The Overlord of Mysteries

Hello, this is my first time writing a fanfiction. If you notice any errors, please feel free to give me constructive feedback. English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please mention them in the comment section at the end of the chapter. Let's begin the story!

Word Count: 4200 Words

Note: Just a reminder that I've changed the Guild Auxiliary chapter. I've made some changes to it. I've removed a couple of NPCs and added a few.

Due to my college work, I was unable to upload the chapter sooner so I've made this chapter longer. Increased the word count.

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Nameless Ramen Shop,

Fuyuki City, Japan

Bruce slurped the last of his ramen, savouring the lingering taste as he finished his meal. Satisfied, he glanced at his companion, Cath Palug-now known as Tower-who sat beside him, content after devouring his own share.

'He sure eats a lot for that small body. But what is he really? A dog? A cat? Doesn't really matter, I suppose. He's a Primate Killer and a Beast. That's all that counts.'

Tower, sensing Bruce's gaze, looked back at him, equally content. Though no words were exchanged, their understanding was wordless, silent but clear.

Through a shared glance, they reached an unspoken agreement. Together, they stood from their seats, drawing the attention of everyone in the ramen shop. They were, without question, the strangest pair the establishment had ever hosted—and likely would ever host.

"Thank you for the meal."

"Please, visit again," replied the shop staff, more bewildered than appreciative.

---

The motorcycle roared to life as Bruce raced toward the hill, drawn by the powerful vortex of mana gathering there. It was the same place where his summoned creature—the Arch Shadow Demon was present. Curious about the current state of his demon, Bruce used his power as its master and the summoner to peer through the demon's eyes.

'What a scene...

Still...

What the hell am I looking at? The story's already diverged from its original course thanks to my presence, but this? Of all the possibilities, this is what I find?'

Rin stood mere inches from plunging a dagger into Sakura's heart. If not for Shadow's intervention, Sakura would have already been dead. This Rin, unlike the one from the Heaven's Feel route, had shown no hesitation. She had been fully prepared to kill her sister. Yet Sakura was identical to her Heaven's Feel counterpart.

Bruce sighed, cursing his luck, and his attention shifted back to the road. Urgency tugged at him, but he remained outwardly composed and nonchalant about the whole affair taking place in the cave.

Even so, he kept one eye on the ongoing battle within the cave—the fight that would likely decide the fate of Fuyuki City. He sighed again, his focus briefly shifting to the Avenger—a creature bubbling with anticipation within the corrupted Grail.

His attention was again brought back to Arch Shadow Demon, for its prowess took him by surprise.

'Still, how is this guy able to take on Saber, Shirou, Rin, and even Illyasviel all at once? Sure, the last three I get, but Saber too? Something's off with this summon. Did he gain some kind of power-up while I was gone?'

Bruce pondered this, reflecting on the unusual strength of his summon compared to his predecessors from Yggdrasil.

'Strange. It is quite a useful summon, with limitless summoned time. It stays till unsummoned or killed.

What's surprising about it is the logic-defying power.

What is it about him? It is a very peculiar instance. I hadn't thought of it before, more like I hadn't bothered to. Even I did defeat Dragon Progenitor, Typhon. So, what about me? I was able to defeat the Dragon Progenitor with such ease. And wasn't he supposed to be of Beast class? He was a Divine Beast no less. How did I win the battle?

Wait a minute! How am I so calm about it?'

The realization hit him like a wave of cold water. He had treated that victory with the same nonchalance as if he were buying milk from a grocery store.

'The me from before that fight... I just knew I would win. I didn't even consider the possibility of losing. Was it Confidence? Or something else?'

Bruce acknowledged that his Suit was unparalleled—far beyond anything else in existence. In terms of value, it might surpass even the Omniverse itself. But fighting a being like the Dragon Progenitor? That was no small feat, not even with his skills and abilities across all his Avatars could he hope to defeat it.

'There's no way someone from the Overlord universe could defeat a creature like that. Not even the Dragon Emperor or the Dragon Devourer could come close. But somehow, I did. Even by Overlord standards, this shouldn't have been possible.'

