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-10
Valhalla Dungeon – Asgard,
Yggdrasil,
Earth – Year 2127,
Overlord Verse;
Kai slowed his pace for a moment, as he glanced at the looming gates of the castle. From this distance, the Valhalla Hall was partially visible, its obsidian dome contrasting against the white marble towers of Asgard Castle. A faint shimmer in the air marked the sealed entrance to the Divine-tier dungeon. It still felt surreal seeing it in person.
'A year,' Kai thought to himself. 'It's already been more than a year since we started playing this game.'
He remembered the first few months—just him and Shouko, clearing one dungeon after another with nothing but stubbornness, ridiculous builds, and blind ambition. 'Reaching level 100 had been a goal to me back then. A challenge.' He mused.
After that came the party. Wandering Soul, Indomitable Wall, Nameless Shadow. Reliable players, and a better company. They'd met in an unexpected PvP tiebreaker over dungeon rights, and from there, the five of them had bulldozed through every high-level dungeon they could get their hands on.
Kai chuckled quietly at the memory of him and Shouko going wild in the in-game cash shop, maxing out cosmetics, mounts, vanity effects, items, weapons, artefacts and everything they could set their sights on And then there was the seller's market, the open auction boards filled with rare materials, player-crafted items, enchanted weapons and rare drop items. They had bought it all.
But the Valhalla Dungeon.
It was different. 'You couldn't just walk into Valhalla. You had to earn it.' He mused.
'The Gods of Asgard event had begun the week prior—an ongoing series of PvP battle royales held within the great Valhalla Hall itself. Hundreds of players thrown into a free-for-all, every hour from 12 PM to 12 AM, where the rules were simple: survive and kill. Any player who reached a total of 100 kills in the event would be granted the opportunity to challenge Valhalla Dungeon. But there was a catch—one that made it far more brutal than a normal PvP event.' He reminisced.
'If you saw another player, you had to fight. The system made sure of it. Sight-based proximity locked battle status. Fleeing the battle meant – ineligibility to challenge Valhalla and their kill count reset.' He mused, as he continued recalling the event.
'And to make matters worse, a floating marker above everyone – their real-time location – visible to all. It wasn't about stealth or strategy. It was war – plain and simple.' He sighed. 'Anyway, the event was hosted to advertise Yggdrasil, attract new players and bring in more gamers from different sections with this unique event. It was mostly to spread the name.'
While cleared the threshold in his first session, Shouko did it in two sessions. They were used to fighting alone. Used to being hunted. By now, they'd mastered it.
'And now here we are,' he thought, eyes flicking toward the castle walls and the shadowy outline of the Valhalla gate beyond.
The reward for clearing the dungeon wasn't officially disclosed, but everyone assumed it had to be something massive. After all, it was a one-time dungeon. Once cleared, it was locked forever. No do-overs. No reruns. No loot drops. Whoever got through first would walk away with the only tangible spoils in the entire server.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if squinting through the thin veil of memory.
'Kayaba was pretty smug when he mentioned it. But I saw his eyes flicker when I asked about the reward… he slipped.'
Kai wasn't interested in some leaderboard entry or rare cosmetic.
He wanted that.
Whatever it was.
And he wasn't going to let someone else take it first.
As he walked close to them, what caught his attention, though, were the two unfamiliar players standing beside them, engaged in conversation with Shouko. One of them was talking animatedly, with arms flailing around, he played the conversation – creating a dramatic flair. He presented himself with the confidence of someone used to being in charge.
Kai slowed, doubtful as he presumed. 'So that's why she didn't reply.'
He approached. It was Wandering Soul who noticed him first. She waved energetically, calling out, "There you are!"
The others turned. Indomitable Wall gave a sharp nod, and Nameless Shadow raised a hand in silent greeting. Shouko turned at the sound of their voices, her expression – one of tiredness. "Finally! Took your sweet time, didn't you?"
Kai shrugged, walking up. "I was experimenting with them. I still can't decide on my fighting style." He muttered.
