Overlord: The Undead Oh! Chapter 42

'''Aim! Cocytus On Duty''' (日指せ！コキュートスお当商回) is the forty-second chapter of the Overlord: The Undead Oh! series.

Summary
At the bar, Cocytus complains to Demiurge that he never gets a turn in the series. He demands that he gets his own story in the spin-off. Demiurge notes that none of the chapters he had previously appeared in, starred him as a main character. He has his suspicions which Cocytus pleads for the former to enlighten him on the reason why. Demiurge then divulges that it may be due to the "drawing costs." For manga artists, certain characters may take some time and effort to draw. Especially for light novels, character appearances are usually limited to the cover and a few gorgeous illustrations that attract the readers' attention. However, those original drawings eventually get peeled off and reduced in other media works. And of course, this makes it harder to adapt into certain aspects of the light novel when there is no reference.

The demon cites various examples where drawing costs are implemented like with the images for Ainz Ooal Gown, CZ2128 Delta, and Shalltear Bloodfallen in Overlord: The Undead Oh!, being much more loose and reduced compared to their Light Novel depictions ad even missing details. Cocytus is shocked to learn that the reason why he has so few active scenes in the spin-off is because his character is a "high drawing cost." Ironically, the least expensive character to draw are some of the Supreme Beings like Herohero and Bukubukuchagama due to their relative simple bodies. Cocytus wonders if it's racial, but Demiurge also notes that a few insect characters like Cocytus have drawings that are inexpensive like Kyouhukou, who's image is censored in the spin-off in consideration to the readers. Demiurge suggests perhaps that Cocytus should adapt his character with a filter screen so as to save costs for his story, but Cocytus notes how awkward it be if he was a blur as the main character and might create some misunderstanding through doing that.

Regardless, there are still other methods that Cocytus could try out. Demiurge then calls Entoma Vasilissa Zeta to come to the bar and use her illusion magic to cover Cocytus in a blur to test out the option. The second option is using a 3D model which they used in the anime. Entoma then casts her magic to make Cocytus appear as a 3D image of himself, yet what comes out is a floating head of Cocytus and his shoulder guards. The maid explains that this is the limit she can do to make Cocytus a 3D model of himself. Demiurge notes that using a 3D model may not be cost effective as it takes money to create a perfect model of him. It would be cheap if a hand drawn image was used rather than a 3D model. From other works, gaiden works were suggested to have been able to do something like that.

Believing that they need to talk to the one in charge of the drawing cost management, Demiurge calls Albedo via a [Message]. The Overseer Guardian operating the status consoles for the NPCs greets her peers and tells them that Cocytus's image costs are quite modest now which annoys Cocytus at being treated like an account. Albedo emphasizes the importance of reducing the costs of drawings, citing that even her character's dress features had some details removed such as the edges on her gloves and dress. When she mentioned the image of Cocytus's creator, Warrior Takemikazuchi being a serious drain on expenses, she quickly destroys a thought bubble that Cocytus was about to create; thus preventing the Supreme Being from being added into the chapter to preserve Nazarick's finances.

Both Demiurge and Albedo try to come up with a way to display Cocytus's character and save money. After Entoma relinquishes the spell hiding Cocytus's body, its surmised that everything below was a serious expense to draw. The Overseer Guardian gets an idea to have Cocytus hide majority of his body using his frozen breath, creating a cover that would still keep him in the manga but also limit his drawings. However, the idea of having a fog to censor his body makes it almost look that came from the scene is in a bath. Other ideas are tried like using light to cover Cocytus but that too fails. So far, having Cocytus's own story take place in a bath house seems more plausible as they will have less need to draw his actual body when he is submerged. However being in a bath doesn't appeal to Cocytus, which then Demiurge shifts the idea of having the story take place in the 5th Floor. The setting provides opportunity to explore and also like a bath, the snow could hide Cocytus's body and thus reduce the drawing costs.

Coctus proposes another idea to save costs by expanding his speech bubble so that it hides his body. Demiurge and Entoma thinks the idea could somehow work, but Albedo points out that in order to make a speech bubble big enough, the words inside would need to be resized and would cause them to look like a character's is being loud. Cocytus ultimately decides to forgo a story to preserve the cost expenses, as he does not wish to be a burden. Noting his choice, the other NPCs note that Cocytus's character has become more simplistic, almost silhouette-like in response to his choice. Inspired by his sacrifice, Entoma offers to cut some of her character details as well followed by Demiurge and Albedo. Now with their reduced features, Albedo realizes that they might have some expenses to achieve 'it'. She tells the others to gather the Floor Guardians to the Throne Room.

Later Ainz hurries to the Throne Room, after being called by Albedo and the others. He wonders what is going on and when he is revealed, his character has become similar to his Anime counterpart, more realistic and sharper. The gathered NPCS, now in more simpler forms praise their combined sacrifices to be successfully in making their lord perfect in visual form.

Character Appearance

 * Solution Epsilon
 * Narberal Gamma
 * Cocytus
 * Sous-chef (Cameo)
 * Demiurge
 * Ainz Ooal Gown
 * CZ2128 Delta
 * Shalltear Bloodfallen
 * Herohero (Cameo)
 * Bukubukuchagama (Cameo)
 * Kyouhukou
 * Entoma Vasilissa Zeta
 * Albedo
 * Warrior Takemikazuchi (Cameo)
 * Victim
 * Aura Bella Fiora
 * Mare Bello Fiore

Known Locations

 * Great Tomb of Nazarick
 * Bar
 * Throne Room
 * Spa Resort Nazarick

Chapter Notes

 * This chapter first appears in the Monthly Comp Ace November 2020 Issue.