I woke up seated on a silver and crimson throne. The seat and back were plush red velvet, and the rest of it was made of jagged, spiked metal. Before me, a red carpet extended down a cracked gray stone staircase, leading to a massive circular trapdoor. Twin rivers of magma flowed around the door, fed by a molten magma fall behind me—somehow flowing out of a decorative-looking pillar. On either side of the throne extended two staircases that led into my private chambers. The walls were a mix of gray block and natural cave rock. Off to the left, I saw instruments arranged neatly for my jester and his band.The room was supported by several intricately carved pillars and certain walls were covered by large red velvet curtains.
After looking over the room, I noticed my reflection staring back at me from a random mirror in it. I saw a tall figure clad in blackened-silver armor. At the armor's knees and over the stomach were carved the mischievous faces of the Minions—tiny grins frozen in metal. A tattered, fur‑lined crimson sash hung from my waist down, and a crimson, fur‑lined cape was worn around my shoulders. On my left hand was the Overlord's iconic gauntlet: at its end was carved the open mouth of a demon with glowing golden eyes, and at its center sat a glowing golden gem. And finally, on my head sat the brutal-looking, jagged-spiked helmet that shadowed my face, revealing only a pair of glowing molten-gold eyes.I was about to check my HUD but was interrupted by an aged, jovial voice. It said, "It does this old dark heart good to see you awake, sire."
I looked to my left and out of the shadows saw the unmistakable figure of my advisor. Then in a deep, dark voice I said, "Gnarl, I am glad to see that you're here as well."
The old Minion smiled, his wrinkled face crinkling with delight, and said, "Of course, sire, I will always be here when you're in need of me—and you need me now more than ever. The Almighty has given me all the information I need to assist you in your conquest of this new world. And I must say, this is equal parts exciting and troubling—but more on that later, sire. How do you feel?"
Then I responded, saying, "Fine, other than a small headache."
Gnarl nodded knowingly and said, "I thought as much. That's why I made sure Quaver and his band were off somewhere else—didn't want them annoying you upon your waking. Now, Lord, I would love to give you time to catch your breath and collect your thoughts, but I'm afraid the sooner we begin the briefing, the better. As I said, the Almighty gave me all the information we would need about this new world and about our enemies. In fact, He was extremely detailed—telling me what the enemy had and what they're capable of. At first, I thought we were being highly favored. But once I saw the full scope of what we're up against, I can say for certain that even with everything I know, when you stack what we have against what they have, our chances of victory stand at 0.5%, with a 99.5% chance of their victory. It's going to be an uphill battle, that's for sure.
Fortunately, we have about six months before the great Tomb of Nazarick arrives in this world. And it'll be about another six months after their arrival before they have conquered the kingdoms in their immediate area. If we play our cards right. We have plenty of time to even the playing field."
I was surprised then and said, "I confess, Gnarl, I thought you would support the actions of Ainz Ooal Gown and not be in favor of destroying him."
Gnarl scoffed, his voice curling with amused contempt, and said, "Hah! Don't make me laugh. Sure, he's evil of that there's no doubt but. He's an amateur. I've seen the things he'll do in the future, and after watching, I can say for certain that he's forgotten the fundamental rule of the world: there cannot be light without darkness, and there cannot be darkness without light. Seeking to rule the world is a worthy goal—but there must be balance. If you are the only being in power, then what is the point? Not having a rival or enemy to crush will only make you weak in the long run. That is why, rather than support this novice—or fear him despite how strong he is—I find myself excited at the fact that we shall take him on. For I know that you will succeed, sire—for you are the one true Overlord. All others before you are pretenders. And when you crush him—you will be even stronger. And then, as the Almighty promised, we will be on to new worlds. Our dark tower taking root in direct opposition to whatever force rules. We have not been forsaken or cursed by the Almighty. We have been given a gift—a gift of endless mayhem and carnage. And through it all, it will be you who sits at the helm. So rather than fear the overwhelming odds against you, Lord, I beseech you to see it as a challenge—to rise up and prove that you are the one true darkness. The only one deserving to be called Overlord."
At the end of his speech I found myself laughing—not in mockery, but in excitement. I looked to my loyal advisor and said, "You're absolutely correct, Gnarl. It's not a matter of if I defeat him. It's when, and when I defeat him I will claim the title of true Overlord. It's a shame we most likely won't get to stick around and enjoy the fruits of our labor. But at the end of the day, all this world is to me is a battlefield. And once the fighting's done and the smoke clears, we'll be on our way to a new battlefield and a new war. Though I assume the God that brought us here won't be happy if we cause massive losses of life—and I'd rather stay in his good graces. So inform the Minions: that indiscriminate killing is forbidden."
Gnarl, stroking his chin with a crooked grin, said, "The boys won't like that—but I agree. We don't want to piss off the Almighty. So we'll only kill when necessary. We should ensure our efforts remain on conquest rather than destruction. Now, sire, if you're ready, I'll give you the full status report."
Then I nodded and motioned for him to continue.
