Chapter 17: Drinking Hot Water is a Hometown Tradition, Faith in the Six Gods

Squelch!

Lyle thrust the tip of his sword into the wild boar and gave it a slight twist, snuffing out the creature's final breath.

Blood seeped from the wound, but it did not spray out—a direct result of Leorik's earlier advice on targeting this specific spot.

[Gained 15 experience points!]

A notification flashed across the status screen only visible to him.

[Status Panel]

Innate Ability: [Player]

Overall Level: 2Lv

Experience Bar: 95/100

Classes:

Basic Class: Genius 1Lv (Warrior, Priestess/Cleric) Intermediate Class: Sword Saint 1Lv

Skill Points: 0

Passive Skills:

•Item Box

•Slash Damage (1%)

Active Skills:

Warrior: Instant Reflex, Fourfold Slash, Quick Slash

Magic: Minor Healing (Level 1)

...

Lyle glanced at the panel. He was just 5 points away from leveling up—progressing much faster than he initially anticipated.

It had only taken the defeat of a few beasts to reach this point.

Of course, this was expected. At such a low level, progress was bound to be swift. However, as levels increased, the challenge of advancing would undoubtedly grow exponentially.

"Hmph." Lizzie's earlier expression of satisfaction had now vanished.

She had initially assumed Lyle had taken her advice to heart, but his actions clearly showed otherwise.

Lyle pretended not to notice her frustration.

In this world, humans reaching level 29 were considered to have entered the Hero Realm, making them top-tier powerhouses in any human kingdom.

However!

Even with immense talent and relentless effort, the human race's maximum achievable level was around 40. Those who surpassed this threshold were known as Outliers.

This limit was not just a matter of talent or hard work—it was the very nature of the system governing this world.

Even among the four legendary Outliers of humanity, each bore traces of what could only be described as "inhuman characteristics." Their exceptional achievements bordered on the impossible.

Yet, for Lyle, reaching level 40 would merely be the beginning.

It was a destiny he was bound to fulfill.

When the day came for him to face the Great Tomb of Nazarick, no human would stand as his equal.

When Lyle first crossed into this world's capital, he had struggled to decide whether to focus on magical or martial disciplines. He avoided committing to a single specialized path for one important reason:

Without companions, pure mages or warriors often became easy targets for the denizens of the Tomb.

"I'm much more adept now compared to when I first started," Lyle remarked.

"Still, let me remind you—there's a significant difference between beasts and magical creatures," Rand said, grinning as he picked up the fallen wild boar and began processing it with swift efficiency.

"There's always a learning curve," Lyle replied with a faint smile. He retrieved a ceramic pot borrowed from Nfirea and poured water from his waterskin into it.

Then, he placed the pot over the campfire and adjusted its position.

This pot, originally meant for storing herbs, had been temporarily repurposed by Lyle as a kettle.

"You seem to enjoy drinking hot water," Nfirea observed, watching Lyle's actions with curiosity. For several days now, he had noticed Lyle consistently boiling clear river water before drinking it.

"Oh, it's not about preference," Lyle replied, sitting cross-legged and grinning. "It's actually a tradition from my homeland."

Nfirea was taken aback but chose not to pry further.

In this world, different regions had their own beliefs and customs. Asking about someone's traditions was often seen as intrusive and best avoided.

Currently, the dominant faith across most nations revolved around the Six Gods.

Humanity in this world owed much to the first players who had arrived here. Most of the stories depicted in anime and novels unfolded within the human domain.

While the human territories seemed expansive at first glance, in reality, they occupied only a small corner of the massive continent—confined to the northwestern region.

The central areas of the continent were ruled by demihumans and other alien races. Within their lands, humans were often either slaves or livestock.

In this world, non-human races possessed both longevity and far greater level caps than the short-lived, limited-potential human species.

By all logic!

As a weak and fragile race, humanity should have long since gone extinct over the course of history. It seemed impossible for them to occupy the northwestern corner of the continent, let alone survive there.

And indeed, this almost happened. Six hundred years ago, humanity was on the brink of extinction.

But then, the first group of players, known as the Six Gods, arrived!

With their overwhelming power, the Six Gods saved humanity, relocating them to the northwest corner of the continent to ensure their survival.

This is why the Six Gods became the central faith of human nations.

But alas!

Among the Six Gods, aside from the one referred to as the "God of Death," the others were of short-lived races. They all passed away within a century.

The sole survivor, the God of Death, was eventually killed five hundred years ago during the battle against the Eight Greed Kings.

Compared to the Six Gods, the Eight Greed Kings seemed more akin to players. Their very name illustrates how they brought destruction to the continent.

According to records from various races, the Eight Greed Kings—although most of them were demi-humans and some even extraterrestrial beings—had an unexpectedly favorable impression of humanity.

Even now, humanity does not have any legends portraying the Eight Greed Kings as inherently evil, despite their destructive nature.

"Six hundred years ago, the Six Gods descended. Five hundred years ago, the Eight Greed Kings appeared. Two hundred years ago, the Demon Lords rose, followed by the emergence of the Thirteen Heroes, with hints of other player arrivals in Central Continent."

Additionally, "The Great Tomb of Nazarick" will also descend in the future.

Lyle's mind raced with several thoughts.

It seemed that approximately every hundred years, a player arrived in this alien world.

From this, it was likely that the True Dragon Lords were aware that another player was about to descend upon the world.

"Compared to previous events, this one feels far more sudden, and our information is much more limited."

"This time, the True Dragon Lords might be preparing, but even compared to the Six Gods, the Eight Greed Kings, or the Thirteen Heroes' sole player, The Great Tomb of Nazarick far surpasses all previous player-related incidents in terms of overall strength."

Lyle fell into deep thought, a new idea forming in his mind.

"If the True Dragon Lords could engage the Great Tomb early on, they might manage to gain some advantages."

Even if the True Dragon Lords failed in the end, it would still benefit Lyle. The ensuing battle would drain the Tomb's foundations and most of its power.