Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

Lyle observed the changing values on the attribute panel. His recent efforts hadn't been in vain—"Sword Saint" had finally reached its maximum level.

Next up was leveling the "Genius" class. Once it hit level 10, he should be able to meet the basic prerequisites for further progress.

"The experience requirement has reached 5000, and it'll increase with each level." Lyle swallowed the last bite of roasted boar, his mind preoccupied with his next steps.

However, there was little he could do about it now. He had to keep moving forward.

"Justice values have changed."

After killing so many goblins, there had been a positive shift in his justice alignment.

"Does this mean that 'justice' here is defined from my own species' perspective?"

Lyle studied the Justice Points on his attribute panel thoughtfully.

Justice Points were a critical mechanic in YGGDRASIL, influencing not just races, equipment, and class interactions, but also affecting certain skills significantly.

For example, the level 8 magic skill "Moral Distortion" could invert high Justice Points, turning them negative. Conversely, the level 10 skill "Holy Flame" scaled its damage based on Justice Points, dealing immense damage when positive but becoming weaker than a level 1 attack spell when negative.

In Lyle's eyes, having extreme Justice Points—whether too high or too low—was dangerous. YGGDRASIL had many abilities specifically designed to manipulate this system.

Maintaining a low, stable Justice Point value seemed like the safest course. If there were no class, race, or equipment requirements tied to justice alignment, keeping it at 0 was ideal.

Gulp. Lyle drank some water, his gaze settling on the iron sword in his hand, which was now showing multiple cracks.

"This sword's on its last legs." Fortunately, he had prepared well in advance, carrying ten spare iron swords. He wasn't out of weapons yet.

"Based on the stats provided by mid-tier classes, they offer more bonuses than low-tier ones. A max-level 'Sword Saint' should have attack power equivalent to a level 15 adventurer in the real world. It's not particularly high, but why does it feel more like level 17 or so?"

Lyle pondered quietly. If combined with the skill "Quick Slash" and passive bonuses, his attacks would deal 120% of his base physical damage, enough to raise his combat effectiveness by a tier.

Rustle... rustle... rustle...

"Hm?"

Lyle's expression remained neutral as he lifted his head, his eyes fixed on the rustling bushes ahead.

Thud!

Heavy footsteps echoed through the forest. A massive, deep-yellow figure emerged, pushing aside the tall shrubs.

"An ogre?"

"I knew it—this goblin settlement had to attract something bigger. It was only a matter of time before ogres showed up."

Far from panicking, a smile played on Lyle's face. He had anticipated this possibility.

But that smile froze a moment later.

Behind the first ogre, another one emerged from the shadows.

"Two of them?"

Rustle... rustle... rustle...

The sound of branches and leaves brushing against one another grew louder, accompanied by more heavy footsteps approaching from all directions.

Lyle's smile vanished completely.

One after another, ogres appeared from the surrounding forest, spreading out in a disorderly yet effective formation, enclosing him from all sides.

"Six ogres? That's… unusual." Lyle murmured under his breath, his tone low and cautious.

The appearance of six ogres made the atmosphere tense. Lyle stood up, his expression serious.

With his current level and strength, he could handle one ogre without much trouble—maybe even two at once. But fighting six at the same time? That was an entirely different challenge.

This wasn't about whether he could fight. It was a question of survival.

"Given the intelligence level of ogres, they shouldn't be capable of setting up such a coordinated ambush."

Lyle's eyes narrowed as he subtly shifted his stance, trying to keep as many ogres as possible in his line of sight.

Earlier, when dealing with a small group of goblins, he hadn't expected that their presence alone could draw out six ogres, especially not in such a well-executed encirclement.

This level of coordination didn't match what he knew about ogres—they were supposed to be brutes with low intelligence.

Yet here they were, surrounding him in a nearly perfect formation.

And then, without warning…

Lyle was not given any time to think by the ogres.

"Human!"

"Roar!"

"Die!"

Almost simultaneously, six ogres with ferocious faces let out deafening roars. They brandished their enormous wooden clubs, charging toward Lyle.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in unison.

Each of the over two-meter-tall hulking figures thundered forward, creating a gust of invisible wind and overwhelming pressure in their wake.

No time for summoning!

This thought flashed through Lyle's mind in an instant. Quickly scanning the surroundings, he locked his gaze on the ogre furthest away from him.

"Magic Arrows!"

This was clearly not the time to conserve mana.

Magical energy surged from within Lyle's body.

Three magic arrows formed instantly in midair and shot toward the ogre he had targeted.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The arrows pierced into the ogre's chest, leaving three fist-sized bloody holes.

"Argh! Roar!" The ogre let out a pained scream.

However…

This level of damage wasn't nearly enough to inflict a serious injury on such a massive creature with thick skin.

After all, Lyle's Magic Attack stat was only 13 points.

He hadn't expected his magic attack to cause significant damage.

Still, as soon as the magic arrows struck, the ogre's charge faltered, and the encircling formation instantly revealed a gap.

As soon as Lyle released his magic attack, he didn't hesitate—he bolted toward the opening.

"Roar!"

The wounded ogre, seeing Lyle rushing toward it, swung its enormous wooden club furiously in retaliation.

A heavy sound of air being torn apart followed.

Whoosh!

Lyle dashed forward and ducked quickly, allowing the massive club to sweep harmlessly over his head. He evaded the attack and broke free from the ogres' encirclement.

"Next time, we'll play again," Lyle said, not looking back. He kicked off the ground, sprinting away with all his might.

However…

The six ogres behind him clearly weren't planning to let him escape so easily. They roared in rage and pursued him relentlessly.

Boom! Boom!

The ground trembled slightly under the weight of their pounding footsteps.

To the ogres, the dense underbrush and trees of the forest seemed nonexistent. Charging forward with brute force, they smashed through branches and foliage, reducing everything in their path to debris.

This forest was their domain!

But for Lyle, the tangled branches and thick undergrowth severely hampered his speed.