Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

Lyle could feel the power surging through his body, a sensation he hadn't experienced in a long time.

He flexed his muscles, adjusting to the newfound strength.

Most importantly—his mana.

With a total of 28 points, he had finally reached the threshold needed to cast Fourth-Tier magic!

Previously, he had upgraded [Heating] to the Fourth Tier, but due to insufficient mana, he had never been able to activate it.

Now, that limitation was gone.

Magic Swordsman…?

Lyle recalled some information about this class.

Back in the Great Tomb of Nazarick, someone had possessed this profession.

After a brief moment of thought, the answer surfaced in his mind.

Bellriver.

One of the 41 Supreme Beings, Bellriver was a grotesque entity—a mass of flesh covered in mouths, with four arms wielding two swords and two staffs.

A true Magic Swordsman.

However, despite holding such a hybrid profession, Belluliba was only considered second-rate among the Supreme Beings. His true strength didn't stem from his class but from his superior player skill and maneuvering ability.

This reflected the general flaw of Magic Swordsmen—they lacked specialization, making them rather mediocre.

In the game, this was an unavoidable drawback.

With only 100 levels to allocate, one couldn't afford to invest deeply into both warrior and mage paths.

But…

This was never a problem for Lyle.

His [Genius] class more than made up for it.

The reason he remembered Bellriver so clearly wasn't just because of his unique build.

It was because Bellriver was the only Supreme Being whose death in the real world was officially confirmed.

And it wasn't a natural death.

He had stumbled upon classified information about Overlord, one of the largest conglomerates in the real world.

Shortly after, he was assassinated.

That memory stuck with Lyle.

Lyle bent down and grabbed the fat wild hare he had just hunted.

With a swift slash, he opened its belly, spilling its warm, bloodied innards onto the ground.

The nearby the hobgoblin, Mukua, immediately crawled forward, eagerly scooping up the entrails and stuffing them into his mouth.

"[Heat]."

A crimson glow flashed as Lyle channeled 1 point of mana, activating the spell.

The hare's fur curled and burned away, turning into ash and falling off, revealing the bare flesh beneath.

A minute later, the hare was completely roasted, releasing a rich, savory aroma.

Lyle made a simple cleaning motion before sitting against the thick trunk of a large tree.

It wasn't just for comfort.

It was a defensive measure—ensuring his back was secure against ambushes.

Even though his current strength made it unlikely that any monsters in the outer forest could threaten him, he refused to let his guard down.

He tore off a piece of meat and chewed.

Without seasoning, the taste was bland.

After picking out a few tender pieces for himself, he tossed the remaining half to Mukua, who had been eyeing the meal hungrily.

The goblin's eyes lit up as he dropped to all fours, eagerly gnawing on the roasted meat.

Lyle watched in silence.

In his homeland, there was a saying—"Let them eat their fill before you kill them."

He would allow Mukua to enjoy his last meal.

With his [Genius] class now meeting the necessary requirements, there was no longer a reason to remain in the Great Forest of Tob.

"Take your time. No rush," Lyle said, a rare smile appearing on his lips.

"Th-Thank you… Lord," Mukua mumbled through a mouthful of meat.

Lyle withdrew his gaze, shoving one hand into his pocket while lifting his iron sword with the other.

It was time to test his new passive ability—[Mana Infusion].

As he focused his mind, Lyle felt his mana surging into the iron sword in his grasp.

The blade shimmered, its surface coated with a semi-transparent, radiant glow.

"Not just an elemental enhancement… the sharpness also seems to have increased."

His eyes gleamed with intrigue.

However—

Crack.

A thin fracture suddenly formed along the surface of the blade.

Before he could react, the cracks spread like a web across the metal.

Within two breaths—

Shatter!

The entire sword exploded into fragments, raining down as broken shards of iron.

"…What?"

Lyle stared at the sword hilt in his hand, momentarily stunned.

"L-Lord? What happened?" Mukua asked, looking up in confusion.

Lyle waved a hand dismissively.

His eyes studied the broken pieces on the ground, deep in thought.

"Did the sword… fail to withstand [Mana Infusion]?"

A possibility dawned on him.

He rummaged through his inventory, retrieving a Mithril Dagger.

Once again, he channeled [Mana Infusion].

This time—

No cracks. No damage.

"Just as I thought… it's a materials issue."

Only certain metals like Mithril, Orichalcum, and Adamantite could properly conduct mana without breaking apart.

"I wasted a perfectly good sword…"

Still, this knowledge was valuable.

Unlike in the game, where gear durability wasn't an issue, the real world had material limitations.

And if that was the case…

Could [Mana Infusion] be applied beyond just weapons?

Lyle raised his hand, feeling the mana flowing through him.

Rather than channeling it into a weapon, he focused it into his palm.

A translucent, faintly blue energy gathered at the center.

"Yes… this makes more sense!"

"This isn't a game. This is a real-world magical system. Mana should never be limited to just weapons."

Lyle's eyes gleamed with excitement.

With a flick of his wrist, he pulled out a pouch of Alchemical Solution from his inventory.

Previously, he had attempted to create an alchemical healing potion using a crude method—combining strangling spider venom sacs with a base solvent.

The result?

A murky, foul-smelling failure.

But now…

He poured a small portion of the solution into a waterskin and held it up.

"[Mana Infusion]!"

Slowly, he directed his mana into the liquid.

The change was immediate.

The once murky, putrid fluid began to glow faintly, as if purifying itself.

Excited, Lyle pushed further.

1 mana point… 2… 3…

At 5 points, the entire solution shifted from its sickly state to a pure, crystal-clear blue.

Not only that—its volume had shrunk to a third of its original size.

He examined the pouch carefully.

The liquid inside now glowed with a faint blue radiance.

"[Appraise]."

---

[Item: Magic Alchemical Solution (Paralysis Potion)]

Grade: Low-Tier

Effect: Inflicts Paralysis for 10 minutes. (Potion potency degrades after 30 days.)

---

Lyle's eyes widened in satisfaction.

It worked.

His [Mana Infusion] wasn't just for weapons—it transformed alchemical mixtures too!

He clenched the potion in his hand.

"This is huge… If [Mana Infusion] can refine potions, then Alchemy can be used without needing traditional techniques!"

With newfound excitement, he gathered more alchemical solutions.

"What happens if I keep infusing mana…?"

The experiment was far from over.