Ignoring the unconscious, butt-naked man foaming at the mouth behind him, Karl looked curiously at the rusted dagger in his hand.
He had stumbled upon an interesting discovery after touching the weapon.
[Touched weapon · Dagger — Acquired basic occupation information: Thief.]
『Would you like to acquire the basic job "Thief"?』
It seemed he could also obtain professions from weapons.
"No."
Saying it plainly, Karl placed the dagger inside one of his empty prop boxes, then looked at the 50 copper coins and 2 silver coins he had just legitimately earned.
In this world, the currency consisted of copper, silver, gold, and platinum coins.
1 silver = 13 coppers
1 gold = 1,300 coppers
1 platinum = 13,000 coppers
So, he had earned a total of 5.8 silver coins.
The monthly expense of a family of four was roughly one gold coin.
'What a poor bastard,' Karl thought as he placed the man's clothes into his prop box.
Walking out of the alley, he took the familiar route back home, his mind drifting with various thoughts.
'Since Ninya hasn't become an adventurer yet and Tsuareninya Beiron hasn't been forced into prostitution, it should be about one or two years before the Great Tomb arrives in this world.'
The noble had already begun eyeing his eldest sister, so everything that followed should happen within two years.
That raised a very important question.
'How will Ainz treat another traveler in the New World?'
He stopped walking, carefully recalling Ainz's attitude toward the world's inhabitants.
In the end, for the Bone King, everything came down to one thing—
The Great Tomb of Nazarick.
As long as its safety and interests were secured, Ainz could actually be a pretty chill guy… if you ignored his paranoia.
This was especially evident in an alternate version of Overlord, where Ainz alone arrived in the New World a hundred years earlier, without Nazarick. In that version, he became friends with Evileye—the princess of the fallen kingdom—and roamed the world as an adventurer.
'Even if I reach Level 100, the chances of beating the Great Tomb are close to none.'
Not only were their numbers overwhelming, but their equipment was max level—something he could only hope to obtain by raiding the Dragon Lords or the Slane Theocracy, where the previous players (the so-called "Old Gods") once ruled.
It would be like an extremely poor Level 100 player going up against a pay-to-win Level 100 backed by one of the largest guilds in the server—armed with world items and absurd props like Wish Upon a Star.
'I don't really have any negative or positive feelings about Ainz or what Nazarick did.'
He didn't want to be their enemy or their ally.
They could rule the world for all he cared—
As long as that disgusting torturer, Neuronist, stayed far away from him!
That thing was revolting.
'It'll be a problem if Ainz sees me as a threat… though depending on the situation, we might end up as friends.'
Karl frowned. Ainz's attitude would really depend on the circumstances—it was hard to predict in advance.
'If things don't work out, I'll just leave.'
The Dimensional Traveler class—
a special job unique to him—
was his biggest safety net.
It came with an incredible ability: world travel.
The only cost was five levels.
Honestly, that seemed like a fair deal.
After walking for a while, Karl arrived before a familiar wooden house—his home in this world.
It was a modest cottage in a quiet rural settlement called Elbeth, located on the outskirts of E-Rantel within the Re-Estize Kingdom.
Because of its remote location and lack of defenses, Elbeth was vulnerable to bandits and corrupt nobles who could act without consequence.
As he approached the door, Karl noticed it was slightly open.
Raising his hand, he pushed it gently and stepped inside. The house was dimly lit.
Sniff...
Hearing a muffled sound, Karl followed it. His gaze landed on the trembling back of a familiar figure.
Seeing her shoulders shake, he blinked and quietly approached, retracting the Six Eyes—his hair turning brown again.
Sniff...
He reached out and gently patted her shoulder.
"W-who!"
Like a startled cat, Tsuareninya jumped, spinning around with wide eyes before realizing who it was.
"K-Karl?"
Her confusion quickly turned to anger.
"You brat! What was that for?!"
Raising her hand, she brought it down on his head in a light karate chop.
It didn't hurt, but Karl still rubbed his head dramatically, pretending it did.
Seeing his reaction, Tsuareninya's expression softened. She reached out and gently stroked his hair, her voice tinged with guilt.
"I'm sorry, Karl…"
Karl's gaze fell on her tear-streaked cheeks. It was clear she had been crying for some time.
Without saying a word, Tsuareninya suddenly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug.
Feeling her warmth, Karl froze, unsure of how to react.
She didn't say anything—just held him tighter, as if trying to find comfort in his presence.
The two sisters, Ninya and Tsuareninya, had lived harsh lives. Born into a poor farming family, their parents died young, leaving them and their little brother behind.
