Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

In the forest.

Lyle trudged through the dense undergrowth, his steps uneven as he moved eastward. Perhaps because he had remained at the outskirts, after a period of walking, he had yet to encounter any wild beasts—or even magical creatures.

Buzz—

A faint sound of wings flapping echoed through the trees as something took flight from among the branches.

It was an unusual insect, about the length of a thumb, bright green in color and resembling a caterpillar but with a pair of delicate, thin wings.

This winged caterpillar slipped off a leaf and slowly descended toward Lyle below.

However, it was right above his head!

His iron sword drew a swift arc through the air, slicing the winged caterpillar in half before it could reach him. The severed halves dropped to the ground.

[You've gained 1 experience point.]

A faint, pungent odor spread through the air.

Is it poisonous?

Lyle glanced at the remains briefly, pausing for a moment before continuing forward.

What a pity.

He hadn't yet mastered any detection magic; otherwise, he wouldn't have to rely entirely on his own judgment.

At present, Lyle's health points, physical attack, and agility had all reached 73 points.

Let's set HP aside for now.

He had recently tested his attack power—at 73 points, a full-force swing of his iron sword was enough to chop down a tree in just three strikes.

As for raw strength, if he punched with full force, he could leave a fist-sized dent in a tree trunk.

His agility stats were harder to measure precisely, but his heightened senses were undeniable.

With an agility score of 63 points previously, when he faced that rogue—likely level 8 or higher—what appeared to be incredible speed to ordinary people seemed relatively normal, even slow, to him.

Among the adventurer teams Lyle had encountered, the one he knew best was the Rock team. Their captain, Dosari, was the strongest in that group.

Now, Lyle felt confident that he had surpassed Dosari in strength.

Moreover, he wasn't just skilled in combat; he also excelled in tactics and magic.

In a head-on fight, he wasn't certain he could win. But in an ambush, he was confident he could wipe out the entire Rock team—though not without sustaining some injuries himself.

From a weakling to someone capable of rivaling a silver-tier adventurer team, Lyle couldn't help but marvel at the terrifying potential of a "player" with innate abilities.

Two centuries ago, the leader of the thirteen heroes was a "player." His rapid growth in strength had drawn the wary attention of the Platinum Dragon King.

Onward!

In this forest, the most troublesome threats weren't the obvious beasts or magical creatures but the vibrant insects, most of which were highly venomous.

Thanks to his high agility, Lyle didn't fear sudden attacks from these bugs, but dealing with them was bothersome, and they offered minimal experience points. This greatly slowed his progress.

Crack!

A fallen branch snapped underfoot, the sound clear amidst the constant rustling of leaves and buzzing of insects.

Yet Lyle came to an abrupt halt.

"Finally, a worthy prey. Is this your territory?" he muttered, turning to his left.

He spotted it.

Amidst the thick branches of several large trees was a creature, jet black with faint green speckles, lying motionless among the leaves.

Fortunately, it was daytime.

Although the creature was well-camouflaged, its slender outline was still discernible. Had it been night, Lyle might not have noticed it at all.

For a while now, he had sensed something unusual. Though this area was at the forest's edge, he had encountered remarkably few wild beasts along the way.

There was only one plausible explanation.

This was the domain of a powerful predator—either a fearsome beast or a magical creature.

It appeared he had been right.

Lyle eyed the black figure hidden in the branches. It was at least a meter long.

But what was it exactly?

He narrowed his eyes, holding his iron sword defensively across his chest.

Rustle! Rustle!

Leaves rustled as though stirred by the wind.

The hidden creature seemed to realize it had been discovered. It flicked out a forked, crimson tongue, tasting the air.

In the next instant!

The black-green figure burst from the dense foliage, baring its fangs as it lunged at Lyle.

Its dark scales glinted with a metallic sheen under the dappled sunlight.

At that moment, Lyle finally identified the creature.

A serpent!

But not just any serpent—this one was over six meters long, as thick as two adult legs put together.

The dark green snake coiled itself, then struck, its jaws gaping wide and reeking of a foul stench.

Lyle swung his iron sword swiftly, aiming directly at the serpent's head.

Bang!

The blade struck the serpent's open jaws with a heavy thud, sparks flying where the black scales met the sword.

'It's tough!'

Lyle's eyes narrowed.

"Hissss!"

The serpent recoiled in pain, thrashing its massive body. Its thick tail lashed out at him from behind, whipping through the air with a sharp hum.

Seeing this, Lyle gripped his sword tightly in his right hand and, with a motion of his left hand, summoned another iron sword from his inventory. He swung it at the incoming tail.

Bang!

Another heavy collision rang out.

The impact forced Lyle to retreat several steps, his left shoulder jerking back slightly, but he successfully deflected the serpent's tail strike.

"Hisss!"

The black-green serpent reared up, its front half poised off the ground, while its tail remained coiled below. It began to twist, clearly intending to ensnare Lyle and crush him using its constricting power.

However, thanks to his agility, Lyle evaded its deadly coils, parrying attacks from both its head and tail while steadily retreating.

"The scales are incredibly tough, and its body is slick. Raw strength alone won't be enough to damage it."

He kept swinging his swords, occasionally landing blows on the serpent, though with little effect.

It's tougher than expected. This isn't just a large snake; it's a genuine monster.

In this world, beasts and monsters were distinct. Anything with unique abilities was classified as a monster.

The serpent, seeing that Lyle couldn't pierce its scales, grew less cautious. Its attacks became more aggressive as it abandoned some of its defensive maneuvers.

Bang!

Once again, Lyle parried a powerful strike from the serpent's tail, noting the increased force.

"Almost there," he murmured, his expression calm as he assessed the situation. He had nearly figured out the serpent's attack patterns.

With his speed, escaping would be easy.

But this was an excellent combat opportunity!

Bang!

Lyle stomped hard on the ground, leaping backward in an apparent attempt to flee.