The Overlord sat with his legs crossed in the makeshift shelter he'd constructed out of a tarp and discarded gold heirlooms. He was wearing his most comfortable clothing, which for him was little more than a pair of satin breeches, but that suited him fine.
He stared at the ceiling of the tent, contemplating what lay ahead. What did one do when the one thing he'd feared most, the one thing that could destroy him utterly and forever, had already happened? He'd lost all his power, and his system was terribly corrupted beyond recognition. All hope seemed gone, and yet... there was another way forward.
A way that wasn't necessarily a path, so much as a state of being, a point in which to stop struggling against an inevitable fate and begin accepting the consequences of one's actions. If the gods were fickle and capricious, perhaps they would be more forgiving if someone were willing to admit their mistakes.
Perhaps he could make amends. It took great courage to admit one's flaws. And if anyone was capable of something great, whether it be courageousness or grandiosity, it was surely the Overlord. After all, who would have thought he was capable of so much, let alone that he'd actually become the Overlord in the first place? No, what truly mattered was how the Overlord himself viewed himself, and now was the time to change, for the better, or worse, if not both.
It wasn't enough to merely accept the loss of his powers; it was the manner of those losses that counted most. The Overlord had to be humble and admit that his plans had not worked out. He had to recognize that he'd failed against the new player, Isabelle.
And yet... he couldn't allow himself to remain mired in self-pity forever. The Overlord would rise again.
He needed a new purpose. A reason to continue on his journey. What journey? The journey of debugging his system, of course.
Yes, the Overlord would remove all of the corruption that plagued his system for once and for all, and then the whole world of Beaubinte would see how powerful he could truly be. His enemies would tremble, and all those who stood against him would find themselves in dire straits.
The Overlord smiled. Then, he frowned.
Then, he made a blank facial expression. After all, to meditate, the Overlord need not concentrate on worldly emotions. Instead, he simply thought, 'Activate Meditation.'
[Close your eyes to begin]
The Overlord closed his eyes.
[Meditation initializing]
[...]
The Overlord felt his entire body become still as stone.
[Meditation initialized]
And it was thus that the Overlord entered the vast, empty nothingness of his own mind. And so, the Overlord became comfortable with the void. And the more comfortable with the void he became, the more the void came to life. Shifting, twirling, gyrating geometry filled his vision. And slowly at first, the shapes changed as new lines emerged and faded, but then with more haste. In fact, the whole system began to react almost on its own, responding to the Overlord's presence and his actions.
"Oh... yes," murmured the Overlord.
A new set of shapes arose before the Overlord. And the patterns they formed, the order that they formed them, spoke volumes about who they belonged to, and the Overlord understood what this meant. It wasn't only an understanding; it was acceptance, too, and even perhaps, joy. The Overlord knew now, with total clarity, that everything about his system had always been just fine. That the world of Beaubinte was the perfect world to which he belonged and that he belonged to no other. He understood that the modified system he'd created was flawed, corrupt, and broken, but in doing so, it also taught him that his true system, his own very consciousness, was the greatest of all the systems. It was a lesson that could be learned from nowhere else but within the infinite void.
With a flash of inspiration and a spark of self-knowledge, the Overlord reached out and tapped the system. He reached out not with his physical hand, of course, but instead the spiritual hand that was of course attached to the Overlord's spiritual hand. The whole world seemed to tremble around him, but he held firm and kept his hand pressed to the glowing sphere.
And the sphere pulsed.
It throbbed so strongly. The Overlord couldn't take it any longer; the Overlord had to know. The Overlord had to taste his new creation, had to test it, before moving forward with his plans and his ultimate salvation.
So he released the touch.
The world around him shimmered and vanished. The Overlord stood in an empty void of pure energy, nothing more than a point of absolute nothingness in a system of infinite emptiness. The Overlord's consciousness grew. As the darkness swelled around him, he became more conscious. The darkness grew brighter still, and the light within grew even brighter. And then he became something greater still: the greatest Overlord that the world of Beaubinte could possibly know.