They had been too young to understand what it meant to survive alone. Thankfully, their uncle's nearby family helped them through those difficult years, which was the only reason they were still alive.
But recently, things had worsened.
Bandits roamed freely, and corrupt nobles acted unchecked.
The man Karl robbed earlier had been one of those outsiders.
Seeing that Tsuareninya wasn't letting go, Karl spoke softly.
"...Was it the aristocrat?"
Her body stiffened. She quickly pulled back and grabbed his shoulders, eyes filled with worry.
"Where did you hear that, Karl? Did someone say something?"
'They tried to keep it secret from their younger brother… not to worry him since he's still a kid.'
It was understandable.
But Karl wanted to tell her that the original owner of this body wasn't as naive as she thought.
Thanks to his inherited memories, he had already figured out that something was off with the noble who kept visiting lately.
Even a child could sense it.
Seeing her dark expression, Karl thought for a moment.
Then, deciding to take advantage of his youthful image, he reached out and pinched her cheeks.
"Wha—?!"
Tsuareninya froze in shock.
Not waiting for her reaction, Karl released her and darted toward the door.
"I'm going out to play! Bye!"
For a few seconds, Tsuareninya stared blankly at the empty doorway. Then her face twisted in mock anger.
"That brat! You dare tease your elder sister?!"
She waved her fists in the air as if imagining hitting a certain smug child.
A few moments later, her energy faded. She hugged her knees and whispered softly—
"What should I do…?"
Outside, Karl was already running toward his uncle's house.
Spotting a familiar figure carrying farming tools, he sprinted over.
"Oh! Karl?"
Seeing him, the middle-aged man smiled warmly. Setting his tools down, he rubbed the boy's head with his rough, calloused hands.
Edric was a simple man—neither tall nor imposing, but solidly built from years in the fields. His brown hair had begun to gray at the temples, and his sun-worn face carried the calm of an honest life.
A true farmer.
Looking into his uncle's sincere eyes, Karl confirmed his earlier assumption.
The couple's kindness wasn't only because they were family.
They had no children of their own—
or perhaps they couldn't have any.
That might be why they cared so deeply for Karl and his sisters.
But this wasn't the time for family thoughts.
"Uncle, did you see a rich-looking man with a bodyguard walking around?"
"A rich-looking man…?"
Edric frowned, recalling someone who matched that description.
A bad premonition struck him.
"Karl, tell me—did that man visit your home?"
It had only been a few days since the noble began pestering his sister.
Since Edric and his wife spent their days at the farm, they only knew what the villagers whispered.
And knowing his sisters, they wouldn't have told him either.
"Can you tell me where they went?"
Karl ignored the question and went straight to the point.
"Direction?"
Edric blinked, then rubbed his chin and pointed left.
"I think they went that wa—"
"Thanks, Uncle! Bye!"
Before Edric could react, Karl dashed off.
"Hey! Wait!"
Shouting, Edric tried to chase him—but then froze in shock.
'When did Karl get so fast?!'
Watching his nephew vanish into the distance, his jaw dropped.
Using Gojo's experience, Karl channeled cursed energy through his legs, instantly boosting his speed.
His hair turned white as Six Eyes activated, reducing his mana consumption to nearly zero.
Scanning his surroundings, he swiftly reached the edge of the village.
There, his eyes fixed on a soldier standing guard outside a wooden house.
The man wore standard light armor and had a sword on his waist.
Spotting Karl, the guard frowned and waved dismissively.
"Go away, kid. Nothing for you to see here."
Karl stopped. From inside, he could hear muffled noises—someone struggling.
Exhaling quietly, he glanced around.
No one was nearby.
Raising his hand, several orbs of cursed energy materialized above his palm.
The guard froze, his expression shifting from annoyance to confusion.
"What the—?"
A second later, the orbs shot forward.
The man tried to dodge, but they tracked him, piercing through his arms and legs.
Blood splattered across the dirt as he screamed in agony.
"ARGHH—!"
Before he could finish, Karl appeared before him and punched him squarely in the face.
His nose broke instantly, and the guard collapsed, unconscious.
Karl glanced at the limp body, then turned toward the closed wooden door.
"Guard?"
A confused voice came from inside.
Karl lifted his leg and kicked the door open.
Ignoring the loud bang, his gaze locked on the scene inside—
A naked, skinny man was straddling a woman, yanking her hair cruelly.
Her eyes were vacant, lifeless.
Karl recognized her face immediately.
'The baker's wife... she gave the original me free bread once.'
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
'Looks like it's time to return the favor.'