[Article] Magical Natural Philosophy - TALENTS XII

There's an elephant in the room we haven't tackled yet for Magical Natural Philosophy. 

Talents(Abilities You Are Born With). 

The double name is intentional from Maruyama. To the Overlord fanbase these range from "cheats" to "worthless". 

When asked why they exist however nearly everyone scratches their head for an in-universe explanation. Now the correct answer is they are reference and something Maruyama ripped off ( as is everything in Overlord). However, amongst everything else game related or story related in Overlord Talents remain the least understood by pretty much everyone. 

They. Just. Work. 

So let's finally talk about it. First a preface. 

Ziggy wants everyone to know that some of the conclusions in this piece are going to not be as substantiated in story because of the lack of documentation and mentions of Talents by the story characters. This is probably going to be the most controversial piece in Magical Natural Philosophy as well. But we have to at least try talking about it. 

So first when we discuss Talents, the oddest thing to consider isn't the range of what powers they have - it's how ubiquitous they are in society to the point a common ratio begins to crop up - 1 in 200 people have Talents. 

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Much like martial arts, Talents were abilities that did not exist in Yggdrasil but which were unique to this world. About one in every two hundred people was born with a Talent. While Talent-holders were not rare, the abilities themselves varied greatly in potency and type.

[V2]

Talents: Abilities That People Are Born With Talents are powers that exist in this world but did not exist in Yggdrasil. Approximately one in every two hundred people is born with one of these abilities

[MANGA]

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Now many might ask - why that is worth noting. Well in mathematics and large sample sizes we have an understanding of this occurring actually - the Law of Large Numbers basically states as we look at bigger and bigger groups of people things begin to appear about at their probability rate. So say 1 in 10 people have purple eyes like Jircniv. You might check one village of 100 people and find 0, 2 etc. Clearly the rates don't match - however as you check bigger and bigger samples, like cities, countries, you begin to see the rate on average (so long as the samples are reflective of the original population - if you do not find this that means there is a divergence of some sort in the population from the samples like ethnic differences or environmental mutagens etc). 

What this means for you all, Overlord fans is that likely over time people understood that on average 1 in 200 people based on random chance across populations manifest a Talent. This could of been confirmed by churches, an older nation, nobles, etc but the idea is if you analyze the data the ratio would hold true since heritage and so on do not seem to factor into Talents manifesting. 

Rather than go round about and lead you all by the nose, Ziggy wants to point out things clearly here. So first, let's look at the layout of Maruyama's Tenth Anniversary Notes - 

Level Limit

Origins

Ability Score

Special Item

Talent

Connections

Of note is how Talents are their own category here - independent of Level Cap, Ability Score, and Genius sections. From what we are told this is exactly how Talents work - they are distinct from powers you get from CLASSES, something contingent on Level, or heritage. The potency, the type, and even the usability of the Talent all varied from what a person could be good at sometimes or were super powerful and independent of their CLASS aptitudes.

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 For instance, there were Talents like being able to predict tomorrow’s weather with seventy percent accuracy, the ability to strengthen summoned monsters, hastening the harvest by several days, using the magic of the Dragons which once ruled this world, and so on. However, all of these were inborn abilities, which could not be chosen or changed. It was quite common to encounter situations where these abilities could not be applied. If someone was born with a Talent that could improve the destructive power of their magic, but they never had the chance to become a magic caster, then their Talent would be useless. There were very few people who could make good use of their Talents. There were almost no Talents which could dictate the course of one’s entire life, apart from a few exceptionally powerful Talents… The best proof of that statement was Gazef Stronoff, who was a warrior without a Talent. However, people with combat-applicable Talents tended to go into the adventuring profession. Therefore, Talent-holders were a common sight among adventurers

[V2]

A young man who has not only an extraordinary inborn talent and unparalleled alchemical skills but also a fairly attractive face. A perfect example of someone who won the genetic lottery. A

[V8]

“Indeed. Or at least, someone who knows what these letters are. Also… any humans who have a Talent which lets them decipher languages.”

...

Granted, she had heard some rumors from her squire friends. For instance, “My friend has a Talent that lets him know many degrees hot water is. Of course, nobody knows the exact temperature,” or “My relative’s a boat pilot who can walk five steps on water, but more than that and he’ll sink,” and so on. Most of them were abilities which would make people sigh and fall silent. There was no information about people who possessed abilities which the Sorcerer King wanted to know about

[V12] 

 

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It's of special note how even though Talents let you gain abilities they still operate on the principles of the rules to an extent - they enable access to SKILLS or spells but these powers then default to your own ability scores or CLASSES to determine how strong they are. Rarer Talents are also stronger equivalents of tiers for how spells are categorized.

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Unusual powers people are born with.

Perhaps it's reasonable to be able to use a single Sixth Tier magic regularly for the magic of Overlord? Being able to use this sort of magic is amazing, however because your basis is ability scores, one demerit is it would be considerably weaker than if Ainz had cast these spells.  

[Tenth Anniversary]

Her Talent is ’the ability to store any spell that she has seen or been targeted with - but only one usage - and use it as if it was her own.’ She can even use it on Super-Tier spells or Wild Magic. However, when casting the spell, its effects are calculated from her own stats, and all spellcasting mechanics still apply. For instance, if she were to cast the Super-Tier spell [Fallen Down], it would take the standard amount of time to cast but it would work off of her lower ability scores, so it would be less damaging than the same spell cast by Ainz. However, she will always be considered as having met the ability requirements to cast the spell. Also, she cannot willingly dismiss the stored spell. She can only release it by using it once, which can be taken, as a stretch, to be a weakness. As for whether a spell is stored, that depends on whether or not she wills it to be so

[KBA]

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That should be strange to a few people - just like CLASSES which grant powers they still defer back to Ability Scores to calculate damage. Talents cannot be trained after all either - they are fixed at what they do and can do no more and no less than what they can. In a way they are static. 

