My family runs an adventurer's guild.

This situation did not change until after the Renaissance, with the rise of the middle class and urban communes.

Therefore, in the traditional Western world view, as long as you are a nobleman, you usually have to have the title of "lord".

As for the great nobles and kings above the lords, they were considered the "greatest lords," generally translated as "霸王" (overlord) or "霸主" (dominant ruler) in Chinese, and "OVERLORD" in English. However, it's important to note that medieval monarchs who ascended the throne smoothly through bloodline and succession were usually simply called "KING," not "overlord." Only those who used war and usurpation—unconventional means of violence—to seize the crown and territory by sword were called "overlords."

For example, the first "overlord" in English history was the famous William the Conqueror. He was originally just the ruler of Normandy, but through bloody conquest and massacre, he conquered England and seized all the land from the old English nobility. Therefore, according to the concept of "lord", he became the overlord of England. From then on, in the culture of English-speaking countries, "overlord" became a symbol of conquest.

During World War II, the Normandy landings were codenamed "Operation Overlord".

Although as a member of the lower class with only an elementary school education—the future Ainz Ooal Gown, now a salaryman named Suzuki Satoru—he naturally wouldn't have learned such obscure foreign language and historical knowledge in school. However, in the game [YGGDRASIL], which is based on Norse mythology and has a setting quite similar to the Middle Ages, with "Over" and "Lord" being common terms, he naturally gradually came to understand them after playing for a while.

Just like how many children in our country today, who haven't even finished elementary school and can't write Chinese characters, already know what "GAME START" and "GAME OVER" mean because they spend all their time playing games on their parents' tablets and smartphones...

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

"...A centralized empire, a theocracy where humans reign supreme, and feudal kingdoms ruled by nobles, interspersed with the forces of elves, dwarves, lizardmen, and other races, with orcs and dragons in the distance... And then, the Great Tomb of Nazarick is located... on the edge of the border between three human kingdoms and the lizardmen and elves, in the fog-shrouded, undead-infested Kaz Plains? The terrain is a vast grassland suitable for cavalry to roam?"

Looking at the background map of "OVERLORD" spread out on the table, Ainz Ooal Gown muttered, "...The environment around the starting village is quite diverse, but is this the only world in the entire game? There are nine worlds in [YGGDRASIL]!"

"...Well, how can our debut online game from a newly established small company compare to [YGGDRASIL]?"

Phil replied with a forced smile, "...Our company has only recently opened, and the new online game is still in the planning stages. Everything is incomplete; apart from the hardware, everything else is not yet up to standard. The power level system and magic skills for online game players and NPCs are directly copied from [YGGDRASIL]. As for the game's dungeon maps, they are secondhand goods cobbled together from other bankrupt companies and discontinued games."

Therefore, the game map will only be this big at the beginning of the server launch. If things go well, perhaps new maps will be added later…”

—Sigh, I seriously doubt whether a small company like yours, which is always opening and closing down, can actually survive until the day a new map is released!

Although I only have a primary school education, I have been in the workforce for many years and have seen many of these small companies that rise and fall in quick succession!

Ainz Ooal Gown glanced up at Phil, silently thinking to himself, but said nothing more. His years of experience struggling in society had made him accustomed to considering things in the worst possible light and then making the most conservative and prudent response.

It is precisely because of Ainz Ooal Gown's cautiousness that he often puts on a one-man show of "outsmarting thin air" in the original work. When faced with an opponent who sounds very formidable, he engages in a series of rich mental activities and prepares seven or eight contingency plans. In the end, he only needs to poke the opponent with his little finger to knock him down. Ainz Ooal Gown's entire detailed plan goes down the drain and he can only feel helpless and melancholy.

In short, he then raised the next question, "...So, how is the background story of this game set up? As the starting village of Nazarick, the Great Tomb of Nazarick, and as the village chief of the starting village, I can't just pop up in the game for no reason!"

As we all know, whether it's a single-player game or an online game, unless it's something as simple as Tetris or a card game, it needs a backstory. This backstory allows players to understand and connect with the game, fostering a sense of immersion and engagement. Furthermore, the game's quests must be intricately linked to the story; otherwise, players will be left confused and unable to understand what they're playing.

