Disclaimer: I do not own Overlord, all credits to Kugane Maruyama.

Hello, this is my first project! All OCs will only help to expand the NW. The inspiration for this project stems from Momonga himself expressing the desire to explore this world had he come alone to the NW. You will definitely see a lot of familiar faces and places, but I hope I can give it an unique twist. A big thank you for the Overlord Fan Wiki for providing much of the information that I needed.

Dialogue Tags:

[Spell/Martial Art]

'Inner thoughts'

{Message}

Many DMMO-RPGs have sprung up over the years, though none have achieved the same level of fame and prestige even remotely close to the one known as Yggdrasil. Twelve whole years have passed since its successful launch, wherein Yggdrasil has enjoyed unrivaled success, an ever-growing player base, and near limitless developer resources.

During those twelve prosperous years, many guilds had sprouted up. Many guilds had been born to reflect the vast and diverse player base. Some guilds focused on exploration of the nine realms, some focused-on player killing, otherwise known as PK. Some guilds rose to power to counter the aforementioned PK guilds. Some guilds frequented trading, and others had risen just to dungeon dive, raid farm, or just to role play their respective characters. With the vast amount of player freedom, the possibilities were near endless.

Nine's Own Goal was one such guild where nine heteromorphic players sought protection from being endlessly killed by humanoid players. Eventually they changed their name to Ainz Ooal Gown, Touch Me passed the title of Guild leader to Momonga and the guild gained more members until they rose to be one of the top guilds in the entire game. Their focus shifted from being PVP focused to being more role play oriented, mostly due to the fact that almost every member of the guild had a grotesque heteromorphic form.

In its prime, the guild Ainz Ooal Gown enjoyed similar success to that of the game itself, but as with all good things, eventually it would come to an end. Members started to slowly drift away from the game. Many left the guild altogether after giving all their items to Momonga, but a select few kept their characters within the guild, even though they had effectively quit.

[23:54:47]

The game servers were coming to a close, and yet in the final moments, there remained only one member of Ainz Ooal Gown online.

Momonga sat upon his majestic throne located on the tenth floor of the great underground tomb of Nazarick. He looks to the guild weapon held in his hands, but he releases it soon after bathing it in his gaze.

The staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, the symbol of his guild and his time together with his friends, floats in place and rotates slowly. It defies gravity in much the same fashion as Momonga defies the shutdown of Yggdrasil by staying online till the end. Though the key difference lies in the fact that the staff is successful in accomplishing its goal, whereas Momonga's defiance will change nothing.

Momonga shifts his gaze to the NPCs who have gathered and kneeled before him, his eyes land on a certain blonde member of the Pleiades and he thinks back to his last farewell with Herohero, who was the creator of said NPC, and the last one to be online just minutes before Momonga's seating on the throne.

Herohero was an Elder Black Ooze, one of the strongest variants of slimes. All character models in Yggdrasil lack facial movements, but that statement rang true especially for a slime. But with even that in mind, he could still see the exhaustion on his face.

Despite being one of the four remaining members of Ainz Ooal Gown, Herohero had all but retired. He had already given Momonga all his items and was only online to say his goodbyes before he logged off to catch what little sleep he could.

Momonga felt a number of emotions towards his long-time friend and guildmate. He felt most strongly the feelings of pain and sadness. A twinge of anger was present at the thought that he had been abandoned by all he held dear but that thought was shortly cut off.

"I… can't fault them for choosing real life over the game." Momonga spoke quietly. "Everyone had obligations outside of Yggdrasil, be it related to business, family or personal interests. The decision to leave was not one that had been taken lightly."

[23:58:17]

As Momonga descended into his thoughts, he glanced at the clock to see that it was still counting down to the end of Yggdrasil, to the end of all the efforts that he and his friends had put in.

"Not much longer now." Momonga spoke somberly. "Those were truly the best of times, and I hope that one day, I will be able to experience this all once again, to explore the one of the nine realms all over again."

[23:59:40]

As Momonga prepared for the automatic logout, he closed his eyes in thought. 'As soon as the servers go down, it's four hours of sleep until my next shift. I hope it won't affect my work tomorrow…' As Momonga finished the thought, he heard a slight beep as the timer reached midnight.

…

A young woman quickly runs through the halls of an administrative building. She was wearing an artifact that the Six Great Gods had left behind, a so-called 'schoolgirl uniform'. She had short light brown hair bound by a black hair accessory and wore a pair of purple glasses. She was the 7th seat of the Black Scripture, known as the 'Thousand Leagues Astrologer.' She had an urgent report for the Cardinals of the Slane Theocracy, a humancentric nation. She had seen a prophecy and in it appeared a mass of darkness in the vague shape of a human. The being stood in a forest, as if waiting for something. She did not know exactly what this prophecy meant, but she prayed for the uncertain future ahead.