As a tangent we can use linearization to plot Talents relative to spell effects and rarity as well:

Single Spell Regularly/Single Spell Once Per Day/Single Spell Once Per Week

S - 6th Tier//

A- /6th Tier/8th Tier

B- //

C-0th Tier/ /  

D - NA

E - NA

Filling in the gaps you get:

S - 6th Tier//

A- 4th Tier/6th Tier/8th Tier

B- 2nd tier//

C-0th Tier/ /

== 

S - 6th Tier/8th Tier/

A- 4th Tier/6th Tier/8th Tier

B- 2nd tier/4th Tier/

C-0th Tier/2nd tier/ 

==

==  

Regular/Daily/Weekly

S - 6th Tier/8th Tier/10th Tier

A- 4th Tier/6th Tier/8th Tier

B- 2nd tier/4th Tier/6th Tier

C-0th Tier/2nd tier/4th Tier

==

This is derived by linear extrapolation but it does give us a line of best fit to compare Talent effects and how limited they should be. Theoretically S tier talents can rival tenth tier spells but they are limited to once per week meanwhile regular spammable ones are capped around 6th Tier for scope. The daily limit is in between the Weekly and Regular limited talents nicely as well. Use this as a rule of thumb not a outright limiting rule - basically being able to use Raise Dead should typically be a once per day or week deal not a spammable talent unless it's exceptionally, exceptionally rare.  But things can work however they want in your Overlord!

Another point is how Maruyama describes being born with Talents and great aptitude for SKILLS as factors fortunate with someone's birth. That is he describes geniuses like Nfirea as lucky for being born as they were. This matches how Talents are described as abilities you are born with. That seems obvious but ponder for a moment what that means - recall how Maruyama described Geniuses in the Tenth Anniversary post and other sections:

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Ninya.....Magical Aptitude: Ninya had a high aptitude for magic thanks to his Talent. Spells that would normally take 8 years to master, he learned in 4.  

[Manga]

A genius with the blade focused on only one thing; getting stronger

[V5]

 unparalleled alchemical skills

[V8]

This is the height of your talent for a unmodified ability score(things like your physical strength or mental capacity and so forth).

[Tenth Anniversary]

 Q: Can you elaborate on (Genius) modifiers? Do they get more skills, unique skills, or more skill points? A: A Genius differs in various ways. For example, the number of magic spells learned increases slightly. However there is never a time when they become incredibly strong.

[TWTR]

 Q: How did Nfirea and Remedios get the Genius modifier? Was it present in Yggdrasil? Does it apply only to Job classes only? Say can it be applied to (General)/Monster/ Racial levels? A: It’s a natural born talent. No [it wasn’t in Yggdrasil]. Only Job classes [have the Genius modifier].

[TWTR]

Other than that, the speed by which they grow and the probability they survive [saving rolls?] also increases. However caution is to be advised. In Overlord, Level is an absolute stat. Even should your ability be high, that does not compensate against the absolutes of Level such as the number of skills one can use, the damage dampening effects from level differentials, and the Tier of magic one can use.

[Tenth Anniversary]

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Notice how Geniuses can learn faster and gain slightly more powers or can use things slightly before the level requirement. Hence the need to notate them on character sheets. Ninya's Talent simulated one bonus of being a Genius as well - yet she is not a Genius herself as far as we know.

Geniuses however are also natural born - you are either born a Genius or you are not one. Just like Talents they are fixed at birth. So how do Geniuses work? Well if you have a high ability score apparently you can acquire the Genius modifier. 

Therein lies our connection to Talents  - they are dependent on other Ability Scores for calculations and can only bypass requirements or grant passive abilities - they do not typically have powers that can be trained either. 

So what does that mean?

If you consider a moment there is a strange relationship between Talents and Ability Scores we can actually make sense of the 1 in 200 occurrence rate of Talents as well.

In games Overlord is inspired by, often Ability Scores are rolled for at the time of character creation. In some of these games, what dice you roll varies. However in many you roll D6 dice or six sided dice. These are fairly common after all. But in a subset of games, you roll 3D6 dice. And so what happens when you roll three 6's in a row?

Well think of the odds of rolling three 6's: 1:216.

That is approximately close to 1:200. 

Do you see why Ziggy mentioned this might be controversial?

Basically Ziggy is proposing Talents might actually be the 'Genius' bonus for an Ability Score that didn't exist in YGGDRASIL. Of note is Genius being a bonus related to Ability Scores is something you will come across in games that give bonuses at the time of character creation though it varies by game to game. So there is already precedent. 

 If we approach this from the angle that Talents have a Talent Ability Score we can make sense of them in some ways. 

Recall the discussion we had on how Talent holders for whatever reason often have extremely good luck at surviving things they should not:

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So previously we talked about Blood Bought Miracles (patent pending). If you can come up with a better name for that go ahead, Ziggy is a pretty muh namer of stuff. Anyway, the curious thing about Blood Bought Miracles (minor rule breaking using a price paid in blood) is unlike Mana Oversaturation, which breaks rules on the condition of continual payment of mana (Decem's OVERSummoning, OVER meta magic, rituals, etc) is that Blood Bought Miracles are performed by casters AND non-casters to break the rules of the world in limited ways so long as a price is paid.

It's something between a universal mechanic and just a feat with certain status condition requirements... Our next focus is on something you might have noticed thanks to the last volume, though it existed before. Do you recall the strange reaction Ainz had to Antilene surviving Petit Catastrophe?

In return for consuming enormous mana, its damage surpassed even the super tier magic that Ainz could use. Of course, still it was not as powerful as the [Grand Catastrophe]. But the raging torrent of energy born from it was enough to blow away everything in an instant. The very next moment, Zesshi was hit by tremendous energy. Bad, gonna die Zesshi immediately realized. The fierce currents of energy blew away the earth elemental in an instant. She finally realized at that moment, that the earth elemental was neither a countermeasure for Einherjar nor a wall to let the girl escape. It was nothing more than a decoy, to keep Zesshi and her clone from escaping that single tyrannical attack. And in reality, her Einherjar also disappeared just a moment after the elemental did. Following that — – —–not yet! I will not die! I WILL NOT DIE! In the eye of the destruction raging around her sweetly whispering to her to give up and take it easy, Zesshi brought all her vitality to the fore to bear through it. But — ——her consciousness weakened. She could no longer sense the pain that had been stinging all over the body before. She could no longer even sense if she was still standing or where she was. So this was how death felt like. What the heck is this

[V16]

“You did good, taking her down without killing her, didn’t you?” “Y-yes. I also thought that I ended up killing her with [Petit-Catastrophe], but, it looks like she had a lot of vitality, so luckily she didn’t die.” “You used [Petit-catastrophe]!? . . . . . . . . . to think she didn’t die from that. . . . . . ..that human is certainly strong. Mare had been really fortunate. . . . . . ..So what happened to the elf king?”

