Overlord: The Wandering Sorcerer Chapter 21 — The Last Command
The throne pulsed.
Once.
Twice.
Then the entire chamber erupted in magical energy.
The stone floor split beneath their feet.
Nabe immediately moved toward Momonga.
“Master!”
“I’m fine.”
A wave of force swept across the chamber.
The seven NPCs were thrown backward.
Evileye barely managed to remain standing.
The masked undead dug his sword into the floor.
“That thing is stronger than before.”
Momonga stared at the throne.
“It is defending itself.”
The silver-haired woman shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed toward the ceiling.
“It is waking the entire dungeon.”
A deep rumble answered her.
Then another.
And another.
Doors opened throughout the complex.
Something began moving in the darkness.
Momonga raised his staff.
“How many guardians does this place have?”
The woman smiled bitterly.
“Too many.”
“That’s not a number.”
“Then you’ll have to count them yourself.”
The first wave arrived.
Stone warriors.
Undead knights.
Magical constructs.
Creatures with wings.
Dozens poured into the chamber.
Evileye stared.
“Are you serious?”
Momonga smiled.
“Very.”
Nabe stepped forward.
“Shall we?”
Momonga nodded.
“Together.”
Nabe disappeared.
Her sword flashed through the first line.
Evileye unleashed a storm of magic.
The masked undead swung his enormous blade.
Momonga remained behind them.
He raised his staff.
“Summon Undead.”
The floor beneath the enemies opened.
A group of high-level undead emerged.
The battle intensified.
But something was wrong.
The dungeon kept producing more.
For every enemy they destroyed, another appeared.
Momonga understood.
“This is pointless.”
Evileye shouted over the battle.
“Then what do we do?”
“We don’t fight the dungeon.”
Momonga looked toward the throne.
“We destroy its control system.”
The silver-haired woman pointed toward the rear of the chamber.
“There!”
A circular structure had appeared behind the throne.
Runes covered it.
Momonga recognized the design.
“It’s a control altar.”
The masked undead nodded.
“That’s where the succession is being processed.”
“Then destroy it.”
The undead smiled.
“Gladly.”
He charged.
The guardians turned toward him.
Nabe intercepted them.
“I’ll clear the path.”
She moved like lightning.
One enemy after another fell.
Evileye joined her.
“Try not to die.”
“I wasn’t planning to.”
Momonga followed.
The altar was now only a few meters away.
The runes began glowing.
SUCCESSION: 63%
Momonga froze.
“Sixty-three percent?”
The silver-haired woman looked at him.
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Until it reaches one hundred.”
“And then?”
She hesitated.
“You become the master.”
Momonga looked at the number.
“How much time?”
“Not enough.”
The masked undead reached the altar.
He raised his sword.
“Move!”
Momonga stepped aside.
The sword descended.
It struck the altar.
Nothing happened.
The undead stared.
“Impossible.”
Momonga examined the structure.
“It’s protected by a World-Class Item.”
Everyone became silent.
“A World-Class Item?”
Momonga nodded.
“Yes.”
The masked undead laughed.
“Of course.”
Momonga turned toward the silver-haired woman.
“Who owns it?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t know.”
“Then how do we destroy it?”
“We don’t.”
Momonga stared at the altar.
The succession had reached seventy percent.
He thought quickly.
If the altar couldn’t be destroyed…
Perhaps the process could be interrupted.
He stepped forward.
“Nabe.”
“Yes?”
“Can you reach the throne?”
“Yes.”
“Evileye?”
“Yes.”
“Can you create a barrier around the altar?”
“I can try.”
“The rest of you keep the guardians away.”
The armored NPC nodded.
“What will you do?”
Momonga smiled.
“Cheat.”
Evileye stared at him.
“That’s your plan?”
“More or less.”
Momonga raised both hands.
He began casting.
Not a spell.
Several.
At once.
The air filled with magical circles.
The altar reacted.
ERROR.
Momonga continued.
“Come on…”
UNAUTHORIZED MAGIC DETECTED.
He smiled.
“That’s better.”
The altar began shaking.
The succession dropped.
72%.
71%.
70%.
The silver-haired woman stared.
“You are reversing it.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Momonga’s smile widened.
