SWNOVELXO Chapter 7: Chapter-07
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-07
Múspellsheim,
Yggdrasil,
Earth – Year 2126,
Overlord Verse;
Revived in the middle of nowhere in Múspellsheim, Kai let out a low sigh. The barren wasteland around him stretched into the distance. He squinted at the desolate terrain, brushing imaginary dust off his tattered in-game robes. A deep sigh left his lips.
"Well, revenge can wait."
He tapped open his console again, setting aside the sting of lost levels and pride. 'Right now, I need to level up. There's no point confronting anyone with these stats.'
Recalling the layout of the world from his beta testing days, Kai turned southwest, toward a ravine known among early players for being dungeon-rich—forgotten, skipped by most due to poor early mob drop rates. But he remembered otherwise.
He moved fast, sprinting and leaping over cracked earth and smoldering pits, dodging low-level monsters he no longer deemed worthy of his time. 'It's interesting that I can run faster than I can fly.' He mused as he continued racing to his destination. It wasn't long before he stood before the crumbled arch of a collapsed shrine, its entrance swallowed by the earth.
With a smile plastered across his face, Kai stepped inside.
The dungeon proved moderately difficult—lava slimes, obsidian scorpions, and magma serpents slithered through its chambers. Kai moved with calculated precision. At times, he danced through groups of enemies, casting spells between swings of his sword, he had replaced with the broken club, now resting in his inventory.
"[Shockwave]," he invoked a spell, unleashing a wave of repulsive force that sent smaller mobs flying.
When a fire-wreathed salamander cornered him in one of the lava-choked corridors, he grinned, raising both hands.
"[Iceball]. [Freeze Wave]. [Freeze Lance]."
The combination of crowd control effects and attack magic stacked with his weapon's knockback effects reduced the monsters to easy fodder. His jack-of-all-trades build was starting to show its versatility.
The Boss Room stood beyond a long magma bridge, suspended over a pit of bubbling lava. As Kai stepped inside, the hall erupted in a roar as a monstrous creature with a head of a bull – Mintosaur appeared.
[Magic Arrow – Scatter Shot], [Hold of Flame], [Enhanced Physical Reinforcement].
He weaved through flaming flail, using terrain to his advantage. His movements were —polished, as he continued ducking, baiting, and retaliating with bursts of magic and sword strikes – dampening the bosses HP.
After several minutes, the beast collapsed in a tremor that rattled the stonework.
[Dungeon Boss Clear Reward – Fallen Pyre Cavern]
{ Mantle of the Crete – Cloak imbued resistance against brute attacks. It grants +25% Physical Attack resistance and passive intimidation aura against monsters below player level. }
{ Echo Fang Charm – Consumable. Grants 10 seconds of immunity to fire damage and a 2% HP regen for every 10 sec for 300 seconds. }
{ Molten Horn Fragment – Crafting Material: Used in forging rare demon-type gear or augmenting fire-aligned staffs. }
{ 55,000 Gold }
******
Kai stored the loot, pleased. "A weapon stronger than this sword would have been preferable but… this is better than nothing."
With a satisfied grunt, he moved on to the next dungeon on his mental map—a sunken ruin beneath a collapsed volcanic ridge. It was darker, hotter, and swarmed with molten constructs and animated statues. He cut through them all. His movements began to show a measure of confidence bordering on elegance, as he waved the sword artistically – his swordsmanship cleaved through his enemies.
Finally, he stepped into the next boss room. A three-eyed Fire Giant Warlord awaited—its massive form seated on a throne of molten rock, a flaming greatsword clutched in one hand. The chamber glowed in infernal orange, casting long shadows over the bones of failed adventurers sprawled through the throne room. The ensuing battle was brutal, pushing Kai to the edge. Even Kai's level advantage was barely enough. The warlord's hammer swings caused small quakes, and one grazing hit dropped Kai's HP by nearly a quarter.
His final blow: a synchronized combo—
[Explosive Lance] + [Burst Reinforcement] + [Cleave of Execution]
With his consecutive strikes connected, he smiled gazing at the HP bar of the Fire Giant. In the end, he stood victorious once more. As he received the notification.
[Dungeon Boss Clear Reward – Ashen Crown]
{ Sunforged Gauntlets – Gloves crafted from the Fire Giant's scales. Adds +25% attack power for fire-aligned attacks, slight damage resistance against blunt weapons. }
{ Emberheart– A rare accessory. Once per in-game day, allows the user to automatically counter a physical attack with Phoenix Flame }
{ Ashen Crown Fragment – Unique Quest Item. Part of an unknown item set related to a hidden dungeon quest. }
{ A horn of an Unknown Beast – An item that originated from a Dwarf Village that had migrated to Múspellsheim which was later destroyed by a Fire Dragon. The horn was picked up the Giant from the Village. }
{ 105,000 Gold }
Kai took a long breath, his hand raised high as he stood victorious in the wreckage. A smile adorned his lips, as he leaned against the doorway of the chamber, wiping imaginary sweat from his brow.
