[The Second Day of Destruction, 00:50] [The Abyssal Sanctum]
Deep beneath the shattered surface of Kami Miyako, the air grew incredibly thick and sterile as the Abyssal Sanctum insulated itself from the horrors above. Far removed from the choking ash and the agonizing screams of the dying, this subterranean fortress lay hidden deep within the bedrock, relying heavily upon six centuries of divine magic to reinforce its heavy granite walls.
Dim amber light pulsed steadily from ancient runes of preservation carved along the cold stone, illuminating a vast vaulted hall that smelled strongly of burning frankincense and old parchment. However, the sharp metallic tang of magical ozone frequently cut through the holy incense to remind everyone of the failing wards protecting them.
Wearing pale masks of suppressed panic, acolytes and high priests hurried frantically across the polished floors while carrying heavy iron chests inscribed with protective runes. These desperate scribes rushed to secure the sacred relics of the Six Great Gods, frantically attempting to pack the entire recorded history of their civilization for whatever terrifying contingency lay ahead.
Occupying the absolute center of the room, the Thousand League Astrologer knelt upon a raised circular dais to face the glowing [Oculus Stone].
The Eleventh Seat of the Black Scripture trembled violently as her dark robes pooled around her knees. Pouring her dwindling mana into the massive spherical crystal floating above the pedestal, she fought a losing battle to maintain the arcane connection. Sweat beaded heavily upon her forehead to dampen the veil covering her eyes because the high-tier divination ritual required immense concentration to pierce the suffocating necrotic interference blanketing the surface world.
The surviving pillars of human governance formed a rigid semi-circle directly behind the sweating astrologer. Waiting in agonizing silence for her report, the Supreme Executive Council watched the magical feed.
Yvon Jasmina Edessa, the Cardinal of Light, gripped his golden staff with white-knuckled intensity while Maximilian Oreio Lagier stood rigidly beside him. The usually pragmatic features of the Cardinal of Darkness were currently drawn into a grim scowl. Beside him, leaning heavily upon his polished cane, Ginedine Delan Guelfi, the Cardinal of Water, allowed the chaotic light bleeding from the crystal to reflect across his weathered face.
The dormant blades of the dying nation lurked in the deep shadows just beyond the dais.
Pacing the perimeter like a caged tiger, Quintia gripped the leather handles of his spiked whips until the material creaked under the pressure. The Master of Beasts bore a striking resemblance to his late sister Clementine, possessing the exact same dangerous, predatory edge. Resting silently against a stone pillar nearby, the Eighth Seat kept his face entirely obscured beneath a dark cowl to observe the crystal with chilling stillness.
"Calibrate the temporal focus, Eleventh Seat," Cardinal Ginedine croaked, allowing his raspy voice to project unquestionable authority over the silent room. "Show us the progression so we might understand how the Middle City fell so rapidly."
"Yes, Your Eminence," the astrologer stammered before running her trembling hands over the smooth surface of the crystal.
Muttering a rapid incantation, she forced the image within the stone to shift backward in time by an hour to reveal the horrific sequence of events birthing their current nightmare.
Projecting the Middle City in flawless miniature detail, the magic revealed wide marble avenues and pristine cathedrals completely engulfed in an ocean of viridian fire. Black smoke billowed into the night sky, blotting out the moon entirely and creating a suffocating darkness, with the fire serving only as a hellish backdrop.
"By the gods," Yvon whispered as his eyes widened at the impossible scale. "The sheer number of them."
A tide of rot and iron surged forward from the Outer District. This force was not a mindless mob of feral undead but rather a flawlessly disciplined military machine. Hundreds of Death Knights marched at the vanguard to form an impenetrable wall of black metal with their weeping shields. Jagged flamberges cleaved effortlessly through heavy street barricades as if the sturdy timber were made of dry parchment.
The true horde marched directly behind the obsidian giants. Thousands upon thousands of zombies and skeletal warriors flooded the burning streets, pouring through the narrow alleyways and charging down the grand boulevards to form a writhing carpet of death, swallowing everything in its path.
"The Grand Marshal will hold the line," Cardinal Maximilian stated, struggling to maintain his usual arrogant certainty. "The inner walls remain fortified with anti-evil wards while the Vanguard Paladins hold the tactical high ground."
The defense of the Inner Wall played out within the crystal in perfect silent miniature.
Forces of the Theocracy rained holy fire and heavy artillery down upon the undead ranks. Flocks of Archangel Flames descended from the boiling sky to crash into the front lines with swords of blazing light. For a fleeting moment upon the glass, it seemed the human defenders might actually stall the tide.
