In the mysterious northwest wilderness of the New World, three human powers stood side by side, separate yet connected: the magnificent Re-Estize Kingdom, the ambitious Baharuth Empire, and the fanatical Slane Theocracy.
The layout of these three nations resembled the strokes of an inverted kanji character "品" (pin - goods/product), with the Kingdom stretching across the northwest, the Empire towering in the northeast, and the Theocracy firmly rooted in the south.
Along the border that separated the Kingdom and the Empire lay the mighty Azelia Mountains, dividing two-thirds of the two countries' border region.
On the southern slopes of those rugged mountains sprawled the vast and mysterious Great Forest of Tob, embracing the foothills in a unique "U" formation.
This ancient forest held countless natural treasures: rare medicinal plants, precious timber, and abundant game. However, in the silent depths of the woods lurked various bloodthirsty monsters and demons, a real threat to any human who dared to set foot there.
Secluded near the Great Forest of Tob stood Carne Village, a frontier settlement belonging to the Kingdom. Consisting of only twenty-five families, with a total population of about one hundred and twenty souls, the village appeared fragile amidst the vast wilderness.
The majority of the villagers depended on the land and the forest's bounty for their livelihoods. Outsiders rarely visited, except for an occasional herbalist seeking precious ingredients or a tax collector coming to levy the royal tribute.
In stark contrast to the glittering metropolises bathed in eternal light, life in Carne Village moved slowly and harshly. Its inhabitants toiled tirelessly from dawn till dusk, following the unforgiving rhythm of nature.
In the stillness of the early dawn, activity had already filled every corner of the village.
Young girls with cheerful steps carried empty buckets towards the nearest well, the gurgling sound of water becoming the opening melody of the day. Meanwhile, the women diligently prepared simple breakfasts for their beloved families, the aroma of traditional cooking filling the cool air. Some young men helped with the work in the fertile fields, lovingly feeding the livestock or tidying up the kitchen utensils they would use throughout the day.
This peaceful and serene scene was clearly reflected through the power of magic emanating from a mirror about one meter in diameter. Before this magical mirror stood a young man with jet-black hair, his body enveloped in a soft golden light. His eyes intently watched the village's reflection, and slowly, ripples of concern began to appear in the depths of his irises.
"Should we call you lucky or unlucky?" Kael murmured softly, his tone laden with mixed emotions.
Although Carne Village was just a tiny speck among the thousands of border villages of the Kingdom, it held a unique and tragic destiny in its original story. In fact, this village became one of the central locations that triggered various important events in numerous Overlord fanfiction stories.
Its location, only ten kilometers away from the mysterious Great Tomb of Nazarick, made it the first human settlement to interact with Momonga, the supreme undead ruler, in the original storyline. This village also became a silent witness to a major event involving the three main powers: the Kingdom, the Empire, and the intrigue-filled Church.
To fully understand the events that were about to unfold, we needed to delve deeper into the political and social conditions of these three nations.
First, let's examine the dogma-filled Slane Theocracy.
The Church's history could be traced back six hundred years, a dark era when the human race was at its lowest point among the other races in the New World. They were treated like slaves, even considered mere "livestock" by stronger beings, and the abyss of extinction loomed before their eyes.
Amidst this despair, a group of YGGDRASIL players first set foot in this alien world.
These six players, possessing extraordinary power, witnessed the suffering of humanity. With their immense strength, they emerged as saviors, freeing humans from the clutches of foreign creatures, leading them to the untouched northwest region of the continent, and establishing comfortable safe zones for humans to multiply and build civilization.
The humans who survived the catastrophe were filled with deep gratitude for the kindness of these six individuals. They honored their saviors with the titles "Six Gods" or "Six Divine Gods" and established the Slane Theocracy as the center of their worship.
A hundred years passed, and one by one, five of the six human players breathed their last due to old age. The last undead player, whose power was unmatched, perished in a mysterious cataclysm that shook the world.
The Slane Theocracy inherited the legacy of the great Six Gods and grew into the dominant power among the human nations. They established a strong doctrine of "human supremacy," with the aim of preserving the legacy of their gods and strengthening all of humanity against the threats of other races.
Next, let's look at the rivalry-filled Re-Estize Kingdom and Baharuth Empire.
These two nations shared a history of complicated and intrigue-filled relations. They had separated from a now-forgotten great power two hundred years ago, and latent tensions continued to color their every interaction.
The Re-Estize Kingdom was located in the central and western parts of the northwest region, surrounded by towering mountains on three sides and the vast ocean on the other two. Almost its entire territory was surrounded by various natural hazards and difficult terrain, while its interior held vast and rich fertile plains. This kingdom was blessed with the most abundant geographical resources among the three human kingdoms.
However, ironically, with such great geographical advantages, due to the lack of significant external threats and the abundance of internal resources, the kingdom's ruling class gradually fell into widespread decadence and corruption. Evil forces thrived domestically, and the overall national strength experienced a worrying decline.
In stark contrast to the languishing kingdom, the Baharuth Empire, despite possessing less fertile land and limited agricultural output, had been led by seven generations of wise and dedicated heirs to the throne. They worked diligently to advance the nation and improve the welfare of its people.
Especially the seventh generation, the current emperor, was known as a firm and far-sighted ruler. With an iron fist, he purged a large number of incompetent and corrupt nobles, reclaiming all power into his hands, and implemented effective centralized political reforms. As a result, the national strength of the Empire continued to increase rapidly.
The stark contrast between these two nations caused deep concern for the Slane Theocracy, whose national goal was to strengthen all of humanity.
The Kingdom's incredibly rich geographical resources would be wasted for the benefit of all mankind if they continued to remain in the hands of corrupt and incompetent nobles.
