Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord or any other intellectual property used in this story intentionally or otherwise.

Note: I will be using the Anime, Manga and Light Novels to write this. Although there will be small changes to accommodate my story within the world. That being said please report any inconsistencies so I can make sure they are intentional and not simply mistakes.

(Sounds)

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Special voice"

Special Item Name

[Spoken Spell/Ability]

{Wordless Spell/Ability}

"Well, this is actually it isn't it…"

"Twelve years, twelve years of endless grinding, looting, and gathering, all boils down to this. My last…"

23:59:00

"…60 seconds of Yggdrasil" I let out a sigh.

"Everything I've done has led up to this. Me just sitting here, in what equates to the guilds greenhouse." Looking over I couldn't help but notice the tall and imposing figure of Kall standing next to me. He was an NPC I had designed to look like a stereotypical knight, with the armor and weapons to match. Not even a hint of flesh was visible past the full set of armor he wore. The only difference between him and a standard knight being the massive tower shield he had strapped to his back. Still, to me, Kall was knighthood personified. In that moment I found myself admiring the time I had spent with my creation.

'Like a true knight to his king he did his best to protect me whenever he could, a role he filled perfectly. I can't even count the number of times you saved me, old friend.' I gave a look at my companion's polished steel tower shield as it gleamed in the fake sunlight of the room.

Looking away I gave note of the stagnate leaves of the nearby trees and wondered why the developers had decided kept the leave rustling sound effects that filled my ears even if the leaves themselves couldn't properly project the movement. As the pointless criticism crossed my mind so too did my memories of on my time in the game.

I looked back and remembered all the battles I had fought over the years. All the time I had taken to growing my character to what I had today. An old memory flashed into my mind and I found myself smiling at the memory.

It was a memory of the last time a group of players had tried to kill me. They had been a group of players notorious for ganging up on high-level solo players for their items.

It had been back when I had still been level 80 and just gotten lucky with a particularly rare drop from one of the game's dungeons. They had ambushed me on the way back to town. The group had been made up of equal level party members. Unfortunately for me they had all been monster races which might as well have thrown the equal levels part of the window considering stat differences of monsters and humans.

When they first showed themselves, they offered to not kill me in exchange for the item, a rather reasonable exchange in hindsight. Unfortunately for everyone involved, I was still rather young when that had happened and was a particularly stubborn person at the time. My unwillingness to give up the item quickly devolved the encounter into an all-out brawl between me and the six players.

Needless to say, I died. Though it had been impossible to win the fight I did find solace in having eked out what I considered to be a tie. I might have only succeeded in killing one of them, but because of their overconfidence, I had been able to get away with killing the leader of the group. Not only that, but in the moments before the kill, I had been able to gift the item to the leader and ended up received it back as a reward for the kill once I had respawned. I let out a small chuckle at the memory.

"You know what my favorite thing about humans in Yggdrasil is Kall?" I waited for a second as if expecting a response and then continue as if I'd gotten one. "Even though we are the weakest stat-wise, we are capable of achieving extraordinary things."

'Though I suppose everyone's technically a human beyond their characters. Still, I sometimes wonder if perhaps I should have chosen something different. Bah, a little late for that now anyway.' I told myself, not dwelling on the question.

"What do you think Kall?" There was no response.

23:59:15

...45 seconds.

I rubbed the back of my head at that. 'Never did grow out of that did I?'

Over the years of being a solo player, I had picked up the rather bad habit of talking to my NPC's. I assume it developed due to my rather introverted personality and the fact that I hardly if ever partied up with people. Most of the time I would stick with just my NPC's and play that way.

After a while, it became apparent that the act of talking to them had become a deep-rooted habit and not one I wanted others to know about. So, I became a solo player and decided I would simply make my companions strong enough to replace human players. To this day I have zero people on my friends list because of it, oh sure I have added people, but after being seen as a strictly solo player all of them took me off their lists before long. 'That's probably why I'm sitting here all alone… well, semi alone.'

23:59:30

…30 seconds.