Gnarl cleared his throat and said, "First of all—the Tower is fully upgraded. The treasury is full to bursting. The armory is stocked. All Minion hives are accounted for, as are all smelters and the Tower Heart. The new Soul Prison was installed in the soul chamber—Mortis is particularly excited to see it put to use. Speaking of which—whenever you need to send a soul to the prison, you can do so using your gauntlet: merely aim the gem embedded in its center at your dying foe, and their soul will get sucked into it and automatically transported to the prison. Grubby is ready and waiting for any future projects you need. Giblet is eager to get started forging—and Quaver wants to sing for you as soon as possible, though I think it's okay if we leave him waiting a while."
"As for the Tower's location—we are seated firmly in a clearing beyond the mountains, above the Baharuth Empire capital Arwintar, while Nazarick will be appearing in the Katze Plains just beyond the Empire's borders. For now, sire, I believe we should focus on securing stable food sources."
I nodded and said, "Gnarl—order Grubby to gather a crew and start building a dummy city on the surface. And when it's finished, make sure they fly my flag."
Gnarl looked puzzled, then realization sparkled in his eyes. "But that would draw attention from—oh, I see. You want attention. Once the Empire notices an unexplained city within their borders flying someone else's flag, they'll send people to investigate—likely adventurers. It'll provide us an opportunity to spread our infamy and acquire more workers."
I nodded and said, "Exactly. The Minions are good at lots of things—but farming is not one of them. Will our current food stores hold until then?"
Gnarl nodded sagely and said, "Yes, we can hold out for about five months—but Grubby and the boys should have the city done in two."
I said, "Good—see it done. After that, I want a real city built here in the Netherworld. A nice place for my true subjects to live in the future when I acquire suitable subordinates."
Gnarl smiled, pleased with my decisions, his ancient eyes shining. "Already you prove to be smarter than my previous masters. They wouldn't have even entertained the thought of having subordinates. Too paranoid. But I always said—a betrayal here and there is good for you. It keeps you on your toes. But that just made them more paranoid. Besides—if you're doing it right, you won't get betrayed in the first place."
I laughed and rose from my throne to explore the Tower, while Gnarl went off to find Grubby.
The first place I checked was my private quarters. As I walked in, across the red carpet laid over the grey stone floors, I saw a sitting area with four big red plush velvet couches. Several bookshelves filled with ancient tomes lined the walls. Further in, at the back, was a room that couldn't even be entered—blocked by an overflowing mountain of gold coins. Then, up a small flight of stairs, sat a royal king‑sized four‑post bed with red blankets and a canopy with red curtains. And in the center of the room, next to the fireplace, was a spiral staircase leading up a tower. At the top of the tower was nothing but a small room with two large chairs and a small table; next to the chairs stood a cabinet full of fine liquor. There was also an opening in the side of the tower that overlooked the entire Netherworld.
Then I said, "I like it—but why is every piece of fabric crimson?"
Before exiting, I stopped at a mirror to check my appearance. I removed my helmet and—other than my glowing molten‑gold eyes—I looked like a brutally handsome man, with jet‑black hair, a short full beard, and a scar over my right eye. "Not bad," I muttered, then put my helmet back on and left to check the rest of the Tower.
First, I checked the spawn pits, observing all the different minions moving in and out of the various hives. Not much to see here, really—just four minion hives and a big, humid room.
Then I went to check Mortis' territory. Mortis was a tall, brown minion wearing a tattered black cloak and holding an aged, wooden oar. He stood solemnly, his glowing eyes fixed on the river of souls. He spent most of his time here, watching the ever-flowing current from which he had the power to resurrect any of my fallen subordinates. Originally, doing so would have cost a sacrifice of life force—but now, I simply needed to channel some of my mana.
On the other side of the river, I saw a massive, glowing cube. The walls were transparent and glass-like, but the edges and corners were made of dark, gleaming obsidian. All throughout it were glowing, silver-etched runes. Though the walls looked like they were made of glass, in reality, it was divine-tier magic.
Then, from next to me, came an ancient, raspy voice—dry and cracked like parchment left in the sun. It was Mortis.
"Beautiful, isn't it, Lord?" he said, his sunken eyes twinkling with reverent malice. "I can't wait to see it filled to the brim with the floating souls of our adversaries."
I gave him a slow nod and said, "It won't be long, Mortis. When the time comes, I'll be counting on you to ensure there are no escapees."
Mortis gave a deep, respectful bow, one hand still clutching his oar like a ceremonial staff. "Leave it to me, Sire. None shall escape on my watch."
I nodded once more and turned to head off to the forge.
As I entered the forge, I was assailed by an intense wave of heat. There were magma pools on either side of the walkway, casting flickering orange light across the dark stone. As I walked deeper into the heart of the forge, I saw three massive smelters suspended over the lava. At the center of the room stood a colossal anvil, radiating power. And next to it stood a stocky, brown minion—his head topped with a pair of soot-smeared goggles. He wore heavy leather overalls and gripped a large forging hammer like it was an extension of himself.