"…Level 46. That's something, considering the many nests, I've destroyed on my journey to these dungeons." he muttered, glancing over his console. "Still a long way to go."
With that, he turned back into the molten corridors, the lingering sound of his footsteps swallowed by the dungeon's quiet, as he made beeline to the exit, planning his next dungeon raid.
******
Kai stepped out of another dungeon. The Múspellsheim's sky cast a reddish hue across the scorched landscape, the familiar haze of heat distortion waving in the air above the cracked earth. He paused for a moment, his gaze lifting upwards.
A quiet breath escaped his lips—one of tired satisfaction.
'And… with that I'm Level 49,' he mused. 'The rest of the dungeons I remember around here are going to be far more difficult to handle alone, especially with my current stats. Guess it's time to move to another world.'
Bringing up the translucent console in front of him, he navigated to the map screen. His finger hovered over the areas he'd explored—the explored area lighting up across the map. The progress made him smile faintly.
He was just about to close the map when he spotted a silhouette of a person – a humanoid player. The flickering haze parted just enough to reveal a glint of gold—armour reflecting sunlight in all its polished grandeur. Kai's eyes narrowed immediately, the sight of the golden spear in her hand felt all too familiar for him. The memory of being impaled by it – remained fresh, the sight of it thrusted towards him – played out before his eyes.
His body moved on instinct – as all his nerves remained on full alert.
The spell lifted him high above the terrain. The figure didn't pursue. She merely stood there—waiting. As he watched for a path to cover, or a high ground to retaliate.
'A defeat is a defeat,' he thought, watching her warily, 'but that doesn't mean I'll back away without a fight. Still… who the hell is she? And what grudge does she have against me?'
He attempted a quick scan through his appraisal spell – but failed. 'She is clearly in leagues above me in terms of level.' He mused.
Then, unexpectedly, the space between them folded in a blink, and she appeared before him – with precise teleportation spell.
Kai flinched slightly at the proximity, the flight spell still keeping him afloat, but he didn't retreat.
"I won the first battle," she said, her voice clear and confident.
And just like that, she leaned backward into open air—letting herself fall.
He watched, stunned, as her form descended with grace, the red cape fluttering behind her like a standard, before she landed with a soft thud – elegantly against the molten rock.
Kai floated above in silence, brows furrowed – the voice familiar. Before he uttered her name involuntarily, doubtful. "Shouko…?"
******
Kai descended slowly, dispelling the
She stood silently as Kai looked over her with doubtful eyes.
"Took you long enough, Mister Genius, Kai Kurenai," she called out, her tone dry with a trace of amusement. "Well, it seems I have won the first round after all."
Kai's brows furrowed slightly, his brain still trying to come in terms with reality. The golden armour, the red cape, the spear.
"Shouko... you actually came." He spoke out loud – his voice sounding disbelief and a bit surprised.
He stepped closer, narrowing the gap, though he still kept a healthy distance. Her posture remained relaxed, casual even, as if this confrontation was a reunion over tea instead of a battlefield after she had blindsided him.
"You… actually remembered?" he asked, voice laced with disbelief. "I thought you'd laugh it off—or at best, entertain the idea for a few months before you would've all but forgotten about it."
Shouko didn't respond immediately. Her expression was unreadable, her gaze momentarily falling away from his, letting silence to descend. But then she spoke—changing the subject entirely.
"I suppose, but don't you dare forget that you were impaled and lost before you even saw me. I'd say it qualifies as a humiliating defeat," she said, mockingly proud.
Kai groaned internally. "You didn't have to say it out loud."
"Well, someone has to keep your ego grounded."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'll give you that one. Now—mind telling me how have you levelled-up so quickly?" His gaze moved pointedly from her pristine armour to the divine-grade spear in her hand. "What level even are you?"
She didn't hesitate. "Level 100."
Kai blinked. "What."
"Level 100," she repeated with a straight face, almost too casually.
The silence that followed was long, broken only by Kai's exhale.
"Level 100… already," he muttered, his voice distant. "And here I am, barely clawing my way through Level 49 like a f*cking useless goblin on a bad day."
Shouko tilted her head. "So, you've chosen goblin as you race. I guess, you have come to terms with it yourself."
"I'm a demon," he corrected bitterly. "And just you wait, you will see me in all my glory." His voice tinged with bitterness.
He folded his arms. "So? How'd you get there so fast? And don't tell me it's grinding?"
Shouko's imaginary smirk faltered ever so slightly, her eyes darting off for a moment before she scratched her cheek—clearly embarrassed.
