Sixth Floor

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

"Golden hair, and her race seems to be a Slime... wait, don't tell me she's the NPC you created?"

Naiyuan looked at him with some surprise. To be honest, he had actually forgotten that this friend of his had also created an NPC.

"That's right. Solution is her name. It's a name I bestowed upon her myself. She is an NPC created perfectly according to my preferences."

Herohero only snapped back to reality after watching her figure slowly disappear, and he couldn't help but sigh.

His feelings toward this NPC he had created were now very complicated. Strictly speaking, she could be considered his daughter, as he had bestowed everything upon her. Yet, her appearance and physique were designed according to his personal tastes—she was exactly his type.

Herohero didn't know what kind of stance he should take when facing her. Should he be a father, a master, or perhaps a lover?

He had previously suggested killing all the NPCs, but the moment he actually saw Solution, he knew he wouldn't be able to go through with it.

"Time is meaningless to us now. You can take your time to think about this problem!"

Naiyuan patted his shoulder. He didn't have much to say on the matter; it was something Herohero would have to resolve on his own. At the same time, the image of the NPC he had created himself surfaced in his mind.

Both of their moods turned complicated in an instant, and they completely failed to notice Momonga, who was frantically signaling them from the side.

"Lord Momonga, what would you like me to do?"

Albedo's beautiful eyes were fixed intently on Momonga, and the burning affection on her face was more than he could handle.

Momonga was having a mental breakdown. Why had he changed her settings back then? Now look at this—he had successfully trapped himself.

He looked down at his own body and closed his eyes in despair. There was nothing he could do.

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

As a green light flashed, Momonga regained his composure and spoke to Albedo with great majesty.

Although he had briefly tested the loyalty of Sebas and the others, that didn't necessarily mean the other NPCs would be the same. He still held doubts about that, so after careful consideration, he decided it was better to gather all the Floor Guardians together to test them at once.

Now that the three of them each possessed several World Items, and even had a trump card that allowed them to fuse, there was no longer a need to be so cautious around the NPCs. If any NPC dared to resist, they would simply be eliminated; that would also serve as a great deterrent to the others.

"As you command, Lord Momonga."

Albedo cast one last lingering look at Momonga before hurrying away. The orders of a Supreme Being had to be executed immediately.

"Whew!"

As the doors closed, Momonga finally couldn't hold it together and collapsed onto the floor.

He had been so careful while speaking, trying his best to maintain a majestic facade while dodging her death-defying gaze. The love in those eyes felt like it was piercing right through him, leaving him terrified. If it weren't for his passive "Forced Calm" skill and his skeletal exterior, he would have been exposed long ago.

Tabula Smaragdina, I am sorry. I have tainted your creation. Momonga thought of the time he had tampered with Albedo's settings, and he sank into deep self-reproach.

It was supposed to be a fleeting thought, but he never expected that he would actually end up transmigrating. A single sentence from the past had transformed in the blink of an eye into an intense, suffocating affection.

"Momonga, what's wrong? You were muttering Tabula Smaragdina's name."

Naiyuan and Herohero had finally returned to normal. As they looked up, they saw Momonga sitting on the ground, acting all strange and whispering something about Tabula Smaragdina.

"Ah, no... it's nothing!!"

Momonga jumped in surprise, scrambled to his feet, and spoke in a panic.

He couldn't say it. He absolutely couldn't say it. If the others found out, he might as well be dead.

He would be mocked. He would definitely be mocked. Herohero and Naiyuan would surely laugh at him mercilessly.

Momonga's thoughts spiraled in chaos. His emotions reached a breaking point until a flash of green light appeared. The familiar sensation of suppression washed over him, forcing him back into his "Sage Mode."

"It is nothing, I was merely feeling a bit nervous. We should head to the Arena. I have already had Albedo notify the Floor Guardians to assemble there," Momonga said calmly, now under the influence of Sage Mode.

"Forced Calm?"

Herohero and Naiyuan exchanged glances. They were no strangers to that flash of green light; it was an innate skill of the Undead that served to soothe emotions and, in the game, provided increased resistance to crowd control.

It had the same effect as Naiyuan's Dragonoid racial trait, Dragon Will, and Herohero's innate skill, Heart of Darkness. The only difference was that Naiyuan and Herohero could choose to toggle their passives off, but Momonga could not. After all, who had ever heard of a hot-tempered Undead mage?

With a flash of light, the three of them vanished from the spot, instantly arriving at the Arena on the Sixth Floor.

The Sixth Floor was the largest level in all of Nazarick, containing various ecosystems such as plains, artificial lakes, and forests. The Arena was situated right in the center of the forest and served as the place where the original guild members would engage in PK.

The Sixth Floor was managed by a pair of Dark Elf twins—one boy and one girl—though their appearances were the complete opposite of their genders.

The older sister, who wore boy's clothing and possessed a boisterous and outgoing personality, and the younger brother, who wore girl's clothing and appeared somewhat timid and cowardly.

The sister's name was Aura, and the brother's name was Mare.

Their creator was Bukubukuchagama, a Slime-type race specializing in defense. The design of this pair of siblings was a product of her mischievous sense of humor.

They looked weak and easy to bully, but when a fight actually broke out, they revealed ruthless personalities. To put it another way, they were the type to break someone's legs while politely greeting them, doing the most brutal things in the most timid of tones.

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

As soon as the three of them touched the ground, a lively voice reached their ears. It was Aura, who was currently jumping down from the high platform of the Arena, speaking to the three of them with a cheerful expression.

"Mare, hurry up and come down. Don't keep the three Lords waiting."

Looking up at the platform she had just jumped from, Aura shouted in a tone of urgency.

"I can't do it, Sister."

A head poked out from above. It was Mare, who was looking down at the ground with a terrified expression.

"That is quite disrespectful of you, Mare. Even though you are my younger brother, I will not forgive you for that."

"I'm sorry, I... I'll come down right away."

Terrified, Mare squeezed his eyes shut and jumped down, landing safely on the ground amidst a cloud of dust.

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

Mare greeted the three of them in a timid voice, prompting Aura, who was standing nearby, to give him a punch.

"Don't be like that in front of the Supreme Beings, Mare. Remember to be sincere; your voice is way too quiet."

"But I'm already trying my best, Sister."

"Sigh, you really are something."

Aura looked at her younger brother with a headache, but she couldn't say much more, as this was how their creator, Lady Bukubukuchagama, had designed him.

"My apologies, my three Lords. Mare's personality is just like this, so please do not take it to heart."

After scolding Mare, Aura bowed to the three Supreme Beings in front of her. Seeing his sister bow, Mare hurriedly followed suit.

"It's fine. After all, I am well aware of Bukubukuchagama's settings. She always did enjoy these kinds of twisted preferences."

Naiyuan was the first to laugh. He walked slowly over to Mare's side, patted his head, and said gently, "Ugh! Lord Naiyuan."

Looking at Naiyuan, who was patting his head, Mare couldn't help but blush and lower his head.

Such a warm feeling. Lord Naiyuan truly is a gentle Supreme Being, Mare thought to himself.