[V16]

HAX

Or is it? Think back a bit to a few other times this has happened, people surviving things when they shouldn't have:

“Could it be those people I killed in that store were your friends? Are you mad because I killed your buddies~?” Clementine continued in a mocking tone: “Ufufufu, that magic caster was soooo funny. Until the end he believed that someone would save him~ but how could he hold out that long against my attacks with just that little bit of health… Or could it be he was hoping you would save him? Sor~ry, I killed him.”

[V2]

―He had to buy time for Enri. That thought was what drove Nfirea to move. Making note of the Troll’s upraised left arm, he ran forward and to the left. Seeking life in death, he plunged head-first into danger to reach the safety beyond it. The Troll’s fist followed him, and the wind of its passing ruffled his hair. And in front of Nfirea, a mighty foot kicked out at him like a moving wall. Nfirea’s vision spun wildly as he flew through the air, his body making cracking sounds like shattered tree branches. He hit the ground hard and rolled several times, like a piece of discarded rubbish. Pain coursed through Nfirea’s body, which was still rolling over the ground. This was the most pain he had experienced in his life. “But, but I somehow managed to survive. That’s amazing. I’m amazing…” He had hung on to life was because of the effects of his defensive spell and the fact that the Troll’s footing had been poor when it had kicked him. Ignoring the pain that shot through him with every breath he took, Nfirea stood, and loosed another spell.

[V8]

You may or may not able to add Keno to this list though when she was 'dying' and outlasted everyone else that might be because she was using her Talent so it's iffy.

But whoops. Cat's out of the bag now. For some reason, these people with talents all sort of 'survived' stuff or for longer than they should of. What gives?

Ninya still died but Clementine, an experienced murderer, didn't quite understand why she could take so much damage. Likewise, Nfirea was amazed he survived though he rationalized it as circumstances. But Antilene proves something - she had no business surviving Petit Catastrophe.

Maybe Brain not dropping dead right away after using Soul Ignition / LEsser Soul Ignition and being able to live for a minute was thanks to his Talent as well? Hard to say, given he's the only one we've seen do that. Brain however did pull off another miracle... one not paid for in Blood!

Right now, if someone had converted their ability into data and compared them, he would undoubtedly be cheering for Brain. Indeed, it was a miracle, like the sun rising from the west, a sight that would fill people with awe and respect

[V6]

Brain Unglaus had yet again, achieved something impossible. He did not know this himself. The true nature of his Talent was an increase in his focus capacity, only with this and the addition of his higher levels was he able to activate the martial arts required by [True Nail Clipper]. But, even so, Brain had his limits. He could not use any more martial arts than that, a limit imposed upon him by the world. But, in that moment — Brain broke the rules of this world once more. A second miracle of this kind. The first was when he cut Shalltear’s nail. The second, was made in this moment.

The consequence of breaking the rules was that his body began to deteriorate. His body probably couldn’t last for even one more minute

[V14]

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NANI!?!?!??!!!?

Yeah, strange to see Maruyama openly declare both are 'miracles'(magical bullshit no one can explain rationally). But clearly the Nail Clipper was not a Blood Bought Miracle.

Now for whatever reason people with Talents not only have special powers with no apparent cost, they can just perform miracles and have DM Fiat! HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX.

Why though? How does that work? Why would having a Talent mean you can survive stuff you shouldn't have... how does it let you perform miracles without a price paid in blood unlike others? Maybe this is the conceit of the world, the World's Blessing, it's favor.

Or perhaps, Talents are something different... What even determines what Talent you get in the first place? Why do they vary in potency too? There is a plausible answer, though it might not be readily apparent to you all. But that is a discussion for another day, another time.

Clearly people with Talents are more 'magical' than others. one thing many people do not account for how do they power their Talents or use them without classes or levels?

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 Look back over the Tenth Anniversary Statement about Ability Scores:

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Other than that, the speed by which they grow and the probability they survive [saving rolls?] also increases.

[Tenth Anniversary]

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 Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.

We can explain Talent holders in particular surviving things they shouldn't have with the token of knowledge that Ability Scores do in fact affect Saving Rolls (in theory). 

That or Maruyama is just a consistently bad writer?

Dun Dun Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun.

Here's Ziggy's argument however Talents comes from an Ability Score:

1: Talents are fixed at birth just as Geniuses(reliant on Ability Scores) are fixed at birth

2: Talent holders have weird bonus survivability semi-confirmed by Maruyama to be something Ability Scores also help you with

3: Geniuses - the most lucky of those born with high ability scores can manifest partial minor bonus powers (learning things faster, learning a few extra spells, learning things earlier than normally possible) - Talents are effectively 'Bonus' powers as well

4: Talents appear at a rate of about 1 in 200, something explainable by probability and the Law of Large Numbers if Ability Score rolling with 3D6 dice is considered. 

5: Maruyama considered Nfirea being born lucky for having been a Genius and having a Talent - illustrating the luck component over heritage

Does that make sense?

Now Ziggy is fine if you disagree. After all, it takes a lot of extrapolation to put all these disparate things together. But it's oddly fitting with the mechanics of the world. But now you should probably have a few questions:

A: If Talents are based on a Ability Score - let's call this the Talent Ability Score (TAS) from now on, what does this TAS do besides give you a bonus power, a Talent, for being maxed out at birth? Are there CLASSES you can get related to it?

B: Why can Talents not grow or be trained to be better?

C: What determines a Talent?

D: Can we draw any other conclusions about things using these theories and conjectures?

A:

The most hand-wavey answer to the TAS mystery is it's just a LUCK Ability Score - an Ability Score that gives you bonuses on any Saving Roll - hence why Talent Holders like Nfirea can use it to survive checks and tests they are not normally apt at or do not have a more relevant Ability Score. That's a lazy answer however LUCK does exist in games and is used exactly like this... 