Peculiarities began surfacing in his mind—things he had overlooked. A rift formed in his understanding, shattering his previous beliefs about power levels and power systems. He grew doubtful of himself and his understanding of himself and the verse he had found himself in.

'Am I too strong to be a mere player from Yggdrasil or the Overlord universe? If this was all just granted by some omnipotent being, prowess as per the lore mentioned in the game, it would make sense. But it wasn't. The lore and the skills from across my different Avatars, alone would have been enough to make me someone to be feared. I would have crushed this verse very easily.

No, it had been the magic of the Dragon Emperor that brought everything from Yggdrasil into existence, transforming digital data into life—just as it had for all Yggdrasil players who had been transported to the New World.'

Bruce's heart pounded faster as his mind spun, constructing a theory that seemed almost sacrilegious. If it turned out to be false, it would be like having cold water thrown on his face. He didn't want false hope, but the potential truth gnawed at him.

'Was I... Was I perhaps, born from the Root?'

Unsure and doubtful of the implications of the incomplete question, he rephrased his question:

'Was I summoned through the Root? Could my game character and lore have been brought to life by the Root itself? If that's true... a lot of things would start making sense. Rather than follow game behaviour, as it did in New World of Overlord verse for the players. Here, I could have been granted lore prowess for my Avatars.'

He pondered over the fear aspect and the similar reactions of the Nasuverse characters to him.

'Not like I am not feared now. The reactions of the residents of this verse are entertaining; even Tower shows interesting reactions to my every action. Maybe it is ROB's suit, doing its magic.'

Still unconvinced by his own theory, Bruce turned his attention back to the road as he neared the battlefield where his summon was locked in combat with one of Fate's strongest Servants. A smile tugged at his lips as he spotted a familiar figure. Walking along the footpath was none other than the priest, Kirei Kotomine.

'I'll figure this out later. For now, it seems I've run into quite a character.'

---

Bruce wasn't the only one who noticed. Kotomine's eyes had also fallen on the man riding toward the hills. Ordinarily, he wouldn't have paid much attention. But the creature perched atop the man's fuel tank—the Beast—was impossible to ignore, especially with his connection to the Grail as its overseer.

His eyes were drawn to what he would only call a Walking Disaster.

'A Beast, treated as a pet? This man is far from ordinary. Everything about him feels... wrong. Otherworldly. Moreover, I can't feel anything from him. It's as if he doesn't exist...'

Kotomine had sensed the Beast's presence long before they were even within a hundred meters mark. He had been on high alert since the fight began. With the situation spiralling out of control back in the cave, the destruction of Fuyuki City seemed more than plausible. Shirou was right to be worried.

Kotomine sighed as he found similarities between the Mysteries Man and Sakura's Servant. He could feel it, his presence was going to ruin everything he had worked hard for.

As Bruce passed by, Kotomine seized the moment to strike—launching an attack aimed at both the man and the Beast.

'To keep a Beast as a companion... There's no way this man is normal. I have a hunch, this man would stop Avenger.'

What happened next defied Kotomine's understanding.

Even the Almighty King of Heroes, Gilgamesh hadn't managed to mess with his perception, as this Mysteries Man...

He corrected himself; to call him a man was the same as announcing the Root to be a mere children's toy.

It all happened in a blink—so fast his mind couldn't fully grasp the sequence of events. The bike skidded, its tyres screeching as it slid sideways. The rider's left foot came down, halting the bike's momentum.

When Kotomine blinked again, the man was already standing in front of him, the motorcycle parked twenty meters away. In his hand... was Kotomine's severed right arm, cut cleanly above the elbow.

Before Kotomine could even process what had occurred, the man spoke words too incomprehensible for him to hear. It didn't matter. The priest's body hit the ground, lifeless, with no hope of resurrection.

A flame danced in Bruce's palm, burning away the corpse. Ash scattered in the wind, carried off to oblivion.

As the ashes scattered leaving behind a book. It was an odd book, which didn't burn from the flames.

Seeing the book, his eyes twinkled.

'Hmm! For Kerei Kotomine to be carrying this around. How did he even get his hands on this book. Doesn't it belong to a Servant from Fate Zero. From the fourth holy Grail?'