I understood that to the perspective of many this would seem like a sad tale. One of a lonely man with no friends. One who would spend his last moments alone with nothing, but a lone digital program in an empty room? Reminiscing about his losses on the game he had spent the past twelve years on.

I understood how normal people thought, but you know what I'd say to those people? "Fuck No! I spent my time that way because I wanted to."

I knew from the start I would lose everything, every MMO ends someday. I spent my time alone because that's what I as a person enjoyed. I wasn't a person who truly required others to enjoy something I liked, sure I would have liked to hang out with people, who doesn't, but I just didn't have the mentality for it; so, I got over it and worked with what I had.

My NPC's had been the results of that decision and I couldn't rightfully look back on all the time I had spent with them and truthfully say I regret those choices. I had loved those thousands of hours spent fighting and talking with them even if it makes me sound crazy.

'I wouldn't change it for anything.' I reassured myself.

And yet even having just said that to myself I felt nothing. I had personally sunk over 20,000 hours into the game to get my character and NPC's full sets of divine equipment while reaching the games level cap of 100. Yet I felt nothing at the prospect of the game shutting down. 'Why?'

I was unaware as to why I didn't feel depressed about the whole situation or even truly saddened. Being the type of person I was I looked inward at why and all I could come up with were four possible reasons.

First, Yggdrasil after its initial launch became a massive hit the world over, it garnered attention from all across the world for being the most liberating Dive-MMO on the market, at least when it came to customization. There had not been a bigger game release since game companies began recreating old franchises to have full Dive support. Only a disillusioned idiot would think this game wouldn't get a sequel. And simply by how big the game became over the past twelve years the developers would most likely if not assuredly make a second Yggdrasil.

I reasoned that with how much time certain players spent on the game, the developers might even allow players to transfer over levels and equipment into the sequel. But if not, so what, I start over? As if that were a problem. I'd simply just get to experience the game all over again, I would lose nothing in the exchange.

'Perhaps it's the prospect of something new keeps me from feeling too crushed?'

23:59:45

… 15 seconds.

From that came my second reason for why I might care so little about the game shutting down… it was too easy. Now that's not to say the game had no learning curve or it held your hand too much. Hell, it took me two other characters before I knew how to properly build a game avatar to my specifications within the game, but now that I had made my perfect character it was all so boring.

At first, the game was intense, every battle was a challenge every encounter a story to remember and PVP, god PVP was the trill I loved to get from games. From the fights that are all about power and overwhelming your opponents to those that left me more mentally drained with plan after plan that I would be forced to create on the spot to win. Before I knew it had become isolated, my ability's had left me on a pedestal over most other players, it had been over two years since anyone had challenged me. Oh, don't get me wrong, plenty of players could, but once you reach a certain point most don't want to risk losing their items for a simple player fight.

And as much as I hated to think in such a way it was true. I had not felt challenged for a very long time. Not since I had been challenged by that party of PKrs again had I found any sort of real difficulty in recent memory.

'Is it because I've actually been really bored and haven't realized it yet. Maybe being bored is why I don't care?'

After that came the simplest of all the reasons that I had already made full copies of my personal NPCs. Not a reason for most, but for me my NPCs had been a rather central aspect to my time in Yggdrasil. Hence why I decided to save their data to a hard drive, meaning I no longer had anything of real value to lose when the game shutdown.

'Could the lack of real loss be the reason why?'

Then came the real reason the question had been on my mind. The answer I didn't want to acknowledge but couldn't truly find myself rejecting.

'Maybe I'm just apathetic?'

The idea I was unable to feel crushed at having lost so much work worried me more than anything. I had never found myself to be an overly attached person, but I had chalked that up to my logical mind, but now… now I had to wonder if I was even capable of truly forming bonds strong enough to care. It was a mental problem I knew was associated with certain psychopaths. And it scared me, it scared me that perhaps in a way I was somehow less human than the people around me. The fear was only exacerbated by the fact that I never truly felt alone even though I still laid claim to an empty friends list.