The more complex the game, the more important its backstory becomes. Often, the quality of the story directly impacts the game's overall quality. A captivating backstory can not only contribute to a game's success but also spawn countless films, novels, comics, and other works of art, complementing the game and further expanding its influence. World of Warcraft, StarCraft, and Fallout are classic examples.

Since Phili genuinely wanted to turn this world into a beginner's village for online games, she had naturally done her homework long before coming to fool Ainz Ooal Gown. Now, when Ainz Ooal Gown asked her about it, she confidently typed a smiling emoticon, displaying a fabricated backstory in the chat box…

Author's message

P.S.: I can't help but complain that the recent Mexican election may very well be the bloodiest election in history. Before the vote even started, 132 candidates had already been murdered. Mexican politicians are truly fighting with their lives on the line!

Some were assassinated by drug lords for fighting drug trafficking, while others were murdered by another group of drug lords for colluding with one. Whether you're a good guy or a bad guy, you're going to die anyway. Being in politics in Mexico is really high-risk.

In comparison, the assassination of Song Jiaoren during the Republic of China's general election was really a minor incident.

It feels like playing a battle royale game—fight until only one person is left and get elected, great luck, inauguration tonight!

Then he was assassinated on his inauguration day, and had to run for election again (laughs).

Chapter 113, Now is the moment to witness a miracle!

"...The great king Ainz Ooal Gown, who had been asleep for a thousand years, awoke from his luxurious tomb in the Kaz Plains to find that the world outside had changed drastically. The once glorious Nazarick Kingdom was no more, and the magnificent capital had become a wilderness overrun by monsters."

Thus, in order to restore his kingdom of Nazarick and reclaim his former glory, the awakened king of the dead sent his followers out of their tombs, raised his banners to conquer all directions, and announced his return to the world. However, he also encountered resistance and counterattacks from countless enemies.

Therefore, King Ainz Ooal Gown used magic to summon warriors from another world to fight for the restoration of the Kingdom of Nazarick.

Some of these warriors (players) from another world accepted the king's recruitment and joined the banner of the Kingdom of Nazarick, fighting for him. Others, however, valued freedom above all else and chose to leave on their own, wandering freely across this new and wondrous land…

Looking at the "background story" that Firi had written for him, the current Ainz Ooal Gown, who hadn't yet transmigrated, couldn't help but comment with great interest, "...Hmm, is this some kind of medieval fantasy mummy return story? Am I supposed to play the dead king who crawls out from under a coffin? This village chief of the newbie village has quite the high standards! And the atmosphere of this story is quite fitting for the Great Tomb of Nazarick! However, this hero who summons another world...it's clearly a trope from traditional RPG (Dragon Quest) games! It's an old trope that's been used for who knows how many years!"

"...Well, it's just a fantasy adventure game! It's all the same old formula. Compared to those monotonous adventures, monster-hunting, leveling up, or summoning heroes to slay dragons, I personally think this 'Return of the King' theme is quite original and also flexible and practical."

Phil explained, "...from solo adventures to team battles, and even massive multiplayer battles, everything can be arranged within this framework..."

"...It's definitely a jack-of-all-trades game setting, and my character...it feels like the Whitebeard King in an RPG? Giving newbie players some encouraging words upon login? Giving them a set of beginner items? And then rewarding players who have completed the quests?"

Ainz Ooal Gown said in a relaxed tone, "...I can already imagine what this game will be like after it launches. Hundreds and thousands of players will form teams or guilds, exploring, fighting monsters, conquering NPC nations, and claiming territory, while also sabotaging each other's bases, and they might even steal my Nazarick Great Tomb, the 'Returned King'...Can I beat them to a pulp then?"

"...Of course, after all, you are the hidden final boss!" Phil said with a smiling emoticon.

"...Hmm, the final boss is right next to the starting village?" Ainz Ooal Gown replied with an eye-rolling emoji.

"...Ah, this kind of plot where the final boss is right next to the starting village, or even the village chief, is actually quite trendy and exciting."

Phil replied, glancing at the time, "...Uh, it seems like it's almost time for [YGGDRASIL] to shut down."

Ainz Ooal Gown, who had been so engrossed in the conversation that he had forgotten the time, finally noticed the passage of time.

23: 57: 50

There are only two minutes left before the game [YGGDRASIL] shuts down.

"...It's gotten this late... The GM has probably started broadcasting announcements, and fireworks are being set off outside to signal the end!"

