Overlord Volume 01

The Undead King is the 1st light novel volume in the Overlord series. It was released on July 30, 2012. It details about Satoru Suzuki, whose game avatar is known as Momonga, and is a player of a game, until he is suddenly transformed into his avatar and all of the NPCs gain sentience. He must struggle to find a way to survive this new world.

Short Summary
Momonga is an average salary man who spends most of his time and salary playing the game YGGDRASIL. Sadly Yggdrasil's servers are about to be shut down and every other member of the guild of Ainz Ooal Gown has stopped playing. Deciding to stay in the game until the server goes down, Momonga goes and takes his place on the throne of Nazarick which is the base of Ainz Ooal Gown. Eventually the clock strikes for midnight, but instead of being forced out of the game, he finds himself stuck in the skeletal form of Momonga and the NPCs who should just be simple in game characters that his guild members had designed instead become like normal living and breathing creatures.

Full Summary
Satoru Suzuki, whose game avatar is an Overlord named Momonga, is having a chat with his friend and guildmate, Herohero, whose avatar is an Elder Black Ooze. Seated in the grand round table of obsidian, the two player characters chatted, exchanging news and expressing one's though. As it was starting to get late, Herohero apologies to Momonga that he could not stay up to the closing of the game. As he logs off, Momonga thanks him for responding to his request for all the members of the guild to gather here on the last day of the game. With that said, Herohero then logs out from the room, leaving Momonga alone in the room. With the absence of his comrade, he then releases his anger and frustration, slamming his skeletal fist on the round table, enraged at the fact that all his guild mates has left both him and their beloved guild that they had spent so much time and made so many memories together in.

However, he reasons with himself, saying that they did not abandon him, merely had real life to deal with. Since there was not much time left before the game closes down, Momonga decided to take his place as the guildmaster and ruler of Ainz Ooal Gown. Bringing his beloved guild weapon of their guild with him, he then walks to the ninth floor of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, the final floor of their guild and the very heart of Nazarick, the throne room itself. When Momonga arrives on open lobby of tenth floor, he greeted by the Head Butler and six battle maids, the Pleiades. He then orders them to follow him.

Entering the throne room, he is greeted with the sight of a female NPC, Albedo, standing next to the throne. Curious, he checked her settings and saw a dense array of text flooding his vision. Using the guild weapon, which granted him his guild master privileges, he was able to access it directly and erase that part of her settings. Wondering what he should put there instead, he jokingly typed on the console's keypad to make her be in love with Momonga. After that, he decided that everything was set and then sits on the towering throne. As he remained seated, he orders Sebas, Pleiades, and Albedo to kneel down, and next counts out each and every one of the banners raised in the throne room which numbers up to 41, each banner's emblem signifying each of the 41 members of Ainz Ooal Gown, including himself, feeling sad as he recalls all his nostalgic past adventures with his comrades. As the ending drew closer, he sits back, close his eyes and prepares for the server to force him out.

Strangely, after the midnight passes, Momonga was not forced out. It turned out that Momonga, along with the Great Tomb of Nazarick, had been transported into another world and has become one with his game character. With all the NPCs having gained sentience, he become alarmed at first and started panicking. In that situation, he is stunned when he heard a female's voice, as there wasn't anyone who was able to talk except him in that room. Even shocking was the fact that the one whom spoke was Albedo, an NPC. She asked Momonga if there was anything wrong. Before the situation got worse, Momonga was suddenly calmed down. This was due to his passive skill as a undead that suppress strong emotions. After he calmed down, he answers her question and then decided to confirm if the NPCs like Sebas will still obey him. Making a quick decision, he then orders Sebas to check the surface above the Great Tomb of Nazarick. In which, Sebas does so without hesitation, much to Momonga's relief. Albedo then asks what sort of orders does he have for her. He then orders Albedo to gather all the Floor Guardians, in exception of the guardian of the eighth floor and the fourth floor, and bring them to meet him in the amphitheater on the sixth floor. After she leaves, Momonga falls into a short depression as he blames himself for messing with the settings of Albedo, tarnishing his friend's ideal work.