(AN: Thousand Leagues Astrologer is not the blue haired girl as seen in Volume 14. That girl is the 11th seat of the Black Scripture. Thousand Leagues Astrologer can be seen in the Manga. In the chapter where Shalltear confronts the Black Scripture, she is caught in Shalltear's [Mass Hold Species].)

[00:00:01]

Momonga opened his eyes expecting to see the console in which he was plugged into. Instead, what he saw exceeded his wildest expectations. He was in the middle of a lush, green forest. Through the thick canopy overhead he could see glimpses at a moon in the night sky. It was a world that Blue Planet-san could only dream of.

"This… where am I?" He asked no one in particular. Momonga looked around him and noticed that he was alone. He quickly tried to piece together what had just happened. 'Is this a reboot of the server? The night sky looks so beautiful I nearly lost myself. Could this be another one of the nine realms that I have yet to see? Clearly it is not in Helheim, where the marsh that contains Nazarick is located.'

He stopped for a second and looked at his hands. They were still the same skeletal hands he once had as his ingame avatar, however it felt different. He felt stronger, and that strength seemed to pulsate from his entire body despite lacking any sort of muscle. He could also vaguely 'feel' as if there were still nerves in his non-existent flesh, but the touch seemed dull.

Countless questions raced through his mind, but the greatest question had just come to him. 'Where is the staff of Ainz Ooal Gown? It was beside me just before I closed my eyes.' He panicked briefly but as he did so, his anxiety seemed to be cut off after a certain point. 'That's a strange feeling, but more importantly, what happened to Nazarick?'

Guild weapons were the symbol of a guild. Therefore, in order to dissolve a guild, guild weapons were often the target of raids into guild bases. The lack of the staff could only mean one thing, that the guild and Nazarick itself was gone, mostly likely deleted by the server wipe. At this realization, Momonga felt great sorrow, until that too was cut off to a more manageable level. His feelings of pain surged once again and this back and forth between his emotions and a sort of 'dampener' continued as Momonga stared up at the sky.

"The symbol of our guild, of our hard work… gone." He nearly whispered those words. Momonga briefly thought about the wealth and vast array of items that had been in Nazarick.

His thoughts lingered on the powerful World Items that he and his friends had collected over the years, but he then shook his head. "No, the memories, the good times, I still remember them. Even if there isn't a single speck remaining of Nazarick and our guild, I will never forget all of you… my comrades, my friends." The wealth of Nazarick meant nothing to Momonga, the memories of acquiring them were far more valuable. Momonga even counted himself lucky as he still had a World Item on him even though everything else seemed to have been wiped by the server.

He shook off those nostalgic memories for now and looked at his hands once again. 'If the server has been wiped, why do I still have this appearance, and is my inventory still there?' As Momonga thought of his inventory, he could mentally see inside of it. And as he reached out to grab an item, a small black void opened for his hand and he pulled out a white sword. Momonga grinned at this discovery.

'It seems that my inventory is still intact, as is my character. But what of my skills? My magic?' Momonga concentrated and he could vividly remember all his spells he was able to cast, along with all the details that were associated with them. Mana cost, cast time, and even effective range. As he concentrated, he could vaguely feel the mana swirling inside his body.

"So that's why I felt so much power." He spoke as his hands gripped the hilt of the white sword. Momonga raised the sword above his head to do a practice swing but as he swung, the sword dropped out of his hands. 'It seems that the class restrictions should still apply even here.'

Momonga put the white sword back into his inventory and cast a spell.

[Create Greater Item]

His entire body was clad in raven-black full plate armour with edges of gold. There was a red cape that covered his right shoulder and it extended down to his knees. He moved his limbs around and he didn't feel slowed down at all. In fact, it felt more like an extension of his body. This was a suit of magically created armour. It had no special enchantments, but it had the durability and strength of a level hundred piece of equipment. Even against other level hundred players, this armour could provide some measure of protection. Though nowhere near the same amount as specialized warrior armour, like Touch Me's white suit of armour known as 'Compliance with Law.' Momonga points at a nearby tree and casts another spell.

[Dragon Lightning]

A 5th tier spell went off with no issues. Out of his finger came a streak of white lightning shaped as a dragon. The lightning struck the tree and caused the water beneath the bark to heat up and explode, showering the area with wooden splinters.

Momonga was surprised that he could still cast spells while wearing armour. 'Perhaps this was a recent change the developers made to magically created items?' He thought to himself. Another thought appeared in his head and he sought to test it.