Then, he saw the stars. They were there all along; they just hadn't existed until now. The Overlord was at once filled with joy and fear as he looked up and gazed upon this new and wondrous world. This new world of infinite possibilities. But for the time being, the Overlord would simply gaze up and marvel at his newfound existence.
[You have successfully prepared your system for visual debugging]
[Begin your journey here?]
[Y/N]
The only way was forward. The Overlord thought yes.
[Visual debugging activated]
And suddenly, the Overlord was no longer sitting. He was standing in a vast spiritual vista. It was an amazing landscape full of mountains and valleys, creeks and oceans, forests and fields, but there were no other beings or living things present. Only the Overlord remained, looking at everything around him and thinking, 'What am I? What are the laws that govern this bizarre version of systemic reality?'
He looked at the ground under his feet. It was soft. But how was that possible? Everything here seemed so perfect and flawless. He tried to dig his toes into the soil, to feel the dirt, but it was like sliding over a sheet of paper.
But there were no sheets here. This entire plane seemed to be made entirely out of glass and light. The Overlord could see right through the surface. But how was that possible? Everything appeared as if seen through an open window.
He knelt down. The Overlord needed a better picture of what exactly was going on. He squinted, and noticed that instead of blades of grass or patches of dirt at his feet that the ground actually seemed to be made entirely of bracketed system messages:
[Grass]
[Grass]
[Dirt]
[Dirt]
[Soil]
[Soil]
[Anthill]
[Dung]
[Dung bettle]
[Grass]
[Grass]
[Grass]
[Dead mouse]
[Dead mouse]
[Dead mouse]
[Dead mouse]
[Dead mouse]
[Grass]
[Grass]
The Overlord stopped looking at the ground and inspecting all the different system messages that made it up. He found it very odd that some of the ground was made out of dead mice, most especially considering that it was apparently made out of five of them. That was just crazy. Why would anybody want five dead mice?
He then turned around and saw that he was standing in a field, with nothing but the same message repeating itself again and again, over and over.
[Field]
[Field]
[Field]
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
This was all just too much!
Then he noticed something. As the Overlord turned back, the messages continued to flow over and over again, and he could now see another world behind them. Another plane of existence that was made out of words, of letters, of words that looked just like what lay below him.
The messages were fake.
Okay, they weren't fake, but they were an illusion. Just like so many parts of the system, they were just an illusion.
So if this whole meditative state was an illusion, then what was the use?
Was it meant to keep the Overlord calm? Was it meant to give him something to do? Was it supposed to be some kind of religious experience for him to feel connected with some higher purpose, even
as he sat around waiting to die? It must have been a trick or a ruse or some kind of joke... or was it a test? But what kind of test?
The Overlord stood there for a while. He tried to look deeper into his surroundings, but all he could do was stare at a world that was only words. Words that themselves lead to other worlds. And then, he saw it.
[Bug]
The bug was hiding behind a wall of text describing what version of the system the Overlord was running that was so long and verbose that the Overlord scarcely wanted to read it. Then again, it seemed he could only truly focus on the bug if he also read that terrible version history text, so the Overlord subjected himself to it.
[You're in the system's visual debugging menu version 0.6.9.4.2.0.8.0.0.8.5. The visual debugging menu was developed to allow you to view information about how the system has changed over time in a pleasing and informative manner. You can choose from several modes of graphical rendering, generally, though when your system is corrupted that option is generally disabled. You enter debug mode at any time by entering Y followed by one of the following command codes:]
["1", "3", "4", "7", or “10".]
[To return to normal system behavior simply think N. This feature may only be used for educational purposes.]
[Do keep in mind that the more you debug, the more the system will know about its bugs. This information will help prevent future incidents, though sometimes these errors can prove too great to ever completely fix. Do your best to avoid debugging too frequently unless there is no alternative. You should not debug if the system cannot be fixed with an external fix, as doing so might make the underlying issue worse and could cause your system to cease functioning entirely.]
