Watching an anime from the perspective of the "Great Tomb of Nazarick" is truly an exhilarating experience—a trail of crushing victories and overwhelming power.
From the standpoint of the people in another world, however, it is pure despair. The beings within the Great Tomb are monsters, entities capable of destroying entire worlds.
Of course, Lyle felt no allegiance to either side. His concern was this: if he joined the Sorcerer Kingdom and his identity as a transmigrator were exposed, what then?
At its core, the Sorcerer Kingdom was merely a tool for Ainz Ooal Gown to conquer the world. Neither Ainz nor the Floor Guardians truly cared about anything beyond Nazarick itself.
Ainz, in particular, would ruthlessly eliminate anyone or anything perceived as a threat to the Tomb.
Even if Lyle posed no real danger, once his identity as a transmigrator was revealed, he would inevitably be viewed as a threat and eliminated without hesitation.
And during this process...
Lyle was sure Ainz would subject him to the horrors of Torture Lord-level interrogation. Before transmigrating, Lyle had been just an ordinary office worker. He doubted he could endure even minor pain, let alone such extreme measures.
What's worse, Ainz would likely use some kind of memory-search magic on him, reducing him to a mindless husk before finishing him off.
Lyle rubbed his face hard, as though trying to wake himself from a bad dream. But nothing changed.
"You're really trying your best," he thought to himself bitterly.
Lyle followed the bustling crowd into a shop, finding a quiet corner to sit against the wall.
He wasn't tired.
His stamina and energy far surpassed the subpar state he'd had before transmigrating. His muscular frame and the taut lines of his arms confirmed this was his body, albeit a younger version—around sixteen or seventeen. Before transmigrating, he had been twenty-five.
This physical regression must be related to his cheat ability, specifically the "Force of Nature."
Lyle narrowed his eyes, and a translucent status screen appeared before him, visible only to him. The interface was divided into two sections.
[Status Panel]
Player: Lyle Vaelcroft
Justice Point: Neutral (0)
HP: 13 (1%)
MP: 13 (1%)
Physical Attack: 13 (1%)
Physical Defense: 13 (1%)
Agility: 13 (1%)
Magic Attack: 13 (1%)
Magic Defense: 13 (1%)
Overall Resistance: 0 (0%)
Uniqueness: 0 (0%)
Total: 7%
[Abilities]
Natural Force: [Player]
Total Level: 0 (No Class)
EXP: 0/100
Class: None
Skill Points: 0
Passive Skill: Item Box
Active Skills: None
Lyle focused on the innate ability listed in the abilities section.
[Innate Ability: Player – Grants Player-specific characteristics (Unobservable, Unobtainable)]
The information was sparse.
The status panel must have been a manifestation of the Player trait.
As the saying goes: "Actions speak louder than words."
Being a seasoned gamer, Lyle had a decent idea of what the Player ability entailed.
The "Force of Nature" didn't exist in the Overlord game; it seemed to be an innate ability of this world's humans.
These innate abilities were common, with roughly one in every two hundred people born possessing one. Most were weak and irrelevant in combat, but they could be likened to the unique skills of this world's people.
For now, what mattered was that the Player ability allowed for level progression, bypassing the limitations of human race and inherent traits.
However!
Even with this knowledge, Lyle's anxiety remained.
This wasn't just a game of Overlord.
Even if he could somehow grind his way to Level 100 before the Great Tomb arrived, he'd still be no match for Ainz and his minions.
How could a mere Level 100 player, armed with no gear, hope to contend with Ainz, who wielded divine-level equipment, pay-to-win items, and World-Class items?
What's more!
The Tomb housed more than just Ainz.
Lyle understood the terrifying power disparity better than anyone, having studied YGGDRASIL's lore and mechanics extensively.
"Base stats all at 13 points, huh? Even without a class, these numbers already surpass those of an ordinary person in this world," Lyle mused, feeling the strength and energy coursing through his body.
This wasn't just some arbitrary set of game stats—it was a direct reflection of his physical state!
Lyle could even sense a unique energy within him, likely mana. By this world's standards, he had the potential to be a "Magic Caster."
Each stat's percentage was also crucial. This calculation was unique to the Overlord game.
If Lyle remembered correctly, Ainz's overall stat percentage was "683.6% + ?%," with the "?" indicating his limitless mana reserves.
The game lore stated that a Level 100 player's average mana was around 1,300, but Ainz's mana exceeded the cap by 1.5 times.
Such was the power of a whale who spared no expense!
Lyle had studied YGGDRASIL's system extensively. Each player race had similar stat averages, ensuring balance.
In theory, each level added 13 points to all stats, meaning a Level 100 player would have base stats of 1,300. But in practice, this varied based on the player's class and race.
Human players had no racial classes, which was both an advantage and a drawback—reaching Level 100 allowed full class customization.
Ainz's stats, for example, only maxed out MP and Uniqueness.
Lyle glanced around the busy street, making sure no one was watching, and pulled a small piece of black rye bread from his pocket.
Though called "black bread," its deep brown color looked more appetizing. It was rough and hard but surprisingly tasty.
One copper coin bought two loaves, indicating a low cost for basic goods in this world.
With limited funds, frugality was essential.
The bread wasn't from his pocket but his Item Box, where his original clothing and gold coins were stored.
The "Item Box" functioned like an in-game inventory.
Despite its large capacity, it wasn't infinite. Otherwise, items like the "Infinite Backpack" wouldn't exist in YGGDRASIL.
Lyle bit off a piece of bread and chewed slowly.
Last night's dinner had also been black bread, and now he was hungry again.
This hunger confirmed one thing: "Player" was merely a personal trait—this was a real world.
Here, he could grow hungry, tired... and even die.