---

Bruce stared at the severed arm, inspecting the numerous Command Seals imprinted on Kotomine's hand. He tossed it into his inventory, unwilling to sully the Gate of Babylon with the priest's remains.

Similarly, he took one last look at the book, and threw it in a similar fashion as the priests hand.

Unlike that locket... sealed in endless layers of crates and chests, buried inwards, with totems and plastered with innumerable talismans, never to see the light of day again. Sealed for eternity, possibly.

---

Bruce sighed again as he held the pocket watch he had retrieved from his coat pocket. Staring at it, he was reminded of World and the Guild he had painstakingly built for twelve long years—slaving away at the game in pursuit of the life of luxury he had always dreamed of.

Alas, that dream was nowhere to be seen now. It felt distant as if it had always been farfetched. Doubt crept into his mind—would he ever see the World or his Guild again? A quiet worry tugged at his heart, and he clenched his fists.

His grip tightened on the pocket watch, crafted from the precious Caloric Stone, as memories flooded back to him. He recalled its creation vividly.

He and World had made the watch together. Both had poured their artistic talents into its design, allowing their creative passions to run free, as if they were wild Beasts unleashed. Unknowingly, a soft smile touched his lips—his mind wandering to those fond memories of the game, where their joy was not bound by the constraints of reality.

'It's not that I have no opinions or that I'm a pushover,' he justified to himself. 'It's just... I have no other choice. I'm going with the flow because there are no other options left for me. I'm a practical person, who edges over logic and sometimes heart for my every decision.'

After exhausting every resource at his disposal, he had been forced to surrender—to live under the whims of the ROB, a being beyond mortal comprehension.

'How could a three-dimensional being ever hope to understand his thoughts? Cursing him would be futile. Even making an enemy of him would be sheer madness. Not that I could if I tried.

Even those Eldritch Gods would look cute, compared to ROB's wrath... Not that I know of it.'

It was just wishful thinking—rebellion was impossible. 'What could a mortal like me do against an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and metapotent being? Defying him isn't an option. The idea itself is absurd.'

All he could do was hope. Everything he had—his power, his tools, even his presence—was given to him by the ROB. There was no room for defiance, no path but the one he was on.

'Still, despite all that, I've gained so much in this adventure, it was productive, albeit lonely. Without a choice, I walk this road.'

He brought his focus back to the pocket watch, admiring its craftsmanship. It wasn't just some ordinary item. Despite being made from the rare and valuable Caloric Stone, the watch was far more precious to him than any of his other items, even those forged from the same material.

'The watch was built using three special items,' he mused. 'The first was the Caloric Stone. The second item was from the gifts I received from a player who raided my Guild and then deleted his account to focus on real-life.'

That player had been the World Champion of Álfheim, a figure of great renown. Before quitting the game, the World champion had sent Bruce two parting gifts: the first was the legendary sword he had earned after winning the World Tournament of Álfheim. The second was something even more extraordinary—a Dragon World Stone, a special data crystal, the highest grade of its kind in all of Yggdrasil.

The Dragon World Stone could only be obtained by players of three specific classes: World Champion, World Guardian, or World Disaster. It was dropped when one of those players landed the final blow on the World Devourer. However, it only dropped once for any player, and it was advised to use it wisely. Players could only receive one, no matter how many times they fulfilled the conditions—so the assumption went. In reality, very few knew that there was another condition for obtaining it. Even if a player didn't land the final hit, they could still claim the stone if they dealt more than 35% of the total damage to the World Devourer. Even with the second condition, it could be obtained only once.

Moreover, World Devourer could only be fought once, the fight continued or they could challenge him till they defeated it. Bruce was able to challenge it at the end, with World's support.

Bruce, seated high upon his metaphorical throne, had managed to acquire three of them. The first he had used to craft his Guild Weapon. The second had gone into the construction of his Cosmos Floor, a marvel of design and power. As for the last, it had been infused into his pocket watch. The Dragon World Stone he had received from Areos, the World Champion of Álfheim, had been used to reinforce his Guild.

With these rare items, Bruce had forged the pocket watch in his hands.

