Overlord: The Beginning After The End

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

The list of races was so vast that Ethan felt overwhelmed just scrolling through it.

Each race had its own strengths and preferences.

Undead, for example, excelled in magic, while beastfolk leaned toward physical strength and warrior classes.

Even niche classes like rangers, rogues, and ninjas had species specifically suited to their roles.

Of course, choosing an undead race didn't mean Ethan couldn't pursue a warrior class. It just meant the growth potential in physical combat wouldn't come close to that of a beastman.

After browsing the racial options, Ethan shifted his focus to what truly set YGGDRASIL apart—the class and level system.

Unlike traditional MMORPGs, YGGDRASIL featured a layered class structure that allowed for intricate combinations.

For example, if a human character advanced into the mage class, "Human" and "Mage" would exist as two separate layers—stacked like talent trees.

Much like the mastery points in League of Legends, each player was given a total of 100 points to distribute across racial and class levels. How to allocate those points depended entirely on the player's strategy.

It was a brilliant design—one that not only promoted diversity but also maintained balance and replayability. Whoever designed this game was, without a doubt, a genius.

The world of YGGDRASIL itself was divided into nine realms, each inspired by Norse mythology:

• Asgard

• Alfheim

• Vanaheim

• Nidavellir

• Midgard

• Jotunheim

• Niflheim

• Helheim

• Muspelheim

Despite the mythology-inspired setting, the original story barely scratched the surface of these worlds, leaving much of their lore shrouded in mystery.

After much deliberation, Ethan finally settled on his chosen race—Dragonkin.

Truth be told, Dragonkin hadn't even been in his initial considerations.

For one, it wasn't classified as a heteromorphic race, which might make joining Ainz Ooal Gown—the protagonist's guild—trickier in the future.

But in the end, none of that mattered. Ethan chose Dragonkin for one reason: raw power.

In YGGDRASIL, Dragonkin were as diverse as the undead.

Take Ainz's skeleton form, for example. Even among the undead, there were variations like ghouls, wights, banshees, and abominations.

Dragonkin had similar subtypes—Blue Dragons, Black Dragons, Red Dragons, and more.

• Blue Dragons excelled in magic affinity, making them ideal for spellcasting classes.

• Black Dragons boasted unmatched physical strength, perfectly suited for warrior builds.

• Red Dragons possessed incredible vitality, often paired with roles like druids or shamans.

Ethan's final choice?

Black Dragon.

And as for his class? He'd already made up his mind—Monk.

Dragons were synonymous with strength and magic, their presence commanding respect in every fantasy setting. Pairing the raw power of a Black Dragon with the versatility of a Monk felt like the ultimate combination.

Ethan had considered other options, but YGGDRASIL's mages came with glaring weaknesses.

The original story had even depicted Surshana the Catastrophe, one of the strongest spellcasting classes, being effortlessly crushed by the World Champion, a warrior-class player.

Magic users were devastating at range but crumbled the moment enemies closed the distance.

Their most powerful spells had long cooldowns and strict daily usage limits, leaving them vulnerable after exhausting their resources.

Ethan didn't deny the strength of mages—but his instincts told him he needed something more reliable for survival.

He wasn't just preparing for this world. There could be others beyond it. And in that regard, warrior classes had fewer restrictions.

Sure, warriors lacked the explosive firepower of mages, but Ethan wasn't looking to mow down armies. Survival was his priority.

Among warrior classes, Monks stood out for one key reason—they had self-healing abilities.

The only other class with built-in recovery skills was the Paladin.

But unlike Paladins, Monks focused entirely on offensive combat without sacrificing mobility or adaptability.

With these factors in mind, Ethan solidified his choice—Black Dragon Monk.

Paladins, due to their unique nature, weren't exactly welcoming to non-human races.

After weighing his options carefully, Ethan decided to stick with Monk for now. YGGDRASIL boasted an expansive class system, and fully mastering any single class was nearly impossible without multiclassing later.

As for joining the guild Ainz Ooal Gown, Ethan had already factored that into his plans.

If he managed to befriend Ainz early enough, the guild's heteromorphic-only requirement might be overlooked in his case.

This led to a far more pressing concern—how would the system evaluate success or failure?

Would following the protagonist's storyline be mandatory? Or could he carve out his own path and still complete the mission?

Ethan wasn't willing to gamble. Not when failure meant losing everything.

No matter how uncertain he felt about his theory, he resolved to align himself with the protagonist's journey.

He still didn't know where—or even when—he had landed in the timeline, but one thing was certain: this world wasn't ordinary.

If something as absurd as transmigration had already happened, who was to say this wasn't some God's Domain or Main God's Space scenario?

As the seconds ticked away, Ethan's mind raced through every possible scenario.

Where should he go first?

What professions should he prioritize?

Unlike ordinary players who treated the game as entertainment, Ethan viewed it as the foundation of his future—one he needed to stabilize as quickly as possible.

[Countdown… 3, 2, 1.]

The moment the Create Character button lit up, Ethan pressed it without hesitation.

The first thing that appeared was the Race Template.

With no second thoughts, Ethan selected Dragonkin.

Interestingly, this version of Dragonkin wasn't humanoid like Sebas Tian from the anime. Instead, it had the head of a dragon and the body of a human—a much more beastly appearance.

And since Ethan's level was still low, his dragon form lacked wings—something he'd have to work toward unlocking later.

[Character Created Successfully. Please Enter a Name.]

"Aoren."

Ethan didn't overthink the name. It was just a label—a placeholder that wouldn't affect his plans.

[Side Quest Completed: Create a Character.]

[Quest Reward: 200 Points.]

[Points Detected. Shop Unlocked.]

The system prompts flashed in front of him once more, but this time, they projected directly within the game interface.

"A shop?"

Ethan's interest piqued as he immediately tapped on the menu.