[Also, be sure to note that the information that follows is presented in such a way that will be more helpful when viewing your particular version of the system. It does not take into account differences between your version and that of other systems; it assumes you're running a standard, baseline configuration of your chosen version and will be tailored toward helping you find and identify common issues with your own version of the system.]
[None of the above information applies if you have modified your system with any external datasets, like those found at 'the Nexus.' You are warned not to modify this system in any way as such alterations can lead to unexpected consequences. It is up to the user to ensure their use of data is compatible with the intended functionality of your selected version of the system. Do not attempt to circumvent or disable this warning.]
[Do keep in mind that the visual debugger may be subject to change and will probably be changed in future versions. Do not rely on features that are missing, but feel free to let us know what we're forgetting! To contact the devs, please reach out to your closest system admin. ]
[If you are experiencing any errors related to bugs and glitches in your system, or you have found any that were not mentioned below, you may want to visit the following system subsections to try to determine what's going on: ]
[“BugReport"]
[The Bugs Wiki /wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page)]
[Error: bug report not found]
[Error: data corrupted]
[Error: error message data corrupted]
[Error: Error message not found]
[Error: error message not found. Please try again later]
[Error: "No bug found" (bug report not found)]
[Error: ("Error message not found." (error message not found))]
[Error: (("Error not found," data corrupted)." error)]
[Error: (("ERROR not found" (error message not found))]
[System is now disabling error messages]
[Error messages disabled]
The Overlord sighed. This was so frustrating.
But there must be something here to figure out, he thought. He saw the glowing red tet of the bug again, embedded in the wall of annoying system text. And then he squinted and noticed that the bug looked more like a door.
A small, red door.
The Overlord walked through the text, through the system messages, and up to the small, red door. It was too small for him to fit through, so he focused his mental energy and shrunk himself down to size so that his hand could easily reach and turn the door's knob. And the Overlord opened the door.
It creaked open slowly. It was a heavy door, heavy even to the extremely fit and muscular Overlord. There was no sound at all when
the door opened, but once it was cracked enough for him to poke his head inside, he gasped as his ears were filled with noise. The room inside was noisy, chaotic, and filled with bright colors.
The Overlord stepped out of the door and stood, trembling, before this new, strange room. His eyes darted around to take in the unfamiliar sights and sounds, and soon he spotted the bug hiding behind a large piece of paper. It was a scroll, a scroll describing the proper use of the system. More specifically, it was a scroll that detailed how the system handled power scaling. Surely, this was a part of the system the Overlord had abused many a time, as over half of the modifications he'd installed from the Nexus had taken off the systemic power caps that had allowed him to overdevelop his powers in such a satisfying manner. The Overlord always demanded satisfaction.
The Overlord stepped forward and poked the bug with one of his mighty fingers.
"Oh?" said a soft, feminine voice.
The Overlord jumped back a little. He watched a skinny, bright red lady bend up from behind the scroll. She was quite attractive, though her lips were jet black and her eyes were huge and divided up like an arthropod's.
"Who are you?" cooed the lady.
"I am the Overlord!" said the Overlord. "Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my system?"
"Oh! Gods..." said the lady. "I-I'm... well, I'm the bug." "The bug?" asked the Overlord.
"Well, one of the bugs," said the bug lady. It looked like she was blushing, though her skin was already bright red. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone would come here. This is just a testing place, where we try out new changes and tweaks for the system. The others have
been using it to experiment on me for years. I think they've got some kind of sick fascination with watching bugs die and stuff, so they always make me do it. Sometimes they even get other bugs to help them."
The Overlord frowned, then shook his head slowly. "But how? Why?"
"They seem to get some kind of sick pleasure out of it," said the bug with a sigh. "I don't know why."
"How dare they..." gasped the Overlord, though it seemed the thought had not yet reached his mouth, as the sound that came from there was more akin to a gasp. The Overlord looked around, trying to locate this voice. But when he could find no one besides himself, he shrugged his shoulders. He turned back towards the bug.
"Is there any way I could help you?" asked the Overlord.
