When Chris next opened his eyes, he found himself in a world where the apocalypse was already in full swing. Society had collapsed completely, and the undead roamed everywhere. For now, he was safe—perched on the rooftop of a small shop.
He looked around, taking in the sight of a ruined Japanese city. Buildings were crumbling, cars lay overturned, and the streets below were filled with shambling corpses. He couldn't tell exactly which city he was in—there were no clear landmarks—but the architecture and the signs written in Japanese made it clear he was somewhere in Japan.
After a moment, he remembered that the watch Tet had given him could answer questions. So, he raised his wrist and asked, "What should I do first?"
The watch replied in its calm, robotic tone, First, you should designate how much of this world you wish to conquer.
Chris thought for a second, then nodded. "I should start small, so I designate the entire city."
Understood, the watch responded. Designating 168.9 square miles of territory to conquer. Generating map and quest.
Chris's eyes widened in shock. "How many miles!?" He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, Chris, you can do this. It's fine… it's fine."
Map generated, the watch announced.
A holographic projection appeared above the device, showing the city from a top-down view. The entire map was dyed red.
Areas in red are in possession of the enemy, the watch explained.
"Thanks, watch. I got it," Chris replied sarcastically.
First set of quests generated.
Three objectives appeared before him:
Quest 1: Defeat 50 zombies
Reward: 5,000 shop currency and a unique weapon
Quest 2: Defeat the area boss and claim its territory
Reward: Overlord Level +1
Quest 3: Find survivors and give them shelter
Reward:?????
Chris sighed, watching as the area within twenty square miles of his current location lit up on the map. "Well, gotta start somewhere, I guess."
He opened his stats page next.
Name: Chris (Nihil)
Race: High Human
Job: None
Overlord Level: 1
The rest of the page was blank. Curious, he asked the watch why.
You must choose a job before stats can be displayed accurately, it replied, before projecting three options:
Warrior
Rogue
Mage
"I kind of expected a bit more than that," Chris muttered.
You were a jobless 18-year-old fresh out of high school, the watch explained matter-of-factly. You don't have enough skills or experience for more jobs to appear. Three is already good.
"Fair enough. Do the other jobs disappear after I select one?"
No. However, you may not take another until you have maxed out your current job's level. Each time you take a new job, your level will reset, but your stats will remain.
"Okay, that's actually kind of broken," Chris admitted, grinning slightly before selecting Warrior.
His stats updated instantly:
Name: Chris (Nihil)
Race: High Human
Job: Warrior:Level 10
Overlord Level: 1
Health: 100
Mana: 200
Strength: 20
Perception: 10
Endurance: 25
Charisma: 20
Intelligence: 10
Agility: 5
Luck: 10
Skills: One-Handed Weapon Mastery
Spells: Fireball
Abilities: None
Chris looked over the page and nodded. "Okay, not bad… but what's with the name?"
That is your name as an Overlord, the watch replied.
"Edgy, but okay," he said with a shrug.
He opened his inventory next, finding a couple of apples, two bottles of water, and the "Overlord's Beginner Weapon"—a one-handed axe with a wide iron head and a sturdy wooden grip. He gave it a few test swings, the weight feeling solid in his hands.
"Alright," he muttered. "First order of business—let's go find some food, then kill some things."
He descended the rooftop stairs and entered the convenience store below. To his surprise, it hadn't been looted. Grinning, he stuffed every drink and nonperishable item he could find into his inventory.
Once he stepped back outside, he tightened his grip on the axe and took a deep breath. The air smelled faintly of smoke and decay.
"Time to start zombie hunting," he said quietly, before heading into the ruined streets.
Chris spotted a crowd of zombies clustered together below and muttered with a determined grin, "Alright, let's give this a test real quick." He raised his hand, focusing his mana, and shouted, "Fireball!"
A sphere of blazing flame—roughly the size of a basketball—burst from his palm and streaked toward the horde. It slammed into the center of the group, exploding in a wave of fire that tore through a handful of the undead. Chris's eyes widened, mouth falling open in shock at the sheer power of it.
His watch beeped sharply. "Mana at 190. Quest 1 updated: 5 out of 50 zombies killed."
