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Chapter 73: Aot Start
🕑 Added 2025-05-11 20:15:15 +0000 UTCOn an empty plain, Lioro stood atop a struggling titan.
Their sizes were incomparable, yet Lioro held the titan down with ease, exerting no visible effort.
“Stop moving. I want to check something,” he said.
Placing his hand on the titan’s neck, Lioro narrowed his eyes as he felt a familiar energy coursing beneath the surface.
Cursed energy.
He could clearly sense its flow within the titan's body.
A thought crossed his mind—what would happen if he absorbed it?
Unable to contain his curiosity, Lioro acted.
The titan trembled violently beneath him as he began the absorption. White smoke poured out from its massive frame, and in the blink of an eye, the body deflated like a balloon before evaporating completely.
All that remained was an unconscious, naked woman with blonde hair lying on the ground.
Lioro blinked, glancing down at her.
They were quite large.
Well, back to the matter at hand—he had successfully absorbed cursed energy from a titan, reverting it to human form. That made sense in a way. Even if the source of Ymir's power was the source of all life, how do you explain the lightning?
Well there must be some cursed involved or something.
Coming to a conclusion, Lioro pulled out a cloak from his inventory and threw it over the woman’s body.
“I know you're awake. Stop pretending and get up,” he said casually.
The blonde woman flinched at his words, then slowly opened her eyes to look at him.
She appeared confused and scared.
“What do you remember?” Lioro asked.
“I… was turned into a titan…” she murmured, staring blankly at her human hands.
She turned to Lioro. “Did you turn me back?”
Lioro didn’t reply. Instead, he handed her a spare set of his clothes from his inventory.
While she dressed, he took out an arrow and imbued it with an enchantment to locate his next general. A faint blue light glowed before vanishing.
A notification flashed.
30,000 experience points deducted.
The arrow floated and pointed to the left.
The woman finished changing, though it was clear the chest area was a bit tight.
Lioro pointed to the ground and cast a spell.
“Summon Undead: Second Tier – Undead Horse.”
A red magic circle formed, and from it emerged a skeletal horse, its bones creaking as it stepped into the world.
Due to the low mana density in the air, low-tier summons were the most efficient for travel.
“A monster!” the woman gasped, then collapsed backward in fear, her face twisted in horror.
Of course, it wasn’t a particularly terrifying creature. Tier 2 undead didn’t emit fear auras like higher-tier ones. This was simply a skeleton horse—deadly to a bull, perhaps, but not much else.
Lioro climbed onto its back and looked down at her.
“Let’s go.”
The woman stared at him with wide, trembling eyes.
Lioro shrugged. “You can stay if you want, but I wouldn’t recommend it,” he said, gesturing to the titans approaching in the distance.
She looked at them, then at him, her eyes darting between the two options.
Slowly, shakily, she rose and stepped forward, taking his outstretched hand. With a gentle pull, he hoisted her up in front of him.
Her warm, soft body pressed against his chest.
Lioro smiled faintly at the pleasant scent, then gave the horse a light kick.
The skeletal steed let out a muted whinny and galloped forward across the empty plain.
He hadn’t planned on bringing her, but leaving her to die after saving her left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Once they reached the walls, he’d give her some gold and part ways. What happened after that would be up to her.
“My name is Reily,” she said hesitantly.
“I’m Lioro,” he replied plainly and fell silent.
Reily wanted to talk more but seeing Lioro's uninterested expression she felt confused and remained silent.
It was a long journey. Even with the undead horse’s tireless pace, it took them nearly three hours to reach the outermost wall: Maria.
Lioro's eyes sparkled briefly as he observed the massive barrier—an imposing structure, both protective and oppressive.
It made him think.
A city like this would be perfect for the Overlord world. If enemies attacked, he could just trigger the Rumbling and destroy everything.
That would be quite the spectacle.
He also noted that titans weren’t weak. Most hovered around level 25 to 30, comparable to frost dragons. Larger titans would naturally be stronger. A colossal titan, then, would likely be around level 70 to 80.
Bigger size meant higher stats.
“Fifth Tier Magic: Advanced Invisibility,” Lioro whispered.
Immediately, their bodies vanished.
“My hands! Where’s my body?” Reily shouted, panic in her voice.
“I turned us invisible. Stay quiet.”
Hearing the seriousness in his tone and feeling his arms wrapped securely around her waist, Reily suppressed her fear.
This entire experience was overwhelming. First, becoming human again, then a skeleton horse, and now vanishing into thin air. It was all too much.
While her heart swirled with confusion, Lioro led the horse past the guards at Shiganshina's gate.
Once inside, he found a quiet corner, set Reily down, and disabled her invisibility.
Before she could speak, a bag of gold coins and a dagger appeared on the ground.
Reily had a bad feeling.
And her fears were quickly confirmed.
“Here’s some startup funds. You’re on your own now. Good luck.”
“Wait! Please, take me with you!”
Reily stepped forward, hands reaching out in desperation.
Alas Lioro was invisible so she couldn't even see him.
She called out again, several times, before finally lowering her arms in defeat.
After a moment of hesitation, she picked up the bag and the dagger, then walked away.
Lioro rode the undead horse through the busy streets, carefully avoiding the townspeople.
From the overheard conversations, he confirmed his location—Shiganshina.
The gate was still standing, meaning the main events of the story hadn’t begun yet.
He followed the arrow, taking in the city’s atmosphere. It felt familiar, much like E-Rantel. Both shared the rustic, middle-age charm.
After crossing another enormous gate, Lioro entered wall Maria and pressed onward.
Hours passed, and night fell.
After passing Wall Rose he eventually reached the capital, Mitras, through the Ehrmich district.
After scanning the area, he located the entrance to the underground city.
Security was tight, but that didn’t matter.
He slipped past them with ease and descended into the hidden world below.
A wave of gloom greeted him.
The underground city was bleak. Mud coated the ground, and the people were even worse off—many lying motionless, their limbs stiff from years without sunlight.
As he walked, Lioro disabled Infinity.
His appearance immediately drew attention.
White hair, bright blue eyes, flawless skin, and garments fit for nobility—he stood out like a divine figure in the pit of despair.
The gangsters noticed him too.
But Lioro ignored their stares and followed the arrow, passing through the ruins until he arrived at a particularly menacing house.
The arrow pointed straight to it.
Just as he approached the stairs, a group of young gangsters stepped into his path, wary expressions on their faces.
“Who are you? What do you want here?” one of them asked.
Lioro glanced at him and replied calmly.
“I’m here to meet Levi.”
The group’s expression changed instantly.
They exchanged nervous glances, but fell silent.
Because at that moment, the door behind them opened.
Three figures emerged.
On the left was a young man with messy blond hair, his bangs dangling between his eyes. On the right stood a girl with red-brown pigtails and green eyes.
But it was the man in the center who caught Lioro’s attention.
Short in stature, with black hair and dull gray eyes surrounded by dark circles.
Levi Ackerman.
The strongest soldier.
Lioro smiled warmly.
“Hello, Fourth General.”
Everyone stared at him, confused.
Comments
Akgus
the devil was propaganda and the source of all life is what gives titans power it's psuedo-science not mystical unless your gonna change the entirety of aot canon
