The Hundred Reigns 280: King of Spiders (22)
Simon spent the weeks preceding the Zodiac Parade refining his crafting.
The experimental flying pyramid was finalized and then unleashed for a successful test flight, where it released gallons of their ‘cure’ on Dead Island and sterilized the rock clean. Simon then sent it across the Dragonsea to help do the same with Valne’s coast and Magvolia. Infected regions in this part of the world would soon fall silent, though it might take decades to resettle them.
Chrom Cruak did catch on to Simon’s operations, however, and made his displeasure known. “Your actions are foolish,” the mummy king warned him after another Weaver meeting. “You strengthen our enemies.”
“Our experiments showed a strong possibility of your plague mutating when crossed with the original strain, so safety comes first,” Simon countered icily. “Besides, what does it matter to you? Elves still die by the thousands.”
“You do not understand… why a living death is preferable to the regular kind,” Chrom Cruak argued. “Dying souls return to the manatrees and empower the dryads… a sudden influx thus strengthens them. Your sister’s genius was to starve them of death with undying horrors.”
Wait… was that why Illusea allowed the Endymian civil war and Zodiac Parade to run its course? To gather enough power to fuel their lunar migration? Belzemine had allowed them to leave on the first day of Abraxas’ return, but they might need significantly more mana to do it without her… that or they hoped to stockpile strength in order to better protect their remaining dominions.
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take compared to the alternative,” Simon replied, glaring at the bitter old undead. “Unless you would rather break our alliance over it?”
Chrom Cruak pondered his answer a moment before replying with a firm “No.”
“No, indeed.” Two could play this game, and Chrom Cruak was about as unwilling to pick a pointless fight with Simon as the Overlord was. “Dealing with the Archer and his kind is our top priority for now.”
“Then we should have our Chemists work on bombs… not cures.”
“Except the Archer can consume the souls of those it kills to heal its wounds, and might have the ability to control lesser beasts,” Simon countered. “Sterilizing our battlefield and the surrounding lands will spare us many headaches.”
“We have amassed a strong force… so I would say the odds are on our side.” Chrom Cruak came up with a battle strategy. “Minions will be detrimental if the Archer can indeed feed on weaklings… unless they have no souls to exploit like golems and mindless undead…”
Simon assented with a nod. “We’ll use those to reinforce our Noble Class users, all of whom will be equipped with Demonslaying weapons of my own creation.”
“Type-targeting may not be sufficient.” Chrom Cruak crossed his arms. “Can you use attacks of all elements?”
“Almost all of them except for the Metal, Wood, Water, and Earth elements.” He could technically inflict damage of the latter type with Edict of Wounded Earth, but it would harm their allies almost as much as their enemy. “You suggest that I craft things like elemental bombs?”
“If you have Perks boosting consumable damage,” Chrom Cruak rasped. “Otherwise… elemental oils applied to your weapon will work better… since they will benefit from proficiency.”
True enough. Chrom Cruak was a centuries-old immortal, and quite aware of how to optimize both builds and parties. He actually proved quite the asset when it came to drafting a battle plan for the Archer, suggesting excellent ways to improve team cohesion and efficiency.
“The hag is not mobile enough and landbound…” Chrom Cruak noted. “She would benefit from a flying mechanism like my wings… and polymorphing her coven members into portable items would let her benefit from the Coven buffs without endangering her partners…”
Why didn’t I think of that? Simon wondered as he took notes. Other proposals, like having Shabram buff long-range spellcasters to ensure they kept up the assault or having Bert’s soul reunite with Verney’s Hector-possessed corpse to create a better fighter, made quite a lot of sense. His tactical insight might be second only to Maublanc.
“I see you have much experience with these kinds of things,” Simon complimented him. He would have been tempted to leave Chrom Cruak fully in charge of the Weavers’ battle strategy if he trusted him more.
“I led wars and won them… knowing how to make the best of one’s troops is as important as personal strength.” Chrom Cruak let out a rattle. “Anyone below level 60 is likely superfluous in this fight… if not an outright liability. Pick your allies wisely.”
Neither held any illusion that this would be a clean and bloodless victory. The fight with Nodens had taught Simon to expect the worst.
The question wasn’t if they would take casualties, but how many.
—---------
With a strategy in mind, Simon set his newfound formidable crafting expertise on equipping and outfitting his chosen troops. They had moved their manufacturing facilities—and Lauriane—away from Verney’s castle by the time Lorean authorities raided it, and production continued from Deepground bunkers instead.
