How to be an Overlord

How to be an Overlord by Larro
How to be an Overlord Chapter 1: Rebuilding How to be an Overlord Chapter 2: Recovery How to be an Overlord Chapter 3: Reconcile How to be an Overlord Chapter 4: Regret How to be a Hero Chapter 1: Hope How to be an Overlord Chapter 5: Regicide How to be an Overlord Chapter 5.5: Recess How to be a Summoner Chapter 1: Stolen How to be an Overlord Chapter 6:Reduce How to be an Overlord Chapter 7: Results How to be an Overlord Chapter 8: Revolt How to be an Overlord Chapter 9: Revelations How to be an Overlord Chapter 10: Remnants
Discussion
Being an Overlord: Halloween

You were a demonic overlord bent on conquest when a bunch of human heroes attacked your castle, sacked it, and killed you and your servants. You reawaken as just the eye of your former self, rescued by your few remaining loyal servants, and set on a quest of conquest. Also to rebuild your body.

Overlord Stats

Chapter 1: Rebuilding

The Overlord awakens as an eyeball in the worried care of his last remaining servants: Emily, a constructed servant of his creation; Rose, a loyal bodyguard; and Styx, a faithful artificer. They inform him that his fortress is shattered and armies slaughtered or fled. He leads Rose and Emily in hunting heroes and monsters to recover wealth so that they can rebuild, ultimately enslaving Ruby, a flame wizard, and Alice, an archer. After they prove reluctant to obey him and in fact rather furious about the whole enslavement process, he establishes a policy of removing clothes for disobedience and only providing anything more than underclothes to those who will kneel before him and swear loyalty. Ruby quickly capitulates, but Alice proves stubborn. He then reconnects with Fabio, a friendly merchant with whom he had dealt in his previous life, to great profit, and continues fighting for money and minions. A brief conversation with Styx reveals that she supports him because he sought to unite the land under one ruler, and she believed in his goal. She also provides a Corruption Potion, which can rob anyone of their will and slave them loyally to Overlord.

Unfortunately, shortly after enslaving Kassandra, a healer, she is hit with an Age spell which incapacitates her and leaves her all but incapable of action. Unwilling to leave someone who fought willingly for him disabled and in pain, Overlord promptly orders her taken to the Wizard's Tower so that she can be healed- and finds that Alice is unwilling to even help Kassandra be healed, so resistant is she to the idea of helping Overlord in any way. To demonstrate his displeasure Overlord removes her top, and Ruby takes Kassandra to the Wizard's Tower to get a cure, which she buys from the merchant Fate there. Upon their return, Overlord informs Alice that she is not to wear any kind of top until she has apologized to Kassandra, but she remains resistant- although both Ruby and a grateful Kassandra take Overlord's side in the exchange. After visiting Fabio once again, everyone retires for the day. The fortress kitchens and baths are repaired.

Chapter 2: Recovery

After a conversation with an exhausted but still stubbornly defiant Alice in the morning, Styx informs Overlord that she can get him a body again- if he can provide her with a Dark Mana crystal. In search of one he goes to Alemor, a mostly deserted land once fully corrupted by Silva the Wicked, a rival of Overlord's. There he meets a demonologist who offers some advice, and says that she would willingly give him a Dark Mana crystal, or indeed do anything, in exchange for some of Silva's Wine. Departing to explore, Overlord encounters Nyx, a plaguebearer- someone horribly corrupted and turned both near-mindless and extremely dangerous by an infectious plague virus, and capable of infesting others. He enslaves her but refuses to destroy her in spite of his minions' reactions, determined to study the infection and cure it if possible. He then encounters and enslaves Lenion, a Beast Tamer who unfortunately does not speak his language. Fortunately, she doesn't seem incredibly resistant and upon return to the fortress Styx offers to create a translator if given a piece of Goldeon to work with.