“I don’t know.”
The percentage dropped faster.
60%.
50%.
40%.
The throne began screaming.
Not with a voice.
With magic.
The entire dungeon shook.
The guardians became more aggressive.
The masked undead shouted:
“Whatever you’re doing, do it faster!”
Momonga’s spell circles began collapsing.
“Working on it.”
30%.
20%.
10%.
The altar cracked.
Then stopped.
The number vanished.
Silence.
Momonga lowered his hands.
The throne went dark.
Everyone froze.
Nothing happened.
Then Nabe walked toward him.
“Did we win?”
Momonga looked at the throne.
“I think so.”
The silver-haired woman approached.
She touched the altar.
“It’s gone.”
Evileye sighed.
“Finally.”
The masked undead laughed.
“I haven’t enjoyed a battle like that in centuries.”
Momonga looked at him.
“You’re welcome.”
The undead smiled.
“Don’t thank me yet.”
Momonga frowned.
“What?”
The undead pointed toward the throne.
“It isn’t dead.”
Momonga turned.
A single rune remained.
It was glowing red.
Then a voice whispered through the chamber.
SUCCESSION CANCELLED.
Momonga relaxed.
Then another line appeared.
SUCCESSOR REJECTED.
Momonga frowned.
“Rejected?”
The silver-haired woman looked horrified. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“No.”
“What?”
She backed away.
“That’s worse.”
The throne began opening.
Not physically.
Magically.
Something was being released.
The undead stared.
“Run.”
Momonga didn’t move.
“What is it?”
The undead’s voice became serious.
“The real guardian.”
The chamber darkened.
A figure appeared above the throne.
Tall.
Humanoid.
Wrapped in black armor.
Its face was hidden.
Momonga recognized the equipment.
Not because he had seen it before.
Because he knew what it meant.
World-Class Item.
The figure raised one hand.
The undead immediately fell to one knee.
“No…”
Momonga looked at him.
“You know it.”
“I’ve seen it once.”
“What is it?”
The undead whispered:
“The guild’s final defense.”
The figure looked at Momonga.
Then spoke.
“IDENTIFY.”
Momonga stepped forward.
“Momonga.”
The figure paused.
“INVALID.”
Momonga’s eyes narrowed.
“I am an adventurer.”
“INVALID.”
“I am a player.”
Silence.
Then:
“ACCEPTED.”
Nabe looked at him.
Momonga felt a strange chill.
The figure raised its hand.
“PLAYER IDENTIFIED.”
The silver-haired woman lowered her head.
“Supreme Being.”
Momonga didn’t answer.
The figure continued.
“PLAYER STATUS: UNKNOWN.”
Momonga frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“PLAYER STATUS: DISCONNECTED.”
His mind stopped.
Disconnected.
Not dead.
Not alive.
Disconnected.
The figure turned toward the empty throne.
“MASTER STATUS: ABSENT.”
Momonga’s gaze hardened.
Then the final message appeared.
EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ACTIVATED.
The undead stood.
“What emergency protocol?”
The figure answered.
“FIND THE MASTER.”
Momonga froze.
The silver-haired woman looked at him.
The masked undead looked at him.
Even Evileye seemed to understand.
Momonga whispered:
“It isn’t looking for me.”
The figure turned toward the surface.
“No.”
Momonga stared.
“It’s looking for the original player.”
The undead smiled.
“And now you know where he went.”
Momonga’s eyes narrowed.
“Where?”
The figure pointed upward.
Toward the surface.
Toward the world beyond the tomb.
Then it spoke the words that changed everything.
“THE MASTER IS STILL ALIVE.”
Silence.
Momonga stared at the guardian.
Impossible.
The player who had created this guild.
The player who had supposedly vanished centuries ago.
Was alive.
Somewhere in the New World.
And the tomb had just revealed that he was still waiting.
Momonga looked at Nabe.
She smiled.
“So.”
“What?”
“Our adventure continues.”
Momonga laughed softly.
“Yes.”
He looked toward the exit.
“Now we’re hunting a player.”
Behind them, the throne suddenly whispered one final message.
TARGET LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
And far away, somewhere beyond the Katze Plains…
someone opened their eyes.