But the army of the Sorcerer King simply refused to falter.
Raising their massive shields, the Death Knights absorbed the magical bombardments without breaking their rhythmic stride. Agile Death Warriors vaulted the defensive lines simultaneously to spin their dual blades directly into the packed human infantry.
"They are not stopping," the Astrologer sobbed, digging her fingernails frantically into the glass of the [Oculus Stone]. "The wards are overloading because the negative energy is simply too dense."
Shifting slightly, the projection zoomed in upon the heavily reinforced battlements of the Inner Gate.
Commander Vane stood completely alone upon the ruined masonry. Even through the silent scried projection, his profound desperation remained palpable. Elite bodyguards lay dead at his heavy feet. His broadsword had been sheared clean in half, and a dented breastplate restricted his breathing while his left arm hung uselessly at his side.
Emerging from the green mist, a towering Doom Lord wielded a massive black halberd actively bleeding pure entropy.
"Vane," Quintia hissed from the shadows as the arrogant demeanor of the Black Scripture member finally cracked. "Do not stand there, you fool!" Fall back!"
Commander Vane refused the order to retreat.
Watching the veteran commander square his shattered shoulders inside the crystal, the Cardinals saw him raise his broken blade high into the air. His bloody lips moved to deliver a final, unheard roar of defiance before charging the massive undead construct.
But sadly, he did not survive even three steps.
Swinging its massive halberd with casual indifference, the Doom Lord caught Vane squarely in the chest. The raw kinetic impact lifted the commander entirely off his feet, sending him flying backward through the air to slam brutally against the solid masonry of the Inner Wall. He slid slowly down the cold stone to leave a wide smear of bright crimson blood before slumping heavily against the base with a broken spine.
Zooming in with agonizing clarity, the crystal allowed the Cardinals to watch the right hand of the hero relax completely. A small wooden token of the Earth God slipped from numb fingers to bounce softly off the cobblestones and roll away into the darkness. Vane exhaled his final breath as the marching of the dead resumed immediately, stepping effortlessly over his fresh corpse to continue the invasion.
Profound silence fell over the underground chamber.
Acolyte scribes stopped their frantic packing, allowing heavy iron chests to hit the polished floor with dull thuds. The Cardinals stared at the crystal as the breathable air seemed trapped painfully in their throats.
The greatest defensive commander of their generation had not died in a blaze of glorious martyrdom. No! The undead monster had swatted him aside like a mere nuisance. His heroic charge had failed to delay the undead vanguard for even a single second.
Slowly lowering his head, Cardinal Yvon traced the six-pointed star of the Great Gods over his chest with trembling fingers.
"May the Gods receive his brave soul," Yvon murmured, his voice cracking under the weight of crushing grief. "He held the door."
"A noble sacrifice," Cardinal Ginedine added while bowing his ancient head and tightening his white-knuckled grip upon his cane. "But looking at the sheer scale of this horror... I fear his death only delayed the inevitable."
Deep within the glowing depths of the [Oculus Stone], the sea of the dead continued pouring endlessly through the broken wall. The green fog washed completely over the ruins of humanity, promising the desperate Cardinals that absolutely no door could remain locked forever.
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Author's Note
Hey guys,
First of all, thank you for sticking with this story and supporting it for so long.
When I started this fanfiction, I was basically a new writer who just wanted to write something about a series I loved. I've been an Overlord fan for around six or seven years, so this project became my way of learning how to write. Looking back, I've learned a lot through it: storytelling, character writing, action scenes, tension, horror, and all the other things that come with writing dark fantasy.
As for the slower updates, I haven't disappeared. During this time, I've been working on another Overlord fanfiction based on Volume 14, which already has around 80 chapters written, and I've also been building my own original fantasy novel. That's where most of my writing time has been going.
That said, this project is definitely not abandoned. I love this story too much for that. The plan is still to take it all the way to around 200 chapters.
Right now, I'm working on a complete remastered version of Volume 17. I've rewritten a lot of scenes, improved the dialogue and pacing, added new content, and even expanded parts of the early story that felt rushed. Because of that, I'll most likely delete the current version and re-upload the remastered one from the beginning in the coming weeks.
The goal after that is simple: consistent daily uploads until we reach the end of the story.
And who knows? If everything goes well, you'll probably see my Volume 14 fanfiction and maybe even my original fantasy novel in the near future.
Thanks again for all the comments, support, and patience. I genuinely appreciate it.❤️🔥