Exasperated at his indecisiveness, she sighed. "Couldn't you just continue the way you have been?"
"I suppose." He answered undecided.
She rolled her eyes but smiled at his childishness, it was a stark contrast to the Kai Kurenai – she had come to know, before Yggdrasil happened.
One of them—a tall, clean-cut man with straight black hair — stepped forward. He had the composed air of someone used to attention.
"So, you're the infamous genius junior everyone kept talking about," he said with a confident tone – assured of his assumption.
Kai blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"
Shouko stepped in, her tone casual. "This is Manabu Hojou. He took over as Student Body President after I stepped down."
That made Kai pause.
"You stepped down?"
"I figured I already had enough on my plate. Besides, I had no attachment towards the position." Her words were light but carried a quiet undertone.
That drew a pause from Kai. He hadn't checked on the school's affairs in a very long time — not since he'd withdrawn. Shouko stepping down was news to him. 'Her grades and record had made her an obvious choice, and with the school board's support to score brownie points with her grandfather, who—if rumor was to be believed—practically ran the entire political structure of Neo-Japan.' He mused. So, the idea of her stepping down – shocked him.
Oblivious to his inner thoughts, Manabu extended a hand. "Nice to finally meet you in person. I'm Manabu Hojou, current student body president—but since you've dropped out, I suppose that doesn't mean much. In here, I go by Rex sub luna."
Kai shook his hand, his grip firm but casual.
"Kai Kurenai," he replied. "The supposed genius – I suppose. But in here, I go by... Ligmaballs@69."
The name displayed above his head had been bugging Manabu but hearing from the man himself.
Manabu froze. He had clearly seen the name before but had been avoiding.
Next to him, Shouko let out a sigh.
"Kai, I understand it that you wear that name with pride," she wheezed. "But for you to actually said it out loud. And you Manabu. Don't mind him, he's quite a jester – indifferent to the world view and societal opinions."
Manabu's jaw tightened for a second before he gave a faint chuckle. "...Bold."
The second stranger, stepped up. "Hitoshi Kirishima. In-game name's Heiki Kaji. Nice to meet you."
Kai nodded. "Same."
Shouko spoke, "Anyway, you should give some thought to changing that name, already…"
Kai smiled faintly. "Life is short, why worry about other's opinion. I've already learned my lesson about it. And believe me – the universe is quite a jester." His speech resonating with different meaning to everyone present.
Manabu recovered, lips twitching. "Anyway... I hear you're planning to challenge Valhalla Dungeon? Mind if we join you?"
Shouko cut in before Kai could respond. "There's a six-player limit on every party that are challenging Valhalla Dungeon."
The words hung in the air.
Manabu's friend, Hitoshi, stepped forward. "Then I'll sit out. My level isn't high enough for this anyway."
Manabu glanced at him, then back at Kai. "If it's an issue, I'll stay behind too. It was more curiosity on my part."
Before either of Kai or Shouko could continue, Wandering Soul spoke up, raising her hand. "I don't mind skipping either. I didn't mean to get in the way of a reunion."
Which was followed by Indomitable Wall and Nameless Shadow. And Shouko tried to open her mouth to speak but was interrupted.
Kai raised a hand, silencing the protests. "It's fine. You guys go ahead. I won't be joining this time."
The others stared at him.
"Wait," Indomitable Wall frowned. "You're not joining us?"
"Are you serious?" Nameless Shadow finally spoke.
"We've been planning this raid for a week," Shouko interjected. "And you're bailing now?"
Kai shrugged. "I still plan to challenge the dungeon. Just not with the group – at least for now. Valhalla's structured differently. Individual competency and team cooperation matters here. Valhalla's dungeon system doesn't allow teams to move ahead, unless everyone in the party has cleared the particular floor to progress further. If someone new joins after, they'll need to catch up anyway. So, it's mostly individual progression that matters. And I was planning to go solo regardless. I just didn't know on how bring it up."
"And you're going to do that alone?" Hitoshi asked.