This was Giblet.
He looked up at me, eyes gleaming behind his lenses, and his face lit up with excitement. "Master! Is it time to forge? Giblet is ready!"
I nodded at him. "Yes, Giblet. You may begin forging—but not for me this time. I need you to start making sets of armor and weapons for the minions. This is a new world, and we need to be prepared."
Giblet scratched his head, confused. "Forge just supposed to be for Master, not minions… But if Master say make weapons and armor for minions, then Giblet will!"
Then he shoved his goggles down, sparks already flying as he rushed to his workbench, humming some tune only he understood.
Next, I checked out the arena.
It looked like a twisted, gothic version of a Roman Colosseum. The stadium, the chairs, the walls—even the arena floor—were all made of polished black obsidian. Inside the arena, two small groups of brown minions were going at it, clashing crudely but enthusiastically.
Standing off to the side, barking orders and correcting their forms and technique, was a tall, older brown minion. His glowing yellow eyes were sharp and watchful beneath a worn silver helmet. He carried a massive battle axe slung casually across one shoulder.
This was Gash. Like Gnarl and Giblet, he was one of the original minions from the first Overlord's reign.
I approached and said, "How are they, Gash?"
Without looking up, Gash replied in a gravelly voice, "They're still novices. But don't worry, Sire—I'll have them whipped into shape before it's time to go out into the field."
I nodded. "Good. Keep me informed."
Gash gave a quick salute with his axe. "Of course, Sire."
Then the final room I checked was the chamber containing the Tower Heart.
It was sealed behind a well-fortified, massive stone gate. On the inside, there was nothing but a vast chamber, illuminated by a giant, eerie, purple-glowing crystal sphere floating at its center. I examined it closely for flaws or imperfections—but there were none. No cracks, no wear. Nothing.
Satisfied, I returned to the throne room and finally checked my HUD.
First of all, it displayed that I had all four types of minions—100 of each. Not much, but their numbers would grow in the coming days. It also told me how much mana was required to spawn each: one point per minion.
I nodded. "Good. They're still cost effective."
Then I checked my health and mana capacity. I had 1000 health and 500 mana.
I checked my spells. And as Tet promised, the spells from all three of the main Overlord games were there—and they were all already at their highest tier.
Which, honestly, I wish I could've been happy about. But even my most powerful spell only has about the strength of Tier 6 magic in Yggdrasil. So while impressive, it's still not enough.
Other than that, I also have a minimap that, fortunately, only appears when I want it to—same with the rest of the HUD. Honestly, it would be super annoying if that was constantly in my field of vision.
Finally, I decided to go ahead and pull my three sets of gacha.
I started with my daily spells. When the drawing started, I saw before me a nightmare—the summoning animation from Fate/Grand Order. I clenched my fist in frustration at the sight, remembering all the times I was praying to get the five-star from the banner only to get another goddamn Craft Essence.
Fortunately, all this gacha had were spells. The spinning ring stopped, then five orbs of light shot out—and they were revealed:
1. Blades (Fable 2)
2. Walking Bomb (Dragon Age: Origins)
3. Spell Weaving (Fable 3) – Allows you to fuse spells mid-cast
4. Perfect Cube (Seven Deadly Sins)
5. Diffindo (Hogwarts Legacy)
After seeing what I got, I was actually pretty pleased. With just these alone, I was already stronger—and the fact that Merlin's spells were up for grabs meant that my chances against Ainz were a lot better than I thought. I just had to get the right ones.
My first obstacle would be getting a defense against his ability to stop time. I doubted the current me was immune—but seeing the spells from Fable gave me hope, because I remembered there were time-altering spells in those games. And there's most likely similar spells in other games.
But enough of that—on to the item gacha.
And, quite unfortunately, I saw the same animation for this one.
After the light receded, my items were revealed:
1. 100 Sweet Rolls
2. 5 Lightning Bombs (Dragon Age: Origins)
3. Glintstone Kris (Elden Ring)
4. Diddy Kong's Guitar
5. 100 Fire Flowers
6. The Redeemer (Darkwatch)
7. 100 Ebony Ingots
8. Eye of Dashi (Xiaolin Showdown)
9. The Bloodskal Blade (Skyrim)
10. 1 Summoning Ticket (Fate/Grand Order)
Looking at the results, all I could say was, "Holy shit."
Some were okay. Some were useless. Like—what the hell am I supposed to do with the guitar? Give it to Quaver?
Then again, some were amazing. Like the Bloodskal Blade. Or the freaking Eye of Dashi.
But most curious was the summoning ticket. If that works the way I think it does, this could be either really good... or really bad.
I'll save it for later though.
For now, it's time for the final gacha.
After the animation finished and the light receded, the result was revealed:
1. Spawning Pit – The Shadowkhan (Jackie Chan Adventures) – Cost: 2 mana per spawn
My jaw dropped under my helmet.
"I guess the spawning pits aren't limited to games. That's cool. Also—I now have an infinite force of shadow ninjas. Things are definitely looking up."