Not willing to delve deeper into my own psyche I shook my head of the thought and refocused on the game.

Once refocused I thought back to the reason I was here rather than sleeping like I should have been doing. That reason being that I was actually here to pay my last respects to the game that gave me so many fun hours. Even if it got a bit boring towards the end when I got far too OP. 'Well, it's not like they made it hard to become so broken…'

23:59:55

… 5 seconds left.

'I really hope they make the game harder to exploit next time.'

… 4 seconds.

'I mean I'm pretty sure every person ranked number one of whatever class they specialize in has an OP ability they got by specking their points in a specific way…

… 3

'Saitama227, "The God Hand" The number one ranked monk. He had the ability to break the damage limit of 99K which made him a one-hit KO player.

… 2

'Kirikano, "The Sword Goddess" Number one Duelist. She had the passive to break the attack speed limit about four or five times over. I'd call it ill-advised for most any close-range fighter to challenge her since she could outpace just about anyone in raw DPS if given the chance.'

… 1

'Momonga, "The Sorcerer King", Yggdrasil's Number one caster and the only man I knew to have broken the MP limit of the game. That guy could probably outlast a whole team of magic users while spamming expensive 10th-Tier spells and still have enough left to fight off a mid-boss no problem.'

… 0

'Holy shit this game was broken as crap and that's not even including the World-class items. Hell, I alone have two game-breaking abilities and NPC's capable of fighting raid bosses to a draw.' I gave another look to Kall before I closed my eyes and fell deeper into thought.

… -1 seconds left.

(Sigh)

'Even so, I wish some of those people would have challenged me to a battle. Now those would have been some battles to remember. I've even made plans of how best to face them. A rather big waste of time in hindsight actually.'

… -2

'I mean seriously, what are the odds that I'd just happen to run into one of them on a bad enough day that they'd fight me then and there. Unfortunately, I've never been about hunting down other players for my won fun, even if it would let me get my trills. I never liked those that went out of their way to PK people that weren't ready to lose one of their best items.'

… -3

'I mean I never considered myself an asshole for killing people that confronted me. Anyone that fought me knew they could lose and should be ready for the consequences of doing so. Once the player challenged me I would give it my all in the battle regardless of level or item layouts.'

"My lord are you okay, you look like you've been in rather profound thought." The voice spoke as one would to a king, with both respect and unwavering loyalty.

"I'm fine Kall, I'm just thinking about possible challenges and how I would deal with them," I answered without a second thought.

"Ah, it has been a rather long time since our last real battle. I wouldn't mind the challenge myself." The voice spoke in understanding.

"Yes, it has, It's not… like… I'm… a…"

.

.

.

(Inhale/Exhale)

"…Kall." I spoke crisply.

"Yes, my lord?" he replied

"How long have you been watching me think to myself?" I questioned

"Since you came in today my lord, you have been in a rather inquisitive mood today. Is there something wrong my king?" A simple response, but one that spoke volumes over my current situation. I needed more answers, but if things had become as I believed, then I would need to tread carefully.

"Oh, no reason just wondering if you've been paying attention to what I've been saying" As I spoke I began to stand and walk towards the exit of the rather large greenhouse, making sure to seem as normal as possible while doing it.

"Of course," he replied quickly.

'Test number one then.'

"If so then tell me, what is my favorite aspect of humanity?" I now stood only a second sprint from the exit. ' Depending on how he answers I'll decide on what my next move is.'

He smirked under his helmet. "You love humanity's boundless potential to grow past its own weaknesses." The question was answered with a polite bow.

'So, it seems he has memories of all events prior to whatever caused this. Also judging by the fact that the game should have shut down and how the world feels more alive given the moving trees. I think I can safely say the two are linked. Now all I had to wonder just how much had changed and hoped the answer isn't too far.

"Glad I don't have to repeat myself. Now if you don't mind would you contact Anima and tell her that you are both to meet with me at the throne room in 30 minutes." To anyone looking at me, I was acting calm as I usually did, but inside I was ready to run at any hint of danger.

