Re-Overlord: I Can Acquire Anything!
Chapter 183: The Overlord’s Return

Chapter 183: The Overlord’s Return

With the past finally laid to rest, Igaris and Evernight departed Ashvale and stepped through the Dimensional Gate.

The familiar lands of Earth welcomed them back. But peace did not.

Only several days had passed since Igaris left, yet unrest had already begun to spread throughout the Overlord’s Empire. Fear lingered in the streets like fog, thick and silent.

The Skadi Empire’s Imperial Army had reached the border of the Earth State.

Tension bled into the air. Soldiers moved in disciplined lines toward the battlefront. Warships loaded with weapons and rations soared overhead. Cannons were set in place. Shields were raised. Banners of resistance flapped against cold winds.

Citizens shuttered their doors and windows. Markets were abandoned. Schools silenced. The once-bustling cities turned quiet, like the calm before a storm.

For many, it was a return of nightmares.

The last time the Skadi Empire arrived, they brought shackles and chains. They turned men into dogs, women into property, and children into silence. The memory was a wound that never fully healed.

And now, as that shadow rose again on the horizon, the people trembled.

But this time was different.

They were no longer alone.

They had a ruler now. A symbol. A force that had turned criminals into protectors and crumbling cities into monuments of unity.

Still, fear was a cruel master.

The ordinary people, powerless to fight, could only place their hopes on the new Ruler.

Whether they liked him or not.

Whether they loved him or feared him.

He was their Overlord.

And now, all eyes turned to the skies... waiting for his return.

---

Inside the Imperial Court of Guava City...

Heavy silence filled the grand chamber. A long stone table stretched across the room, surrounded by powerful figures: Iskarth Vance, Shirley, Malthius, Jian Longchen, Ren Wen, Mountain, and several war-hardened Commanders. Each carried scars from past battles, but none bore the weight of war like today.

"So, do we have a clear estimate of their numbers and ranks?" Iskarth’s voice echoed. It was steady, but grim—like the calm just before a storm.

Ren Wen stood from his seat, arms crossed respectfully. "Yes, Commander Iskarth. Our scouts have confirmed approximately two million troops from the Skadi Empire. Their vanguard alone could outnumber our border forces. And their numbers continue to rise."

"Two million..." Iskarth’s fist clenched. A flicker of tension spread across the table. "And we barely have 500,000; even after rallying troops from every stronghold we’ve conquered."

"It is as you say," Ren Wen admitted.

The weight of the odds pressed against them like an invisible hand.

Shirley, the Heavenly Enchantress dressed in fiery combat robes, slammed her palm gently on the table, voice resolute. "We’re outnumbered. But numbers don’t decide the future. Resolve does. Igaris didn’t build this Empire just to hand it over. For him, for your lord, you will have to fight to the end."

Her words stirred the room.

At the mention of Igaris, Iskarth lifted his head. His eyes, once sharp and cold, now carried a father’s quiet pride. "My son has gone to fulfill a mission that not even I could dare to take. Whether he returns in time or not, we do not kneel. Igaris bled for this Empire. He bled to free this land. If he cannot be here, then we will hold the line in his name."

Malthius, the undead commander nodded grimly. "Even if we must hold it with our bones."

Just then, another voice spoke. It belonged to Lord Elmon of House Merivon, once a noble who had bowed early to Igaris’ might, now a trusted hand in the Imperial Court.

"Commander, we’ve uncovered suspicious movements within the noble faction. Some families are aligning themselves with Skadi’s diplomats. They might be preparing for betrayal... or worse."

Iskarth’s brows furrowed. "So the rats crawl from the shadows when the walls shake..."

"Shall I dispatch internal enforcers?" asked Jian Longchen, his tone calm but dangerous.

"Not yet," Iskarth said. "Let them play their hand. And when they do... we crush it."

The table fell silent again, but this time it wasn’t fear that lingered.

It was fury. Cold and righteous.

The kind that came before a war.

Just then—

"Buzz!"

A low tremor rolled through the marble floor of the Imperial Court.

Then came the sound of shifting wind, followed by a pulse in the air—like the breath of something ancient and divine had just entered the chamber.

All eyes turned toward the entrance.

The grand doors creaked open, and there stood Igaris Vance, draped in a long black mantle, his obsidian hair fluttering lightly from residual power. Beside him walked Evernight, cold and regal, yet radiating a serene strength. Her presence felt like the calm moon beside a blazing sun.

"My Lord!"

The Commanders instinctively rose to their feet.

"Igaris, you’re back!" Shirley smiled lovingly.

"My Son... You’re right in time," Iskarth’s tone held more than surprise—it held relief, pride, and something deeper. The respect of a father toward a son who had long surpassed him.

Igaris stepped forward, his gaze sweeping across the room like a sovereign judging his court. "I see the war drums have already started to beat."

He paused beside the table and placed one hand over it. "Two million enemies. Five hundred thousand of ours. And traitors stirring behind the curtains. Just as expected."

Ren Wen lowered his head. "We feared you wouldn’t return in time, My Lord."

Igaris gave a slight smile. "And leave the Skadi Empire to trample my land? No. I’ve returned... to finish what I started."

Evernight raised her hand, releasing a scroll tied with black ribbon. It floated toward the table and unfurled on its own.

"These are the strategic plans for counter-movement, based on we have observed on our way," she explained like a queen. "They includes updated locations of Skadi supply lines, commander hierarchies, and weak points across their encampments."

Gasps filled the room.

"All of this..." Jian Longchen muttered. "Already planned?"

Igaris turned to them, eyes cold and absolute. "They think they can march on our soil with impunity. But this time, it’s not just about protecting our people. It’s about erasing the Skadi Empire from the Orca."

He walked to the head of the table and took his seat, throne-like and commanding.

"Summon the war council. We move at dawn."

And just like that, the atmosphere shifted.

Fear was gone. Uncertainty vanished.

Their ruler had returned.

And with him came the fire of war. Once again.