Ainz Ooal Gown sighed to Firi. Before meeting this guy, he might have been filled with regret and reluctance at this moment. But after learning that his Great Tomb of Nazarick wouldn't disappear but would be transferred to a new game, he was much calmer about the shutdown of the [YGGDRASIL] game, though still somewhat melancholic.

"...What should we do now? Should I log off first?" he asked Phil.

"...No, no, no, there's absolutely no need for that!" Phil quickly denied. What a joke! If you suddenly logged off at this moment, who knows if the Great Tomb of Nazarick would still be transported to another world?

After all, he still doesn't know whether the opportunity to travel through time is tied to Ainz Ooal Gown or to the entire Great Tomb of Nazarick.

If Ainz Ooal Gown's departure means that the Great Tomb of Nazarick will no longer be traversable, and instead disappears with the shutdown of the [YGGDRASIL] game, then wouldn't all of Firi's previous deception have been rendered useless?

This is also why Firi didn't directly seize control of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, but patiently followed Ainz Ooal Gown through time: who knows if the guild base would still travel through time after he tricked Ainz Ooal Gown into logging off and leaving, handing over the Great Tomb of Nazarick to him!

"...If you just stay here peacefully until midnight, you will automatically enter our Overlord game, Mr. Suzuki Satoru."

"...Is that so? Then I'll wait a little longer..." Ainz Ooal Gown agreed without suspicion.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

The time displayed on the system interface kept changing.

23：59：45、46、47、……

Despite Phil's repeated assurances, Ainz Ooal Gown, unable to predict the future, was still somewhat nervous and couldn't help but count down the seconds as the clock ticked.

23：59：55、56、57、……

"...Now is the moment to witness a miracle! The great Ainz Ooal Gown!"

Phil suddenly made a teasing remark, which made Ainz Ooal Gown feel much more relaxed.

"...Then thank you for your kind words...Well, it's past midnight!"

0:00:00...1, 2, 3...

The clock displayed on the system interface shows that midnight has arrived, marking the end of the [YGGDRASIL] game's server shutdown.

But the fantasy world before us has not ended, and the forced logout that was supposed to happen has not occurred.

So, does that mean I and the Great Tomb of Nazarick have already been transferred to the new Overlord game?

As Ainz Ooal Gown thought this, he looked around the conference room where he was, "...It seems like nothing has changed!"

"...Inside the Great Tomb of Nazarick, there are naturally no visible changes, but the outside environment is quite different."

While suppressing the urge to burst into laughter and do a somersault, Firi replied to Ainz Ooal Gown, "...Please come with me to the surface entrance of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, to the outside of that shrine!"

After saying that, he activated the Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, a special teleportation item inside the Great Tomb of Nazarick that he had obtained when he was wielding the guild weapon and acting as the guild leader, and instantly disappeared from the meeting room.

Ainz Ooal Gown followed closely behind, activating a teleportation spell.

Author's message

P.S.: To participate in this year's original writing contest by Bookke, Lao Lao Wang gritted his teeth and wrote two books simultaneously, releasing his new fantasy novel, "My Magic Wand Isn't a Selfie Stick!", today. It's expected to pass review this morning. Readers, please feel free to add it to your collections and support it, so Lao Lao Wang can also experience the joy of his work appearing on the bestseller list! Thank you!

Uh, if it hasn't been approved yet, please forgive me (dry laugh).

Chapter 114, Ainz Ooal Gown's Great Panic! (Bonus Chapter for Every Hundred Blades Received)

The next moment, Firi and Ainz Ooal Gown appeared one after the other at the surface entrance of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

This is a vast cemetery, covering an area of ​​approximately 200 meters square. It is protected by a six-meter-thick wall, with an entrance at the front and rear. At each of the four corners within the wall, there is a small, decorative shrine. In the very center of the cemetery stands a massive shrine resembling a Greek temple, surrounded by six-meter-high statues of warriors—this is the only visible entrance to the Great Tomb of Nazarick.

The weeds in the cemetery were trimmed short, giving it a neat and tidy feel. However, the large trees in the cemetery were lush and leafy, providing shade everywhere and creating a somber and gloomy atmosphere. Many white stone tombstones were haphazardly arranged among the trees and weeds. The neatly trimmed weeds and the disorderly tombstones complemented each other, creating a very strong sense of contrast under the shade of the trees.

