Overlord: The Wandering Sorcerer Chapter 24 — The First Arrival
Seraph did not ask them to follow him.
He simply turned and began walking north.
Momonga watched him for several seconds.
There was something irritating about the man’s confidence.
He behaved as though he already knew what Momonga would decide.
Then again, perhaps he did.
Momonga glanced at Nabe.
“Stay close.”
Nabe nodded.
“I wasn’t planning to do otherwise.”
Evileye sighed and followed.
The masked undead remained at the rear.
Nariel walked beside him.
Seraph never looked back.
The forest grew darker as they traveled.
The moon disappeared behind clouds.
Eventually, even Evileye stopped making sarcastic comments.
The silence was becoming oppressive.
After nearly an hour, Momonga finally spoke.
“How far?”
Seraph answered without turning.
“Three days.”
“Walking?”
“Yes.”
“We could travel faster.”
“I know.”
“Then why don’t we?”
“Because we’re being followed.”
Momonga stopped.
Nabe immediately stopped beside him.
Evileye looked around.
“I don’t see anyone.”
“You wouldn’t.”
Seraph continued walking.
Momonga activated several detection spells.
Nothing.
No life signatures.
No magical presence.
No undead.
Nothing.
He narrowed his eyes.
“Who?”
Seraph finally stopped.
“Something that doesn’t want to be detected.”
Momonga smiled faintly.
“That’s reassuring.”
Seraph looked at him.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I doubt that.”
They continued.
Several minutes later, Momonga felt it.
A slight distortion in the air.
He turned.
Nothing.
Then Nabe whispered:
“Behind us.”
Momonga raised his staff.
The darkness between the trees moved.
A figure emerged.
Then another.
Then another.
Three humanoid silhouettes.
Seraph sighed.
“Too soon.”
Momonga looked at him.
“Friends?”
“No.”
“Enemies?”
“Probably.”
Evileye raised her hand.
“That’s encouraging.”
The first figure stepped into the moonlight.
It was a woman.
Tall.
Long black hair.
Her clothing resembled an old-fashioned magical robe.
Her eyes were completely white.
The second was a massive armored warrior.
The third was a small creature covered in fur.
Momonga immediately sensed their strength.
None of them were ordinary.
The woman looked at Seraph.
“You shouldn’t have come back.”
Seraph smiled.
“I could say the same about you.”
“You brought him.”
Her eyes moved toward Momonga.
“Yes.”
The woman stared at him.
“Another player.”
Momonga raised his staff.
“Apparently.”
She smiled.
“How many of you are there?”
Momonga answered:
“Just me.”
The woman’s expression changed.
“Only one?”
“Yes.”
She looked toward Nabe.
“And the NPC?”
Momonga’s eyes narrowed.
“You know what she is.”
“Of course.”
The woman looked at Nabe.
“She shouldn’t exist.”
Nabe drew her sword.
“Everyone keeps saying that.”
The woman smiled.
“I can explain why.”
Momonga stepped forward.
“Then explain.”
Seraph interrupted.
“Not here.”
The woman looked at him.
“Still protecting them?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve learned nothing.”
Seraph’s smile disappeared.
“And you’ve learned too much.”
The woman raised one hand.
The armored warrior stepped forward.
Momonga immediately recognized the stance.
He was preparing to attack.
“Nabe.”
“Yes.”
“Stay with me.”
Nabe nodded.
Evileye floated upward.
“I’ll handle the mage.”
Momonga looked at her.
“Don’t underestimate her.”
Evileye smiled.
“I never do.”
The armored warrior charged.
Nabe met him.
Their weapons collided.
The impact shook the trees.
Momonga cast a spell.
“Black Hole.”
A sphere of darkness appeared beneath the furry creature.
The creature leaped away.
It moved far faster than its appearance suggested.
Momonga frowned.
“Interesting.”
The woman raised her hand.
“Reality Break.”
The space around Momonga distorted.
He immediately countered.
“Greater Teleportation.”
He vanished.
The spell tore through the trees behind him.
Momonga reappeared beside Seraph.
“Your friends are unpleasant.”
Seraph smiled.
“They aren’t my friends.”
“Enemies?”
“Complications.”
Momonga looked at him.
“You seem to have many.”
“After two centuries, you collect a few.”
Evileye suddenly screamed:
“Momonga!”
He turned.
The woman had broken through her defenses.
Evileye was falling.
Momonga teleported.
He caught her before she hit the ground.
“You all right?”
Evileye pushed herself away.
“I’m fine.”
The woman looked at Momonga.
“You protected her.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“She’s my companion.”
The woman stared at him.
Then she laughed.
“A player who protects his companions.”
Momonga frowned.
“Is that unusual?”
“Very.”
Nabe and the armored warrior separated.
Nabe’s sword was damaged.
The warrior’s armor was cracked.
Neither had won.
Nabe looked at Momonga.
“I’m fine.”
Momonga nodded.
Then he looked at Seraph.
“Enough.”
Seraph nodded.
“Agreed.”
He raised his hand.
The golden ring on his finger began glowing.
The three attackers immediately stopped.
The woman looked furious.
“You still have that.”
