The Guardian Beast of Nazarick

The morning sun poured through the dusty windows of the old library, casting a warm, golden glow that danced across the rows of ancient books. The thick, musty smell of aged paper hung heavily in the air, whispering secrets of forgotten lore and lost histories. What hidden knowledge lay buried within its weathered walls, waiting to be uncovered?

At a table, the head of a weary youth rested, dark circles shadowing his eyes—a testament to sleepless nights spent lost in thought. Beside him, an old, ominous book lay waiting, its cracked and worn cover suggesting it held secrets begging to be unlocked. The air around it felt heavy, charged with the promise of forbidden knowledge that could alter everything he thought he knew.

"Hey, wake up!"

"Ugh... five more minutes..."

"Five more minutes? Loyd, you fell asleep in the library again! This is the second time this week!"

Loyd blinked rapidly, struggling to shake off the remnants of sleep, the pull of the book still lingering in his mind.

"John?"

"Yeah, who else do you think would be here this early in the morning, bringing food to his book-obsessed friend?"

"You brought food? Thanks, man! I totally forgot to eat yesterday. Hehe, I'm starving."

John slid a sandwich across the table, but Loyd barely registered it, his eyes drawn back to the ancient tome.

"You should seriously take better care of yourself. What if you end up starving to death?"

"Nah, it won't happen. It's just that sometimes I forget when I'm too caught up in a book."

"Well, you should read less and go outside more instead of rotting here every day. Don't you get tired of this place? You literally work here all day and still spend your free time here!"

Loyd couldn't help but smile, a flicker of defiance lighting his eyes. "No, how could I ever get tired? There's so much to read! So many books on anything you could possibly imagine! This library is 500 years old. Do you even know how much history is in this place?"

"I couldn't care less about how much stuff is in here. It's still all just old books!"

The conversation drifted, but Loyd's mind was already racing back to the strange book in the dark corner, its weight heavy on his conscience.

"Anyway, what book are you reading that made you forget to eat or go home?"

"Ah, it's nothing. Just some old book about history. You wouldn't be interested."

"Yeah, you can bet on that. But you should stop reading and go home since I won't be here to bring you food or wake you up from your zombie reading state."

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I've gotta go back to my folks for a week. My old gramps wants to have a family reunion or something. Anyway, just go home and take care of yourself while I'm gone."

"Well, okay then. I'll go home in a bit. Have fun, and I'll see you in a week."

"Yeah, see you, man! And seriously, go home. Don't let me find you like this when I get back!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry. Now go!"

"You better remember that! Hmph!"

As John left, a pang of guilt gnawed at Loyd. I feel really bad for lying to you, my old friend. I'm not going home today, and this is no ordinary history book...

Yesterday, I found this strange book in a dark corner of the library. Its cover is pitch black, adorned with animal footprints that seem to whisper of danger and allure. The writing is unlike anything I've ever seen; I have no idea what language it is, but for some mystical reason, I can understand it—as if I'm reading it with my soul.

Since yesterday, I've been engrossed in this strange feeling. It keeps pulling me in, making me want to continue reading without a break. That's not unusual for me, but this is different. It feels as if I can't control myself anymore.

The book discusses rituals—strange rites that allow humans to shed their skin and transform into mystical beasts, abandoning their humanity for the power of a beastly body while retaining their human mind. Of course, I don't believe something like this is possible, but I can't stop reading. The sensation of diving into its pages is too addictive...

It's been two days since John left. I haven't left the library, nor put down the book, in three days. My throat is as dry as a desert, and my stomach feels like an empty pit. But after all this time, I'm almost done with the book. I feel like once I read the last page, I'll be able to rid myself of this obsession. Right now, I'm looking at a page illustrating a tiger with wings—a mythical creature of immense strength that grows stronger by absorbing the souls of its prey. The ritual to transform into such a creature is also on this page, but it seems nonsensical. It states that you would have to die, and while on the verge of death, you'd need to read this paragraph, which is...

As I read the last line, my body suddenly went weak. My eyes turned blurry, and my consciousness slowly faded. The book slipped from my hands, and my head hit the table hard—the impact being the last thing I could remember before absolute darkness consumed me.

In the New World, five years before the story of Overlord takes place, in a deep forest of the Re-Estize Kingdom, a great change is unfolding. The world seems to be fighting against something, struggling to resist. Huge dark clouds gather over the endless expanse of the forest, golden lightning raining down on the magical beasts and animals below. The earth roars as tremors spread, ancient trees falling one after another. Animals run desperately with no direction, and magical beasts roar furiously at the sky, killing everything in sight mindlessly, as if the end of times has arrived.

In a deep cave at the heart of the forest, a strange altar can be found, depicting a human that seems to be transforming into a beast. Its face is roaring and screaming at the same time, as though it's challenging the world with its very existence. Now, after thousands of years of slumber, the altar seems to come to life, slowly crumbling as the world outside screams and trembles, trying to destroy whatever is taking place in this cave.

A deep, dark red light suddenly explodes from the altar, turning the ancient object into a red liquid that seems to come to life, slowly squirming and gathering, forming what appears to be a beastly figure...

After two days of chaos, the world around the forest finally calms down. The enraged animals and beasts regain a sliver of peace as they immediately go into hiding, leaving the chaotic forest silent, as though a great calamity is about to descend upon the world.

Slowly opening my eyes, I looked around, bewildered, not understanding how I could possibly have ended up in what seems like a cave, since just a few moments ago, I was in the library. How the heck did I end up in a cave now?

Suddenly, a deep feeling of power and a desire for chaos surged inside me, but just as quickly, it faded, like a wave washing over my soul.

My goodness, what is happening?! I screamed in panic, but all that came out was a roar so powerful that the cave started to tremble and almost collapse!

What the heck is going on?!