Hello Scrolls and Nazarins, Mr.Bones brings... the last chapter of my fanfic The One Who Came Back.
I hope you have enjoyed following my story of this amazing world that is Overlord.
Now we will know a little more about TW and how the guardians will react.
Enjoy With you
The One Who Came Back
Chapter 40: New World
Both were seated in the office, seemingly lost in thought about what had happened.
"It seems it was the same as what happened to me when the game ended... how did you feel? I was disoriented, but since I turned into an undead, I calmed down pretty quickly." Ainz recounted his experience of the fateful day he came to this world, a day that was growing more distant in his memory.
"Haha, I can imagine! Well, when I came to my senses, I was beside a city. I almost had a heart attack. I thought it might be a DLC, but I noticed I was breathless. I was breathing, so that's when I realized I had been Isekaied." "Isekaied?"
"I made up the word. Sent to another world and screwed over at the same time! Anyway, I had to adapt. Luckily, it was a human region. I wouldn't have a chance in a fight. As a level 1 human, I was pretty weak. I sold basic amulets to survive. Then I realized I couldn't lie, and my luck still worked at 99% every time."
"Why the lying part?"
"I think it was the change of worlds. Several things, like time counters and other types of magic, were adapted. That's why summons last until they're destroyed, but you still have to wait a while to use other spells. The same was done with the blessings that imbued me. They were adapted to work in this world. It affected me by purifying me. Even at level 1, I don't get tired easily, and I don't need to eat or drink to sustain myself for months. As for my luck, it became constant. So, I used it to the best of my ability. I realized that it brought bad luck to others in return, so I devised a way to store it. It only took me ten years to figure it out."
" Ten years! You must have been quite the terrible neighbor."
"That's why I kept moving constantly. That way, I didn't ruin people's lives and could look for signs of other players." This caught Ainz's attention.
"And did you find anything?"
"Of course, they were everywhere. Statues of the Six Gods who arrived 600 years ago, paintings of the Eight Kings of Greed from 500 years ago, the Wise Minotaur who came 400 years ago, and the Gods of Evil who plagued this continent 300 years ago. Even among the Thirteen Heroes who fought 200 years ago, there were players."
"All of them?"
"And even more. In my searches, I discovered that entire societies vanished and emerged over the centuries, always influenced by players. Do you know how long this world has existed?"
"I have no idea, Wild. It's not like I can carbon-date rocks with magic."
"I'm sure if you asked, the Guardians could come up with something. From what I remember, Demiurge should have the intelligence of a genius."
"Yes, he does. But the Guardians are quite naive; they lack real combat experience. Besides the major invasion, they hardly had any action. But I think the world-changing has made them really intelligent and incredibly skilled, as described in each of their profiles."
"That might be a problem, isn't it?! Magic adapted their programming literally, and they take everything literally too. I noticed with Shalltear. If you say "stay," she stays forever, if necessary, without questioning."
"I'm working on that. I want them to learn to make better decisions, but it's difficult when they think you're a perfect being. Now, back to the age question..."
"Right, I sort of scoured many ruins. This world must be hundreds of millions of years old. It might even be older than our original world. Whatever brought us here has been dumping players for at least nearly as long, arriving every 100 years, sometimes alone, sometimes with guilds, but always above level 50. Always becoming a positive or negative force, creating, destroying, or rebuilding. So, we have at least 98 more years to prepare before the next wave arrives."
"Level 50, you say, but you're level 1... Ah! Your luck, that must have been what brought you here! Have you figured out who might be behind this?"
"Nothing. This all started long before the oldest dragon lived. Maybe the great-great-great-great-grandfather of the Dragon Emperor knew... if anything was passed down to his descendants, they won't tell us. They hate us too much."
"I noticed, I met one. He was using a relic from Yggdrasil like he owned it. I think he might have a whole guild base somewhere."
"Was he wearing armor? I know exactly who you're talking about, and I know exactly where he lives."
"Now you've shown your value, Wild." Ainz said, giving a playful fist bump to the air.
"Ah ha! Very funny." TW responded sarcastically. "I wandered this continent for sixty years just to scratch the surface of its history, and I still haven't been able to explore the other continents across the sea. Nobody believed me that there had to be more land."
"And is there?"
"I don't know! Only way to find out is to go there."
"Alright, I understand. The fact that you don't age must be because of the bug."
"Yeah, I think I aged about five years in these hundred, so I'm not immortal. In fact, I can die easily. I'm just lucky not to get hit. But you know, there's always that 1% chance."
"Okay, now tell me, how did you know we were coming after you?"
"Ah! I think I need to count on your Guardians for that. They need to know this, or they'll always want to get rid of me."
"They wouldn't do that."
"They would! From what I've seen, they're incredibly jealous of you. I can't be an obstacle, or it will be the end of me. One slip, and "Oops! My axe accidentally fell on him. Poor thing, he died. Let's go for a walk, Ainz-Sama!" TW said in a childish voice.
