Hey Guys! Crescent Rider here and I am back with the final chapter of this season! But don't think for a second that I'm done. I should remind you that the Second Omake will be made and what will follow will be a very slow progress of Second 2 as I will be working on other stories for the time being.
So feel free to read my other stories here or in my Fanfiction account to pass the time.
And finally, I've decided to put in more than what I've planned from the previous chapter. So be ready for that...
That is all and enjoy the chapter!
Nazarick
Under Ainz's order, mountains of Yggdrasil Gold had been hauled into the throne room while the two players were together by the throne.
"Now, I will begin Shalltear's resurrection," Ainz announced, then turned to Albedo, "Albedo, keep an eye on Shalltear's name on the list. If she is still under mind control..."
"Ainz-sama, if that happens, we will be the ones to take care of her," Demiurge interjected,
"Demiurge," Ainz called out, then he felt a tap from one of Hope's spider legs,
"If Shalltear is still under mind control. I'd say we let these guys handle her," Hope insisted, "We've caused a lot of worry for fighting Shalltear ourselves, so why not we let them shoulder the burden? Rather than pressure them with worry once more,"
Ainz just stared at her, then he decided to ruffle her hair before turning back to Demiurge, "If that's the case, we will entrust you all should Shalltear still revolt against us,"
The Guardians firmly gave their response and Ainz raised the [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown] with a stern command, "Shalltear, resurrect!"
The [Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown] shines upon his command and the mountains of gold begin to melt and form a gold-like ocean. The melted gold then took the shape of Shalltear's appearance and finished with her skin and hair going back into its original color.
Everyone was briefly silent, and then Ainz turned to Albedo for confirmation. A moment later, she gave a reassuring smile to the Overlord, "Please be at ease. It seems the mind control is gone,"
"I see," Ainz said, while Hope lets out a sigh of relief,
He then pulled out a sheet from his inventory and tossed it over Shalltear's body. Once covered, he'd lean forward and call out her name. The Vampire would soon open her eyes to see the Overlord and recognize him.
Ainz then carries her into his arms and expresses his relief, then his apology for everything. Though Shalltear seems to express confusion, she then proceeds to flirtatiously wrap her arms around Ainz and questions if they are going to do this in the throne room.
Albedo interjectly ruins her mood by stating that Shalltear is exhausted while Hope has something else in mind as she goes to her, "Shalltear, you don't remember anything?"
"Don't remember what, Hope-sama?" Shalltear inquired,
"Ainz-san, if you would allow me. May I peer through Shalltear's mind?" Hope requested, "I would like to see what she remembers,"
"Very well," Ainz replied and stood upstraight while Shalltear let go of him,
Hope then walks up to her, bends on her knees, and places two fingers on each side of Shalltear's head. With a mid-tier Divination spell, she manages to peer through Shalltear's memories and learns nothing except her departure with Sebas Tian and Solution to the capital.
Once that was finished, she'd pull her hands back and stated the following, "It would appear that this enemy of ours remains a mystery. Along with the other..."
"Hope, what do you mean by the other?" Ainz inquired as Hope stood upstraight,
"While we were out there, I sensed [Survilliance Magic] which is quite unnatural, and dispelled it before they saw too much," Hope revealed, "Whether they're the ones responsible or not, I have yet to confirm their role in all this,"
Ainz cupped his chin and pondered about her findings. Hope wouldn't lie about her findings and another 3rd party besides the ones that controlled Shalltear may prove troublesome in the future.
Until they can learn more about this, Ainz will remain vigilant should this 3rd Party ever reveal itself in the future. In the meantime, he has to prioritize Shalltear's condition, "Do you feel anything strange, Shalltear?"
Shalltear examines herself for a brief moment, and doesn't seem to feel anything out of the ordinary, "I don't think so..."
"I see..." Ainz remarked,
"Ainz-sama!" Shalltear exclaimed, which caused Ainz, Hope, and Albedo to feel somewhat alarmed. But in truth, she was facing a different problem that was completely off topic, "My chest... is gone!"
Demiurge had an irked look on his face, Cocytus facepalmed himself, and the Dark Elf Twins sheepishly chuckled at how insignificant this problem was. As for Albedo, she had a say in this, "Do you even know the situation you were in until now?!"
