Friends

Fate seemed to love playing tricks. Just as Naiyuan had buried his father and was preparing to live an ordinary life with the card his father had left him and his savings from recent years, a game both familiar and unfamiliar appeared before his eyes.

Overlord was a very famous novel from his previous life. Although it apparently had not done well in its place of origin, it had become exceptionally popular in his country.

Later, it was said that the novel had only gotten the chance to be adapted into an anime because of that, so Naiyuan could be said to have contributed to it as well.

The novel's story was simple. On the final day before a game called Yggdrasil shut down, the protagonist, Suzuki Satoru, who had intended to remain online until the very end, discovered that he had not been forcibly logged out by the system. Instead, he and the guild he had created with his companions, the Great Tomb of Nazarick, had been transported to the New World, where a series of events unfolded.

When Naiyuan learned that the game about to be released before him was exactly the same as the one in his memories, an idea immediately came to him.

He wanted to travel over with them. That was Naiyuan's plan.

Thus, he began playing this game called "Yggdrasil." It had been twelve years since the servers opened, and he had never missed a single event. He collected every reward, spent an average of twelve hours online every day, and grinded the game with near-madness.

In his previous life, he had rarely spent money on games. This time, however, he decisively embarked on the irreversible path of spending.

He never held back during any top-up event or when buying Pay-to-Win Items. Through his deliberate efforts, he successfully became friends with Touch Me, Momonga, and the others in the game, joining their Suicide Squad.

Gradually, the money on his card and all his savings were spent. Naiyuan began selling off the things in his home to sustain his spending, and eventually even sold the house. At the enthusiastic recommendation of his friend Momonga, he moved into a cheap apartment. To cover both his real-life and in-game expenses, Naiyuan began the life of a corporate slave, leaving early and returning late every day.

"It all depends on the day after tomorrow."

Naiyuan calmly looked at the calendar before him, but the excitement in his voice exposed how far from calm he truly was. Twelve years. He had spent a full twelve years preparing for this, and now that the time to reap the harvest had finally come, a trace of worry emerged instead.

He did not know whether he would truly succeed in crossing over. Although he knew that all Players who were online when the servers shut down would be transported, he still could not rest easy. Until the very end, he did not dare be completely certain. Accidents often appeared when one was at their most confident, only to slap them hard across the face.

"If I fail, I'll probably kill myself."

Naiyuan calculated what would happen if he failed, and in the end, the conclusion he reached was suicide.

He had spent too much time and money on this. Even though his body was already riddled with damage, he had ignored it. The only belief sustaining him was the day the game shut down.

Rather than muddling through a lifetime in this society, he wanted to pursue that hazy future. Before, he had no hope and therefore no choice. But now, hope stood right in front of him. He could not tolerate letting it slip past him. Rather than regret and lament it in the future, he might as well gamble now.

Bang! Bang!

The knocking interrupted Naiyuan's thoughts, and a voice slowly reached his ears.

"Naiyuan, are you back?"

A voice came from beyond the door. When he opened it, a figure just as thin and haggard as himself stood before him. The prominent dark circles beneath his eyes made him look utterly exhausted.

The person before him was none other than the protagonist of Overlord. Unlike his appearance in the game, he was merely an ordinary corporate slave in real life. The only difference was that he had been luckier, eventually crossing over to the New World and beginning a new life.

"Satoru, what happened to you?"

After leading him into the room, Naiyuan looked at the stains on his clothes, the scratches on his face, and the small box in his hand with confusion.

"It's nothing. I tripped and fell by accident. Forget about that. Look what I brought you."

Suzuki Satoru's gaze darted to either side as he waved dismissively, then handed the box in his hand to Naiyuan.

The box was very small, only about the size of Naiyuan's two palms. From its weight, Naiyuan could tell that the item inside was light and not anything heavy.

With Suzuki Satoru watching him somewhat nervously, Naiyuan placed the box on the bed and began unwrapping it.

He slowly untied the ribbon and removed the cover. The contents of the box came into view. It was different from what he had imagined: a pure white cream cake. The cake was small, yet he could not take his eyes off it.

Bright red objects, like red pearls, decorated both sides of the cake. In the center, a line of small words written in chocolate stood clearly before his eyes.

"Happy birthday to my best friend. —Suzuki Satoru"

Naiyuan stared blankly at the sight before him. Ever since his adoptive father had died, he had never seen a cake again. He had even forgotten his own birthday, since he had poured all his energy into work and games.

"How did you know today was my birthday?"

Naiyuan lowered his head. His long bangs covered half his face, making his expression impossible to see. His lips moved slightly, and a voice that sounded as if he were asking and answering himself reached Suzuki Satoru's ears.

"I only found out by accident. Doesn't the friend profile in the game show birthday information? Hehe, so I took it upon myself to celebrate for you."

Suzuki Satoru scratched his head and looked at Naiyuan with some embarrassment.

Having been close friends for more than a decade, Suzuki Satoru felt that he should celebrate for him. After all, he had never seen Naiyuan celebrate his birthday these past few years, and guessed that he had forgotten, so he decided to give him a surprise.

Though it was only a small cake, it was still frighteningly expensive.

"I can always work a few more days of overtime."

With that thought in mind, Suzuki Satoru gritted his teeth and bought one. He would not be stingy with his only friend.

Hearing Suzuki Satoru's words, Naiyuan merely kept his head lowered and said nothing.

The room was silent, so quiet that it seemed they could clearly hear each other's heartbeats.

"Thank you."

The voice broke the quiet atmosphere. Naiyuan lifted his head and looked expressionlessly at Suzuki Satoru, but the slight moisture at the corners of his eyes revealed that he was not as calm as he appeared.

"Phew."

Suzuki Satoru let out a sigh of relief. The atmosphere just now had frightened him terribly. He had been afraid Naiyuan was angry, that he thought Suzuki Satoru was meddling, or something like that. That was the outcome he feared most.

But Naiyuan's words finally put his anxious heart at ease. As long as everything was fine. As long as everything was fine...

"No need to thank me. Isn't this only natural? We're friends, Naiyuan!"

Suzuki Satoru shook his head and stared at Naiyuan as he spoke firmly.

"Friends? Sorry, I was being oversensitive."

"Let's eat it together. Cake tastes better when it's shared with a friend."

Naiyuan sighed, then said with a smile.

Using the small knife included with it, Naiyuan slowly cut the cake in half and placed one piece before Suzuki Satoru.

In the dark night, the lights in the shabby apartment shone brightly, and the laughter of two people could faintly be heard from within.

"Naiyuan, you're despicable! You actually ambushed me."

"Then come catch me if you can."

"Don't run! Just wait until I catch you!"