"I'm sorry my king, but I am unable to do this." he gave what I would assume was an apologetic gesture but couldn't quite make it out because of the armor he wore, yet the words put me on edge none-the-less. As to what the disobedience might entail I had to be careful in how I reacted to it.

"And why is that Kall?" I was now on full alert and a single step away from beating a hasty retreat should the situation escalate.

"I'm afraid that even at full speed, traveling to Anima will take well over twenty minutes and the combined length back to the throne room alone will exceed thirty. Therefore, I cannot comply with that order my liege, it is simply impossible." Kall bent to one knee in apology an action that greatly alleviated my concerns over his loyalty and the situation in general. With that my position had gone from entirely hopeless to only impossible and I could deal with impossible as long as I had Kall by my side.

I stood there contemplating what to do next 'Right, only holders of the guild ring can teleport throughout the place and since there's never been a reason to equip one to an NPC I'm not sure if it will even work for them.'

Mentally scoffing at myself for such an oversight I continued thinking. 'I can't afford to waste time with him making the round trip. I'll just have to hope this decision doesn't lead to my death later on.' With reluctance, I pulled off two opal encrusted rings I had on my hand. In Yggdrasil, you could only gain the effects of two rings at any one time, which could be increased through cash items, and ones equipped after were for simple decoration.

I at the moment had the ability to equipped eight effect rings at once and used the remaining two slots to hold extra gild rings. Just in case I found a person I wanted to invite to join the guild, I could invite them in by giving them a ring on the spot. A rather cool gesture if I had ever had reason to do it.

"Do you know what these are Kall?" He gave a single glance up at my palm before he returned to his kneeling position.

"Yes, they are guild rings, they allow entry and free movement throughout the guild." He replied, head still down.

"Then you know how important of an honor it is that I am giving you one" The moment I finished Kall's head shot up, shock evident in his posture.

He quickly recovered from his shocked stance and returned to his kneeling position. "I am sorry my lord, but I cannot accept this gift."

I gave him a questioning look. "And why would that be?"

"Because only those at the top of the guild should be allowed to wear such a miraculous piece of equipment my lord" The words were spoken with the utmost respect the knight could muster.

'That's right, I had created a ranking system in the guild in case anyone joined so that they couldn't wreak havoc. That is until they reached the top title of True-King at which point they would be too invested to do so. In hindsight, it was really a lot of wasted effort considering no one joined.'

"Then I'll ask this Kall. Do you think yourself above a True-King? Do you think yourself above me?" The words were modeled after those of what I imagined a king would say in my situation.

"W-What, no my liege, I would never-"He was not allowed to finish as I walked closer to within a few feet of his position and a strange force washed over him.

"Then pray tell why you refuse to wear the ring I am offering you, do you believe my trust in you is wrong, do you question a king's judgment?" The words were harsh, but I needed to act like the king he believed me to be… even if I didn't fully understand how.

"No, I fully trust your judgment, my king." The response was said without a hint of doubt.

'It is strangely easy for me to act like this, what if… bah, I can't think on that now I have to finish this first' Forcefully I grabbed Kall's arm and manually raised him up to his feet.

"Then stop kneeling, stand up, and take the ring. I need you to be quick because the guild may be in danger and I can't have you wasting time on running through the guild!" With those final words, I shove the rings into his now open palm. 'The only thing I can hope for is that I didn't go overboard.'

He simply stood there head down looking at the rings in his open hand. Before long he grabbed one and slid it onto his armored finger. It grew and then shrunk quickly to accommodate the necessary size of his covered finger. He looked up and seemed like he wanted to kneel again but stopped himself remembering what I had said.

"I-I may not believe myself to be equal to a True-King, but I will try my best to be worthy of this gift my lord." The words were shaky at first, but quickly hardened alongside his resolve.

"Good, now take the other to Anima and meet me at the throne room in thirty." My back was now to him as I walked towards the exit.

"Wait, my lord, what of this dangerous situation?!" His voice was filled with concern.