Simon designed anti-Demon weapons sure to inflict supereffective damage to Algozoa, created a demon-possessed glider for Granny Radhag, built new flying golems, and improved Deathmace by incorporating Nodens’ crystal into it. While it meant he couldn’t store it in his Inventory anymore, this enhanced weapon—Flaymace—would inflict both additional Metal damage and flay the victim on contact. It should come in handy against the Archer.
He had even tried to recreate the Musan Sniper and field it, but quickly ran into issues. While Artisan of Wonders did provide Simon with its blueprints, he quickly realized that the original design was much simpler and weaker than the mechanical monstrosity which had cost him two reigns already. Studying the plans taught Simon that the creature had started out as a relatively simple golem with long-range offensive capabilities, with one tiny advantage that set it apart from its simpler cousins.
It could self-improve.
Unlike any other automaton, the Sniper’s manalith core was so advanced as to serve as a ‘soul’ of a sort, with runic scripts and codes mimicking neural pathways patterned around a Crestone serving as the ‘brain.’ This was likely the exact same technology which had eventually led to the Godmind’s creation and allowed it to use the Crafter Class.
The Sniper’s ‘mind,’ if that was the right term, was much simpler than the Mechanical Tower’s and utterly focused on a single objective: to become a better shooter and defender. It had steadily modified itself in the pursuit of that goal over the years, helped by the Crafter’s occasional upgrades, until it became something altogether different from its original prototype.
Recreating the Sniper as it was now would require years of experimentation and guided development Simon didn’t have, and he wasn’t sure he even wanted to. Creating a self-evolving machine with a high risk of evolving out of control somewhat defeated the point of a perfectly obedient golem.
All these battle preparations took up so much of his time he found little space to practice his Techniques, spellcasting, and eidolon summonings, but it was time well-spent either way. The designs he had come up with—especially his Overbot project—would become game-changers in future reigns.
“—are you even listening?” Elsa’s voice cut through his muddled thoughts.
“Mmm?” Glorious images of a mighty army of golem doubles crafted in Simon’s own image faded away from his mind, and he returned to reality to the tune of high-pitched singing. “W-what?”
He found himself in an expensive leather seat next to an elegantly dressed Elsa, sitting on a balcony overseeing a splendid theater with shining crystal chandeliers, packed stands, and a set on which danced illusory flames conjured by magic. The opera’s main lead, a woman dressed like a knight, sang in front of a prop metal ogre.
Oh right, he had taken Elsa on a date to Bujan’s opera house, since it was one of the few places that still hosted public performances and where odds of being ambushed were low.
“Ugh…” Simon grunted in embarrassment. “How long was I out?”
“At least thirty minutes. I could have sliced your throat, and you wouldn’t have noticed.” Elsa looked back at the performance, or rather, the stands. She seemed more interested in the spectators than the actual actors. “It’s a good thing you have mephisgoat nurses to take care of Benjamin, or you would make for an extremely lousy guardian.”
“Sorry, I’m still trying to compartmentalize better.” Mastering his crafting inspiration was like wrestling with a leviathan. “The information just keeps coming the moment I open the floodgate. It’s maddening.”
In a way, it compounded the issues Simon had faced with his build for the last few reigns. He simply had so many options available his mind struggled to focus without wandering off.
“No wonder they had to use a giant living tower to manage it.” Elsa scratched his chin with her finger. “Tell me you at least imagined gifts for me.”
“I have, actually. I’ve been thinking about a dagger—”
“Mmm,” she cut in with a bored grunt.
“One whose damage scales with your Agility rather than your Strength,” Simon added with a smirk, which immediately caught her full attention.
“Oh, now we’re talking.” Her finger traveled down his neck and sent shivers down his spine wherever it touched. “Here I thought you didn’t want me to slice any more Adventurer throats…”
“I would have preferred it if you hadn’t, but I can’t wait to see you gut a Zodiac Fiend like a fish.” Elsa had certainly inherited Velvet’s bloodlust. “Enjoying the performance so far?”
“It is nice, but I would have preferred something more exciting, like a date in Gargauth’s hoard.” Elsa rested her head on his shoulder. “Have you ever been in love with someone, Simon?”
What an odd question… Simon gave it a serious pause. “Three times… maybe four.”