It was a thing of beauty—an ancient-looking watch, what watchmakers called a Full Hunter Pocket Watch, with an outer casing that protected the delicate mechanisms within. The exterior of the watch was engraved with intricate designs. On one side, the name of his Guild, "The Root", was inscribed, with a detailed metal engraving of his Guild Weapon beneath it. On the other side, there was a depiction of his Guild from the outside—"The Grand Temple of The End", its name forming a semi-circle at the edges of the circular casing.

When opened, the inside of the watch was equally exquisite. One side held the intricate dial, its design ornate and extravagant. At the center of the dial, an eye was engraved, with the words "The Fool" etched above it. On the opposite side, inside the casing, there was a metal engraving of Earth—his Earth, not the Earth from the world of Overlord. Written upon this engraving were the words "The World" .

To others, it might have seemed like a memento, a sentimental keepsake. But to Bruce, it was something far more significant. This pocket watch was the key to his Guild, the key to the place where his Guild Weapon was stored.

---

Bruce sighed for what felt like the thousandth time today as he stepped inside the cave. His pace was leisurely, unhurried, until he stopped abruptly. Though still some distance away from his targets, he paused to consider the situation. His mind whirred as he resumed walking, only to come to a decision moments later. Without hesitation, he teleported to his desired location.

'The Arch Shadow Demon will die with this.'

Though he had no concrete evidence to support his hypothesis, Bruce felt it in his bones. Ever since his reincarnation, things had felt... normal, perhaps too normal. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Yet, subtle changes had already begun to occur, slipping under his awareness. He was changing—his mannerisms, his thoughts, his opinions, even his speculations were shifting. His lore was working on him, as it was designed to, whether Bruce liked it or not. He had no say in the matter.

---

Bruce materialized beside Sakura, just in time to raise a barrier. His eyes flickered toward the Arch Shadow Demon. He had arrived too late; by the time he teleported, the creature had already been struck. A smirk played on Bruce's lips as he heard the voice echo through the air. His heart fluttered, blood boiling with anticipation as he awaited the words to be spoken once more.

Although he had missed most of the event, he had arrived just in time to hear the final, climactic part.

{Caliiiberrrr...}

Bruce had made up his mind: he would embrace his lore and flavor text. There was no longer a need to restrain himself, as he had in his past life. No longer would he hesitate to speak his mind, afraid of offending others or being too harsh. He had spent too long tied down by logic, suppressing his true self in countless situations to preserve his image, fearful of how others might perceive him. He had caged his inner child, locking it away behind walls of propriety, all in the name of pride or dignity.

But now he understood it had all been an illusion—a construct of his mind that had only held him back.

It was this very personality that had limited him in Yggdrasil and in his battles against Joker. In Yggdrasil, he had grand ambitions, and while most of them were fulfilled, there were a few dreams he had suppressed out of fear. Fear of ROB's dreaded graph theory, fear of stepping too far.

Even the successes he had achieved were constrained by the careful, cautious persona he had adopted. He had orchestrated elaborate acts, putting up a facade to achieve his goals.

'I should let loose more,' he mused. 'I reincarnated to shed these behaviors, to live freely, but instead, I've only tightened the chains. I've put more restrictions on myself since reincarnating. The fear of death has taken hold of me.'

Still, he acknowledged, his cautious mind had served him well. It was that very careful attitude that had brought him here rather than thrusting him into a more dangerous world with far deadlier enemies.

'So maybe this attitude has its pros. But still, I should be more carefree with my decisions. Given the current situation and my experience, I'll likely be thrust into more of these predicaments. Enjoying life, even amidst the chaos, is probably the better path.'

Amused by the irony of his thoughts, he smiled as his gaze shifted to Saber.

'Hmm, Saber Alter. How did things escalate so quickly?'

Bruce had ceased his spying through the Arch Shadow Demon after his encounter with the Priest, so seeing Saber in this condition came as quite a shock. Behind him, Sakura shielded Rin from Illyasviel, who had been possessed by the Corrupted Grail, with Avenger dancing malevolently around her. Saber, once noble, now served as their puppet, doing their dirty work.

Amused, Bruce's eyes scanned the battlefield until they fell upon a chilling sight.

'Hmm.'

