If you notice any errors, please feel free to give me constructive feedback. English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please mention them in the comment section at the end of the chapter. I do not own Overlord. All property rights belong to their respective creators. Let's begin the story!
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Chapter-06
Múspellsheim,
Yggdrasil,
Earth – Year 2126,
Overlord Verse;
Kai pressed on through the wastelands of Múspellsheim, relentless and methodical in his advance. For the couple of days, he hunted, fought, and conquered. Monster after monster fell before his club and spells—solo encounters, ambushes, roaming mobs. He even managed to locate and clear a low-level dungeon nestled between two ridges. The dungeon's final boss, an Orc Warchief, had fallen after a prolonged battle, pushing his level up further. By the time he emerged victorious from that dungeon, he had made his way up to level 37. And as such – he had also managed to complete many side quests along the way with clearing a few other Lower low-tier dungeons.
Still, a pang of dissatisfaction lingered within him. 'Though I stand numerically ahead of many players, my Jack-of-All-Trades build has left me stretched thin—stats evenly distributed, hybrid classes unlocked, but I have no specialization to push me into overwhelming superiority compared to other players.' He mused. Still, he compensated with strategy and over-leveling, picking fights only when he could brute-force them by level advantage. It wasn't the best strategy in the long run – but he will have to hold on, to get his desired build. 'Ahh… This is quite gruelling, and if I were to fail to find the World item that turns one into World Enemy. I would remain weak for most part of Yggdrasil.' He mused silently.
Now, he stood in the heart of another dungeon—a cavern alight with the eerie, ambient glow of magma veins, the air heavy with ash floating around. Before him lay the slowly dissolving corpse of a massive Fire Snake—a serpentine creature with volcanic scales and ember-lit fangs. It had been the boss of this upper low-tier dungeon, and its death had granted Kai another level, pushing him up to 39.
He exhaled. 'I should have thought about this more thoroughly. Well, now it's all up to fate, all I can do is hope for it, unless I cheat and somehow mess up.'
His gaze shifted to the loot that materialized at the center of the chamber. A familiar chime rang in his ears as the reward interface popped up:
[Dungeon Boss Clear Reward – Fire Snake's Nest]
{ Molten Fang Blade: A jagged short sword forged from crystallized serpent fang. Deals fire damage over time on hit. It also has a flame burst mode that causes explosion on impact. }
{ Ashen Scale Mantle: A defensive cloak made from the shed scales of the Fire Snake. Grants 20% resistance to fire magic. }
{ Orb of Emberheart: A rare material used for crafting or upgrading fire-element equipment. Can be sold for a high price or used in a forge. }
{ Minor Fire Elemental Summoning Scroll: One-time use scroll that summons a lesser fire elemental to fight for 30 minutes. }
{ 35,000 Gold }
Kai let out a soft whistle. "Well… this is more generous than I expected." He accepted the loot, storing the items in his inventory. 'The Mantle, in particular, would be useful given my lack of natural resistances.' He mused.
Walking toward the exit tunnel of the dungeon, footsteps echoing lightly against the scorched stone, he mulled over his next steps.
'Leveling is starting to get arduous,' he mused, fatigue laced beneath the thought. 'Maybe I should look for higher-level dungeons… But with this build, going solo might be too risky.'
He sighed, rolling his neck. 'The Jack-of-All-Trades style gives me versatility, but I lack the firepower or superior strength that I would need to battle alone. So, finding friends it is – I'll need comrades to conquer this game. But should I consider joining Ainz Ooal Gown or build a guild of my own.' He mused.
'In the end – I am not sure if I wish to limit myself to Ainz Ooal Gown's rules. Moreover, they only take Heteromorphs who are adult and are working. My gaming style would not suit with theirs – after all I am playing with my life on the line. There's also the thing about not getting too deeply involved with Yggdrasil Creation or Overlord plot – I suppose, I should also maintain my distance from them, lest I mess up the plot and lose my ticket to New World. While, I haven't been able to confirm the connection between my dream and my reincarnation – but I do not wish to risk it. There is always time for me let it all out, once I am in the New World. I should focus more on getting to New World now. And not worry about trivial things.' He contemplated, as he nodded – formulating the plan and making decisions getting forward.
******
As he emerged from the dungeon entrance, a gust of hot wind swept over the barren wastelands beyond. The red sky of Múspellsheim stretched endlessly before him, painted with ash and smoke.