"Well… turns out, the parent company of Yggdrasil is owned by another holding group. Which is owned and managed by an investment firm—one that happened to belong to my father. And now… well, me."
Kai stared.
"And my grandfather," she continued, "with his political background and a few strings pulled here and there… I was able to get early access. I mean, once I heard about the game from you, I was curious. So, I started testing the game, just out of curiosity, of course."
She cleared her throat.
"Since, they were busy working on the game, they allowed me access to the Valhalla Dungeon – as all I wished for was to try out the battle system and check out the game mechanisms. It is currently closed and is not set to open till Gods of Asgard event. Well, it is a 100-floor dungeon. That can be only challenged by players who have participated in the Gods of Asgard event.", as she continued. "It's more a challenge to players than the typical dungeons here in Yggdrasil."
Kai stared her in disbelief – while she continued.
"And as for the spear, it is custom built weapon by developers for me – It has four forms, a bow, spear, sword and a shield. One of the developers had been a bit rude to my request – Well, it is a compensation by the devs team for his rude behaviour."
Kai let out a low groan and sat down on a nearby rock.
"I don't even know what to say to you anymore."
Shouko chuckled softly. "You're not mad about the unfair advantage now, are you?"
"I don't have the energy to be mad," Kai muttered, rubbing his temple. "Fine. Whatever. That's just how you are."
She looked genuinely indifferent. "It wasn't entirely cheating. I earned the kills. And levelled up on my efforts. Moreover, haven't you always been giving advantage your opponents during competitions – hurting their pride in the process." She muttered the last part silently.
"Yep, you have worked really hard, haven't you? And as for our duel – ambushing me the moment I stepped out of a dungeon I just cleared, is still acceptable, as it can be considered negligence on my part but…" he said, tone heavy with sarcasm. "It was a Real honorable duel with you grinding pre-release. Well, considering it is the same for me with beta – the difference being that I did it on the record while you did it off the record."
Shouko smiled coyly, unfazed. "Right… Anyway, I wanted to settle the score. So, you can't entirely blame me."
Kai froze slightly at her phrasing but decided not to press further. 'Whatever score she meant to settle—I don't have the mental bandwidth and energy left to hear.'
"And how did you even find me?" he asked – resigned to his fate, raising the question that had lingered in the back of his mind.
Her expression turned mildly smug.
"I asked a dev."
Kai blinked.
Her smile widened innocently. "You remember the one you were in contact with? I asked him. Nicely."
Kai's mouth opened, then shut again. And suddenly, it all clicked.
'…The 'Sorry' message makes sense now,' he mused, his eyes narrowing.
Shouko tilted her head. "Hmm?"
He waved it off with a long sigh. "Nothing. Just another betrayal in the long list of betrayals in my life."
"Consider it a lesson," she said dryly.
Kai looked up at her again, this time a little more at ease. Though frustration still swirled under the surface, it was softened—dulled by the absurdity of the situation.
He chuckled, just once.
"Anyway," he muttered, "what took you so long? To come to me after the battle...."
His question caused her to turn silent, while he patiently waited for her answer.
Taking a moment to collect her disoriented self from the question – she shily and lazily answered him, in her tone sounding indifferent. "I fell asleep waiting for you."
******
After some more light-hearted banter and a few exchanged jabs, both of them turned silent. The exhaustion from their extended hours in-game began to catch up to them. Kai let out a long sigh, stretching his arms above his head, as he let out a yawn.
"That's enough gaming for one day," he muttered, pulling open his console. "I need my sleep – I can already hear my bed calling for me."
Shouko chuckled, mirroring his action as she brought up her own menu. "So dramatic."
He turned to her with a half-smile, a glint of mock seriousness in his eyes. "You speared me to death – while enjoying the view from a distance. At the very least – I'm allowed to be a little dramatic."
A soft snort escaped her as she tapped through her menu. "Fair."
"Well, I can't afford to die before, I get to enjoy whole of Yggdrasil." His sarcastic remark, ended with both of them going silent.
They stood in the silence of the cracked plains, as volcanoes erupted in the distance – a sight that was typical of Múspellsheim.
Kai lingered for a second longer, then was about to click on logout icon when Shouko interrupted him. "Wait a minute…" she spoke as she sent the friend request to Kai.
Surprised by her interruption, he stared at her, when he received a notification. Opening his notification section, he was surprised at her initiative to send the friend request.
It was accepted. He smiled, as he clicked on the accept icon.
"See you tomorrow, then?" she asked.
Kai nodded. "As you wish, Madam President."
And with that, his avatar dissolved into particles. While, she stood there alone, as she let out a groan at his remark.
Standing alone, she sighed at his theatrics.
Now, looking at her console, she stared at the friend list, before sighing softly. A warmth spread across her chest.
Before long she clicked on the logout icon and disconnected her console.
******
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**The End**
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