I Was Mistaken for the Reincarnated Evil Overlord-Chapter 35: The Three Problems (And an Unlikely Teacher)

Darin was lying flat on the ground, sore, sweaty, and questioning every life decision that had led him here.

His hands ached, his arms felt like lead, and his pride? Thoroughly obliterated.

Vincent stood over him, smug as ever, arms crossed.

Then, he turned to the sorceress.

"We have three problems."

Darin, still facedown in the dirt, groaned. "Oh gods. That's never a good sentence."

The Overlord chuckled in his head.

"Oh, I agree."

Darin ignored him.

The sorceress raised an eyebrow. "Only three?"

Vincent smirked. "Three major problems."

She sighed. "Alright. Let's hear them."

Vincent held up a finger. "One. Darin has power, but no control."

Darin scowled. "I'm right here."

Vincent continued as if he hadn't heard him. "He swings like he's trying to break mountains, but he has zero precision."

Darin propped himself up. "That's not true! I—"

The sorceress cut him off. "You missed twelve times in a row."

Darin's mouth opened. Then closed.

"...Okay, that's fair."

Vincent smirked. "Moving on, problem number two."

He held up another finger.

"Darin has no time left."

Darin froze.

Vincent sighed. "The duel is tomorrow. There's no way to fix his stamina, no way to build endurance, and no way to suddenly make him an expert."

Darin sat up, feeling the full weight of that truth settle in his chest. "Oh. Right. That's a problem."

Vincent smirked. "Oh, you think?"

The sorceress rubbed her temples. "We should have started earlier."

Darin threw up his hands. "I didn't even agree to this duel! It's not my fault the entire noble system is insane!"

The Overlord snorted.

"And yet, here you are."

Darin groaned.

Vincent held up his final finger.

"And problem number three."

Darin braced himself.

Vincent grinned. "He's fighting Duke Varian, who is—reminder, a Stage 4 Aura Knight."

Darin let out a long, agonized groan. "WE ALREADY KNEW THAT."

Vincent shrugged. "Yeah, but let's really think about that. Varian isn't just strong. He's experienced. You can't win by just swinging harder."

Darin felt the full weight of that reality hit him.

Vincent sighed. "Honestly? You're screwed."

Darin groaned again.

Vincent grinned. "I give you five minutes in the actual fight."

Darin gawked. "FIVE?! That's it?!"

Vincent nodded. "Yes. That's generous, too."

Darin turned to the sorceress. "Do you think I'll last longer?"

She hesitated.

Darin's stomach sank. "Oh gods. You hesitated."

The Overlord clicked his tongue.

"Alright, enough of this."

Darin blinked. "What?"

And then—

PAIN.

Something slammed into the back of his head.

Darin yelped, clutching his skull. "OW! What the hell?!"

The Overlord had just smacked him.

From inside his head.

Darin gawked. "DID YOU JUST COUCH ME IN THE HEAD?!"

Vincent and the sorceress gave him strange looks.

Vincent tilted his head. "Uh. Darin? Who are you yelling at?"

Darin froze.

"...No one."

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The Overlord sighed dramatically.

"Listen, idiot. If you die, I die too. So let me help you this once."

Darin tensed.

Vincent leaned in. "Darin. You're making your 'I'm-hearing-voices-again' face."

Darin shoved him back. "Shut up. It's nothing."

The Overlord continued, ignoring him.

"You're out of time, and you're going to lose if you keep flailing like a drunken barbarian."

Darin gritted his teeth. "Oh, and I suppose you have a better idea?"

The Overlord grinned.

"Demonic energy."

Darin's stomach dropped.

"No."

Vincent raised an eyebrow. "No what?"

Darin snapped out of it. "Nothing! Ignore me!"

Vincent and the sorceress exchanged a glance.

The Overlord chuckled.

"Oh, come now, Darin. You were once one of the strongest knights in the world. Let me help you reclaim even a fraction of that."

Darin hesitated.

"...What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting a shortcut. You can't gain strength overnight. But you can access power that's already within you."

Darin felt his throat go dry. "You mean... yours?"

The Overlord's smirk was practically audible.

"You're catching on."

Darin gulped. "And what do you get out of this?"

"You surviving. Which means I survive."

Darin hesitated.

He didn't trust the Overlord.

But...

He was right.

Darin couldn't win like this. Not in his current state.

He exhaled slowly. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

The Overlord grinned.

"Close your eyes. And let me guide you."