Moreover, the cemetery is decorated with various artworks, such as exquisite marble sculptures of angels and goddesses.

Then, standing outside the surface structure of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz Ooal Gown realized that he was indeed no longer inside YGGDRASIL.

—In the game 【YGGDRASIL】, the Great Tomb of Nazarick is surrounded by muddy swamps, filled with poisonous miasma, overgrown with twisted and strange trees, and the sky above is always covered with layers of dark clouds, gloomy and oppressive, with no light from the sun or moon.

But at this moment, the area outside the Great Tomb has transformed into an endless grassland, and the sky above has become a clear, starry sky.

The deep night sky looked exceptionally high and distant, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

"...The environment around the Great Tomb of Nazarick has indeed changed! Is this your company's Overlord game?"

Unaware that he had just transmigrated, Lord Ainz Ooal Gown gazed up at the dazzling starry sky and asked Phil a question.

"...That's right, this is the Kaz Plain, where the Theocracy, the Kingdom, and the Empire meet, the place where the Great Tomb of Nazarick reappears, meow."

Phil replied, "...You can explore it on your own. I'm logging off now! I'll contact you again tomorrow. That's all, goodbye!"

Then, before Ainz could even try to stop him, he transformed into countless scattered specks of light and left the world of Overlord.

—Now, let Ainz Ooal Gown explore and discover for himself what kind of world he has arrived in! (Evil grin)

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Meanwhile, watching Firi turn into countless scattered light spots and disappear offline, Suzuki Satoru, who was still unaware that he had become Ainz Ooal Gown and transmigrated to another world, couldn't help but feel a little confused.

What's going on with this HR manager? Why did they just leave like that? Without even leaving any contact information?

However, despite his confusion, he didn't feel much panic.

After all, in Ainz Ooal Gown's mind at this moment, he had only entered a new game called "Overlord".

After a moment of hesitation, Ainz Ooal Gown walked straight out of the front door of the Great Tomb of Nazarick and activated his flight magic.

The next moment, he broke free from the shackles of gravity, floated lightly into the sky, and continued to accelerate, rising straight up in one breath.

Next, he hovered several hundred meters in the air, looking down at the grassland illuminated by the starlight and moonlight.

This is a truly magnificent natural scene—the blue and white light of the moon and stars dispels the darkness of the earth. In the gentle breeze, the swaying grassland seems to glow as if the whole world is illuminated. The stars and moon in the sky also shine brilliantly, complementing the landscape perfectly.

After watching silently for a moment, he couldn't help but exclaim, "...It's so beautiful...the sky is like a sparkling jewel box."

Generally speaking, magnificent and grand natural scenery can always make people feel happy.

So, after enjoying the grassland scenery under the night sky for a while, Ainz Ooal Gown landed back on the ground, then stepped on the grass inside the grave and walked outside, wanting to personally experience the grassland and see if any wild monsters were lurking there.

Then, Ainz Ooal Gown walked alone through the lush grass, the blades of grass brushing against his robes and making a pleasant rustling sound in the evening breeze.

The scent of fresh earth and grass, mingled with the sounds of wind and insects, wafted towards me...

Wait, the smell of fresh earth and grass?

Are you kidding me?!

When did his gaming equipment, which wasn't particularly advanced or high-end, get an expensive simulated scent function?

As far as he could remember, he had never bought such a wasteful and extravagant thing!

Could it be that I've been working too hard lately, causing memory problems, and I've even forgotten when I bought this thing?

Or was the scent I just smelled just an illusion?

At this moment, Ainz Ooal Gown, who had not yet realized that he had transmigrated, was thinking wildly while he couldn't help but bend down and carefully sniff the unfamiliar air around him, which was filled with the strong scent of grass. He was surprised to find that his nose seemed to be right, and for a moment his mind was a little confused.

Faced with this unbelievable situation, Gu Aotian instinctively tried to bring up the system interface to check if he had installed the simulated scent function component at some point, but he made an even more shocking discovery: his control interface had disappeared!

This made Ainz Ooal Gown even more panicked, suspecting it might be a system bug caused by the transfer to the new game. His first instinct was to log off and exit. However… he then discovered, even more desperately, that everything that didn't require going through the control panel—forced connection, chat, calling a GM, and most importantly, forced termination—was completely ineffective, failing to appear at all, as if it had never been installed in the system!