He had loved Anna, Eole, and Remedia for certain; and while his feelings for Cassandra were more subdued, he still held much affection for her.
“The bird was among them?”
“Is that a hint of annoyance I sense in your voice?” Simon mused. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous?”
“I’m annoyed,” Elsa admitted, much to Simon’s surprise. “First she turns you down, then she betrays you, and you still spare her life. It doesn’t exactly radiate strength to me.”
“Strength?” Simon didn’t like what she insinuated. “I have strength enough to destroy this whole city we’re in with a single sentence, but what doing so would prove other than me being a monster? Mercy is not weakness, Elsa, especially towards the weak.”
“It is when it costs you,” Elsa countered. “I ask again, why do you keep her alive when you’ve nothing to gain from it? Don’t tell me you still hope she’ll change her mind and let you pluck her feathers.”
“I guess Eole’s my… conscience. I’m not a good person, but I’m at least trying to do better. Eole was one of the few who kept me on the right track, and I loved her for it.” Simon folded his hands. “I just lack the overwhelming power to make those lofty ideals of ours a reality yet, but that will come in time.”
Elsa studied him with an unreadable expression. “My Silk half gathered a lot of information on you during our early days,” she warned him. “As far as I know, you’ve only met that bird in the days following your father’s death. That shouldn’t have been long enough to form much of a connection.”
“It’s… complicated.” How could Simon word it without triggering the reigns’ self-defense mechanism? “My Dark Visionary visions let me vividly live possible existences. Years can pass in the blink of an eye from my point of view.”
Elsa chuckled lightly. “Are you telling me you hallucinated an entire life wed to a bird?”
“Yes,” Simon confirmed calmly. “As unbelievable as it sounds.”
“I believe you; I just find it funny.” Elsa crossed her legs. “Were we ever an item in your visions?”
“No,” Simon admitted. In fact, he had sworn he would never stop hating her components during the last reign. “We’re in unknown territory.”
“So I stole your heart? I like that very much.” The news clearly pleased her for some reason. “How does it feel then? To fall in love with someone?”
Since she had to ask, Simon guessed they weren’t quite there yet. “It’s like warmth filling up your chest. You think of the person’s happiness at all times. You want them to be in your life, and to be a part of theirs.” He looked at his hand as he recalled the feeling of holding Anna, Remedia, Eole, and other past ghosts. “You don’t want to let them go no matter what, and you’ll fight to keep or avenge them.”
“Interesting…” Elsa looked back at the stand with a thoughtful expression, a faint smirk slowly spreading on her face. “Mmm…”
Simon wasn’t sure he liked the mischievous glint in her eyes. “What’s on your mind?”
Elsa met his gaze without answering, then rose from her seat. “I’ll be taking a trip to the restroom,” she whispered in his ear on her way out of their private booth. “I won’t take long.”
Simon frowned slightly at her words, and focused back on the performance. What was she doing? He had the intuition that she was laying a snare of some kind, or putting him to the test.
He tried to clear his mind and focus on the stage. Tonight’s performance, Song of the White Unicorn, had been banned in Endymion since it glorified the deeds of the eponymous Paladin that would give her name to the movement. Euphemia had only recently relaxed imperial censorship laws in an effort to ease people’s minds from the heavy travel restrictions and curfews. It was nice, but he struggled to focus as minutes passed without Elsa returning.
“What are you doing?” Simon asked her through telepathy, but though his connection remained strong, she simply refused to answer him. It was an invitation if he had ever seen any. Fine, I’ll check myself.
It had to be another one of her games. His lover had rather unorthodox ideas when it came to foreplay and entertainment.
That certainty grew as Simon approached the restrooms to find the door to the ladies’ one half-opened. He heard Elsa chuckling behind it, alongside something else. Something that caused Simon’s blood to boil.
A man’s voice.
She wouldn’t. Simon’s vision went red and his blood boiled with fury as he moved towards the door and slammed it open. She wouldn’t dare!
But she did.
He found her near the gilded sink, laughing with somebody he didn’t recognize; some handsome noble scion in his twenties going by his expensive attire and doublet, with coal colored hair and an easy smile. He was trying his best to kiss Elsa, who denied him that pleasure, but she still let him touch her with his dirty, grubby hands. She peered over his shoulder and stared straight at Simon, daring him to act.