"At least, that's the plan." Kai replied.
The words shocked them. Shouko took a step forward. "You're joking. Kai, this isn't some ordinary dungeon. Even with good stats and gear, Valhalla isn't a solo run dungeon."
Indomitable Wall frowned. "This place scales harder the deeper you go. Even full parties of Level 100 have been wiped out."
Wandering Soul added, "Not to mention, it's one-time only dungeon. Once a random party clears it, that's it. No entry, and no rewards either. Are you sure?"
Kai glanced toward the enormous doorway in the distance—the Valhalla Gate.
Kai sighed, 'Kayaba mentioned there being a special reward for one, who has cleared the most numbers of floor – solo, before the dungeon is closed.' He mused. 'He let is slip, during our conversation, while we were discussing about the bugs. Alas, that dream got triggered and I had visions of that place and had stop his smug ranting, as he pridefully flaunted the capabilities and the features of the game – the result of the blood and sweat of his team.'
Kai smirked, while his face remained emotionless. 'And I don't plan to miss that reward. I can rest assured about Shouko making it far, and with her the others.' He mused.
Shouko crossed her arms. "And you think you can make it far enough? Alone?"
"I've made it this far, haven't I?" Kai replied, voice even. "Besides, I have a few things up my sleeve."
Silence lingered for a moment before Indomitable Wall let out a laugh. "Well, if anyone can do it, it's probably you."
Nameless Shadow nodded once. "I understand your stance – All the best."
Wandering Soul stepped forward, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder. "We'll see you at the end, then. Don't take too long."
Kai gave her a small nod. Then he turned to Shouko.
"I am sorry about the planning." He spoke.
She scowled. "Well, considering that it is you – I suppose I understand. You are flippant, impetuous, reckless and a fool." She spoke, while she considered contacting Kayaba later to dig deeper into his reason. 'But considering the World Items we have collected so far – he should be good on his own.' She mused.
To which, he laughed. "Fair enough."
And with that, they turned toward the towering gates of Valhalla, and the trial that awaited within.
******
As they all began walking toward the towering gate of Valhalla Dungeon, Kai let his pace slow, letting the others drift ahead—Shouko at the center, with Wandering Soul already chattering animatedly beside her. Indomitable Wall followed steadily, arms folded in usual silence, and Nameless Shadow simply melded with their pace, his presence quiet but watchful. Even Manabu and Hitoshi, the new additions, had been drawn into the discussion, their voices mingling.
Kai, however, kept his distance, eyes narrowing as they landed on Manabu's back.
'Hojou Manabu, huh?'
He stared at him for a moment, then at Shouko. 'What are the odds? The heir of the Hojou family and the daughter of the Hoshina family…'
A short breath escaped his nose.
'Neo-Japan is basically run by three major families with some other small families – Hoshina family controls the political scene, Hojou family manages the public sector, and the Kurenai family monopolizes and controls the private sector – they practically own the entire private industry. So here we are. An heir of the Hojou family, a child of Hoshina family and me – the child of Kurenai family, together, playing Yggdrasil of all things. I've caused quite a butterfly effect in this world.'
The irony wasn't lost on him.
'And here we are, walking to the Valhalla Dungeon. I can't imagine the condition of board of directors at the company right now. The pressure they must be under— children of three powerhouses, all logged in... One misstep… and the entire company and their employees could disappear by sunrise. Kayaba must be sweating bullets under that smug smile and that prideful ego of his. And I don't even wish to imagine if we all three were to get summoned to the New World – The Dragon Emperor's magic would be the death sentence for Kayaba and sadly he wouldn't even be getting the ticket to the New World, lest he leaves his employees out to hang – as their death sentence is passed. That is if he were to come to know about the New World or is very lucky.'
He chuckled softly at the thought. 'Well, I can't let him die, now can I. The same can be said about his employees, it is because of them that I am presented with this opportunity.' He mused, as he shook his head, lips twitching in dry amusement..
*****
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**The End**
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