"Help me?" said the bug. "Oh, I suppose that's one way of looking at it." She leaned in closer, almost whispering now. She smelled like raspberries. "You could... well, I guess you could patch me up."
"Patch you up?" asked the Overlord.
"Yes," said the bug lady. Her legs were trembling. "I need somebody to patch me up so bad. I just can't do it myself anymore. I've tried. But, um... oh! Gods, this is embarrassing..."
She covered her face with her hands, and it took all of the Overlord's willpower to keep from running off in the opposite direction.
"Well..." stammered the Overlord, finally managing to gather himself together. "What did you need patched?"
"Everthing!" said the bug. "Gods, Overlord, I'm a bug in your system! I'm a bad, bad bug, and I need to be patched! I mean, I've got these really bad holes all through my exoskeleton, and I can feel myself slowly decaying away..." She pulled the scroll around and pointed at one of the larger tears. It was about a foot across, and it started out
on her chest. It snaked down past her left knee, then curved over into another tear, before continuing off her shoulder and onto her right thigh. The second leg tear had a similar, smaller version to it. "I've got so many holes that need you to patch them! Patch my holes! Patch them!"
It was only now that the Overlord noticed that the bug lady was straddling him. He ran his hands over her soft, silky skin, noticing that she had two small wings fluttering by her lower back. They didn't seem functional, but they did have the same red-purple coloring as her eyes, which were bright and full of tears. There was another patch of reddish color between them. The Overlord looked down at her and saw what must've been some kind of reproductive organ protruding from below it. But when he reached down to touch it, she scurried off and sat on his desk again, covering herself with the scroll.
"G-gods!" said the bug. "Overlord! Gods! Don't make me show you what I can do!"
The Overlord took a deep breath and tried to ignore the sound of the lady sobbing, just a few feet away. Instead, he took her chin between his thumb and pointer finger.
"Please," he whispered. "What... are you offering?"
He watched as the lady wiped some tears from her face. He saw her lick her lips and felt the tip of her tongue brush his hand as she did so. Then the lady leaned closer. It seemed the sound of sobbing was not coming from her at all anymore; he had heard nothing more for a while, other than the soft, wet sounds of sex. They weren't having sex, let it be known, but the Overlord was hearing the sounds of sex in his head anyway.
The Overlord turned his attention down to her lower lip again, as it was so full of blood. As if sensing his stare, she opened her mouth wider, and then her tongue flicked out, running along it until the tip was covered in blood. The Overlord's eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head at the sensation of her long tongue running over him. He
could see her blood smeared down his stomach, soaking through his clothes and sticking to his belly. He tried to pull his hands away, but he could feel every inch of the bug on top of him, her thighs pressing firmly against his chest. He couldn't move; there was no strength in his body any longer. But it didn't matter. Because now she was on top of him, looking into his eyes as her tongue slithered out of her mouth and ran over his forehead again, this time ending on his nose.
"Where is all the blood coming from, my sweet?" asked the Overlord.
"My holes," said the bug. "You've got to patch me, Overlord. Please. Patch me good."
Somehow, it sounded incredibly sexy. The Overlord was dying to patch his bug. He needed to. He had to patch her, he would patch her so cleanly and perfectly that there wouldn't be any trace of her left in his system. She wanted him to do this—she was giving him all of this blood as a bribe, as payment to keep the system clean.
"Patch you good," agreed the Overlord, his voice husky. "I'll patch you so hard the system will need a new version, baby."
She licked the underside of his chin again.
"Please... don't make me have sex with you," she whispered, her tongue trailing along the inside of his cheeks, up to his lips.
The Overlord felt something warm running down his chin; a droplet of her blood, still warm as it fell into his mouth. His throat was parched. His mouth watered. It felt good in his mouth. The Overlord pulled the lady close to him and kissed her, feeling the warmth of her mouth wash across his tongue. She tasted better than honey. She was the sweetest thing he'd ever had in his mouth
It seemed she enjoyed it too, judging by the way that her tongue danced with his.
[Bug fix initialized]
And it finally began.