Still, despite the grind, despite the uncertainty… he smiled.
Alas, the smile did not hold up for long.
Without warning, golden arrows rained from the sky, tearing through the air, crackling. The first few struck the earth around Kai, and before he could react further, two found their mark—one grazing his arm, the other embedding into his thigh – the damage dealt to him with just two arrows, shocked him. His moment of satisfaction, of reward and reflection, vanished instantly under the assault.
"Tch—seriously?"
He spun on his heel, as he tried to retreat into the dungeon's mouth, where he might find cover to fight back. But before he could reach it, a flaming arrow whistled through the air and struck the path just ahead of him. 'The arrows are powerful enough to break my barrier', he cursed.
The resulting explosion was deafening—flames burst outward, debris rained down, as a wall of fire rose.
Smoke curled around him as the impact knocked him back a couple of meters. Forced to brace himself, Kai raised his wooden club in defence, cursing under his breath as he anticipated another volley.
And it came.
Arrows upon arrows, relentless, blindingly fast—his club caught most of them, but it shuddered and splintered under the force.
With a sharp crack, his club broke.
He stared at the two broken halves of his precious club in his hands for a split second—just long enough to see a golden shimmer out of the corner of his vision.
A long, radiant spear—glimmering with light magic—pierced him straight through the torso. The sheer force lifted him off his feet and pinned him to the cracked, scorched stone below.
'The difference… it's like the gap between heaven and earth. The sheer strength, the range, the accuracy—this is not some low-level weapon. How the f*ck did they get their hands on it – Is it a divine tier weapon? But this early into the game…' he analysed.
The edges of his vision-tinged red. He never even saw them.
There was no time to curse. No dramatic monologue at death bed, waiting for his attacker to appear. Just a message
******
Just like that, Kai died for the first time—slain on the edge of the Múspellsheim dungeon he had cleared moments earlier. The world faded, the light disappeared, and all that remained was the hum of silence.
The spear remained impaled to the body against the ground.
A moment later, footsteps echoed across the scorched terrain.
A female human avatar appeared, her golden armour radiant in contrast to the red, bleak surroundings. Elegant, deadly—a golden shimmer trailing behind her red cape as she walked up to the spear. "It's quite an ugly sight" she muttered before she in a single motion, she gripped the spear and yanked it free from the cracked stone and the body.
The aftermath was quiet.
She stood still for a moment, expression unreadable, before bringing up her console. Her gaze moved lazily across the experience report—then the loot drop window—and finally stopped at the kill log.
Her eyes narrowed, while she held a piece of cloth in one hand < Ashen Scale Mantle >.
"…What sort of name has he chosen now."
The corner of her lips twitched—half amusement, half exasperation. Her shoulders shook with a small, involuntary laugh.
"He really does outdo himself at every turn," she muttered, closing the console window.
She glanced at the spot he had fallen, still marked by a faint scorch on the rock. While his body lay lifeless.
"For him to give just this much experience – what level is he now?" she muttered under her breath, while her level was displayed on the corner of her console.
< Game Id: Evernight Candidum | Race: Human | Level 100 >
With a quiet sigh, she sat down on a nearby boulder, resting her spear beside her, the tip still faintly glowing. She crossed one leg over the other, her expression remained emotionless, as she looked out over the silent wasteland.
There wasn't a doubt in her mind. He would return. She had hurt his ego by not even allowing him a chance to retaliate and finishing him off, before he could even spot her. As, she fired from under the cover of the smoke from a fumarole.
"He will come for the kill – most probably. Knowing him, he wouldn't let this slide." She mused. Waiting for the Demon to come.
******
Kai blinked.
The white space stretched out before him with Yggdrasil in a distance – floating. He floated in that blank space for a moment, dazed, before the crimson letters faded slowly into view before his eyes:
He stood frozen, his expression blank. A long moment passed before his lips parted, but no sound came out. Instead, he just stared—stupidly, almost childishly—at the floating message, refusing to process the obvious. He sighed, cursing and stood frozen – as if it could somehow wipe away the memory of the golden spear ripping through his chest.
"…What the f*ck was that?"
He had died. Not to a dungeon boss. Not to a sudden trap. But to a player.
For the first time since his beta test days, he had been PvP'd into oblivion.