[Create Greater Item]

In each of his hands appeared a black great sword whose edge was shaped like a fan. In terms of length it was the size of a full-grown man. 'I thought they would be heavier considering its length, but it feels like a stick.' Momonga thought casually as he inspected the ornate designs on the great swords. He raised one of the swords over his head and swung it at another tree. Momonga was expecting the blade to either fall out of his hands or just barely dent the tree. But to his surprise, the tree was sliced cleanly and the trunk rolled onto the ground with a loud 'thud' sound. 'It would seem weapons made from magic are still usable even though I am a mage.'

He could not help but notice his cape swaying gently in the wind and he marveled the breeze. Momonga listened intently and with his improved senses he could pick up sounds of small animals scurrying around the forest. Was such a thing even possible with Yggdrasil? The answer was no. Momonga knew this, but he could not believe it. His body despite being nothing but bones, felt stronger than he had ever felt as a full-blooded human. His mind was overflowing with the knowledge of every single spell he knew, even of spells he could not cast and yet, he was not overwhelmed. Momonga was calm and every time he felt strong emotions, they were cut off in an instant. This had all happened, but he did not know why. He was alone in an unknown land, but he still had all his prior knowledge and experiences.

Momonga looked at his swords and then his armour. His gear reminded himself of Touch Me, even down to the red cape that was synonymous with his former comrade. Momonga thought back to all those sparring matches with Touch Me, how he had learned various sword techniques that he would never use because Momonga was a mage. But now, he had a chance to try them. Tree after tree fell, some sliced cleanly, others completely decimated leaving no trace behind. Momonga grinned at the fact that he felt no fatigue. 'Seems like it was a good decision to be undead.' He chuckled at that thought because it was due to his undead form that he was hunted constantly before being rescued by his former comrade. He respected Touch Me, both as a friend and as someone who reached the class of World Champion. Still, it was his friend Punitto Moe who pointed out the fact that even if Momonga could not use swords, it would not hurt to learn some techniques that warriors would use in order to counter them. In those nostalgic memories, Momonga could not help but smile sadly. "Thank you all, my comrades. I will carry on with the knowledge that you have imparted with me and strive not to tarnish the legacy that you all have left behind."

As guild leader Momonga had spent a lot of time with every guild member. He spent most of that time learning and listening about their techniques when it came to PVP. He had the most memories with Punitto Moe, Touch Me, Peroroncino, Ulbert and Yamaiko.

Momonga continued throughout the next few days and nights practicing strikes thousands of times. He felt no fatigue nor the need for food or drink, this allowed him to practice non-stop. He was driven by the memories of his former friends and he could not disappoint them. Occasionally he would practice a punch that Yamaiko had once shown him, and to his surprise, the trees he punched would completely shatter as if a wrecking ball had struck the tree. 'My physical strength seems to have improved. I am not the most accurate judge of physical abilities, but I feel almost as confident in my strength as I am in my magic.'

Momonga continued with so much fervor that he lost track of time, but he did not neglect his magic. He spent some time unwinding and concentrating to get a feel of spells he could cast. For normal people, it would be impossible to remember the intricacies of all 718 spells he had at his disposal, but to Momonga it was like learning to ride a bike. It was not something he would forget. He looked to his swords and smiled as he remembered the words his comrades had spoken of. 'Your weapon becomes more of an extension of yourself rather than just a tool. Wield it as you would your own arms and legs.' He chuckled at what Warrior Takemichazuki had once spoken. "He is not mistaken, swinging this sword just feels natural, almost as natural as using magic. But I will not be arrogant. He had swung his swords for much longer than I have and yet he stayed humble."

Momonga thought back to when he had to solo farm to maintain the upkeep of Nazarick. As a solo backline mage, he was a sitting duck without a meat shield. In the past he used his summons, but now he was confident in his ability. 'Still it would not hurt to check my summoning skills.' He called forth the Moonlight Wolves. A dozen wolves with silver coats appeared before him and they lowered their heads in respect. They were only level 20, but they excelled in agility. Momonga was pleasantly surprised to feel a sort of connection to his summons. He then heard a pleasant female voice in his head.

{Momonga-sama, how may these humble servants serve you?} Momonga was surprised. 'These summons can talk? Wolves lack vocal cords capable of speech, but I guess magic really is amazing. They seem to be casting [Message] too.' Momonga coughed to clear his non-existent throat.

"Scout the surrounding forest but go no further than three hundred meters. Report back to me immediately if you find any intelligent creatures. Avoid all unnecessary combat. Should you not find any intelligent creatures, continue your patrol but return after half an hour's time." The wolves went to carry out his orders and he was alone once again.

'Still, it sounded like they really respect me. And not just in the capacity of a worker and her boss, but like one of master and servant.' Momonga shook off the thought and continued to hone his combat techniques.