"Holy crap!" Chris exclaimed, his voice rising with disbelief. "It only cost ten mana, and it's that powerful? That's only the most basic Overlord spell!"
Shaking off his surprise, he gripped his axe tightly and sprinted toward the remaining zombies. His blade cleaved through three in quick succession, the heavy weapon biting deep into rotting flesh. When one lunged at him with clawed hands, he ducked low, spun, and brought his axe down hard—its head flying off in a clean, wet arc.
A group shambled in from the side, and Chris lifted his hand again. "Fireball!" The explosion engulfed them in orange light and heat. One straggler darted out of the shadows, moving faster than the rest, but Chris reacted instantly—stepping in and cutting it down with a fierce swing.
When the last corpse hit the ground, the watch beeped again. "Quest 1 updated: 15 out of 50 zombies slain."
He sighed heavily, sweat glistening on his forehead. "Guess I've got a lot more to go…" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
For the rest of the day, Chris roamed the ruined city streets, his footsteps echoing between crumbling buildings. He fought tirelessly—using his axe for those that got too close and hurling fireballs at clustered groups. The air was filled with the scent of ash and decay, the sound of cracking bones and burning flesh following him wherever he went.
By nightfall, exhaustion weighed heavily on him. He couldn't even tell how many zombies he'd killed anymore. His arms ached, and his mana reserves felt drained. Finally, he climbed back up to the convenience store rooftop, letting out a long breath as he checked his progress.
The watch beeped. "Quest 1 updated: 50 out of 50 zombies slain."
"Finally," Chris muttered tiredly, rolling his shoulders before glancing down at his updated stats:
---
Name: Chris (Nihil)
Race: High Human
Job: Warrior – Level 10
Overlord Level: 1
Health: 500
Mana: 300
Strength: 40
Perception: 20
Endurance: 45
Charisma: 30
Intelligence: 20
Agility: 15
Luck: 20
Skills: One-Handed Weapon Mastery, Shield Mastery (New)
Spells: Fireball
Abilities: None
---
"So five zombies per level…" Chris muttered, frowning thoughtfully. "Assuming that doesn't change as my levels rise, I'll need to kill about four hundred more to max out my current job." He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Oh boy. Let's hope there are some higher-level enemies somewhere."
Then his expression brightened. "Oh right, I should get my quest reward real quick."
He tapped the watch, and a line of text appeared:
Rewards Granted: 5000 Shop Currency and Hero's Sword (Fable III)
Chris materialized the weapon from his inventory. In his hand appeared what looked like an old, rusty one-handed sword with a double-edged blade and a cloth-wrapped handle.
"I think I know what this is," he said, tilting his head, "but I'm gonna check anyway. Watch, do you have an appraisal function?"
"Affirmative," the watch replied.
Holding the sword up, Chris commanded, "Appraise item."
A soft hum followed as the watch scanned the blade. "Item: Hero's Sword. A growth-type weapon that changes in appearance and strength alongside its wielder."
Chris's lips curved into a grin. "Alright, sweet." He gave the sword a spin, admiring the weight and balance before stepping out of the convenience store. "Alright, let's go challenge the area boss. Watch, where is it?"
"Marking your map," the watch answered.
He checked the holographic display and saw a skull icon blinking in the center of a nearby park. "Okay, no time like the present I'll go after a quick rest," Chris said with a smirk.
After a few hours of rest he followed the cracked streets until the park came into view—a desolate place with shattered benches, broken lampposts, and corpses that looked like they'd been torn apart by something vicious. The air was thick with the scent of death and rot.
At the center of it all stood a figure.
It was a zombified girl—short pink hair matted with blood, purple eyes with black sclera glinting faintly in the dim light. Her torn school uniform clung to rotted flesh, and behind her swayed a reddish-black tail tipped with a heart shape. Her body was riddled with open wounds and decay, yet she stood unnaturally still, her gaze locked on him.
Chris stared back, his expression tightening. "I guess your anime was a slice of life," he muttered grimly.
She didn't respond. Instead, she let out a low, guttural growl—eyes narrowing as the tail flicked behind her like a predator ready to strike.