"I see. So you don't remember," Demiurge remarked while tipping his spectacles, "The worst blunder a guardian can make!"
Shalltear expresses confusion while Ainz and Hope decide to just go by the steps and sit down while the Guardians scold Shalltear for something she gravely committed with the Vampire still unaware of what she did.
Hope just giggled at how the Guardians were scolding Shalltear, and it reminded her of the time when the other members were still around. The same goes for Ainz as she saw him raising a hand to reach out for them.
He may imagined these guardians as the friends he had long cherished in the real world, but lowers it as he knows that they weren't there. Just as he lowered his head, Hope placed her hand onto his and gave a smile as he looked at her, "I know how you feel, and I miss them too. But always remember, you are not alone,"
Ainz stares, and then he lets her happily lean against him before Albedo goes and reaches out for him. As he and Hope stand, she requests that he scold Shalltear accordingly, which the other floor guardians encourage.
After that, he genuinely chuckled while Hope just smiled. Then he boldly stated the following, "I'll tell everyone here and now. I am the one at fault. I didn't think of the possibility, even though we gathered so much information,"
"I concur, we were unprepared and therefore we must be vigilant in our actions and the dangers in the New World," Hope advised, "So there's no shame in admitting our folly today,"
Ainz nodded at her words and faced Shalltear, "Shalltear, you are not guilty of anything. Remember this well,"
Shalltear brightens up, then she expresses her gratitude for her leader's judgment, "Thank you very much,"
"I will have you explain everything to her, Demiurge," Ainz said,
"Understood," Demiurge replied, "By the way, Sebas has yet to return to Nazarick?"
"He is bait," Ainz revealed, which surprised some of the Guardians as well as Hope, "We still don't know why Shalltear was targeted, but it is likely that Sebas, who accompanied her, may next. Albedo, gather a team that can scout the area near Sebas in stealth,"
"Yes," Albedo replied,
"Though Sebas is bait, I do not plan on allowing the enemy to bite," Ainz swore, "If the enemy approaches, we will take them down,"
"If you don't mind my suggestion, Ainz-san. May I deploy someone near Sebas and Solution?" Hope inquired,
"Who would you deploy? Someone from the manor?" Ainz presumed,
"Yes, if possible, I'd like to make it two as they are strong, reliable, and will pass off as regular people," Hope explained, "Also,"
"Also?" Ainz parroted, but was met with Hope gesturing him to lean closer with a finger,
He'd lean forward and she whispered something in his non-existing ear. His eyes brighten once and nods in response, "Very well, but ensure that they flee at the first sign of trouble. I wouldn't want any of them falling into the enemy's hands,"
"You can count on them, Ainz-san," Hope said, "In turn, I will keep an eye on them,"
Mare then asked about the area where the battle had happened and asked if he should repair the area. Ainz stated that there was no need and explained that destroying a magic sealing crystal would unleash the power within it and destroy a large area.
Baffled, Mare asked if this was true. Of which Ainz said it was false, but he intends to turn that lie into truth to make it work in their favor. With an item as rare as the crystal, it was certain that no one could put it to the test.
He then openly admitted that they underestimated this world a little, that there are unknown enemies nearby that can harm Nazarick and would like to take immediate steps to strengthen Nazarick. He was thinking of using his skill to make an army of undead for it, but Albedo suggested an alternative.
With the details of Ainz's undead creation skill, she reported that Aura had found a village of lizard men and suggested that he'd start there by attacking this village and using the skill on them.
Ainz and Hope were briefly silent to this suggestion, then the latter proceeded to say the following, "That can be an option, I think the best course of action is to learn more about these lizard men before we come up with a strategy. Sending strong soldiers to annihilate them head-on would be foolish as it draws unwanted attention. We can't afford to make any more missteps in this New World,"
"She's right, we need to think this through before we act once more," Ainz said, "Assemble a second team of scouts and have them gather intelligence of these lizard men,"
"Understood," Albedo replied,
"As for the rest of you, you will all remain idle until the time is right," Ainz said, "So return to your usual duties,"
"Yes!" Everyone else responded,
"Hope," Ainz called as he turned to her, "May I talk to you in my office? For I have questions that need answering,"
"Of course, Ainz-san," Hope replied,
With that said and done, Ainz dismissed everyone while he and Hope teleported from the throne room to Ainz's Office.