Which he did, by punching the man’s skull into the nearest wall before he even realized Simon was there.
Even without his Class outfit on, he had grown so much stronger that the impact shattered his jaw and crushed a few teeth. Simon’s hand grew moist from the blood on it, while the man fell onto the floor with a crack.
And Elsa?
Elsa burst out laughing. “My!” she said in between laughing fits. “You almost killed him—”
Simon grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the sink’s mirror so hard it cracked. It only aroused her, and she pulled him closer until her lips touched his own. They tasted so incredibly bitter.
Poison negated by Unyielding Essence.
“Your lips are poisoned…” Simon muttered as he pulled back, his heartbeat pounding. He looked at the man on the floor, who backed away from them with a bloody face and terror in his eyes. “You planned to kill him either way.”
“He was a mark I had almost forgotten about,” Elsa said with amusement, licking her lips. “A fraudster whose family got rich selling confiscated elven goods during the Reformation. I just had to give him a look over the stands, and he came running.”
Simon’s blood boiled in his veins. “What kind of sick game are you playing, Elsa?!”
“I wanted to see if you were willing to fight for me,” Elsa replied, her eyes settling upon their victim. “Even better, you’re willing to kill. Very sweet.”
“You are insane…”
“Look who’s talking, with blood dripping down your hand.” Her hand moved to undo his belt, and began to untie it while her mark was still watching. “You like it, don’t you? The power, the dominance… trampling others to take what you want. This is you.”
“It isn’t,” Simon hissed back angrily, but he didn’t push her back. His hand gripped her back with blood still slipping between his fingers. “I don’t want to be that kind of person.”
“That’s fine, Simon. I want you to conquer me.” Her legs closed behind him and caught him in a grip. “I accept you as you are… and deep down, that’s what you want too.”
Damn it, damn it… why did he find this as arousing as it was disturbing? She managed to unfasten his belt and kiss him again, and at this point he just couldn’t resist. They ignored the man running towards the exit for his life, teleported back to his base, and then pulled her to his bed with blood still on his hands.
She had him again.
—------
What followed was probably the most intense lovemaking Simon had since Remedia. Neither his sweet times with Anna nor Eole compared. He conquered her, and owned her, and bled her. She surrendered herself to him body and soul, and somehow, it still felt like a defeat.
“Why?” Simon wondered out loud once they finished, panting in the bed. “You’re a terrible influence on me, so why… Why does this feel so good?”
“Because you desire me?” Elsa moved behind him, her arms enveloping him from behind, her breasts pushing against his back and her chin against his shoulder. “Because I let you be yourself.”
“Myself?” Simon grunted in annoyance. “Someone who nearly beats a man to death in a fit of rage because he touched his lover?”
“Yes, and someone who offered me kindness and gave chances to people who likely didn’t deserve it,” Elsa replied softly. “You’re a person of contradictions, Simon. You want unlimited power for yourself, and the greater good for the world… but unlike that bird of yours, I crave both of your halves rather than just one.”
“I don’t,” Simon replied icily as he stared at his hand. He could still see the blood stuck under his nails. “I don’t like that side of me.”
“Neither did I once, and I was all the weaker for it. You’re never going to be happy unless you accept yourself.” Elsa kissed him on the neck, her touch sending chills down his spine. “All of yourself.”
Simon shook his head. He just couldn’t accept that. “I may not be a good person, but I’ll never be a monster.”
“No, because you’re half of each, and one doesn’t erase the other.” Elsa sighed when he refused to answer her. “It’s okay. It took me six years to figure it out, I can wait a little longer for you to understand. And when you do…”
Her hands moved to his chest, her nails scratching the skin right above his heart.
“I’ll make sure there’s only room left for me in there,” she promised him. “The world will belong to you, and you will belong to me.”
A/N: a reminder that the new loop poll is available there if you haven't received the notification: https://www.patreon.com/VoidHerald/posts/hr-poll-which-do-172946445 ; remember to vote if you haven't, the two leads are currently one percent apart as I write these lines XD
Comments (70)
I just came up with a theory of why balzam is so evil. Assuming he at least had a bit of a conscience to begin with, perhaps in one of his reigns he hated the influence of the overlord class so much that he had valravn split him into good and evil twins, but the overlord class stayed with the evil twin so that the good twin was erased when the reign ended leaving only evil
Norbelle arc would go so hard after this crazy arc, Simon will probably be disheartened over whatever horrible thing happens in the next 5 chapters, and then instead of just going to remedia he goes on a possible romance free training arc with his little sister! Ehh who am I kidding I just think Norbelle is funny as hell.