Chris tightened his grip on both his axe and sword, his muscles tensing as he prepared for battle. But before he could make a move, the grass beneath his feet began to writhe and stretch—blades of green twisting into whip-like tendrils that slashed toward him.
He cursed under his breath and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding being sliced apart. With a swift swing of his axe, he hacked through the grassy whips, severing them in bursts of shredded green.
As he steadied himself, the undead girl suddenly lunged at him, her jaw snapping open in a grotesque attempt to bite him. Chris jumped back, narrowly evading her teeth, and retaliated with a sharp kick to her stomach, sending her staggering backward.
Without missing a beat, he raised his hand. "Fireball!" he shouted.
A burning orb exploded from his palm and struck her square in the chest. Flames erupted across her body, and she shrieked—her skin blistering and charring from the blast. But she didn't fall. Smoke rising from her wounds, she charged again, claws flashing through the air.
Chris sidestepped her attack, his breath sharp and focused, and slashed across her torso with his sword. The blade cut deep, spraying black ichor. "I'm lucky she doesn't have any intelligence," he muttered under his breath, voice strained from exertion. "Or else she'd be doing a lot more than just trying to kill me—grass blades and charging in like an idiot."
He hurled another fireball, catching her full in the chest again. The explosion threw her to the ground, smoldering and twitching. Before she could recover, Chris sprinted forward, driving his sword straight through her throat. The blade pierced deep, severing her spine. Her body went limp instantly.
Breathing heavily, Chris stared down at her motionless form. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice heavy with regret. "I actually didn't want to kill you. You were a fun character."
His watch beeped, its screen lighting up.
Quest 2 Complete
Reward: Overlord Level +1
The surrounding 20 square miles have been conquered.
He watched as the section of his holographic map turned from red to blue. Another beep followed immediately after.
Job Level increased by 5
Overlord Level increased by 1
New Abilities Added:
Minion Summoning: In exchange for 5 points of mana, user can summon one minion.
Subordinate Contract: Allows user to make a person or creature their subordinate, even if they've expired. (Warning: For deceased individuals, the corpse must be less than a day old.)
Chris lowered his wrist and stared at the girl's corpse for a long moment, his brows furrowed. Should I? he wondered silently. After a brief hesitation, he let out a slow breath. "I hope I don't regret this," he murmured.
He raised his hand toward her lifeless body. His watch pulsed with light and spoke: "Would you like to make the zombified Momo Belia Deviluke your subordinate?"
"Yes," Chris said firmly.
A pink smartwatch materialized on Momo's left wrist, mirroring his own. In an instant, the wounds from their battle began to heal. Her rotted flesh smoothed over, her torn clothing reformed, and color faintly returned to her skin—though her eyes still glowed with the eerie dullness of undeath. She stood silently, no longer hostile, staring at him with a blank but obedient expression.
Chris navigated to his Overlord page and saw a new name listed among his subordinates. Curious, he tapped it—and Momo's stat page appeared.
---
Name: Momo Belia Deviluke
Race: High-Zombie – Level 1
Job: None
Health: 250
Mana: 150
Strength: 25
Perception: 0
Endurance: 30
Charisma: 0
Intelligence: 0
Agility: 10
Luck: 15
Skills: None
Abilities: Instinct, Chlorokinesis
Spells: None
---
Chris exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temple. "Okay, I'll have to do all the thinking for her," he muttered with a faint, tired smirk. "I'm surprised her luck is so high, though."
Turning toward her, he pointed down the street. "Alright, Momo, let's go capture the harbor district."
She didn't respond, only tilting her head slightly before following him in silence. Together, they made their way toward the coast. Once there, Chris cleared out a relatively intact warehouse, sweeping through the dark interior until it was safe enough to claim as their new base.
He checked his watch again, seeing the entire harbor district and part of the nearby sea now highlighted on the holographic map. The device beeped once more.
New Quest Added
Quest Number 4: Conquer the Harbor District by Defeating the Area Boss
Reward: Overlord Level +1
Chris rolled his neck, stretching until it cracked. A faint grin tugged at his lips. "Alright," he said, gripping his sword. "Let's get busy."