Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

In an instant—

The primal instincts of the Barghests flared. The one pinned beneath the iron sword felt an overwhelming sense of imminent death. A gray light flickered across the chains wrapped around its body.

Chain Whirlwind!

Clang! Clang!

The chains coiling around the Barghest suddenly came to life, writhing like metallic serpents. They spun violently, cutting through the air with a piercing whistle. In the blink of an eye, they transformed into iron whips, lashing out fiercely at Lyle.

"Hm?"

Sensing the immense force behind the incoming attack, Lyle's expression sharpened. Without hesitation, he sprang backward, narrowly evading the strike.

Whoosh!

A sharp gust followed as the chain's iron ring sliced through the air right in front of him, leaving behind an intense, high-pitched sound.

Boom!

Not far away, a towering tree was struck cleanly in the middle. The force of the impact snapped it in half, sending the upper portion crashing to the ground with a deafening thud.

Lyle landed steadily and cast a glance at the fallen tree.

"Hiss… That's some serious destructive power."

If that blow had landed on him, even with his defenses, he would've suffered severe injuries.

"So this is the power of a Barghest? No wonder adventurers rate them as even more dangerous than Ogres."

Lyle's initial surprise faded into a slight smirk. His gaze shifted to the Barghest, which was struggling to rise from the ground. It panted heavily, its energy visibly drained.

"But… you can only use that ability once, right?"

Sure enough—

The chains, which had just unleashed a devastating attack, were now lifeless. No longer writhing like serpents, they drooped across the Barghest's back, motionless.

Chain Whirlwind was a once-per-day ability, only used in dire situations or when victory was assured—a move meant to secure a decisive kill.

Lyle's smirk deepened.

"Well then, I guess it's my turn now."

With a powerful step, he launched himself forward, the ground beneath his feet cracking under the force.

In a single breath, he had closed the distance.

His iron sword swung down without hesitation, aiming for the weakened Barghest's waist.

Roar!

Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over him.

Another Barghest, watching its companion in peril, let out a furious snarl. It leaped into the air, pouncing toward Lyle like a living missile.

"Quick Slash!"

Lyle had already anticipated this. He swiftly redirected his sword mid-swing, changing its trajectory to intercept the airborne Barghest.

Clang!

The beast's chains slithered rapidly, forming a defensive barrier as the sword's edge connected.

Crack!

The impact sent deep ripples through the creature's body. Its chest caved inward slightly, ribs fracturing under the immense force.

Boom!

The Barghest was sent flying backward, crashing violently into the dense foliage beyond.

Had it not been for its chains absorbing part of the blow, that strike would have cleaved it in half.

The momentary distraction allowed the weakened Barghest to recover. With bared fangs, it lunged at Lyle, jaws wide open—

So close that he could feel its rancid breath.

"Instant Reflex!"

Lyle's body moved as if time had reversed. He flickered backward, dodging the bite at the last possible moment.

At the same time—

Slash!

His sword flashed, effortlessly slicing through the Barghest's abdomen. Blood and viscera spilled onto the forest floor as the beast convulsed before collapsing lifelessly.

A thick, metallic scent filled the air.

Lyle glanced at the motionless chains draped over its corpse.

"After using that ability, you can't even move your chains normally?"

"Honestly, that skill might be more of a curse than a blessing."

With a flick of his wrist, he swung the blade, shaking off the blood.

『Experience Gained: 369』

Lyle briefly checked his status.

"These Barghests give more experience than Ogres… Guess that's to be expected from creatures lurking deeper in the forest."

One Barghest had given him almost as much experience as half a day's worth of hunting weaker monsters.

Rustle… Rustle…

Through the dense underbrush, accompanied by the sound of snapping twigs, the Barghest that had been sent flying earlier staggered back into sight.

Huff… Huff…

Its nostrils flared as it panted heavily, blood trickling from the corners of its mouth.

The beast's fierce eyes locked onto its fallen packmate. After a brief pause, it turned its murderous gaze back to Lyle.

Lyle met its glare with a calm expression.

"Oh? You didn't run? Seems like you two were pretty close."

Roar!

With a final snarl, the wounded Barghest launched itself at him.

A cold flash of steel cut through the air.

The three-meter-long beast stiffened mid-leap before its body slumped to the ground, sending a wave of leaves scattering.

『Experience Gained: 382』

Lyle checked his status panel once more.

『Experience: 9256 / 9500』

"Just a little more… Then I can finally level up my Genius skill to 10."

For the first time in a while, he felt a sense of relief.

He had been in this dark, oppressive forest for nearly a month. No matter how strong-willed a person was, staying in such an environment for too long would inevitably wear on them.

"You're amazing, my lord!"

"No one can compare to you! Even Barghests are no match for you!"

"You're the strongest human I've ever seen!"

"The Ogres who once protected our tribe… Many of them died to these Barghests."

"These creatures are cunning and cruel…"

A chorus of high-pitched voices filled the air.

The goblin Mukua, who had been trembling in Lyle's grip the entire time, was now looking at him with reverence.

Lyle shot him a glance.

"Shut up."

The goblin immediately went silent.

Turning away, Lyle approached the corpses of the fallen Barghests.

The most valuable part of their bodies was undoubtedly the chains wrapped around them. Their corpses might have some worth as well, but—

He frowned at the thought of storing more monster bodies in his inventory.

He already had over two thousand goblin corpses. Figuring out what to do with them was already enough of a headache.

"…Does the Adventurers' Guild accept entire goblin corpses? Or just their ears?"

Shaking his head, he refocused on the Barghest's chains.

At first glance, they looked and sounded like iron, but upon closer inspection—

"These aren't metal at all."

They were bones.

Black, glossy bones that mimicked the texture of steel.

Tracing the chains back to their source, Lyle finally noticed—

The chains weren't attached separately. They grew directly out of the Barghest's spine, extending from the base of its neck.

Blending seamlessly with its black fur, they had given the illusion of floating, especially in the dimly lit forest.

"No wonder they're called Barghests."

"In my past life, a creature like this would've been unthinkable."

"A natural weapon fused into its own skeleton… Not only does it shield the vulnerable neck, but it also protects the abdomen."

"It completely compensates for its weaknesses."

Lyle's grip tightened on his sword.

With a clean slice, he severed the chains from the Barghest's spine.

To his surprise—

The connection point was surprisingly brittle.

With minimal effort, he had extracted the entire bone chain.