Sixth Floor

"What's wrong, Herohero? You've been staring at that maid."

"Golden hair, and her race seems to be a Slime... Wait, isn't she the NPC you created?"

Naiyuan looked at him in surprise. To be honest, he had nearly forgotten that this friend of his had created an NPC as well.

"That's right. Her name is Solution. It's the name I personally gave her, an NPC created perfectly according to my preferences."

Herohero only came back to his senses after watching her figure slowly disappear, then could not help but sigh.

His feelings toward the NPC he had created were complicated. Strictly speaking, she could be considered his daughter, since everything about her had been given by him. Yet her appearance and figure had been designed according to his preferences. She was exactly his favorite type.

Herohero did not know what stance he should take toward her: that of a father, a master, or perhaps a lover?

He had previously suggested killing all the NPCs, but when he truly saw Solution, he understood that he could not bring himself to do it.

"Time means nothing to us now. You can take your time thinking about it."

Naiyuan patted him on the shoulder. There was not much he could say about this matter; Herohero could only work it out for himself. At the same time, Naiyuan recalled the NPC he had created.

The two of them instantly found their moods growing complicated, completely failing to notice Momonga frantically signaling at them from the side.

"Lord Momonga, what would you have me do?"

Albedo fixed her beautiful eyes on Momonga. The blazing love on her face was almost more than he could bear.

Momonga was falling apart inside. Why had he changed her settings back then? Well, now he had truly gotten himself into trouble.

Lowering his head to look at his body, Momonga closed his eyes in despair. There was nothing he could do.

"Albedo, you... Go notify all the Floor Guardians except the two special Guardians of the Fourth Floor and Eighth Floor. Tell them to put aside whatever they are doing and gather at the Arena on the Sixth Floor."

A flash of green light passed over him, and Momonga regained his composure. He spoke to Albedo with dignity.

Although he had tested Sebas and the others' loyalty a little earlier, that did not mean the other NPCs would be the same. He still had doubts about that. After careful consideration, he decided it would be better to gather all the Floor Guardians and test them at once.

The three of them each possessed several World Items now, and they also had their fusion trump cards. There was no longer any need to tread so carefully around the NPCs. Any NPC who dared resist would be eliminated directly, which would also serve as an effective warning to the others.

"Understood, Lord Momonga."

Albedo gave Momonga one last lingering look before quickly departing. A Supreme Being's command had to be carried out immediately.

"Whew!"

As the doors closed, Momonga could no longer hold on and dropped straight onto the floor.

He had to speak carefully, struggle to put on an imposing act, and avoid her death stare. The love in her eyes felt as though it were about to pierce right through him, leaving him utterly terrified. If not for the passive effect of Forced Calm and his skeletal appearance, he would have blown his cover long ago.

"Tabula Smaragdina, I'm sorry. I defiled your creation." Remembering how he had altered Albedo's settings, Momonga sank into deep guilt.

It had clearly been nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment idea, yet he had never imagined that they would be transported here. A single sentence from the past had become such intense love in the blink of an eye that he could barely breathe.

"Momonga, what's wrong? Why are you muttering Tabula Smaragdina's name?"

Having finally returned to normal, Naiyuan and Herohero looked up and saw Momonga sitting on the floor in a daze, muttering something about Tabula Smaragdina.

"Ah, n-no, it's nothing!!"

Momonga cried out in surprise, hurriedly getting to his feet.

He could not say it. He absolutely could not say it. If they found out, he might as well die.

They would laugh at him. They definitely would. Herohero and Naiyuan would mock him mercilessly.

Thoughts raced through Momonga's mind, and his emotions reached a critical point. Green light emerged, and the familiar suppressive sensation returned, sending him back into Sage Mode.

"It's nothing. I'm merely a little nervous. We should go to the Arena. I already had Albedo notify the Floor Guardians to gather there." Momonga spoke flatly in Sage Mode.

"Forced Calm?"

Herohero and Naiyuan exchanged glances. They were no strangers to that green light; it was an Undead racial talent that soothed emotions and, in the game, increased resistance to control effects.

It had the same effect as Naiyuan's Dragonoid racial talent, Dragon Will, and Herohero's talent, Heart of Darkness. The only difference was that Naiyuan and Herohero could choose to deactivate their passives, while Momonga could not. After all, what kind of Undead mage had a fiery temper?

A flash of light enveloped the three of them, and they vanished from where they stood, instantly arriving at the Arena on the Sixth Floor.

The Sixth Floor was the largest floor in all of Nazarick. It contained plains, artificial lakes, forests, and various other ecosystems. The Arena stood at the very center of the forest and had originally been where the guild's Players fought PvP battles.

The Sixth Floor was managed by a pair of Dark Elf twins, a boy and a girl, but their appearances were completely opposite.

The elder sister wore men's clothing and had a bold, lively, open personality, while the younger brother wore women's clothing and appeared timid and weak.

The elder sister was named Aura, and the younger brother was named Mare.

Their creator was Bukubukuchagama, a Slime belonging to a special defense-enhanced race. The twins' designs were also born from her wicked sense of humor.

They looked weak and easy to bully, but once they fought, they would reveal ruthless personalities. To put it simply, they were the type to greet someone while breaking their legs, doing the cruelest things in the most timid voice.

"Lord Momonga, Lord Naiyuan, and Lord Herohero, welcome to my floor."

The moment the three of them set foot on the ground, a lively voice rang in their ears. It was Aura, who was currently jumping down from the Arena platform and greeting them happily.

"Mare, hurry down. Don't keep the Three Lords waiting."

Looking up at the platform he had just jumped down from, Aura called out in an urging tone.

"I can't do it, Sister."

A head poked out from above. It was Mare, who was looking fearfully down below.

"This is highly disrespectful, Mare. Even if you're my younger brother, I won't forgive you."

"S-sorry, I... I'm coming down now."

Mare squeezed his eyes shut in fear and leaped down. A cloud of dust rose as he landed safely on the ground.

"Um, Lord Naiyuan, Lord Momonga, and Lord Herohero, welcome to the Sixth Floor."

Mare greeted the three of them weakly, prompting Aura to punch him directly from the side.

"Don't act like that in front of the Supreme Beings, Mare. Be more sincere. Your voice is way too quiet."

"But I already tried my best, Sister."

"Honestly, you..."

Aura looked at her younger brother with a headache, but she could not say much more. After all, this was how her creator, Lady Bukubukuchagama, had designed him.

"My apologies, Three Lords. Mare's personality is simply like this. Please do not mind him."

After scolding Mare a few times, Aura bowed to the three Supreme Beings before her. Seeing his sister do so, Mare hurriedly bowed as well.

"It's fine. After all, I know Bukubukuchagama's settings. She has always liked this sort of wicked setup."

Naiyuan was the first to laugh. He slowly walked to Mare's side, gently stroking his head as he spoke.

"Ugh! Lord Naiyuan."

Mare's little face flushed as he looked at Naiyuan stroking his head, and he lowered it.

It feels so warm. Lord Naiyuan truly is a gentle Supreme Being, Mare thought to himself.