This would also answer why there doesn't seem to be a TAS CLASS as far as we know - how can one gain a CLASS, a package of SKILLS related to something intangible as LUCK? How do you train LUCK? It also explains how if YGGDRASIL did overwrite reality and force CLASSES on the world (and ability scores in theory) why this one doesn't really have CLASSES related to it - it has tangible magical effects but is so nebulous that you can't possibly make a SKILL to then faciliate a CLASS for it.

In a way that hand wave does actually address the mystery but also answer why the TAS and Ability Scores have so much in common. 

Suppose the TAS is LUCK for a moment. Given our theory that means every Talent Holder was also 'lucky'. So think for a moment about all the Talent Holders we have met - did they ever experience strangely specific Ainz-tier luck?

Yes. Actually. Let's go in order of appearance. 

Nfirea - Did Ainz not happen to see Enri's father (as he performed a miracle), saved Enri the woman he loved, and take an interest in his potions while also hiring him to perform potion work and secretely looking to safeguard him and Enri? 

Ninya - Did she not happen to meet Ainz, who then swore to safeguard her sister and he would destroy the Kingdom and most if not all the corrupt nobility?

Brain - Did he not by being crushed by Shalltear and built back up by Sebas not advance further down the path of the blade to new heights, performing miracles, surpassing Gazef Stronoff his rival? 

Fluder - did he not meet Ainz and finally meet the great magic caster teacher he always longed for?

Keno - Did she not happen to have Saotru isekai near to her, help her, and have him avenge her family from Cure Elim, Satoru being Cure Elim's nemesis? 

Antilene - Did she not finally meet a man she can breed with who was stronger than her and bested her?

Notice how it's YGGDRASIL beings who often fulfill these strong desires in Talent holders at least in Overlord (though Imina and Nigun cannot be said to have had their desires fulfilled as little as we know about them). 

One way we can explain Ainz's strange luck is his epiphanies could be influence from how all these super LUCKY people have some round about influence on YGGDRASIL beings who lack LUCK being from the game. So when Ainz was motivated to investigate Runecraft or make the Sorcerer Kingdom benevolent - these impulses could of been due to not random luck but affected by the desires of Talent Holders. After all - 

Ability Scores can manifest power, and we know power is basically different forms of mana. And when something has lots of mana and a focus or desire it can manifest magical effects (as in New World Artefacts). Could it be Talent Holders are extremely strong Focuses for desires? 

Dun Dun Duuun.

Basically, what we see with large group of people who upon hearing stories etch or inscribe magical enchantments in New World Artefacts - things with ample mana - could that all be related to this TAS? Basically is that power linked to this TAS, and so Talent Holders those with MAX TAS have the strongest influence on ambient mana (and beings born of it)?

That sounds like bull shit blazing right?

Yet, can we not explain Ainz isekaiing in KBA and Overlord proper not only due to relative mana of races similar to him (the large amount of undead in Katze) but also as one who could fulfill the desires of many of the TAS in the region? After all, why was Satoru, Cure Elim's nemesis, summoned? Sure he's undead but why when he was?

If race affects where, then could TAS affect WHEN people isekai - affecting the after shocks of the Dragon Emperor's Wild Magic spell just like how mass group of people influence New World Artefacts (in theory)?

This is why Ziggy said this would be controversial - obviously not everyone will agree to that conclusion. Yet it does fit with these more obscure mechanics somewhat. And are Talent Holders not the 'luckiest' New Worlders? 

So perhaps this TAS isn't LUCK. Rather it's an Ability Score related to desires as well as granting special powers outside the system. If it's an Ability Score, we can explain why large group of people collectively can still also manifest things in the New World like New World Artefacts as well - after all they still have the Mana of the TAS - it's just not as potent as a TAS who like a Genius has a MAXed Ability Score. 

Think a bit more on it - the desire to live could bend reality to summon interdimensional beings like Players - so cannot it not also bend reality to survive things that should of killed you like how other Ability Scores work? It might even explain how Brain, Keno, and Antilene made the impossible possible - their power of their desires trumped reality to make miracles that defied stats, defied the logic of YGGDRASIL, and allowed Antilene to be the first Valkyrie Class holder in the New World by pure random luck. Even Nfirea figuring out how to make the Red Potion could be attributed to being done so quickly by luck though he is also a genius so it depends. Fluder is easier to argue since in his case he flubbed a ritual that still sort of worked to prolong his life. Ninya ultimately died yet by dying Ainz retained her book and felt gratitude to her unlike most others and this did ultimately save her sister - Ainz fixating on saving Nfirea for his complicated reasons also made him ignore Entoma and thus not address Shalltear's mind control as quickly as he did what led to Sebas acting when and how he did in the capital.

But how do you argue these people who are already luckier than most are so lucky because they have high LUCK? How do we reconcile how desires are also a focus of this ability score? FAVOR? FIXATION?

Well here is where the fact Overlord is a Japanese franchise comes into play - LUCK in Japan also has associations with blessings. Basically divine favor and LUCK have a common word in Japan. However linguistically we have another facet to LUCK - it can also mean TO BLESS and not just to be blessed. This is why in Japanese games, manga, and anime characters go to shrines, donate money, and pray for charms, fortune, etc. Especially at New Years or before exams.

What does that mean - well it can mean that this ability to form New World Artefacts via mass Fixation and even bend isekai magic is due to collective BLESSINGS(Luck) manifesting. It's a stretch but you can possibly deconstruct and link the idea of luck and blessing if we look at the native language. We'll talk more on why this is relevant to a literary theme in Overlord too.

But consider a secondary definition of LUCK and Blessing - To Store or To Conform. 

These only exist with the Kanji in certain instances however are Talents not a bonus power that comes about from having more of this TAS? And are not some of the most powerful Talents operating sometimes like the user has a single ability slot that stores other powers? Likewise, we can think of the ability to fixate enchantments on New World Artefacts as forcing them to CONFORM to the stories people hear about them.

Basically the logic is just as mass groups of people can influence the mana in certain items to 'enchant' so too possibly can this capacity exist more strongly in others. As YGGDRASIL beings possess lots of 'data' they might be more easily influenced by all people unknowingly via some similar mechanism. 

Is it a stretch? Yes, definitely, it's pretty crazy. However, how much of Overlord is built on the ambiguity of language - where context affects Maruyama's intention. If you didn't know this humor is common in Japan using puns due to how their language uses ideograms - kanji. It's a clever usage of language for jokes. Maruyama however uses it in a literary fashion. Consider for a moment the title of Overlord - OVERLORD.