Seraph looked at the ring.
“Yes.”
“You swore you’d never use it.”
“I changed my mind.”
The woman stepped backward.
“You don’t understand what you’re doing.”
“I understand perfectly.”
The ring released a wave of magical energy.
The three figures vanished.
Silence returned.
Evileye landed.
“What was that?”
Seraph lowered his hand.
“A reminder.”
“Of what?”
“That I am still here.”
Momonga looked at the ring.
“That’s a powerful item.”
Seraph smiled.
“It belonged to my guild.”
Momonga frowned.
“You said the World-Class Item was with you.”
“It is.”
“That ring?”
“No.”
Seraph continued walking.
“The ring is something else.”
“What?”
“A key.”
Momonga followed.
“A key to what?”
Seraph didn’t answer.
Instead, he pointed ahead.
The forest was beginning to thin.
Beyond the trees stood a ruined stone tower.
It was enormous.
Much larger than it appeared from a distance.
Its upper half disappeared into the clouds.
Momonga stopped.
He felt it immediately.
The same sensation as the forgotten guild.
YGGDRASIL magic.
But stronger.
Much stronger.
Seraph looked at him.
“This is where the first player arrived.”
Momonga stared at the tower.
“When?”
“Over six hundred years ago.”
“The Six Great Gods?”
Seraph nodded.
“One of them.”
Momonga’s eyes narrowed.
“Which one?”
Seraph smiled.
“The one who never became a god.”
Momonga frowned.
“That’s not very helpful.”
“You’ll understand when you enter.”
They approached the tower.
There was no door.
Only a circular stone wall.
Seraph placed his hand against it.
Nothing happened.
He looked at Momonga.
“Your turn.”
Momonga stepped forward.
“Why?”
Momonga touched the wall.
The stone immediately began glowing.
A massive magical circle appeared.
Nabe stared.
“It recognizes him.”
Seraph nodded.
“Yes.”
The tower opened.
A staircase appeared inside.
Momonga looked at Seraph.
“You said it wouldn’t open for you.”
“It won’t.”
“Then why does it open for me?”
Seraph smiled.
“Because this tower doesn’t belong to my guild.”
Momonga looked at the staircase.
“Whose does it belong to?”
Seraph’s expression became serious.
“No one’s.”
Momonga paused.
“Then who built it?”
“The first player.”
“Who was that?”
Seraph didn’t answer.
Momonga looked at the ancient walls.
“You know.”
“Yes.”
“Tell me.”
Seraph shook his head.
“Not yet.”
Momonga sighed.
“You really enjoy doing that.”
Seraph smiled.
“You’re beginning to sound like your old guildmates.”
Momonga stopped.
“My guildmates?”
“Yes.”
“What do you know about them?”
Seraph looked at him.
“Very little.”
“Then how do you know them?”
“I met one.”
Momonga’s eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Seraph’s answer was quiet.
“Touch Me.”
Momonga froze.
The name hit him like a physical blow.
One of the people he had known.
One of the people who had been there at the beginning.
One of the people he had fought alongside.
Seraph continued.
“He came here.”
“When?”
“Shortly before YGGDRASIL ended.”
Momonga couldn’t speak.
“Why?”
“He was searching for someone.”
“Who?”
Seraph looked toward Nabe.
Momonga followed his gaze.
Nabe stood silently beside him.
Seraph said:
“Her.”
Momonga’s eyes widened.
Nabe looked confused.
“Me?”
Seraph nodded.
“Yes.”
Momonga turned toward Nabe.
“You?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t remember meeting him.”
Seraph smiled sadly.
“Of course you don’t.”
Momonga looked back at him.
“What did he want with her?”
Seraph’s expression became serious.
“He wanted to know why an NPC from another guild had appeared in his world.”
Momonga stared.
“Another guild?”
Seraph nodded.
“Touch Me discovered something.”
“What?”
“Your companion wasn’t created in YGGDRASIL.”
Momonga looked at Nabe.
The world seemed to become very quiet.
“That’s impossible.”
Seraph shook his head.
“No.”
He pointed toward the tower.
“That’s the reason we’re here.”
Momonga stared at the entrance.
“What is Nabe?”
Seraph answered:
“That is the question Touch Me came here to answer.”
Nabe’s expression remained calm.
But her hand had tightened around her sword.
Momonga noticed.
He stepped closer to her.
“No matter what we find inside…”
Nabe looked at him.
“…you are still Nabe.”
Her expression softened.
“Thank you, Master.”
Momonga smiled.
Then he turned toward the tower.
“Let’s find out the truth.”
They entered.
The moment Nabe crossed the threshold…
the tower spoke.
Not to Momonga.
Not to Seraph.
Not to Evileye.
Only to her.
WELCOME BACK.
Nabe froze.
Momonga turned toward her.
The ancient staircase lit up.
One step.
Then another.
Then another.
And at the very top of the tower, something awakened.
Seraph stared upward.
For the first time since Momonga had met him…
he looked genuinely afraid.
“No.”
Momonga raised his staff.
“What?”
Seraph whispered:
“It remembered her.”
And somewhere above them…
a voice spoke a single word.
Nabe.