"That is why I want all of the guardians to meet in the throne room, so I can explain it to everyone at once." There was something I needed to make absolutely sure I took care of myself if he had come to life like Kall.

"Also, be careful Kall, if Anima is acting strange then contact me with [Message] immediately." The words were not a suggestion, but an order.

"Then what about Bar-" his line was cut off by a cold stare from me.

'He didn't question the spell part. Meaning NPCs are fully capable of using the spell or at least know about it.'

"If he has turned against us then I am the best option to deal with it." I left no chance for a complaint as I closed the door behind me and heard the distinct sound of teleportation being used behind the shut door.

(Sigh)

'I wish I could rest after that, but I have to make sure this problem is dealt with. Although…' I began walking down the hall as I did a few hand gestures with my hands.

'Looks like I can't access any HUD options or the menus.' With a simple thought, I stuck my hand out as if I was reaching for something and just like that it vanished into what looked like water rippling effect in the air. I felt inside for what I was looking for and like magic found it in reach of my hand. With a quick tug the normally trash item Mirror, I had looted last week, popped out of the magic gate.

I stared at the face looking back at me for a few seconds and let my mind roam over the visage. 'I suppose I can't really complain. I did after all specifically choose the default human male face, so I didn't stand out, but talk about bland.'

This character had originally had a rather handsome face a while back ago that I had spent quite a while sculpting. Alongside having sported some of the flashiest equipment in the game meant I got challenged a lot of weak players who recognized that I was a solo play but couldn't tell when they didn't stand a chance. So, I eventually decide to pay for a face modifier from the cash shop.

But only by using not only the default face but also remodeling my equipment to seem purposefully like the starting equipment, was I able to get the regular players off my back.

'After all who would want to steal from a player that was on his first quest and hadn't even take time to make a unique character appearance?' Only players who would buy cash shop items, that allowed one to observe a player's level, could tell I wasn't a casual noob. After that, the only people I fought were those among the higher ranks of the game because they were the only ones who were truly hunting me.' I gave myself another look over.

"If things are as I think so then I guess this is my face now. It's odd though, I don't feel off-put by the idea of this being my face. It's almost as if this was always me, the Dark brown hair, the chocolate eyes and the thinness of my lips, have always been mine." I scowled a bit at that, wondering if it was my apathy acting up again.

Forgetting my self-doubt again I finished checking my semi-new face and placed the mirror back in the subspace that was my inventory.

'Glad to see inventory still works. Now to see if that still works.' I searched my mind for something. What I was looking for was unclear, but I knew it had to be there. With a twitch, I found it and…

[Fire]

As the words left my mouth a ball of fire formed in my hand.

'I wish I could admire the fact I can do this now, but no time to enjoy it yet.'

{Ice}

'Apparently, it also works with just thinking hard enough too. However, it does seem weaker than the spoken one.' I close my hands and both spells fizzle as intended.

'Now I have to wonder how those spells will work… I can't afford to risk that yet. This will have to be enough for now.' I held up my guild ring hand and called out.

[Teleport: Treasury]

A/N: Well like I said in the description this is my first Fanfiction, therefore, I can't say how good I did, bias opinion and all that. So, what I'd like you as a reader to do is to give me some constructive criticism or just support if you enjoyed it, but please don't just post baseless hate. If you have a problem with my writing, then please point out what that is and I'll see if I can do something about it.

Now on to some more story related topics. This was the best point I could find to stop on this chapter and to tell the truth, had I continued the next stop wouldn't have been for another 6-7 thousand words. So sorry if the end seemed unexpected but being new I'm still not too sure how to identify good stopping points yet.

Next comes the following chapters' discussion. So yes, the next chapter will really show a majority of the remaining cast and also a lot of crossover elements will be showcased on it. If you don't like what I'll be crossing over or simply don't care to learn about it, well then, I'm sorry to lose a reader, but this is, after all, a personal take of the story so complain about them won't make me stop, sorry.

Till next time readers.