In Japanese this can also mean OVERLOAD. 

And OVERLOAD can be defined as in programming at least in Japan a thing that has produces an error due to having multiple definitions. 

So take for instance why Maruyama named Ainz's race an Overlord, calls transcendental beings Overlords of the New World, and has Ainz acting as a king amongst kings, a ruler that surpasses all others. That exemplifies the idea of OVERLOAD in a way - just like Jircniv having a mental breakdown overthinking about Ainz. Though Maruyama's intent is partially humor it's also linguistic ability in Japan to incorporate multiple meanings of a singular kanji into their usage in your literary work. And Maruyama always aspires to write superior at least in terms of literary ability despite his lack of talent. 

So if we take Talents to be named by Maruyama as TALENT the joke here is TALENT gives you cheat powers! And Maruyama often complains about his lack of Talent yet how success is determined by Luck.

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

You get the idea. Ziggy doesn't want to harp too much on Maruyama's dumb puns but hopefully you get the idea. Have fun trying to figure out all the jokes behind Decem Hougan's name. Ziggy still learns about new ones! Hur hur. 

Anyway....

Sadly there are mechanics or revelations in Overlord that are contingent on a greater understanding of Japanese the language. One theory that explains what spells and skills have changed relies on it at least. And it ties into a broader commentary in Overlord and Japanese literature beyond just fantasy and RPG references too - not getting into the more complex literary history and analysis here. Unfortunately these topics are a bit beyond most of you (we'd have to first study the original literature and elaborate on all the linguistics behind each device) and beyond the scope of this piece and Magical Natural Philosophy. 

Back to Talent and the TAS. 

B: 

That's right, we had several mysteries right?

Anyway, we already sort of addressed this but if Talents presumably have a TAS behind them the reason we do not see CLASSES form based on them or Talents as trainable skills might be because they are an Ability Score based on LUCK and DESIRE or the capacity to affect ambient mana in subtle ways - most or all people wouldn't realize they are even doing this. 

Though... 

Given how many Talents are like Wild Magic spells.... Maybe Dragon Lords were the only race that found a way to harness the TAS and formed the Wild Magic CLASSES over centuries noticing the power? After all, do they not harness souls to enchant by force and are Blood Bought Miracles not harnessing life force by force while bleeding(desire strongest on the cusp of death)? When someone is on the verge of death certainly their desires would be strong enough or stronger at least and if desires can bend reality... that would explain why someone as strong as Decem while bleeding could manifest a miracle  as well...

Food for thought. Dragon Lords being the LUCK Class and Racial race... seems ironic given their ultimate fate - then again Maruyama routinely writes characters born lucky (Antilene, Decem) experiencing bad fates due to their own failings. It's fun to play the game of explaining Miracles and TAS though. If mass collectives of people can bend reality to enchant items - and even influence isekai locations - and in Mass for the Dead they are targets for Chaos Beasts, perhaps high concentrations of Olde Mana or life force are linked to the TAS as well though Talent Holders are not usually noted to have more life force than others...

You could argue that Olde Mana itself is what is the fixation and focus of desires - not the TAS. Life force after all should exist in the blood and so desires, miracles, and life force could be distinct and disjointed from the TAS and it's powers. 

Still, it is true Talents also break logic of the game world and the New World like how Wild Magic can and New World Artefacts can...

What do you think? Ziggy thinks Talent Holders able to bend reality just slightly is already proven by how they possess powers that are independent of CLASSES and LEVEL. 

C:

So what even determines the Talent you get though?

Here is where most if not all people get stumped. Why do people get what they get?

An older theory was you basically have some junk residue on your soul from a past life or something - that is some SKILL from whoever used to have some of your soul or a dead Dragon Lord or something manifested as a Talent for you. 

That doesn't quite make sense now with Keno and Antilene's Talents - given they pretty much break common sense of the world to such an extent it doesn't quite fit anything we have ever heard of. 

Ironically, one of the least important Talent Holders with a not so powerful Talent actually gives us a lead here - Imina. 

Recall Imina's Talent:

==========================================================================

She was born with a talent that made it easier for her to float and harder for her to drown (not that it would completely protect her from drowning). However, she hated swimming because she was once greatly humiliated when she was attacked by a monster near a body of water.

[V7]

==========================================================================

And here we go again...

Basically the hint here is due to the double entendre nature of Japanese (computational OVERLOAD) - in this case 'drowning' also can be connected to 'over indulgence' or 'addiction'. Likewise it can also mean to 'lose one's head over' something. If you don't get the revelation there - these are aspects of Imina's personality in fact.

==========================================================================

The source of the scream lay before Eruya — one of his female companions, who lay upon the ground. Judging by the circumstances, Eruya had probably punched her. The woman looked up at Eruya’s face, which was twisted in anger. Her own face was filled with fear as she begged pathetically for forgiveness. Hekkeran fought back a rising wave of nausea, and a thought flashed through his mind. He hurriedly turned his attention towards his companion — Imina. Just as he had imagined, her face had gone blank. There was a dangerous air around her, as though she would launch an attack if things went any further. Hekkeran hurriedly signaled to Roberdyck and Arche who were standing beside her, telling them to hold her back. Personally speaking, Hekkeran was as angry as Imina was. However, he could not stick his nose into the problems of other teams. Of course, he could do so if he wanted. However, if he did, he would need to be prepared to bear all the consequences of that choice. That was the reason why the other teams simply wrinkled their brows in displeasure, but none of them made a move.

....

“That fucking son of a bitch, why isn’t he dead yet? How about it, want to kill him?” Imina could not tolerate Eruya, and she whispered her displeasure into Hekkeran’s ear the moment she was beside him, in order to vent her anger. Her voice was very soft; there was no telling if it was because she was utterly furious or because she was trying to restrain herself. Hekkeran did not know, and could only hope it was the latter.

[V7]

Right time. It even made me feel like the gods were telling us to form the team.” “Oh, that’s amazing, my memory isn’t that clear. So what were you drinking back then, Rober?” “Water.” “Isn’t that the same as what you always drink… you really are a teetotaler. Still, it would be troublesome if you drank as much as Imina did.” “It can’t be helped, I just don’t drink alcohol. Of course, Imina-san’s bad taste in alcohol is a problem of its own…” “Ahh, well, you’re the sort who changes color from red to blue and then white the moment you down a cup of wine. If not for that antidote spell, I have no idea how the first time you drank would have gone.”