Sighing once again, Bruce saw Shirou's lifeless body lying at Illyasviel's feet. He turned away from the gruesome sight, ignoring them for now. His attention shifted to the attack still hammering against his barrier. Cracks had begun to form, spiderwebbing across its surface. This was the strongest barrier spell he possessed, second only to a super-tier spell.

'Saber is strong. This attack is a good benchmark for evaluating her power. But man, I'm wasting away cash shop items without a second thought,' Bruce reflected, his mind already calculating.

Realizing the severity of the situation, Bruce racked his brain for a solution. He could survive the onslaught, but the two mortal girls behind him would not be so lucky. Desperation gnawed at him when, suddenly, a dark grey fog emerged from his shadow, reinforcing the barrier.

'Hmm, this is the same fog I saw back in my Reality Marble. Is it connected to my flavor text? Did World write something about it?'

Though intrigued, Bruce wasted no time. He manipulated the dark grey fog to follow his will, molding and shaping it to his desires. The fog responded obediently, solidifying the barrier and bolstering it against Saber's relentless assault.

Bruce watched as the barrier held strong, tanking the attack with unexpected resilience. The attack ended sooner than he anticipated. He turned back to Sakura and finally spoke.

---

Avenger had tossed Sakura aside, unwilling to deal with her directly. He had abstained from killing her, preferring to focus on taking control of Illyasviel and using the Grail to command Saber, snatching her away from Rin's grasp.

The story unfolding before Bruce was entertaining, though he was growing tired of the countless twists and turns. The Third True Magic was within reach, the Grail nearing completion.

Meanwhile, Sakura and Rin struggled. Rin, having injured her ankle against the Arch Shadow Demon, could barely move. With Shirou dead and her Jeweled Sword lost, their situation seemed hopeless.

Amused by the chaos, Bruce smiled involuntarily—a reflex he hadn't intended. Still, from Sakura's and Rin's perspectives, his smile was better than seeing panic or resignation on his face.

Yet, rather than comforting Rin, the smile only annoyed her. They were suffering, and here was Sakura's Servant, looking smug and entertained by their plight.

"Where has this guy been all this time?" Rin wondered, glaring at Bruce. "We thought Sakura had absorbed or killed him to become so strong. But no—he's here, and he's blocking Saber's strongest attack so effortlessly."

Despite their dire situation, neither girl could tear their gaze away from the strange sight before them. To Sakura, Bruce—the Fool—was an eldritch god. To Rin, he was an alien or some sort of alien deity.

But now, before them, sat a cute white furry creature resting atop Bruce's head, shattering the formidable image they had built of him in their minds.

---

Bruce ignored the girls' stunned expressions, tuning them out as his focus shifted entirely to Saber.

'Hmm, how do I fight her?'

His mind raced for a solution as Saber unleashed consecutive attacks against his barrier. It held firm, but just barely. This was no ordinary opponent; this was Saber Alter, her strength amplified beyond anything he had anticipated.

'This world is toying with me,' he thought grimly, recalling his earlier fight with Kotomine, where he had practically bullied the priest. *Time Stop is useful in these situations. I had hoped for a way back home before the other beings of the Nasuverse sensed the disturbance. But now, I'm stuck fighting Saber of all people.'

Bruce sighed once more as the answer came to him. His gaze locked onto the grey fog swirling in the distance, and he laughed at his own miserable condition. Resolved, he began his chant, his voice low and inaudible to all but himself.

"I am the Fool with Dreams,

From Beginning to End,

The One with No Destiny,

Born of Dreams, where my Mind is my World."

The chant flowed through him, a connection to his lore and flavor text. His words resonated with power.

"In the name of the Fool, I command the threads of fate and time.

Let the past and future intertwine, and reality bend to my will.

Summon the Ancient Horrors that lie beneath."

He smiled as the dark grey fog thickened, taking shape under his control.

"Let the abyssal depths rise, and the sunken city of R'lyeh awaken.

Behold, the stage of cosmic dread, where madness reigns supreme."

Bruce mused to himself, 'I'll let the Priests of the Outer Gods handle her.'

Finally, he declared with a grim smile:

"Welcome to the Worlds from the Dreams of the Fool."

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**The End**

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