Darin reluctantly obeyed.

As soon as he did—

Something shifted.

A dark energy curled at the edge of his mind, like a memory resurfacing. A deep, powerful hum vibrated through his bones, his muscles, his very core.

His breathing slowed.

His mind cleared.

He felt... steady.

"There you go, fool. Feel that? That's your old strength. Buried deep."

Darin swallowed hard. "This is... weird."

"No, Darin."

The Overlord's voice was smooth and satisfied.

"This... is power."

Darin's breathing slowed.

The exhaustion, the soreness, it was still there, but dulled. Like his body was being redirected, repurposed, reorganized.

Like something ancient was guiding him.

The Sorceress and Vincent Watch in Confusion

Vincent and the sorceress had been watching this whole thing unfold in confused silence.

Vincent squinted at Darin, who was standing eerily still, gripping his warhammer with a look of deep concentration.

"...Is he okay?"

The sorceress frowned. "I... don't know."

Vincent waved a hand in front of Darin's face. "Uh. Hello? Earth to Lord Disaster?"

Darin didn't react.

Vincent turned to the sorceress. "Do you think he's finally broken?"

She sighed. "He was already broken. This is just new."

Darin finally opened his eyes.

Something in them was... different.

Not glowing. Not visibly changed.

But focused.

Controlled.

He exhaled slowly, adjusting his grip on the warhammer.

Then, in a smooth, practiced motion, he lifted it up—

And swung.

WHAM!

The hammer struck the practice dummy with perfect weight distribution. The impact was powerful, but not wild. For the first time, Darin didn't stumble.

Vincent's eyebrows shot up. "Oh?"

The sorceress narrowed her eyes slightly. "That was... better."

Darin blinked. "Wait. That was better?"

Vincent crossed his arms, studying him. "Yeah. You actually looked like you knew what you were doing."

Darin frowned. "I—I wasn't even thinking. It just... felt right."

The Overlord chuckled in his mind.

"Of course it did. Because I was guiding you."

Darin tensed. "Wait. What?"

The Overlord smirked.

"Who do you think just helped you adjust your footing? Steadied your grip?"

Darin froze.

The Overlord laughed.

"Oh, did you think this was your doing? No, no, no, Darin. That was me."

Darin stared at the hammer in his hands.

He hadn't even noticed.

Hadn't even felt the Overlord's interference.

It had just been... natural.

The realization sent a chill down his spine.

Vincent clapped his hands. "Alright, Darin. Let's test this new improvement. Try hitting me."

Darin snapped out of it. "Wait, what?"

Vincent stretched. "Come on. You're getting better. Let's see how much."

Darin hesitated. "You're just going to dodge everything, aren't you?"

Vincent grinned. "Oh, absolutely."

Darin sighed. "Fine. Whatever."

He adjusted his grip again, took a deep breath—

And swung.

Vincent moved to sidestep—

But something was different.

Darin's body adjusted mid-swing.

His footing shifted, his stance corrected itself, and the hammer's momentum redirected at the last second.

Vincent's eyes widened.

"Wait, wh—"

WHOOSH—

Vincent barely ducked in time. The hammer swung right over his head, missing him by inches.

Vincent stumbled back, blinking in shock.

The sorceress's gaze snapped to Darin.

Darin stood there, confused, hands still gripping the warhammer tightly.

"...What just happened?"

Vincent exhaled sharply. "You... just corrected mid-swing."

Darin blinked. "I did?"

Vincent nodded slowly. "Yeah. And that's not normal."

Darin swallowed.

Because he hadn't done that on purpose.

That had been the Overlord.

The Overlord hummed.

"Oh, now you understand. This isn't just your past instincts returning. This is me."

Darin's hands tightened on the warhammer.

"...What exactly did you do?"

The Overlord chuckled.

"I simply helped. Adjusted your stance, your motion. Just enough to make you more... effective."

Darin's stomach twisted.

Because if the Overlord could do that without him noticing...

Then how much control did he really have?

Vincent watched him carefully.

"You good, Darin?"

Darin forced a grin. "Y-yeah! I just, uh—didn't expect to actually almost hit you!"

Vincent smirked. "Well, it's good progress! Suspiciously fast progress, but hey, I'm not complaining."

The sorceress, however, was still watching him.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Then she simply said, "Again."

Darin nodded. "Right. Again."

And as he readied his next swing, one thought rang in his mind.

Was this really his strength anymore?

Or was it the Overlord's?