[V7]

==========================================================================

 Brain's is also pretty easy - 'increases his Focus Capacity' ie his ability to focus. Did Brain not have any desires beyond fixating on getting stronger? did he not even get tempted by captured women and even Zanack found it odd how he lacked sexual interests. Also consider how super autistic he was about training:

==========================================================================

However, Brain had also learned that the dream of becoming the strongest in the world was not one that only he possessed. It would seem his perspective had been too limited. After retreating into himself for over a month, Brain broke through the despair that would drive anyone to drink, and pulled himself together. He refused employment offers from several nobles, having decided for the first time in his life to strengthen himself. He trained ceaselessly, honing both his skills and his body. He learned about magic and furthered his knowledge. The genius now applied himself like a scholar. Defeat had only made Brain stronger. He did not want to work for nobles because he did not want his talents to rot away. One needed sparring partners when practicing the martial arts. Mere discussions of theory were not enough. In addition, there were vocations that allowed him to fight often and earn a good wage. He did not choose the profitable path of the adventurer because adventurers did not have many chances to kill people. Of course, they fought a lot of monsters, but Brain’s ultimate goal was to defeat Gazef. With that in mind, he had to train himself by fighting other humans. Within this limited range of options, Brain chose to join the Death-Spreading Brigade. Granted, they were only a band of sellswords, but any mercenary company would do

...

All living things died when weapons struck their vitals. Thus, all one needed to do was master techniques which could accurately strike said vitals. Rather than learn a broad range of techniques, he had focused on one single goal. His goal was to strike faster than his opponent, to accurately deliver a single, fatal blow, and in the course of his studies he had innovated a second unique martial art — [Instant Flash]. That high-speed strike was swift enough to be undodgeable, but he had not stopped there. His training after that was extraordinary, in pursuit of the peak of excellence. He must have practiced it hundreds of thousands, no, millions of times. His ceaseless use of the [Instant Flash] had caused calluses to grow on his palms, specializing them in performing the technique, and parts of his sword’s hilt had been worn into the shape of his grips. In his unending quest for perfection, he had once more birthed a new technique. He could cut his foe so quickly that blood would not even stick to the blade. Feeling that he had reached the realm of the gods, he named that technique [God Flash].

[V3]

Seeker of Strength...Studying the Blade (and getting stronger in general) ....A genius with the blade focused on only one thing; getting stronger.... Surprisingly, Brain enjoys shopping, but that’s only because he likes looking for items to further increase his strength.

[V5]

Why would Brain Unglaus choose to serve under this woman? Though he had heard rumors that Brain was interested in Climb, he did not appear to be gay in the slightest. However, after some investigations, it did appear that he had not had a woman at all — it could not possibly be because he’s only interested in children, right?

[V14]

By the way, I scrapped it, but Brain in the published books was homosexual. In fact there was a setting where he was in love with Gazef, so that’s why he had no women in the bandit cave [for himself].

[TWTR]

==========================================================================

Dun Dun Duuuuuun.

Do you see now?

There lies a connection between one's nature and their Talent. 

If you want further support - consider how Cure Elim's hobby - stockpiling power also ties into how he as an undead Dragon Lord can store souls for later usage to fuel his wild magic?

==========================================================================

Interests: Stockpiling Power

But Cure Elim exploited a loophole, using its Wild Magic to absorb a great number of souls from the surrounding area and using these stolen souls to compensate for the limitations of the undead transformation, thus giving the undead Dragon the ability to use Wild Magic. However, it is like casting spells from an MP bar that does not regenerate over time, and every time it casts, it utterly destroys a fixed number of souls. Therefore, once it consumed all of the souls in its collection, it would be reduced to a mindless Zombie Dragon. For this reason, it elected not to use its spell for the final time after realizing that it was ineffective. However, it could have continued to use less intensive Wild Magic is normal.

[KBA]

==========================================================================

Notice how for Brain and Cure Elim we can derive a connection between whatever determines a person's interests and their Talent or powers realized with Wild Magic (at least somewhat).

==========================================================================

Fluder

Interests: Anything related to magic

 Imina:

Interests: Spacing Out (and doing nothing)

==========================================================================

Going back to Imina, her interest, 'spacing out' can also be thought of another way to see someone losing their head not in anger but in losing their train of thought. Likewise Fluder having his 'eye' on magic is one way to recontextualize his interest and Talent. 

One counter argument however to this theory is Arche - who has the identical talent to Fluder. Her Interests differ from his. However both are scholars of magic, her interests are more varied. Evileye vs Keno also have divergences here. There are some commonalities between magical research and all the research Keno does, and experimenting and seeing new things but it's vague. Antilene's talent of using new Skills does tie a bit into her  hobby of trying new things?

However, these vague similarities might substantiate the argument - at the core of these people even in different time lines, they have core personality traits that still manifest in their character. 

One conclusion is Talents, Abilities you are Born With, are powers determined by intrinsic natural traits or your nature. 

There's a joke with Nigun's Talent using this logic like Imina's. But you get the idea. If we talk about the JETTO-sama, then we also see his Talent can be read as 'being able to discover or see through every 'illusion  or deception'. That can be likened to why he was so cynical and jaded over things but ironically he was dense to Nemeru's feelings. RIP.

If we had to explain what Talents people get, we at least have a framework to explore possibilities - and it ties into the title of Overlord - which can also be read OVERLOAD. Talents rely on OVERLOAD of character traits to manifest powers at the time of people's births - these are traits so strong they are related to the interests on their character sheets and do not diverge even in alternate timelines when their builds might change. It also explains why Talents are fixed - they are influenced by things in your nature that you have no control over.

If we analyze this further - effectively New Worlders have something like flavor text at birth that influences Talents. It's like one's nature is normally just an aspect of personality but if one has a maxed out TAS, the Talent that manifests is based on this flavor text. If NPCs can manifest powers and bonuses based on flavor text, then doesn't it stand to reason New Worlder's could be affected as well?

Talents and TAS finally give us an example of symmetry with flavor text buffs! Talents just happen to be tied to more mechanical abilities while NPC Flavor Text is relegated more to just Normal CLASSES.