For all you Elsa enjoyers out there, it is very important to note that Simon already has access to "bring along buddy" tech for Reigns. Step 1: Snapshot memories via crafter -> We know this is possible as Crafter was capable of replicating memories of captured minds into Turk replacements Step 2: Encode memories in form of "Book" that Abyss Chronicle can copy -> Should be generally doable Step 3: In new Reign, manifest Abyssal Chronicle memory book and decode its contents into memories -> Also generally doable Step 4: Use memories with Alchemist to transfer them correctly into recipients, effectively transporting them into new Reign -> Requires work Step 4 is one that is not just immediately doable, but is also least relevant step. Once person is copied, even if it takes 10 Reigns Simon can eventually replicate them. Until the correct solution with Alchemist is reached(likely some kind of potion that just give experience of memories to target, or something like that) Simon could also just implement memories into Turks as simple workaround. Note that ideally Simon would be capable of using memory transfer to access Alchemist knowledge and thus get that directly without having to acquire Alchemist Perk. This would smooth out process immensely as in future he would be able to do it without Lauriane. Although tbh Lauriane is pretty good person to bring along anyway. I will note that the Bibliographer project was also likely an attempt to replicate memories, although likely through Alchemist or Librarian instead.
Btw, I'm still a little confused why high levels in one class is considered so much better than close to top in one, and decent in a few other nobles for the stats. is it just the skills and thus resistances that makes one level in the main class worth so much more than a lot of levels in lower classes? Especially for non-overlord classes that don't get a skill every level. I know about skills that debuff or kill everyone more than x levels below you. but shouldn't stats from other noble classes matter at some point (because of how easy they are to get relative to another level in the main class)? Also, are stats linear or exponential? Either way, does 2 overlord levels still give more benefit than say, 50-60 levels in 2 noble classes for stats? I'm also curious why other high level people don't seem to multiclass for stats outside of (maybe?) some elves and Belzemine, and she did it with vassal classes only.
Because Perks get progressively more OP as you go. Just consider Simon's last three levels: >Tier VIII magic for way more damage and hilarious jump in utility(teleport lmao) >Godslayer(niche but powerful effect) >Fallen Angel form(turns his Agi and Cha to S giving Simon like 200+ free stats) A single Perk of difference in 80+ range can represent a game changing ability. Now rules as written it would make sense for 80+ people to level bunch of Crestones to at least level 40 for stats since it seems easy to do and you can easily get like 40% more stats that way, but I think Void just doesn't want to deal with world being too gamey so that part of system is getting tacitly ignored.
Damn dealing with the Cobweb in the future runs is going to be more complicated ahaha. 💀
she is a very bad influence on him, its not because humans are intrinsically prone to sin that you must abandon and not strive to be better .......or worse, take it as an excuse to indulge in them
god damn. each new chapter is like a self contained story!
Honestly, maybe its the writing, but Elsa really grew on me. I dont know how he could ever replicate this again though, which feels bad losing a potential love.
I wonder when Simon will begin leveling other classes again, he hasn't done that in a long time.
I am guessing the story is saving it up for later. He needs to level up a vassal class in one go. Otherwise he will get locked out of them in the subsequent reigns. It will take a bit of planning to maximize the gains.
I don't know if I'm remembering this wrong but I don't think we have had any major news on Anna or Maublanc throughout this reign
The real value of Crafter is not in crafting personal items, as it will clearly struggle to do that, but rather ability to leverage large scale industry to achieve large scale goals. For example, Simon could use imps to create an automated manalith mine in Magvolia, then to use golems and imps to construct a giant fuck off death laser. Once Asterion wakes up he is immediately eating year worth of accumulated power in form of fuck off beam to the face. Conceptually this also serves to recontextualize how the Reign is approached. So far we had people vs Simon, but with this you could have people vs Simon's project, which should allow Simon himself much more freedom to act. Potential superprojects Crafter might enable: giant anti-Zodiac lasers, orbital death lasers, flying fortress, submarine fortress, global satellite panopticon system, autonomous factory of endless golems, gigantic ritual pyramid that confers meta buffs(maybe deleting or changing Perks etc). In short term Simon should also consider the Balzam Turk project, which could both offer unique Reigns as Balzam puppeteer, as well as access to knowledge stored in Balzam's physical brain. In longer term he should work on knowledge transfer project, both to access Louis' skills and enable personality copying cross reigns.