Before heading out again, Overlord goes to speak with Alice only to discover that the other minions have drawn all over her in her sleep, doubtless a show of their disapproval for her unkindness and unhelpful attitude. She runs off just in time for Styx to inform Overlord that an angel is at the gate- Archangel Ariel, specifically. Overlord attempts to present a friendly, positive front, sending the harmless and lovable Kassandra to show Ariel in and explaining his memory loss and that he's trying to heal Nix. Seemingly convinced that Overlord isn't planning a renewed campaign of horror and slaughter, Ariel departs and everyone else enjoys the tea that was prepared for her. Styx explains several things- that Silva is alive but weakened and in and unknown location, and that Nyx is covered with zones all over her skin which constantly pump out acidic poison and make even properly examining her all but impossible.

Returning to seeking money in order to continue castle repairs, Overlord encounters a demonic mirror which charms several of his followers- and discovers that Alice is so stubborn that even when charmed by the mirror she refuses to shoot Kassandra, instead declaring the charm nothing more than an excellent excuse to not have to obey Overlord for a while. Overlord's and Kassandra's congratulations after the fight eventually prompt Alice to apologize for being a bitch, and Overlord returns her top. In the next battle, Lenion manages to tame one of Silva's Dolls, who tells Overlord hatefully that he worked with and then betrayed Silva, breaking her heart.

Somewhat disconcerted, Overlord returns to his fortress and speaks with Styx about the past. She reveals herself to have been horribly disfigured and blinded by the hateful heroes who threw him down so that she could never tinker again, and tells Overlord that while his army was huge, it was extremely disloyal- the few minions that he has now were far more loyal than the massive harem he had previously, who turned against him as soon as the opportunity presented itself in spite of the enslavement magics. Emily and Rose were two of the less powerful members, more loyal but kept largely away from the fighting. Styx explains also that Overlord, while his intentions were mostly good to start with, had done terrible things and had become extremely cruel- stealing women, killing good leaders, making demonic contracts, forcing people to duel to the death, taxing people into poverty, and unleashing abusive soldiers on conquered regions. His history with Silva was one of cooperation largely because she liked destruction, and his betrayal was simply the fact that he wished to rebuild afterward.

Overlord then leaves for the Land of Trials, seeking wealth. He solves some puzzles and gets money and some items, while his minions compete for wealth as well. Upon his return home, he finds a letter from Silva.

Chapter 3: Reconcile

The letter from Silva contains an apology and request for help, saying that she is at Torral. Overlord is wary of a trap, but decides to go anyway against Rose and Styx's counsel. He quickly finds Silva, who was planning to kill him and promptly attacks, but is handily defeated by Overlord and his cadre of minions. Silva's exceptional hatred of Overlord and her defiant attitude after he enslaves her prompt him to use the Corruption Potion on her with the encouragement of his minions, ordering it forced down her throat as she begs him not to. She then collapses, and Overlord's party brings her back to his fortress.

Upon their arrival, Styx explains the function of the Corruption Potion more completely- it will force the one who drinks it to be loyal to the first one who speaks to them after they wake, and removes their memories but not their skills or basic personality. Overlord declares himself Silva's master and restrains her ability to attack others with his first words, then shows her the false letter she wrote him as supposed proof of their past friendship, and Silva goes along with it and provides some of her Wine, an incredibly valuable substance. Overlord takes it to the demonologist, Megan, and gives it to her in exchange for the Dark Mana crystal and her loyalty. With the crystal, Overlord is able to take on a proper body once again. He discusses options for seeking a cure for Nyx with Megan, and who suggests that slimes are acid-immune and thus might be able to at least provide usable tools for studying Nyx's illness. A brief conversation with Alice hints at a dark past, but also shows that she is becoming gradually more loyal in spite of herself, though she is not ready to call him master yet.

Afterward, Overlord heads to Cineta in search of slime claws, and meets with a slime who sells him some. He then speaks with the Eldest Slime.