Huzzah!!

D:

Wait, there's moar!? NANI

Why yes. 

A strange  oddity in Overlord you might notice is Ainz actually has a certain... weakness. That weakness ties into some off hand remarks by Maruyama as well:

==========================================================================

“Thank you very much.” Zanac had on him a brilliant smile to which Ainz could not help but feel amazed. This man’s courage was quite sizable. If Ainz was in his shoes, would he have been able to do the same? —I do not think so. As expected of someone of royal blood. This has been very educational.

[V14] 

“I, Keno Fasris Invern, do hereby swear to you that I shall pay you whatever you desire, Satoru-sama.” Suzuki Satoru quietly sucked in a breath. Such was Keno’s regal, princess-like demeanor that it established her as superior even to the most successful salesman that Suzuki Satoru knew. “Then, I am very grateful. Thus our compact is formed. In that case—”

[KBA]

In reality regular undead are immune to mental system type attacks (someundead are exceptions). However, since he has human remnants, it is more or less effective.

[ARC]

 Don't forget as one's Level Limit(Level Cap) is higher the more likely there are members of the opposite sex surrounding you. They won't betray you? In this world things like fascination mental manipulation type abilities exist? 

[Tenth Anniversary]

==========================================================================

Ainz, a Player, seems to actually be susceptible to these influences - alluded to in the tenth anniversary as 'fascination' but also tied to Royalty classes. It's... very strange. But it does explain why Ainz believed Jircniv wanted to be friends so easily and went along with it.

From a meta writer perspective - it sort of parallels how poorly written web novel fiction often has beta protagonists who listen to whatever royalty characters say in those novels too. It is sort of tied to the Japanese idea of acquiesence and humility often cited for why the characters act this way in those settings too. 

This is notable for Ainz however because normally he is very untrusting and only cares about the well being of Nazarick. Yet, why did he endeavor to believe in Jircniv's offer of friendship and feel so betrayed when Jircniv cheered for Go Gin despite hearing Demiurge explain Jircniv's true sinister intentions? Why did Ainz bond so easily with Zanack with only one meeting - even not willing to use his body to create undead? 

These strange inconsistencies in Ainz's character can be explained by his own loneliness however we can also explain them as tied to the mechanics of the story and Normal Classes. 

This ties into TAS and Talents because people with Talents tend to be very driven, lack loyalty to figures, and Players, using avatars from YGGDRASIL would lack a TAS yet not have flavor text like NPCs to compensate. 

And recall - TAS appear to also be tied to desires or blessing things - but could also be related to the inverse - resisting influence from desires of others. Thus talent holders who theoretically have a maxed out Talent have an easier time rejecting fascination influence from Normal Classes than others. 

So this might explain why Fluder felt no true loyalty to Jircniv despite his Normal Classes, how Brain failed to be recruited by nobles, or Antilene never felt strong ties to the Theocracy (though her abusive childhood and mixed heritage also can explain that). 

This may not be the strongest argument, however it does tie the TAS to an Ability Score test that often is obfuscated with writing. Again, Ziggy wants to stress this is probably a controversial topic. Anything about Talents can be. However, this capacity to fascinate... that might be what Charisma(Normal) also does - given Gustav who was weaker than Remedios could reign her in.  So there is a SKILL that can evolve into a CLASS or all the royalty classes at least. That proves that whatever this SKILL is that fascinates it can be trained and can make people Level Up. That means it is used in a test or roll of SOME sort and many other Ability Scores also are used by SKILLS which lead to leveling up mainly for combat. Ziggy's argument is the defensive or counter to this SKILL is just the TAS roll - ie using the whole desire aspect of the Ability Score's name. 

Given farming Talents resemble Farming CLASS powers too, perhaps there is a deeper connection between all Normal Classes and the TAS. 

It's understandable why Players might be susceptible to Fascination - that wasn't an ability from the game after all so they have no STAT to defend against it just like how all NPCs lack an intelligent stat so flavor text is what determines that. Renner, being super smart and having acquired the Genius CLASS does support the idea people can acquire CLASSES by using tests that didn't exist in YGGDRASIL...

The issue here is does the TAS really resist Fascination? 

That is far less clear to the mechanics of the world. People with Talents tend to be self interested at least. However others are also egocentric beyond them... Still TAS can be seen as being tied to desires and so by that description it can be possible though even the base LUCK stat version of TAS theoretically could be applied. That is having a high TAS or Desire based Ability Score could help you resist external influences trying to warp or twist your desires. 

This ties further into the Japanese notion what a spell or magic is as well - magic being 'chants' or even broader 'chants' or 'ideas'. This is why Primitive Caster can be taken to mean 'One who speaks fondly of the magic that once was' or 'magical ideas of a simpler time'. As Talents can simulate spells... 

What do you think? 

So why would Ziggy want to label Fascination resistance onto TAS?

Well it might be because strangely New Worlders seem to develop weird resistances to things. It was also strange how Ainz thought Riku(Tsa) was specialized in magical resistance of all things. That might legitimize how the TAS has a connection to magical resistance - especially as Rokesh who many theorize might be related to the Brightness Dragon Lord also was noted to be resistant to magic. That could just be a coincidence of his race and colors however. 

Martial Art users and Warriors being able to resist magic as well since normally Paladins not Fighters should have abilities related to resisting spells. The key here lies in probably Focus - but the answer could also be the TAS. How you quantify willpower to resist pain and fear however is tricky. Neia's power also targets those who are weak in will as an Evangelist. 

Due to the fluctuations in mental state however, it's likely not an Ability Score but something closer to another value like sanity or morale. Morale is more likely to Ziggy but that's another article for another day. Still the possibility remains it might be related to an Ability Score and the TAS is the closet to one we can substantiate though it's strange how people boost their spirits with war cries often, warriors and magic casters. That suggest morale modulation is affected by cries in theory and we see even Lords have special cries that trigger changes.

==========================================================================

 The magic casters began their counterattack, and cast their spells. Gazef focused his energies, and took a stance in order to resist their magic

...

Mind-controlling magic. The horse had been affected by such a spell. Gazef might have been able to fight off its effects, but the affected party was not a magical beast, but a mere warhorse, so resistance was not to be expected.