Half an hour quickly passed, and he found the dozen wolves had returned and lowered their heads once again. Momonga heard the familiar female voice in his head again.

{Please forgive this humble servant's tardiness, but we have not spotted any intelligent creatures capable of speech. We had only seen small prey animals and insects, none of which are worthy of your criteria. Please forgive our failure in executing your will.}

Momonga waved his hand magnanimously. The wolves were low level and lacked specialized ranger or thief skills to locate ambushers. He had chosen the Moonlight wolves for their exceptional senses and agility but also because it would not be out of place to find wolves in the forest.

"Think nothing of it. I believe we are safe for now. Thank you for your report." The wolves had their heads down thus hiding their expressions, but their wagging tails told Momonga all he needed to know. He dismissed his summons and when they vanished like white smoke, Momonga could vaguely feel the connection being severed.

Momonga looked around the clearing in the forest that he had made. He felt a sense of pride but also shame. "Blue Planet-san would be scolding me right about now." Momonga chuckled as he gathered the tree trunks that were intact and put them all into his pocket dimension. 'That is good to know, I can even store items that are much larger in size.'

Momonga collects his thoughts as he thinks of his next course of action. 'This much I know, I am able to cast and use all my previously known magic. I can wield weapons and wear armour that I myself have created with magic. My current body is exactly like my in-game avatar. I still do not know where I am but thankfully it would seem that I am in a secluded forest. Are there intelligent beings in this world? If so, how would they react to an undead being walking about? In my previous world, this sort of thing was unheard of. Therefore, it would be best to stay in this suit of armour. If need be, I can cast simple illusions or use that one spell that I frequented whenever Punitto Moe-san and I went undercover in those NPC towns.'

Momonga had fond memories of himself and Punitto Moe going undercover to gather information in humanoid towns controlled by rival guilds. [False Life] was a 9th tier spell that only an undead of his caliber could use. By expending his mana, he could take human form. In game the spell was potent enough to fool even the high-level NPC guards that frequently guarded the towns. It was more like a high tier illusion spell, and though he would appear human, his undead statuses and racial abilities were unchanged. Undead being immune to critical hits had on more than one occasion saved Momonga from an ambush while he was disguised.

'When the spell was in effect, the mana drain was negated by the passive mana regeneration. In theory I could keep up that illusion indefinitely, though it would make casting other spells risky as I would not be able to recover my mana unless I cancel the illusion. Unless absolutely necessary, I will refrain from using [False Life] as I do not know what its effects are in this world. Not to mention there might exist beings that can see through the illusion. It would be best to presume that there are such beings.' Even with that illusion, some high-level NPCs can detect undead just by their auras. To prevent that from happening, Momonga had a ring that would protect him from all types of divination spells. It also hid his magical aura and his undead status. Momonga was confident he would not make too many mistakes going forward, however only a fool would be complacent.

'What I need now is more information. It is a start that I am aware of what I am and what abilities I am capable of, but it would be wise to learn more about this world and how it came to be.' With that thought in mind, Momonga started to make his way out of the massive forest with the sun floating high in the sky.

...

An albino Gigant Basilisk basks in the sun with the rest of his herd. Basilisks are typically solitary creatures, but this particular basilisk was blessed with both a strong body and an above average intellect. He was not on the same level as a magical beast in terms of intelligence, he was still far above the average monster. He had seen its fair share of battles and struggles for life and it noted that in many struggles, the side that was more numerous tended to be victorious. Even if most beings were weak, having more weaklings could be considered a strength of its own. He then began to roam across the continent. He passed through scorching deserts, vast plains, sprawling forests and even came across a large swamp. He would cross paths with some of his brethren and they would fight. He would always be victorious but instead of slaying his brethren for their territory, he would instead have them follow him on his journey. It was not long before he led a sizable herd of a dozen individuals. Gigant Basilisks were large creatures, they had eight legs and averaged ten meters in length from head to tail. To feed an entire herd would not be an easy task, but not overly difficult because as reptiles, they only needed to eat a few times per week.

Their prey varied based on what biome they found themselves in. The swamp provided plenty of Lizardmen and Toadmen. Even Hydras fell prey to the herd. Plains had plenty of human travellers who were far from the safety of their vast cities. And in the forests, it was like a vast treasure trove of prey, but the most abundant of all were the various goblin settlements scattered about. Currently they found themselves on the edge of a vast forest next to a vast grassy plain. Almost the entire herd was resting save for three individuals sent out to track prey. Basilisks were incapable of expressions on their faces, but it was clear there was anticipation for the hunt that would take place soon. They had chosen this location to nest specifically for the abundance of prey, and so far, they were far from starving.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to share them with me.