Overlord: Welcoming the Birth of the King
Chapter 30: The Three Forest Rulers, Arrival at Carne Village

After leaving E-Rantel at dawn, Tang Zheng followed the information gathered from the Adventurer's Guild and a crude map. He headed northwest toward the most remote border area of the Li Yestige Kingdom near the Great Tob Forest. There lay a place called Carne Village.

This village, though a border settlement, boasted nearly a century of history. However, its long history couldn't change its current state of poverty. In the kingdom, it remained completely insignificant, even ignored by most. Yet in the anime, it played a pivotal role throughout various storylines!

Of course.

This village actually had no real connection to major plots—it served more like a transitional story hub.

"Gwah!"

From the desolate roadside bushes on a small hill, a Goblin suddenly charged out from its hiding spot. Tang Zheng's eyes flickered as he instantly drew the iron sword at his waist, sidestepping to evade the ambushing Goblin while simultaneously swinging his arm down.

Splat!

The blade flashed!

With a final shriek, the Goblin was cleaved in two.

Expressionlessly flicking the green blood off his sword, Tang Zheng scanned the surroundings. Four more Goblins emerged from the bushes.

"Such troublesome creatures." A thought crossed Tang Zheng's mind as he spoke aloud: "Magic Arrow!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

After consuming 5 MP, Tang Zheng spent another 1 MP to instantly conjure four magic arrows that shot toward the emerging Goblins.

Four green blood blossoms bloomed!

As thuds of falling bodies sounded, new messages appeared on his status panel:

[Gained 27 EXP]

[Gained 25 EXP]

[Gained 30 EXP]

"Similar EXP to wild beasts. Reaching Carne Village should net me one level up. Early leveling is indeed faster." Tang Zheng approached the dead Goblins and collected all their ears—after all, Goblin ears could be exchanged for money at the Adventurer's Guild. This amounted to decent income.

During the subsequent journey.

Tang Zheng encountered several more waves, though not just Goblins this time—some small magical beasts attacked too.

Under these circumstances, Tang Zheng finally arrived at dusk at a small village surrounded by wooden fences, with wisps of cooking smoke rising. At a glance, these defensive wooden fences would barely hinder attacks from the forest's magical creatures!

Yet this Carne Village, located so close to the Great Tob Forest, had persisted without being destroyed by monsters—an intriguing fact in itself.

Having experienced frequent monster attacks along the way, Tang Zheng understood this reality most acutely. After leaving E-Rantel, monsters and Goblins gradually increased in number, but nearing Carne Village, their numbers surprisingly diminished significantly.

This was because within the Great Tob Forest existed three mighty creatures known as the "Forest Rulers":

The Great Magical Beast of the Southern Forest—the Forest Sage King, Hamsuke.

The Eastern Giant of the Forest—the Ogre Lord, Guu.

The Western Serpent of the Forest—Naga Lord, Rulars.

These three beings essentially governed the entire Great Tob Forest, with Carne Village falling under the territory of the Forest Sage King Hamsuke. This explained why monsters didn't attack the village.

All three Forest Rulers were around level 30, with Hamsuke being slightly higher. By human standards, they'd reached heroic-tier power. Yet even human heroes stood little chance against these rulers in one-on-one combat—such was the advantage of demi-human or heteromorphic species.

Shifting his gaze from Carne Village's gates, Tang Zheng looked toward the nearby primeval forest whose end couldn't be seen with the naked eye. The view was blocked by towering, dense foliage, yet Tang Zheng's eyes revealed solemn wariness.

The true terror of the Great Tob Forest wasn't these three rulers!

But rather one being residing in its deepest depths—the "Evil Tree," one of the monsters that descended during the 13 Heroes era 200 years ago. At level 85, it was never fully eradicated back then, merely sealed deep within the forest.

In the anime's timeline.

The reason Shalltear suddenly encountered the Slane Theocracy's mightiest unit, the "Black Scripture"—and that too while they carried the World-Class Item [Downfall of Castle and Country]—was pure misfortune for Shalltear!

The Black Scripture's true mission while carrying the World-Class Item was because the Evil Tree's seal had begun weakening. They intended to break its seal while using [Downfall of Castle and Country] to control it, only to accidentally encounter Shalltear.

Resulting in an inexplicable battle between them!

While briefly mentioned in the anime, the light novel provided more details.

The Black Scripture suffered heavy losses, with their World-Class Item user being killed by Shalltear's death throes just before being controlled. This explained why Shalltear, though controlled, became a "wild monster"—because the [Downfall of Castle and Country] user had died.

"Who goes there!"

Suddenly, two middle-aged villagers wielding steel pitchforks appeared at Carne Village's entrance, eyeing the stranger at their gates with vigilant suspicion.

"My apologies, I'm but a traveler passing through, hoping to lodge here for the night," Tang Zheng replied softly, maintaining a gentle tone while looking at them.

Hearing this.

The two villagers exchanged glances, their wariness unabated. They first peered behind Tang Zheng, and only upon confirming he was alone did their expressions slightly relax.

"Wait here."

Clearly unable to decide themselves, one villager spoke before quickly heading into the village.

The wait wasn't long.

The villager returned with a man appearing to be in his forties or fifties, with dark rough skin and gray-brown hair—undoubtedly Carne Village's chief.

Upon arrival, the chief scrutinized Tang Zheng, pausing noticeably at his black hair.

"Seeking lodging?" the chief asked in a gruff voice.

"Indeed."

Tang Zheng nodded.

"Then enter." Surprisingly, the chief agreed without further questions.

This unexpected compliance caught Tang Zheng off guard.

Carne Village rarely saw outsiders, only receiving tax collectors and herb merchants during late autumn.

"Chief?"

The two villagers exclaimed in surprise, clearly not expecting such immediate permission.

Given the evening hour, the stranger's arrival obviously unsettled them.

"These two months mark the forest beasts' most restless season," the chief sighed, opening the fence gate.

Hearing this.

The villagers realized—while their village remained peaceful, the journey here was perilous. Anyone arriving alone clearly possessed considerable strength, meaning their wooden fences couldn't stop him anyway. That he hadn't forced entry suggested the black-haired youth meant no harm.

Understanding this logic.

The villagers' initial wariness faded.

Following the chief's lead, Tang Zheng entered Carne Village.