Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

Agu stole a glance at Lyle, observing the faint smile that appeared on the human's face. A heavy weight lifted from his heart.

This powerful human seemed pleased with his response and had even accepted their offering.

Perhaps, not only could he save Big Brother Mukua, but he might also establish a relationship with this human powerhouse!

Thinking of this, a sense of excitement stirred within Agu. He felt more confident than ever that coming here in search of human aid was the right decision.

His tribe members had been too foolish—too timid, relying only on the ogres who viewed them as mere backup rations.

Clang—

"You've provided quite a bit of useful information. That must have been troublesome," Lyle mused, lightly tapping the blade of his iron sword with his fingers. His expression was thoughtful.

"So… what kind of reward should I give you?"

As soon as the words left his lips, Agu's voice rang out, eager and filled with restrained excitement.

"Master, Agu requires no reward!"

Agu's emotions ran high. He quickly added, his voice trembling slightly, "As long as Master is willing to spare Big Brother Mukua, that is more than enough."

Saying this, Agu hesitated for a brief moment before his gaze subtly drifted toward Lyle's wrist—where a ping-pong-sized, tribal treasure was wrapped around it like an ornament.

"If Master is willing to return our tribe's treasure, our Gigu Tribe would be honored to assist you in gathering intelligence on the ogres."

Agu's voice carried a nervous edge, cautious yet hopeful.

Hehehe…

Lyle chuckled, his expression growing ever more gentle. He looked at Agu with a smile.

"A fine deal indeed."

The moment those words left his lips, Agu and the other two Hobgoblins' faces lit up with joy.

They had merely answered a few questions, yet they were already being rewarded? This was completely unexpected!

"Using a fourth-tier spell might be a little wasteful, but I need to test its effectiveness."

Lyle smiled as he raised his hand, pointing toward the air in front of him.

The Heating spell could raise the temperature of any object it touched—including the very air itself.

The three Hobgoblins knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with joy. However, as they looked at Lyle's empty palm, confusion flickered across their faces.

Then, in an instant—

Agu's expression changed dramatically. The joy vanished, replaced by sheer terror. His mouth opened as if to say something.

But before he could make a sound—

"Heating."

Lyle uttered two simple words.

Hummmm—

At the center of his outstretched palm, the air temperature surged instantly to 400 degrees. A faint red glow shimmered across the air.

The once-refreshing forest breeze turned into a scalding inferno.

Agu inhaled instinctively, and the superheated air rushed down his throat, searing his vocal cords. His scream died before it could even escape.

A suffocating dizziness overwhelmed him.

Then, even the pain seemed to vanish.

The dark green skin of the three Hobgoblins first swelled, turning an angry shade of red—their blood boiling, blood vessels rupturing.

+55 EXP

+62 EXP

+63 EXP

[EXP Bar: 180/10,000]

White-hot steam hissed from their bodies, their forms shrinking as they dried up.

The Heating spell was continuous. It had already reached 300 degrees instantly, but over time, it would keep rising—until it peaked at 1,200 degrees.

And so—

The three Hobgoblins, now reduced to shriveled corpses, began to show crimson, hairline cracks on their surfaces.

Just then—

Lyle felt a sudden wave of heat on his face. His expression flickered, and he swiftly canceled the spell, stepping back.

The scalding air burst outward, turning into a scorching heatwave. The surrounding leaves and underbrush withered instantly, yellowing as they curled into brittle husks.

Lyle took a breath—and even he felt the burning sting in his lungs. His nasal passages tingled painfully.

Despite only targeting the Hobgoblins, the sudden thermal expansion of the surrounding air had affected him as well.

This spell doesn't discriminate between friend and foe…

"Hiss… Looks like I can't use this spell carelessly," Lyle muttered, pinching his stinging nose. His gaze flicked to the three mummified corpses, then to his own tingling hands.

"The spell affects even the caster… This is definitely different from normal tiered magic."

"If this were a higher-tier spell, it wouldn't just be a burning sensation—it could be lethal."

Lyle frowned at the thought. If the heat continued rising uncontrollably, the spell would be dangerous to use without high fire resistance—or even complete fire immunity.

Behind him—

"A-Agu…"

Mukua, the surviving Hobgoblin, stared in horror at his comrades' shriveled remains. His voice trembled.

He had never expected that this smiling human—who had seemed so reasonable—would wipe out Agu and the others in the blink of an eye.

Crunch!

A twig snapped underfoot.

Lyle turned toward the stunned Mukua, his expression light, his smile pleasant.

"You two seemed close," he said casually. "Why don't you join him?"

Gulp.

Mukua's entire body shuddered. His throat bobbed. A pungent stench spread from his lower half.

"Y-you… You're going back on your word…!"

"You lied!"

Mukua screamed in terror, twisting his upper body as he clawed at the dirt, desperately trying to crawl away.

"Don't kill me!"

"I'm useful—I know the locations of many weaker Goblin tribes!"

"Human! Human, you promised! You promised!"

Blinded by fear, Mukua shrieked and pleaded, his emotions spiraling out of control.

Lyle stepped forward, iron sword in hand, closing the distance between them.

"A deal is only valid when both sides are equals," he said, his voice calm.

"If one side is too weak… the other simply devours them."

"It's the same principle as your law of the jungle."

"Your friend, Agu, probably understood that. But he placed too much faith in his own intelligence. Humans aren't like ogres."

Lyle's voice remained even as he lifted his sword.

Then—

A flicker of movement caught his eye.

The bushes rustled.

Rustle— Rustle—

A small Barghest stumbled out from the undergrowth, looking disheveled.

"Awooo!"

The little Barghest shook its head, then locked its dark eyes onto Mukua. It hesitated for a moment—then bared its fangs, barking aggressively.

Lyle raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

He hadn't expected the creature to follow him all this way.

His lips curved slightly.

"How about dealing with it for me?" he said, lowering his sword.

"Awoo!"

The Barghest's eyes gleamed. Its bone-like chains rattled slightly as it lunged at Mukua.

Thud!

"Get away from me!!" Mukua screeched, swiping at the Barghest and sending it flying.

Despite his injuries, Mukua was still far stronger than a mere pup.

"Awoo!"

The little Barghest tumbled, shook itself off, then pounced again.

This time, it circled behind Mukua, sinking its fangs into his crippled legs.

A guttural scream filled the air.

Moments later—

Crunch!

Mukua's head lolled unnaturally.

"Hah. Cowardice is ingrained in the Goblin race," Lyle remarked, shaking his head.

Mukua had the strength to fight back, yet he had wasted his last moments paralyzed by fear.

"Awoo…"

The Barghest sat on its haunches, licking blood from its muzzle. Its empty stomach rumbled.

Lyle glanced at it.

"Barghests are omnivores, aren't they?" He pointed at Mukua's corpse.

The pup's dark eyes gleamed. Without hesitation, it devoured the body whole.

Lyle watched, a little impressed.

"Huh. That could be useful for corpse disposal."

Then he turned away.

"Time to go."

He took a few steps—then looked back.

The Barghest sat there, staring at him.

"What are you waiting for? Follow me."

"Awoo!"

The pup hesitated—then bounded after him.