Traveling as a group. Jessica sat outside with Dayo. As the creature pulling the carriage was a maleficent horse, Jessica could do nothing but enjoy the scenery.

As a Grade C horse. The maleficent horse was much the same as a normal horse. From a normal standpoint, unless the horse was observed closely, it would be difficult to tell them apart.

From a closer view, the difference was like night and day. A graded horse was similar to a person. While not as intelligent, they came in all types and sizes. As a beast, the graded variety were a bit more cautious by nature to normal counterparts.

Once broken in, a graded horse was very similar, albeit, being a mirror in their treatment. If they were well treated, they were loyal to their caregivers. A maleficent horse was what one would expect from an owner who was neglecting and even abusive.

This wasn’t to say that they would bite the hand that fed them. But a maleficent horse would not allow for anyone inferior to it to get close to it.

They had a prickly aspect to their mana that made it difficult to even approach. If Jessica was timid and came anywhere near it, it was possible for the horse to attack her, even with Dayo close by.

All this aggression did have positives. Its stamina and workload it could produce was well above another type of horse of the same grade.

“What exactly produces a maleficent horse?” Jessica couldn’t help but cut Dayo off. They had been moving for days now. He had still not stopped bragging about the horse, therefore, she thought she should at least explain something she might find useful.

Glancing at the black horse in front of them, Dayo paused before speaking, “We don’t know. In terms of horse species, it is possible for any kind. Though, like Billy here, the chance seems to increase if you dirty the bloodlines.”

“Dirty the bloodline?” Jessica found this to be a strange way of saying it.

“Depending on who you’re talking to, that is exactly what they call it. Some like to care about purity. However, I care more about ability. Billy has mix blood ancestors, going back as far as I bothered to look. By the time, I came across him, he had already become a maleficent horse.”

“Is that why you bought him?”

“Yes, they’re notorious for being some of the hardest horses to tame. How could I turn down the challenge.” A smile was plastered on his face.

Jessica had nothing to say to that. Cassie allowed him free rain. It was entirely why someone of his level of talent worked for Cassie. Granted, his talent wasn’t as wide known until after he was given access to her funds.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

As someone with a hidden identity, her only known redeeming quality to the public is her money. Outside the authority and status of her mother. So for someone like Dayo who was considered half insane when it came to animals, it was a perfect fit.

She didn’t stop him from experimenting. Attempting to tame and raise animals in strange ways. But, one thing she had seen, regardless of what type of absurdity he brought back.

The majority of them successfully became tamed. Showing as much affection and care towards Dayo that he had shown them. Cassie even said that her mother had tried to win him over, but he refused her.

In between the praising for the horse. He would think of common animals and beasts that would be found inside the first layer of the forbidden zone.

Even with the maleficent horse, their journey continued on for over a month. When they came across someone else. The bright red 12 written on the carriage with the insignia of the Adventurer’s Guild, everyone to not dare come near.

Thus, they traveled as Dayo held his head up high, as if to mimic him, the horse arrogantly looked up. Jessica with her head down wondered if the horse would end up tripping because of it.

The horse never tripped, and Jessica took in as much as she could from Dayo. When the day they arrived came, the carriage stopped a distance away. As their group disembarked, Dayo took Billy and raced into the forbidden zone to check out his hunting grounds.

Before leaving, Cassie spoke to Jessica, “Go familiarize yourself for a few days. Once it's time, we will come find you and start your training. For now, stay in the first layer.”

Jessica could only watch helplessly as the large carriage disappeared into a ball of light that disappeared as it approached Helga. Having no idea what she did, Jessica could only make blind guesses.

Grabbing her by the waist, Helga took a step as the two disappeared. Their whole image of doting mother and non-graded child, looked very convincing. Not dropping the act, even though there was nobody here. This is what made her identity so deeply hidden. Feeling very natural.

Looking in front of her, there was a treeline similar to what she had seen back when she arrived at the east forbidden zone. Only that was a small one that looked artificial to this.

Here, the treeline was much more in terms of a natural forest. If there was something off about it, it was that the forest was darker than it should have been. Standing outside looked as it should, the sun was high in the sky shining down spreading its warmth.

Inside was a different picture. The trees were even spaced. Their foliage could shade the trunk, but there wasn’t enough trees to blanket the sky. Which drew the question, what was.

Having been hearing about it, she already knew that the mana in this forbidden zone was different from the east. Here the natural layers had remained for a very long time. Nobody had broken up the forbidden zone, causing it to have a different atmosphere.

From before and after, countless corpses of beings from people to animals. Even legendary beings and animals that were thought to or are now lost. Having their bones hidden beneath the ground, sitting soundlessly waiting to be discovered as a nameless being.

Being so ancient, the very atmosphere had changed as the forest fed on the corpses of countless beings. To the point that inside and outside were two different worlds. Being here in person, she finally understood these words she had heard many times before.