Ainz's Office
As soon as they arrived, they sat down on opposite sides of the table and Ainz proceeded with the first question in mind, "How did you do it?"
"You mean the part where I changed my entire attire from one player to another? It's a skill called [Heroic Arms] and the book I showed you in the manor is known as the [The Archival Lives], A World Class Item that I obtained in the last update of Yggdrasil" Hope revealed, "You know the one,"
"Wrath of Ragnarok," Ainz recalled, "The last update of Yggdrasil before its impending end after several years of service. The Event that shook the whole Realms to its very foundations,"
"Precisely, and if you recalled the end of that event. It had put an end to one of the Nine Realms in the game. Permanently removing it from the face of the game along with noteworthy guilds and various players," Hope added,
"I also recalled that other guilds from different realms were taking heat from that catastrophic event," Ainz added, "The Realm of Asgard was where the most valuable of resources and monsters, is located and many players argued as to why it had to be destroyed in that event, and pondered about whose crazy enough to even attempt and succeed it,"
Hope just snickered with a smirk, and tilted her head to the right with smug eyes. Then it hit the Overlord in the head as he perked up and recognized that look on her face, still, he was in utter disbelief by something only she knew, "No..."
"Say it..." Hope slyly insisted, "Because I know what you're thinking..."
As Ainz remained silent, he leaned forward and assumed the obvious answer, "... That was you?"
...
...
...
"Guilty. As. Charged," Hope cited leaning against the couch and legs crossed onto each other,
"But... How," Ainz asked, "As I recall, the requirements to complete it are beyond anything a player alone can achieve. Any attempts to complete at least one of these requirements would inevitably lead to the entire server chasing you down to prevent Asgard's destruction. How could you have done it?"
"Why I held three things which prevented most players from coming after my little head," Hope revealed, "The first was [Mistletoe Tipped Spear],"
"Why would that be the first thing you need?" Ainz inquired,
"If you recall Norse Mythology, which god would die by a weapon made from Mistletoe? The notification, every player received, should have given you a hint right about now," Hope stated,
Ainz pondered about the first sign of the event, and he soon recalled the God that was slain, "Baldr,"
"Correct," Hope responded, "His death was the first sign of Ragnarok. As for the second, is my travels in Muspelheim and I'm not stubborn enough to go there with a guild guarding my second objective, which was presenting [Primordial Frost Heart] to Surtr."
"How'd you get past the guild there?" Ainz inquired,
"I didn't, they decided to let me do what I needed to do after I borrowed [Gjallarhorn] from the one guild they feared the most," Hope revealed, "Or rather, held an identical horn which passes off as [Gjallarhorn],"
"[Primordial Ones]" Ainz recognized and recalled the details of this name.
This guild had long existed in the First Alpha Version of Yggdrasil. Though the number of players and NPCs is no different compared to his guild, [Ainz Ooal Gown]. They were notorious for trading valuable information as well as safeguarding various items within their vaults.
What truly made them the most feared guild in Yggdrasil was a notorious incident where the Guild Leader of [Primordial Ones] used the World Item [Gjallarhorn] to fend off an alliance of powerful guilds.
The aftermath, combined with [Gjallarhorn]'s everlasting effects, led to those guilds disbanding and players either forming a new profile or quitting Yggdrasil for good, for they couldn't bear the Armies of the Nine Realms chasing after them even as they respawned.
It truly left a longstanding impression that the [Primordial Ones] were not to be messed with, and even after their members decreased with the game declining, no one dared to attack them due to their knowledge and possession of [Gjallarhorn].
"With a fake [Gjallarhorn], the guild there had complied with my request especially when I deceived them into thinking that I was holding the real deal and I was a member of [Primordial Ones]," Hope explained, "You could say that they were at their wit's ends even after I succeeded my second objective,"
"But were you a member?" Ainz inquired,
"Not really, but my parents are," Hope revealed, which caused him to gasp, "But let's focus on the last requirement to achieve [Ragnarok], The use of the real[Gjallarhorn] on [Vigridr], located on Asgard itself. Once I borrowed the real one with some convincing, blew the horn on that very location, and inevitably caused Ragnarok which permanently ended Asgard for good. It's why I earned the special job class [Grand Magus] as well as the World Item [The Archival Lives] which is a catalog consisting of tens of thousands of player names regardless of whether they're retired or not. What happened after was me hiding in the guild base of [Primordial Ones] to the [The Great Tomb of Nazarick], an amazing feat, don't you think?"