[V1] 

The woman’s eyes went wide, and her red pupils seemed abnormally large. In that moment, a fog suddenly clouded Brain’s mind, and he felt favorably disposed toward the enemy before him. However, he dispersed the fog with a quick shake of his head. “…Mystic eyes, huh? My will isn’t weak enough to be affected by that sort of thing alone.” Having drawn his sword, Brain’s heart was like a sword as well, cleaving effortlessly through regular mind control.

[V3] 

He had accepted that he would die, here and now. Perhaps it’s too late… but thank you, my greatest enemy (dearest friend)… With that, his heart lightened. Without confusion, he allowed himself to let go. Even the shame of the past had vanished. “—Aaaaaaaaa!” Brain cried out like some sort of strange bird. It came from the depths of his soul, carrying the full power of his being

[V6] 

Riyuro gave voice to a mighty cry. It was a cry infused with the skill he had obtained when he had ascended to the position of Clan Lord. As he saw his army of over 10,000 charge the enemy in response to the cry, he even felt a little pleased.

...

His troops would not be demoralized to the point of flight. The cry Riyuro had used to sound the charge turned his men into warriors that did not know fear. Much like the Berserk state of Berserkers, it increased their attack strength but reduced their defense. More importantly, they were immune to all fear-related effects. However, the fact that they would not refuse the Clan Lord’s orders no matter how dangerous they were could be said to be a double-edged sword.

...

“You chosen heroes!” He could not raise his voice. Riyuro saw the Red and Blue Quagoa before him, as well as the other Quagoa with special abilities, all of whom had been formed up into the strongest combat units of the clans. The reason why none of them responded to Riyuro’s cry was because they were all watching that suit of red armor with despair in their eyes. They too must have felt that they had no hope of victory. When they had first been gathered, their eyes had shone, but now there was no light in their eyes, as though they were dead. He had chosen not to drive them berserk to preserve their defensive strength, but it had been the wrong decision. The Clan Lord raised his voice to try and psyche them up.

[V11]

“[Twin Penetrate Magic – Holy Ray].” Calca emitted two rays of light. She was probably thinking that it would be fine as long as one of them could pierce Jaldabaoth’s spell immunity, but unfortunately her attack was ultimately as ineffective as her sister’s. That meant he possessed very high magic resistance. In other words— I need to give it my all! She shouted a battle cry to fire herself up.

[V12]

From the depths of her brain, Neia recalled a lecture she had received once. The most important factor of resisting spells is to have a clear mind. No, there was no way this music could be a magical attack. If this was a trap, there would be no need to raise the Holy Kingdom’s flag. Neia walked in what she hoped was a proud and bold way, as she scanned her surroundings.

[V12] 

In that case, the only way out is through! “Ahhhhhhhhh!” She used her battle cry to rouse her spirit, and began to cast spells with her trembling lips.

[V13]

The scales on its body had a wet sheen to them and threw off a bizarre riot of colors that did justice to its nickname of “Rainbow Scales.” Not only were they beautiful, their hardness was said to rival those of Dragons. In addition, it possessed high-level magic resistance and was equipped with a large shield and a suit of enchanted plate armor. When one factored in its warrior prowess as well, said being might well qualify as the toughest entity in the Abelion Hills. This demi-human was Rokesh of the Nagarajas. He was the demi-human who had been appointed as commander of this detachment by the Demon Emperor.

[V13] 

Neia has not yet realized that she is using a special ability to influence the thoughts of others (a.k.a. brainwashing). Currently, her ability only works on people with unhealed emotional wounds, and they see themselves as saved by Neia’s words. 

[V13]

The Elemental Skull had cast multiple [Vermillion Nova]s to reduce Riku’s HP, but to defeat him would be a tall order. It could be because of his job classes, but his magic resistance was abnormally high. Given that was the case, Ainz cast a spell on Riku. “[Temporal Stasis].” This was a ninth-tier single-target spell. Although the spell could prevent the opponent from moving, it also prevented them from taking any damage while the spell lasted. That was why it was usually used when there were multiple hostiles. However, Ainz found that his spell was not just resisted, but nullified completely. It appeared that Riku had time-stop countermeasures. Of course, that was not too unusual given how strong he was.

[V14]

“If the two, no, if we combined all three of your estimates… So, are the three of you in agreement that the opponent was a tank that specialized in magic resistance?”

[V14] 

The very next moment, Zesshi was hit by tremendous energy. Bad, gonna die Zesshi immediately realized. The fierce currents of energy blew away the earth elemental in an instant. She finally realized at that moment, that the earth elemental was neither a countermeasure for Einherjar nor a wall to let the girl escape. It was nothing more than a decoy, to keep Zesshi and her clone from escaping that single tyrannical attack. And in reality, her Einherjar also disappeared just a moment after the elemental did. Following that — – —–not yet! I will not die! I WILL NOT DIE! In the eye of the destruction raging around her sweetly whispering to her to give up and take it easy, Zesshi brought all her vitality to the fore to bear through it

[V16]

==========================================================================

Going berserk is similar but has it's own CLASS so this complicates things further. 

=========================================================================

A strong-looking Bafolk fell from above with a growl, holding a spear. It had probably jumped down from the city wall. Its eyes were red and he was foaming at the mouth. It was clearly not in a normal state of mind. It looked like he had gone mad. “I see. Savagery… no, berserking? Certainly, that would negate fear and other mental effects — oops.” The Sorcerer King skillfully evaded the stabbing spear. It was a crisp, efficient movement, one unique to trained individuals. However, the Sorcerer King’s evasion meant that a Bafolk who had become a statue ended up being stabbed by its compatriot’s spear instead. The spear pierced straight through its body, and it collapsed to the ground, spraying blood everywhere. The berserk Bafolk no longer seemed able to tell friend from foe.

[V12]

==========================================================================

Maybe we will see more with the Strongest Human in the final arc of Overlord?

Anyway..................................................................................................................

Ziggy just wants to reiterate how this is probably the most controversial aspect of Magical Natural Philosophy. Just remember how Talents actually work can vary wildly(hur hur). hopefully Ziggy presented the argument here decently enough and how it ties into the idea of OVERLOAD vs OVERLORD, flavor text, and the 1 in 200 aspect. 

The truth however can be anything you desire!