Because the Theocracy was also concerned about the demi-human tribes inhabiting the northern regions of the Kingdom, the Argland Council, it was not a wise choice to directly send troops to attack the Kingdom. Therefore, they devised a cunning plan to allow the Empire to annex the Kingdom and make the best use of the land's abundant resources.
To achieve this hidden goal, the Theocracy sent a special force disguised as Imperial soldiers. Their task was to attack the border villages of the Kingdom, with the primary objective of luring out and assassinating the Kingdom's important figure, the legendary Warrior Captain of the Kingdom, Gazef Stronoff. In addition, these attacks also aimed to provoke a war between the Kingdom and the Empire, thereby accelerating the process of the Kingdom's annexation by the Empire.
The brave Royal Knights, led by the charismatic Gazef Stronoff, eventually engaged in a decisive battle against the Theocracy's special forces in the unfortunate Carne Village. Carne Village, unknowingly made a pawn in this cruel political game, became the first target of the Theocracy's forces' brutal attacks. The majority of the innocent villagers were killed or severely injured in the sudden assault.
This was why Kael bitterly referred to the village as extremely unlucky.
However, behind the gloom of seemingly inevitable fate, there flickered a glimmer of hope...
In the original storyline, Carne Village was ultimately saved by the unexpected power of Momonga and was not annihilated like other villages that fell victim to the disguised Theocracy forces' brutality.
And now, Kael was present in this place, with the same determination to change the village's dark destiny.
In other words, Carne Village would definitely not be destroyed at the hands of the attackers, a piece of good fortune worth being grateful for.
"Hmm? Let's begin!" Kael whispered resolutely.
The image displayed on the [Far-Seeing Scope] began to change rapidly. A group of fully armed cavalry charged into the peaceful village, swinging their swords mercilessly at anyone they encountered. Expressions of shock and fear were clearly etched on the faces of the helpless villagers.
The young men and strong men of the village, with the courage they had left, tried to fight back against the invaders. However, facing heavily armored, well-trained, and fully armed knights, their counterattacks were insignificant. One by one, they fell to the ground, fresh blood soaking the peaceful earth.
Amidst the terrifying chaos, a young girl with shimmering golden pigtails ran out of a wooden house, pulling a younger girl with her. Fear was clearly visible in their wide eyes.
Behind them, a bloodthirsty knight brandished his sharp sword, chasing after the two sisters with swift steps. His cruel intention was clear: to end their lives.
"The chosen maiden of God," Kael murmured softly, his eyebrows slightly raised as he saw the unfortunate blonde girl reflected in the mirror.
Seeing the increasingly critical situation and the lives of the two girls hanging by a thread, Kael could no longer remain silent and merely watch the tragedy unfold. With a swift movement, he raised his right hand and pointed towards the blue sky that was beginning to be covered by gray clouds.
Tenth Tier: Control Weather!
A powerful magical light radiated from Kael's entire body, channeling his immense magical power into the sky above Carne Village. Miraculously, the previously clear sky suddenly became windy, and thick dark clouds gathered in the blink of an eye, obscuring the sun. The terrifying and deafening sound of thunder continuously split the sky between the angry clouds.
This sudden, strange, and terrifying phenomenon halted the ongoing massacre in the village. The knights who were slaughtering the villagers were utterly shocked to hear the deafening thunder and feel the drastic change in the sky. They looked up anxiously, their swords frozen in mid-air.
Fifth Tier: Teleportation!
With deep focus, Kael connected himself to a spatial node he had marked earlier. In an instant, he used high-tier teleportation magic to move, appearing amidst the swirling dark clouds above the village. Then, with full force, he unleashed a devastating lightning strike, piercing the sky with a blinding light!
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
…
Several deadly lightning bolts struck the ground hard, hitting several of the evildoers one after another. After letting out horrific screams of pain, their bodies fell to the ground and turned into charred and smoking corpses.
"Is this... punishment from God?" a villager whispered in a tone filled with fear and hope.
Amidst the terrified gazes of the knights and the hopeful looks of the helpless villagers, a brilliant golden light pierced through the dark clouds. From behind that light, graceful angelic figures with shimmering white wings descended one after another, like messengers from heaven coming to offer help.
The village girl Enri tightly hugged her trembling younger sister, her eyes staring blankly at the angel who landed gently in front of them. The angel stood tall, blocking the evil knight who was chasing them. The staff it held emitted a soft and warm light, enveloping the two sisters in a soothing sense of security.
"My lord..." Enri stammered, feeling the sincere kindness radiating from the angel before her. She opened her mouth, intending to thank their suddenly appearing savior, but she saw the celestial being suddenly turn its gaze towards the sky, and then kneel reverently facing upwards.
For a moment, the attention of the terrified knights and the hopeful villagers once again focused on the extraordinary movements of the angels gathered above the village.
Suddenly, a strange phenomenon occurred in the sky again. The black clouds that had covered the sky vanished in the blink of an eye, holy white feathers fluttered erratically like soft snow, and a white, god-like being slowly descended from the sky with grace and enchantment.
Its appearance was truly stunning and radiated an aura of unparalleled power!
Kael gave a thumbs-up in his heart, satisfied with the dramatic effect he had created, but he maintained a calm and indifferent expression on his face.
He tilted his head slightly, and his cold and piercing gaze seemed to penetrate the walls of the room, staring sharply at someone far beyond.
Almost simultaneously, deep within the dark and mysterious Great Tomb of Nazarick, ten miles away from Carne Village, the cunning and calculating Skeletal Sorcerer, who was spying on the village's situation with a [Distant Perspective Mirror], was stunned and utterly shocked by the unexpected scene.
The next second, the magical mirror that served as his eyes in the distance suddenly cracked loudly and then shattered into pieces, leaving a thin, ozone-scented smoke in the air.