Well well. Would you look at that. Sovereigns actually pulling ahead of Archmage of all things. I'm might actually get my road trip back.
This is my prediction on how the rest of the arc will go. I think Simon will be successful in defeating the archer at max power gaining a new crown of sin. And probably die soon after either from a betrayal from the mummy and dragon (does it count as a betrayal, if you know it’s coming?) or by an Oracle made coalition, probably including or led by Euphemia. I think in the after reign reflection, Simon will realize that while he can steal the attic, it would be very tough to win the twins trust without a large time investment which limits the attic’s usefulness (probably since working with elsa without proper time investment would be a ticking time bomb especially if shes still in twin form). Thus the need for alternative teleportation options, which will lead him to the goal of the next reign. I also think Simon might transfer the XP from the current merchant to himself to get a big stat boost and maybe override inventory with an upgraded version like he did with the party system. Maybe there is some rule I’m missing that would make this infeasible but if he does then he may try Remidia’s leveling method for noble classes to power level the merchant. Actually, that reminds me. Why does no one else use her method for leveling up noble classes? Is there some limit to it that we don’t know about? I don’t think the royal family would have any limits on finding vessel crest stones.
Inventory cant get upgraded cuz starter perks, also known as innate perks, never change as a class progresses. So there is no better version to get even from a lvl 100 Merchant
While I see the value of having more summons, it's not like Simon can summon all of them on the field at once. It allows for increased versatility in battle... and that's it. Maybe he can level up his Summoner abilities and go for a few more, but I just don't see him able to spam an army of them. So my friends, we have to look at the clock of reality and acknowledge that IT'S MILFIN' TIME!!! PS: Simon's psycho gf does raise a good point- why hate the Overlord when it's intrinsically welded into him? It's not going anywhere, and it is the sole reason why he has the potential to Perfect Run this shithole of a world. It's better for his long-term (we're only ~30% of the way through) mental health to accept that he is a good man willing to do bad things in service of the Greater Good.
The man can hardly even summon 2 at once, and struggled to maintain just 1 when in wicked angel form, so it absolutely is a qualitative power increase to learn summoning better. Ultimately what he needs is less "summoner training" and more general miasma control training, which is kind of the same thing judging by Norbelle's previous lessons. I'd say what Simon needs in order right now is: 1. Miasma control. 2. VIII spells. 3. More techniques. 4. More general combat skill. Story wise, i'd also say he needs more dark visionary training to connect more with his remnants, and presumably five sovereigns will take him at least a bit further with that. We've had like... 1 single remnant so far? Not to mention he still knows very little about the wider world - actually pretty crazy how little he knows given how deep we are - and again five sovereigns will work on that.
And we are neck and neck in the running will it be a power up by summoning or mage centric training? Personally I would go mage because for me summoning is shared power and mage is 100% personal. Then again mage seems to be easily blocked like a lot and summons are harder to nullify
I’m not sure how I feel about Norbelle getting more chapters. She is funny but only in short scenes because her whole thing is looking to shock people by saying crazy things. I’d rather see Simon improve with remedia and maybe mature a little more
One time outside of the trap house with my best friend R and my useless fuck-up friend J we got pressed by the muscle. It was 10:30 pm in the hood. Not a time you want to be out. Ghetto operates on vampire rules, you don't wanna be out after dark. Guy steps out of a parked SUV and flashes that he's holding. The second J see's the handgun he fucking books it. Running straight away leaving even the dude with the gun incredulous. "Yo boy finna merc an I ain't even pulled it yet?" (Gun was in his waistband, he hadn't drawn it, just was showing it as a threat.) We talk to him, explain who we are, who we know (Kangol & Wookie), what we're doing (buying heroin and cocaine) and finish the transaction. This motherfucker did this shit all the time. I had to carry him out of the town fair when he saw someone he owed money and was convinced that he was going to be stabbed and had a panic attack. Like Saving Private Ryan except he wasn't shot and infinitely more pathetic. I had to intercede on his behalf when another time ANOTHER guy he owed money ran up on him. J ended up giving him his Abercrombie hoodie as a "down payment". The guy who snatched his hoodie later got his brains blown out on Lyceum Street. He was set up by his own friend. https://13wham.com/news/local/man-sentenced-to-26-years-to-life-for-murder-robbery-of-webster-man
The next reign is about teleportation not MILFS! Archmage gives Simon his own teleport! Being dependent on a Summon for teleportation is stupid!
