Overlord: The Beginning After The End

Rain poured from the pitch-black sky, drumming against the ground in an endless rhythm.

There were no lush green hills, no star-filled skies like in the anime. Instead, towering skyscrapers stretched as far as the eye could see, their silhouettes cutting through the murky air. The sharp scent of industrial waste lingered, stinging his nostrils.

"What the hell…?"

Ethan frowned, his gaze darting around the unfamiliar surroundings.

This wasn't right.

None of this matched the world he remembered.

Had he miscalculated?

A sudden chill crawled down Ethan's spine, cold sweat seeping through his back.

If his guess was wrong, things could get very messy. Everything he'd told himself to stay calm hinged on being familiar with the storyline. But if this world didn't follow the plot he knew—then he was in real trouble.

Just as panic began to settle in, the system chimed again.

[World Loaded. Player Character Template Established.]

[Name: Ethan]

[ID: FDG398756]

[HP: 100]

[Strength: 6] [Intelligence: 7] [Magic: 0] [Stamina: 5]

[Equipment: None]

[Items: None]

[Companions: None]

[Bonds: None]

[Template Established!]

[Newbie World Detected. Main Questline: Disabled. Side Quests: Randomly Assigned.]

[Side Quests: Optional tasks that grant rewards. Failure will not affect return eligibility.]

[Complete side quests to earn points. Points can be exchanged for specific-use items.]

[Ding! Side Quest Issued: Create a Character in YGGDRASIL.]

[Quest Reward: 100 Points.]

Rows of prompts flooded his vision, leaving Ethan momentarily stunned. After carefully reading through the notifications, his expression shifted—first to silence, then to faint trembling.

This wasn't what he'd expected. Not even close.

He'd spent all this time mentally preparing himself to either avoid the protagonist or cling to their coattails, but reality had blindsided him.

The timeline—he'd arrived before the story had even begun.

Ethan's thoughts raced.

In the original plot, the protagonist had only been transported to the new world after the game's servers shut down, along with the absurd, apocalyptic power he'd carried over.

But if Ethan joined the guild now—

He didn't dare finish the thought.

[Return Countdown: 4380 days, 23:59.]

Four thousand days?!

Ethan's eyes widened as the countdown timer appeared. His mind worked furiously to make sense of the numbers.

If memory served, YGGDRASIL had operated for twelve years before shutting down. That meant his return time lined up perfectly with the end of the game's lifespan.

Did this mean…

Ethan's breath hitched as the realization sank in.

He'd hit the jackpot.

His expression shifted rapidly—from anxiety to disbelief and finally to uncontrollable excitement.

The heavy downpour blurred the streets, and the lack of pedestrians helped him avoid unwanted attention. If anyone had seen him grinning like a madman in the rain, they might have called for an ambulance.

Taking a few deep breaths, Ethan wiped the rainwater from his face. Or maybe it wasn't just rain—was it his imagination, or did the water carry a faint chemical smell?

[Identity Information Issued!]

The system's voice rang out again, and suddenly, fragmented memories flooded Ethan's mind.

It felt as though an entirely new identity had been implanted within him.

The implanted memories included everything Ethan needed to know—his residence, personal history, and general details about his life in this world.

After reviewing the information in his mind, he set off toward his "home," where something crucial awaited him—his virtual reality headset.

This whole transmigration process still felt surreal. While it hadn't gifted him with some extravagant backstory, the system had covered the basics well enough.

His apartment wasn't far, and Ethan arrived at the complex in no time.

The unit itself was modest but tidy. There were no unnecessary decorations, yet all the essentials for daily living were present and accounted for.

According to his memories, the apartment had been left to him by his parents after their passing. Coupled with the inheritance they'd left behind, Ethan was financially stable despite not having a job.

That didn't mean this world was comfortable, though.

If anything, it was far more suffocating than he'd imagined.

Out on the streets, people hurried past each other without so much as a nod or a glance. It was already ten in the morning, but the skies outside remained dim and overcast.

The air reeked of industrial pollution, and Ethan could feel a faint burning sensation in his lungs after just a short walk.

No wonder the protagonist hadn't hesitated to abandon this world.

Growing up in an environment like this? Even the most mentally stable person would crack sooner or later.

He shook his head—there was no point dwelling on it now.

After searching through a storage closet, Ethan finally unearthed a slightly dusty virtual headset.

Its design closely resembled the one from the anime, right down to the intricate details.

Holding the helmet, Ethan ran a hand along the back of his neck and, sure enough, found a small neural interface port.

Feeling a cold, metallic touch in his body still made him uneasy, even if it was just a part of this new world.

Then again, considering the alternatives he could've faced in the other timelines, he wasn't about to start complaining.

At least here, he didn't have to worry about being killed right away. The worst he had to endure was polluted air.

Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Ethan secured the headset and carefully connected the interface to his neural port.

The moment the connection was made, his consciousness blurred. It felt like stepping through a gateway—one moment grounded in reality, and the next, floating in a completely different space.

"Welcome to YGGDRASIL, Adventurer!"

"Prepare yourself for an experience unlike any other!"

"Please begin by creating your character."

[Character Creation: 0:10:23 Remaining.]

Not even launched yet?

Ethan blinked in surprise. It seemed he'd arrived even earlier than he thought.

Still, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It gave him time to plan and strategize.

Since character creation wasn't available yet, he decided to browse the options and familiarize himself with the system.

Humans, beastfolk, elves, undead, slimes, demons, insectoids, angels, fallen angels, dragonkin, doppelgangers, succubi, vampires, machinists, magic beings…