Momonga then teleports to the sixth floor's amphitheater using the function of his Ring of Ainz Ooal Gown, as well as confirming that he had no problems being able to use magic items. As he entered the amphitheater, he is greeted and welcomed by Aura Bella Fiora, and shortly afterwards by Mare Bello Fiore, the twin Guardians of the Sixth floor. After a few exchange of words, he then decides to confirm if his powers, skill, and abilities from the game still works in this new reality. Next, he test out his 'Message' ability as he tries to contact the GM and other guild members. He was unsuccessful and decided to message Sebas instead. Sebas responded to Momonga's message and gave his a report of the situation above, informing Momonga that the surface of the Great Tomb of Nazarick is no longer a hazardous swamp, but flat grasslands with a clear night sky instead. Momonga then instructs Sebas to collect as much information as possible and return to him immediately after that.

Ending the message link, he then tests out the Staff's power by summoning a Primal Fire Elemental. After confirming it with Aura, he then orders the summoned elemental being to attack the twins, with was just a good exercise for them. After finding out that his powers are still usable like in the game, he also wants to affirm that the NPCs, like in the game before this, are still loyal to him. Next, in exception of Victim, the eighth floor Guardian and Gargantua, the fourth floor Guardian, all of the highest ranking NPCs in Nazarick gathered before Momonga and paid him fealty. Present was the true vampire Shalltear Bloodfallen, the vermin lord Cocytus, the dark elf twins Aura Bella Fiora and Mare Bello Fiore, arch devil Demiurge, the dragonian butler Sebas Tian and the succubus Albedo.

Establishing that they are indeed still loyal, he decides that to keep their loyalty and he must act as the Overlord that they see him as. Momonga sets Nazarick into motion to survive in this new and unknown world. When Momonga went outside of Nazarick, he jokingly suggest to Demiurge that maybe they should conquer the world.

While trying to figure out one of his magical mirror that allows him to see other places works, by accident he discovers a village is under attack by a group of knights. Deciding to save the village to gain information on this world and at the same time to test on how powerful this world combatants are, he charges forth saving a pair of sister. While using some of his magic and one of his weak summoned monster, he finds out that the knights are extremely weak. The village is saved and as payment he asks for information on this world which allows him to understand it much better. At this time the Warrior Captain Gazef Stronoff arrived and after a brief meeting between him and Ainz it is made apparent that the attack on the village was a trap to drag Gazef out when the Sunlight Scripture surrounds the village. Gazef in a valiant attempt to exempt the villagers from the fighting is eventually overwhelmed but before he is slain Momonga uses a teleport magic to switch place with Gazef and his men. He then easily defeats and captures the Sunlight Scripture, after this he decides that with the village saved he will return to Nazarick.

Ainz having returned to Nazarick he gathers all the high ranking NPCs to make an announcement. He then makes it clear to everyone that from this day forth his name will no longer be Momonga but will now be known as Ainz Ooal Gown. He then leaves the throne room to let Albedo tell the NPCs what else needs to be done. At this time Albedo gives the word to Demiurge who states to all the other NPCs what Ainz had previously told him as a joke, world conquest, Demiurge wanting to fulfill any wish that their Overlord might hold takes this very seriously and all the NPCs in unison proclaim that the world will be given to Ainz.

Chapters

 * Prologue
 * Chapter 1: The End and the Beginning
 * Chapter 2: Floor Guardians
 * Chapter 3: Battle of Carne Village
 * Chapter 4: Conflict
 * Chapter 5: Ruler of Death
 * Epilogue

Trivia
Web Novel
 * Attack on Carne Village is not related with the Sunlight Scripture.
 * Gazef spars with a Death Knight by Ainz's request. As Death Knights are specialized in defense and not good at attack, the fight ends in a draw. (Ainz withdraws the Death Knight and tells Gazef that he's the winner)
 * As a result, Ainz does not have a chance to confirm the world's power balance, and the Slane Theocracy does not notice the existence of Nazarick for now.