Clicking open the console window, he checked the battle log – dreading against the penalty he experienced for his death. "I f*cking lost two levels." He cursed under his breath.
Calming down a bit, he sighed at himself for his reaction at his defeat. 'I'm getting too emotional at that two-levels. I'm f*cking getting too aggressive at a measly loss in a PvP.' He mused. "But f*ck… I couldn't even locate them before they f*cking killed me."
Kai clicked his tongue, suppressing the groan that threatened to rise. Just like that, hours of grinding—gone. His expression soured looking at his current level:
< Game Id: Ligmaballs@69 | Race: Heteromorphic | Level: 37 >
"Well," he muttered, glancing at the player's name. "Evernight Candidum, that's a first – I've ever heard of that name." he mumbled, focused on his console, checking for equipment he lost in the battle. Seeing that he had lost Ashen Scale Mantle, he resigned to his fate.
"Ahh," he groaned while gazing upwards, at the white space he was stuck at. "They were strong and even executed the kill with precision." He'd never seen that name during the beta. Nor did he remember any player by that name in light novel of Overlord.
Shaking his head at the loss, he straightened himself. 'Well, considering that Ainz or Momonga wasn't even the strongest player in his own guild let alone in the whole of Yggdrasil. That's to be expected – there are plenty of strong players in Yggdrasil, and I can't use Momonga as a reference for power here. Momonga was a strategist and his build was purely for role-playing. Though, he was strong – and could defeat many players by pre-planning the battle. Without it – he would've lost most of his PvPs against those with Min-Maxing and stronger Power build.'
He held his head in frustration, then he sighed as he closed the console window. His thoughts churned like a vortex. 'There's at least a difference of twenty levels between us. With their supposed divine-tier weapon – I stand no chance in a fight with them. But the question remains: Was it an ambush or a chanced encounter?'
He let out a groan, 'Going by the circumstantial evidence, they had the tactical advantage here. Everything was stacked against me - From the rain of arrows, the moment I walked a couple of steps away from the dungeon entrance to blocking my path. It was as if, they had planned the whole thing. While lying in wait for me to come out. There's also the possibility of them coming across the dungeon and lying in wait for the previous challenger at the exit. Well, it doesn't matter much now, I'll have to plan my next steps.' He mused.
He folded his arms and exhaled slowly.
"So, what now…?"
Kai stood still in the white space waiting for his revive countdown to complete, his mind racing. Revenge wasn't just a possibility—it was a certainty. 'But charging at them recklessly now would only repeat history. I need more time to prepare. Levelling-up is the first and getting a stronger weapon and a gear is a must.' He mused, as he tapped his foot against the non-existent ground.
'Well then… I guess I've got my next objective.'
Planning out his next move, he opened his console again, 'I shouldn't waste my time doing those side-quests for now.' He mused, preparing a rough plan – deciding his immediate plan of action. Kai's brows furrowed slightly as his eyes locked onto the small, blinking envelope icon at the corner of his interface.
An unread notification.
'Did I miss this earlier?' he thought, as he selected it. The message window expanded in front of him: 'A message from the GM…' His gaze narrowed, after opening the message.
Kai stared at the screen.
"Sorry…?" he repeated under his breath, the word confounding him further about his situation.
His brows furrowed. 'What the hell is this supposed to mean? Sorry for the bug? For the kill? For the dungeon?' None of it made any sense. This whole situation baffled him.
He squinted at the message for a long moment before closing it with a sigh. "No point overthinking it now. I'll call him later." That dev he knew… 'He owes me an explanation for this message.'
For now, he allowed the respawn process to take over.
With successful revival, he observed his surroundings – No dungeon. No monsters. No path. Just a dusty, cracked patch of land of lava puddles in the middle of nowhere of Múspellsheim.
Kai sighed at his fortune, as he resumed his journey.
******
Far away, atop a rocky ridge of Múspellsheim, overseeing the winding gorge below, a female avatar sat cross-legged on a jagged stone. Her golden armor glinted against the dull light, the spear resting against her shoulder like an extension of her body.
Evernight Candidum—remained still, her console window closed now, her eyes scanning the landscape absentmindedly. She didn't know when exactly he'd return, but she had no intention of leaving without seeing him again.
Her lips curled into the ghost of a smile.
"That idiot better hurry up."
She rested her chin against the back of her hand, tapping her fingers idly.
She wasn't done with him. Not even close.
******
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**The End**
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