Overlord: Welcome the Birth of the King

The royal city stood deep within the capital, built against a mountain. From a distance, one could see the walls connected by more than twenty circular towers.

Separated from the capital's main population, the elevation of the mountain gave the royal city a position of authority, towering over everyone else.

On the western slope of the mountain below the royal city was a massive arena, the traditional site of the annual "Trial of the Emperor."

This tournament was not merely a grand event; it also served as a way for the Kingdom of Re-Estize to demonstrate its military prowess to the outside world.

Rustle! Rustle!

Amid the bustling crowd, Lyle gritted his teeth against the pain and found a seat at the outer edge of the stands.

From his position, he could only catch glimpses of the figures moving on the massive arena platform at the center.

For this seat, he had spent a hefty five silver coins.

"This really is a profitable business," Lyle thought to himself as he looked around at the sea of people filling the stands.

Being a witness to a historic event had its allure and satisfied certain curiosities.

But still...

If he had known the ticket was this expensive, he might not have come. After all, he already knew how this was going to end.

With a wry smile, Lyle resigned himself to his choice.

The leading warriors and the infamous Blade-user had not yet arrived, but several figures were patrolling the ring below.

To the north of the platform stood a unique circular tower, the only one in the arena, and it rose much higher than any other seating area.

It was easy to guess its purpose—it served as the viewing stand for the kingdom's nobles and royalty.

Compared to the boisterous atmosphere in the rest of the arena, this tower seemed eerily quiet, as though its very presence cast a chill over the surrounding crowd.

Gradually, the lively buzz of conversation died down.

Lyle tugged at the collar of his coarse linen shirt, shrugged off his discomfort, and calmly observed the scene.

Others might not understand the odd tension in the air, but he had some idea.

Although tournaments like this ostensibly sought powerful warriors to bolster the nation's strength, in reality...

From the very beginning, the "Imperial Trial" had been nothing more than a stage for nobles to flaunt their subordinates and military might.

For these nobles, any commoner participants were merely stepping stones.

This was intricately tied to the kingdom's noble hierarchy.

In this system, only the eldest son of a noble family could inherit the title. The younger sons had no such privilege, leading to the creation of a separate title: Knight.

Knights held no fiefdoms and were subordinate to the nobility, yet they remained an aspiration for many noble second sons.

This wasn't just about retaining noble status. Once a "Knight" title was earned, the royal family would grant a generous stipend, ensuring a life free of financial worries.

Of course, this was a deliberate strategy by the royal family, cultivating a new generation of loyalists among the younger nobility.

Thus, the Imperial Trial existed for this purpose. It was a transparent yet effective tactic, and outstanding noble scions who excelled in the trial were often awarded the title of Knight.

But over the years, something changed. Commoner adventurers began defeating noble participants or their representatives, sparking resentment among the aristocracy.

Now, the emergence of Gazef and Brian—two commoners—had turned the event on its head.

The Imperial Trial had effectively become the stage for a duel between two commoners!

"Heh," Lyle chuckled softly, imagining the sour expressions of the nobles.

Gazef, the victor of this battle, was supposed to be granted the Knight title. Yet, instead of receiving that honor, he was reappointed as the Warrior Captain.

This decision encapsulated the underlying tensions.

This duel, later referred to as the Legendary Battle by the public, marked the end of the Imperial Trial altogether.

No noble wanted to see another commoner rise to the level of Warrior Captain.

Still, none of this mattered to Lyle. Compared to the vast schemes of the Great Tomb in the future, these were minor squabbles.

Regardless of the nobles' dissatisfaction, the competition continued unabated.

About ten minutes later, Lyle's expression grew serious as he watched the future Warrior Captain and the Blade-user step onto the arena platform.

The two exchanged handshakes and appeared to share a few words.

From Lyle's seat, however, he could only make out their silhouettes and couldn't hear their conversation.

Soon, the two separated, creating some distance before turning to face each other.

At that moment, the entire arena fell silent. Everyone's eyes were locked on the pair, unwilling to miss even a moment of the impending duel.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Almost simultaneously, Gazef and Brian sprang into action.

Though they began twenty meters apart, their initial collision seemed instantaneous.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Their swords clashed, sending out bursts of sparks.

"So fast," Lyle thought, astonished. His eyes could barely follow the two figures, let alone their swords.

Around the two combatants, streaks of light flickered as their blades met with astonishing speed and force.

Leaning back in his seat, Lyle muttered, "They're on a completely different level from ordinary people."

Seeing this level of combat firsthand, Lyle finally understood the insurmountable gap between regular individuals and these top-tier warriors.

Was this only around Level 20?

For a brief moment, Lyle felt a pang of sympathy for Brian, recalling the sense of despair Brian had likely felt when facing higher-level opponents.

"The Blade-user" wasn't a derogatory title—it was earned.

Whoosh!

On the platform, Brian's body suddenly shimmered with a faint blue glow.

In the next instant, he seemed to teleport, appearing directly behind Gazef.

But!

As if anticipating the move, Gazef spun and closed the distance again in an instant.

"Is this martial arts?" Lyle's eyes widened in fascination.

Martial arts, a technique unique to this world, were absent in the YGGDRASIL game. They were essentially a warrior's equivalent to magic.

Using martial arts required a resource called focus, a mental reserve that fatigued with repeated use.

Unlike the game's mechanics, this was a realistic limitation, one that brought combat closer to real life.

While martial arts weren't weak, their power was capped by the level of the user, especially for humans.

Suddenly—

Buzz!

Lyle's status screen appeared before him.

[Skill detected: 'Flow Speed Acceleration.' Requires the basic Warrior class. Current conditions unmet...]

['Genius' class activated. Class conversion successful. Conditions met. Would you like to spend 1 skill point to learn this skill?]

Staring at the floating text, Lyle's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. He murmured, "So that's how skill points work..."