"It is an amazing feat, but it is also a risk as every player that once resided in Asgard will stop at nothing to hunt you down," Ainz added, "It was revealed that at the end of the event, your name was permanently displayed to the entire server. Branding you as the bringer of a realm's destruction,"
"Eh, I couldn't care less about the animosity of the entire server," Hope admitted, "The reason why I did it was that it felt fun to do so. Even if the whole world turned against me, what do I have to lose at that point,"
Ainz sighed to himself as this was something that her parents talked about in the past. With her life slowly deteriorating in the real world, what's stopping her from experiencing the most fun of the game?
But in a sense, he was glad that the guilds in Asgard were gone at that. Because the players there were considered a danger, especially when an alliance of various guilds came and attacked Nazarick long ago.
Had one of those guilds from Asgard joined, Ainz Ooal Gown may have fallen at that time...
With that said and done, Ainz just chuckled and Hope smiled upon hearing his chuckle.
"You're quite the gamer, Hope. More than I initially thought you were," Ainz said,
"Thanks, Ainz-san," Hope thanked, "But compared to what you've been doing, I'd say you're more of a veteran player than I would ever be,"
With that topic settled, Ainz began asking several more questions and Hope kept on answering his question until it was nighttime and Hope retired to the Manor on the 8th Floor than her Quarters on the 10th Floor.
Meanwhile...
In what appears to be a traditional Japanese room, an orb on a wooden pedestal is seen and the person displayed on the orb is a certain girl they managed to see before the rest turns static.
They'd rewind the footage time and time, hoping to find even the smallest of details.
Whether they'd find nothing or found everything, the one operating this orb would always at the girl's face, and the whole thing starts all over again.
After that, they looked up and stared at a portrait of two humans and a baby girl in the arms of a loving mother.
"It would appear that this world has brought someone interesting for once. I can't wait to meet them soon..."
With a single tap on the orb, the image vanishes and the reflection shows a neutral pair of light orange slit eyes.
Nazarick
Hope finds herself dreaming, and her surroundings are the sand that goes for miles and the clear blue skies above her. Strangely, it reminded her of the area where she and Ainz fought Shalltear, though the atmosphere seemed different compared to that battle.
What truly made it different was two people.
A certain Overlord...
...
...
...
And a certain girl...
"What the..."
Before she could usher another word, the sun above their heads began to radiate with so much light, it was blinding everyone in this field.
What comes after is a pillar of illuminating light crashing down upon the very Overlord itself and a wave of burning light hurls its way towards her direction. Unable to bear its glow, she'd shielded herself and felt its intense heat burning across her body.
She'd screamed as she was being reduced to ash, and her sight soon fell to darkness...
Present...
The Following Morning, Hope jolts right from her bed and quickly scans her surroundings. She was panting by what she had seen and felt from that dream and looking down on her hands, she vividly felt minor tremors from her arms up to her body.
After she took some time to regain her composure, she placed her hand over her forehead and processed the events that transpired in her mind.
She may dismiss it as a regular dream, but the very light and heat felt so real to begin with.
Eventually, she asked herself one lingering question...
...
...
...
"W-What was that..."
That is it for this chapter, everyone, and after the Second Omake Series has been released. It'll officially be the end of the First Season of my Overlord Story.
And just in case you're all confused by what Hope did in this chapter. Here's the summary.
Hope killed Baldr with a Mistletoe weapon, deceived a strong guild in Muspelheim to deliver an item to Surtr, and finally blew the real [Gjallarhorn] on [Vigridr], where Ragnarok occurs.
All of you may have other questions, but I might answer them in the Second Omake Series. So ask as much as you can while I haven't worked on it yet.
Finally, I will be making a list of Heroic Spirits that appeared in the end of every season of Overlord. So here are the following two so far...
Beowulf (Berserker)
Hessian Lobo (Avenger)
It may seem small, but I will keep adding more as I go through the future chapters of the story.
That is all I have to say, and I'll see you all the Second Omake Series