"You have a point there. Let's talk to them before they go crazy trying to figure out where you fit into my ten-thousand-year plan."
"Ten thousand years? I think you should prepare for the next million years." TW said, opening the door where everyone was waiting, and they could hear this last part. "After all, I never found any signs that those damn Seraphims have come to this world."
"Seraphims!? A MILLION YEARS!?", they all exclaimed.
"Guardians, let's go to the Throne Room."
"YES, AINZ-SAMA." they acknowledged.
Inside the Throne Room, seated on his throne, Ainz tried to maintain the demeanor of the all-powerful Supreme Being he had rehearsed.
"My Guardians! I have heard what Totally Wild had to say, and I can confirm that he is truly my former companion who was unjustly ripped from our guild against his will, events that only occurred due to his sacrifice to protect his comrades. Today, I reintegrate him as an active member, and by his own wish, he relinquishes the title of Supreme Being to become just another member of this house. Therefore, I ask all of you to treat him as an equal and not let his past affect the rest of Nazarick's members. If anyone disagrees with my decision, speak now."
No one would question their master's orders; no one wanted to fall out of favor now that an old companion had returned. However, Albedo still had plans, and perhaps she wasn't alone.
"Wild, would you like to say something?" Ainz asked the former companion, who was now at the base of the stairs.
"Thank you, Ainz-Sama. As it has been said, I am Totally Wild, but you can call me TW or just Wild. I was a former companion of your master, but I am no longer worthy of such a title. Therefore, I hope to be your companion."
"You lied about your name, so you lied about not being able to lie, so everything could be a lie." Albedo said with obvious disdain.
"I apologize, Lady Albedo, but at no point did I lie. I have many names, I use them all, and I answer to them in every city I visit. I know it will take time for you to trust me, but I hope to earn that trust." TW continued firmly. "Ainz-Sama asked me to explain how I could know who would follow me. This is part of the blessings I received; I am a prophet, capable of having visions of what might happen."
"So, you'll know everything that's coming?" Demiurge asked, seeing an opportunity.
"Not exactly. This is an ability that even in these hundred years I couldn't control. The last time I tried to force a premonition, I saw myself waking up from a coma. Then, I woke up in my cabin a year later. It nearly killed me. And if I die, I don't have levels to be resurrected. It's simply over."
Albedo made a mental note of this information.
"So, what's your use?" she grumbled.
"You've seen what I can do with time; I just need time to let visions come naturally and then piece together the most likely ones."
"More. Likely? Not. Future. Visions?"
"Future visions are difficult, and they aren't definitive because the future isn't set. People imagine time like a river, and the present is the boat sailing. You can anticipate certain things when you see a fork in the river, a choice. Looking back from the boat, you see your past with memories. If you climb the mast, you become a prophet, seeing into the distance. But that's wrong; time isn't a river; it's an ocean, and you're in a boat underwater. The future is in all directions ahead of you, infinite possibilities. That's why prophets die young; too many visions shatter their minds. All I can do is sense the flow, the most favorable possibilities. I can only do this because of the blessings that protect me; otherwise, I would have gone mad."
"So, we would have to wait for the whims of your "power" to make you useful?" Albedo shot back.
"I can be more useful than that, Lady Albedo. Looking at possibilities in the past and present is incredibly informative. They're alternate versions that we can learn from. That's why I became a storyteller, so everyone can learn from what I've seen. I've seen many versions of this world. I've seen the Tomb never arrive or appear in this world with all 42 members, Never Alone. I've seen a Trinity, I've seen the One Who Stayed, the Shadow of the Valkyrie, and the Rise of God. I see worlds that exist, existed, or could exist, I, I, I, I... "
Totally Wild then wakes up startled in his bed.
There are 95 years left until the arrival of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
"Wow, that premonition was really strong! I won't remember half of it." he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "My head hurts so much. I'd give a leg for an aspirin."
"Ugh! I need to write this down before I forget everything." he gets up and goes to his desk. "Paper, paper, paper, here, ink, okay! Let's see, how does it start again? Oh yes!"
"Azerlisia Mountains: inhospitable and unpleasant place...""
END
...
End?
Of course not!!!
Do not stop reading now, I need to give some explanations.
First, this was supposed to be the end really, the story was supposed to revolve around finding TW just to tell me what I've always wanted: A story of Sebas meeting Queen Draudillon, a boyfriend of Entoma, spy Solution, etc.
I had already written this ending when I started, but as the story progressed, more plots emerged and some loose ends remained, so I decided to continue writing.
There will be more chapters to tie these ends together, introduce some characters, make Blue Roses run a bit and tell about Demiurge's betrayal... oops! spoiler.
Next week we'll find out what the guardians did while Ainz was talking to TW in the office, so wait. ; )
Oh! Thank you very much for reading this far.
The author