pained and conflicted silence, Arnold said nothing, offering his silent support. He understood this pain all too well, having been part of this journey from the beginning. The bond shared by Ainz Ooal Gown was not something that could be easily shaken.
Just behind them, leaning against the table, stood the guild’s emblematic staff, the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown—a symbol of all the blood, sweat, and tears the guild had poured into it. To craft this weapon, many had sacrificed time with their families, argued with their spouses, even taken leave from work.
Just looking at the staff now brought a pang of sorrow.
—Ding dong~
[Yano~ You have a new message~ Please check it!]
Suddenly, a system notification broke the silence. Unlike the usual cold, robotic voice, this time it was a deliberately cutesy, high-pitched voice, with a trace of an odd, almost seductive tone.
The message was from his boss, sending the expected curses after Arnold had hung the boss up on a streetlamp earlier that day and punched him before walking off without a care, too tired to even bother with resigning properly.
Arnold didn’t care much about the message.
He had expected it.
However, the unexpectedly playful voice cut through the heavy air, causing Momonga to pause for a moment, then chuckle. A small smiling emoji appeared above his skull.
“Oh! That was the voice pack from Bukubukuchagama, right? I didn’t think you were still using that.”
“Of course. It was a gift from a friend.”
Arnold smiled faintly, feeling a touch of nostalgia. Among the many friends in the guild, it was Momonga and a few others, like Bukubukuchagama and Peroroncino, with whom he had the closest bond. Especially Bukubukuchagama—during the early days of the game, the two of them had always been together, tackling challenges side by side.