Except Simon can eventually get both, and Norbelle can apparently teleport into areas that are supposed to have anti teleport systems, which would be useful. Although we have no idea how she’s does that yet
I just voted for whatever one makes it a tie because funny
Damn she fits him like a glove— bad phrasing but still.
that was smooth. good chapter.
Brothers, hear me, and hear me true! My heart wavers. Is Elsa Nightengale now a contender for title of Best Girl? Is our sweet Remedia going to be unthroned? I know not. But I know this: Simon must have them all.
It's nice to see someone else in favor of the harem ending.
Guys, a Mage run will likely be another psychological torture one (like the War faction open run or the run with Voivre). And I am all here for it :)
Vote for five sovereigns!!
Elsa is dangerous. What she says makes sense and would be true for any ruler: you need to be part monster to be in power. However with the overlord class it is different. Give it an inch, and it takes a mile. And you gonna claw back 2 miles to get back the initial inch.
Honestly as much as Elsa is a terrible influence. I think accepting himself is Simon’s only path forward, I doubt any more “good” reigns will actually change him if anything they just make him more bitter. I think he just needs to accept who he is while still keeping principles. His acceptance regarding him and Eole last chapter seems to be the first step on this instead of clinging onto an idealised version of his past self. Simon is so scared of becoming Balzam Magnos that he can’t be Simon Magnos.
Nah c'mon, one of the core threads of the series is Simon's ongoing corruption. We can steadily see Mardok winning, step by step. Everything else is just detail so long as the overlord class continues to exist.
One main thing going for the Five Sovereigns is that it’s new content. The Archmage will be a rehash/improved version of the previous Remedia reign that can be done any time
Tftc
Honestly I like the Elsa Romance more than expected
Ah yes, Simon and company plan to use flying units against the arch-demon of *checks notes* archery. I can't possibly imagine how this could wrong. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if the comet just turned the archer into a surface to air missile battery.
There's no reason to limit ourselves to ONLY land-based troops. Adding a vertical element to the fight will only help
Crazy how that's not even the most messed up relationship Void has written
What would that be?
Elsa really is one of Simon's more unque romances; undeniably a bad short term influence but in the long view of the Hundred Reigns I doubt he'll regret having loved her. That perspective of having accepted another hated half of oneself... Simon might hate the monster the Overlord wants to turn him into, but he is still the Overlord, and only he can see his vision for the future manifest. It'll be good for him, probably, to have some self acceptance. Thanks for the chapter!
Okay, this made me change my vote to 5 Sovereigns. I can’t see Simon immediately jumping back to best-milf’s arms right away. Elsa might be my top ship at the moment
Yeah. I choose the archmage because I am a simp for hot milfs but it doesn’t make all that much sense in truth. My memory it’s not the best but Simon has never gotten into a different romance path right after ending one right ? Which makes sense since he still needs some time to recover from the emotional pain of knowing that the person he loved doesn’t exist anymore. Idk him choosing Remedia immediately after Elsa just seems trashy lol I love contradicting myself
I’ve imagined how it might be possible for Simon to explain his reign situation and was sure that what he said here would trigger it. However it’s huge to be able to explain reigns away as dark visionary visions!
Damn bro, that end of a chapter was awesome. Our little boy must die soon to not fall into that spider's web
I'm surprised that the distance between the two closed so rapidly. Last time I saw the vote Archmage was at around 50% or something equivalent.
I never thought I'd ever be interested in Simon being with Elsa, but damn, this chapter may have converted me. I don't know if I'd say she's good for him, but she accepts him for who he is. If Archmage wins it'll be weird going back to Remedia after this.
Is it who he is though? It might just be what he has become with the influence of the overlord class.
WE WILL GET 5 SOVEREIGNS! Archmage can come after. BUT WE NEED THOSE EIDOLONS FIRST. BEFORE REMEDIA. SHE JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE CURRENTLY. GET THAT GREMLIN NORBELLE IN HERE
Everyone crying for Sovereigns in the comments are just making shit up to get people to vote for it. I doubt picking Archmage is going to completely skip any arcs that are planned for this story.
