Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

A low, guttural whimper echoed from the underbrush nearby.

"M-my lord, My lord! There's something over there!"

Mukua twitched his drooping ears, his voice carrying a hint of panic as he quickly reported the disturbance.

Lyle lifted his head, glancing toward the dense foliage. Without hesitation, he rose to his feet and walked over, his iron sword held at the ready.

Using the blade, he parted the thick grass.

Curled up within the undergrowth was a trembling, jet-black Barghest pup. Its small body quivered uncontrollably, and its beast-like eyes, wide with terror, locked onto Lyle's figure. The moment their gazes met, the pup shrank back, shaking even harder.

Despite its small size—about fifty centimeters long—it was still formidable compared to an average dog. But when compared to a full-grown Barghest, which could grow to over three meters in length, it was unmistakably a juvenile.

"Master, it's a Barghest pup!"

"No wonder the adult Barghest refused to flee, even after sensing your overwhelming strength."

Mukua, who had initially shown concern, suddenly relaxed. His tone shifted to one of flattery, his anxious expression quickly replaced with sycophantic admiration.

Lyle cast a brief, assessing glance at the creature.

Its fur was a deep, shadowy black, sleek and smooth despite its battered appearance. A thick, bone-like chain coiled loosely around its body, seemingly an accessory or a restraint it had worn for some time. Aside from that, it vaguely resembled a black wolf pup from his previous life.

However, its face was far more menacing—its features sharp, its eyes glowing faintly with an eerie crimson hue. A small, curved horn protruded from its forehead, giving it an almost ram-like appearance when viewed from the front.

"Ugly little thing," Lyle muttered, unimpressed. Without sparing it another glance, he turned and walked away.

Rustle.

He had only taken a few steps when he heard movement behind him.

The Barghest pup had crawled out from the grass and was now following him.

Lyle had no intention of wasting energy on it. A young, harmless Barghest held no real threat, nor did it offer much experience if slain. There was no point in dealing with it.

Yet, despite this, the pup continued trailing him, its tiny frame trembling but its resolve unwavering.

Lyle halted, turning his head slightly. His expression remained unreadable as he regarded the quivering creature cautiously inching toward him.

"What? Do you want revenge for your parents?"

"Whimper…"

Rather than growling or attacking, the pup suddenly flopped onto its back, exposing its vulnerable belly. Its limbs stretched outward, splayed in a position of total submission.

Lyle arched an eyebrow. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means submission!" Mukua quickly interjected, his eyes glinting with intrigue. "This little Barghest is surrendering to you!"

Lyle glanced at him, mildly surprised.

"Barghests can do that?"

"They're not just beasts, Master," Mukua explained eagerly. "Barghests value strength above all else. If they recognize a superior force, they will follow willingly."

Lyle stared at the tiny, shivering pup for a moment.

"But I just killed its parents," he pointed out.

Mukua tilted his head, confusion crossing his goblin-like features. "Why is that strange?" he asked. "Serving the strong is only natural."

Lyle gave Mukua a long, silent look.

He suddenly felt that he might have overestimated the moral standards of goblins.

No wonder Mukua seemed more and more like a professional bootlicker.

The scent of blood from the slain Barghests gradually spread, carried by the wind. In most circumstances, such an aroma would attract scavengers and predators alike, drawn to the promise of an easy meal.

However—

A month ago, a fresh kill in this forest would have been swarmed by wild beasts in mere minutes.

But now—

The creatures of the jungle were behaving differently.

Rather than converging toward the scent, the beasts that caught its trail retreated, distancing themselves from the source of the carnage.

For weeks now, the forest had been tainted with the lingering stench of blood. Every predator, scavenger, and prey knew the unspoken rule—those who ventured too close never returned.

Still—

Rustle. Snap.

Leaves rustled, twigs cracked under cautious footsteps.

Three figures slowly emerged from the dense underbrush. Their heads peeked out first, scanning the area for danger. After confirming that only the two Barghest corpses remained, they finally stepped forward.

One figure was notably smaller than the other two, who were taller and more robust. Both of the larger figures carried woven grass baskets strapped to their backs.

They belonged to the Gigu Tribe.

Unlike the wary beasts of the forest, these goblins had approached the scent of blood rather than fled from it.

The smallest of the three, Agu, darted forward the moment he confirmed no immediate threat. His sharp eyes widened upon spotting the two dead Barghests. Then, as if realizing something, he quickly crouched beside them to examine their wounds.

His two larger companions hesitated, their expressions uneasy as they scanned their surroundings.

"Agu… d-do you see anything?" one of them stammered nervously.

"In this part of the forest, only the ogres should be able to kill a Barghest," Agu muttered, running his fingers over the creatures' wounds.

"But these injuries… they're not from an ogre. And the chains they wore? Gone. No beast in this forest would take those."

His voice shifted, a thrill of excitement creeping into his tone. "It's him. We've finally found that human."

His larger companion swallowed nervously. "A-Agu… are we really going after him?"

"He killed two Barghests! We wouldn't stand a chance against someone like that!"

Agu stood, brushing the dirt off his hands. Despite being younger, he exuded far more confidence than his two bulkier kin.

"We have to find Big Brother," he said firmly. "Even if it's only his corpse."

"The tribe's treasure is with him."

Hearing the words tribe's treasure, the other two goblins, who had previously been hesitant, visibly straightened their postures.

Agu knelt once more, dipping his fingers into the dark, drying blood. He lifted them to his lips, tasting it before his eyes gleamed with certainty.

"He didn't leave long ago."

Before he could speak further—

Gurgle…

The loud, unmistakable growls of empty stomachs filled the clearing.

Agu turned to find his two companions staring at the Barghest corpses, saliva pooling at the corners of their mouths.

"This kind of meat is a rare find," Agu remarked after a moment's hesitation.

The moment the words left his lips, the two goblins let out excited yelps and lunged at the corpses.

Agu, after a brief pause, joined them.

It wasn't every day that goblins had the chance to feast on Barghest meat.

Usually, such creatures were the domain of the ogres—when a goblin saw the remains of a Barghest, it was already half-eaten and rotting in an ogre's cave.

Now, they had a fresh kill.

The sounds of tearing flesh and gnashing teeth filled the darkening forest.

----

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the jungle grew darker, the dim light making it increasingly difficult to see.

Lyle decided to stop hunting for the day. Finding a sturdy tree, he settled down to rest.

[Experience Bar: 9382/9500]

A quick glance at his status screen confirmed that his hard work had paid off. His experience had increased significantly throughout the day.

"Only 118 more points…"

"If nothing unexpected happens, I should level up tomorrow."

Taking a deep breath of the crisp, earthy forest air, Lyle allowed himself a small smirk.

Today had been productive.