It's like a mini political campaign. Playing up your good points while emphasizing the oppositions weak ones. With that being said ..... VOTE FOR SOVEREIGNS. OUR BOY NEEDS WORLDLY EXPERIENCE. NOT EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE ABOUT THESE CRAZY WOMEN!!!
Elsa is crazy, but there is a logic to what she says and does. Simon is torn between being a hero and being an Overlord—it’s tearing him apart. I suspect that, in the end, Simon will decide to pursue good at the expense of evil—though "good," of course, as defined by Simon himself. For instance, he might choose to control and indoctrinate the population of Endymion in exchange for providing them with protection.
While I generally agree with the idea that you should accept all parts of yourself, I have to question whether Simon’s darker side is truly his. I’d argue most of it comes from his class. The Overlord has changed him to an extreme degree, and there’s no real way of knowing what kind of person he would have become without it—except we do know. In the absence of the class, he’s a goody-two-shoes paladin. That said, I don’t see how Simon could ever reasonably return to the path he was originally meant to walk. I still think his “happy” ending will lean more toward the good side than the bad.
Really hope this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Elsa Nightengale. She truly is the ultimate partner in crime
Yeah. She's definitely not endgame romance material, but I'd love it if she became a trusted companion by the end, instead of just being split into silk and velvet. She seems like even as a friend she'd be ride or die.
Bro I almost thought the chapter was reposted from yesterday Simon my brother you are not Crafter, you don't need to make things to fight for you when you can fight by yourself just fine. Instead craft things that enable and enhance your own fighting capability. Miasmic batteries to sustain Eidolons being the first and the most obvious thing to make.
The battery idea is so good Bilbo
I implore you guys, PLEASE vote for 1)
Love that ending. Elsa ftw! It was good while it lasted.
Ah, Simon’s first healthy relationship. Just wait until we get back to Vouivre and some Zodiac fiends
Right "healthy" ..... . Just because a toxic partner has learned therapy speak doesn't make them a good partner or person. 😅
Guys please vote for five sovereigns we deserve a break lol
You can get your break with Remedia.
My friends, Ignore Alejandrox's propaganda. We will get a Remedia reign inevitably. However: Can we guarentee this Norbelle reign will come again? NO! Vote for the summoner and potential romance that is Simon's best sibling. He will be able to summon even more powerful Eidolons, and Remedia of the future will be even more impressed.
Void has already confirmed: no intimacy with NORBELLE. We won’t gain anything from the Sovereigns!!! Only during the Archmage’s reign will we gain EVERYTHING.
TFTC
damn it I was close to being first for the first time
Official message from the Cult of the MILFs: *Magic Bomb Protocol Activated* Greetings, brothers. I hope, first and foremost, that you are all doing well and are in good health. Gentlemen, ladies, brothers in the faith: today, we find ourselves at a major crossroads in Simon’s reigns. We could take a little trip to hunt down some low-level eidolons, or we could go after the Great Phoenix—the magnificent REMEDIA—and, of course, NORBELLE is included too!!!! ALL WITHIN A SINGLE REIGN. BENEFITS OF ARCHMAGE REIGN: 1- Finally, Simon will learn the teleportation spell from a true master of the art—THE MAGE HIMSELF. 2- There will be events centered around the Phoenix—a POWERFUL eidolon. 3- We’ll experience a beautiful romance with MOMMY REMEDIA, And Simon WILL SAVE HER from her UNSUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE to a MEDIOCRE ranger. 4- A ton of spells to learn—perhaps even "Miasmatic Refinement" for miasma-based vassal classes... 5- Did I mention that NORBELLE is in Cocagne?? XD 6- MASSIVE T*TS... uh, I mean, MASSIVE SPOILERS!! 7- The salvation of your immortal SOUL, brought to you by THE GRACE OF THE SACRED MILFS. Is there anything else I’m forgetting??? Ah!!! Right!! 8- INTERPLANAR TRAVEL!!!! THIS REIGN HAS IT ALL!!!! YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!!! SO GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT!!!! VOTE FOR ARCHMAGE REIGN VOTE FOR MOMMY REMEDIA VOTE FOR NORBELLE IN COCAGNE!!! VOTE FOR THE MILFS!!! end of message
I’m not saying I’m going to do anything, but I suspect there will be bloodshed if archmage loses
First!