"Sir Garren, let’s go to the wilderness!" Leo said, his voice full of excitement. He had long been curious about the wilderness that stretched ominously around the kingdom. He wouldn’t have dared venture there in the past, but now things were different. With over a hundred Super Rank knights hidden within the mirror's inner space and a wealth of skills at his command, he was confident that even an Ultimate Knight would struggle to kill him in one move. Of course, if he were to face an Ultimate Rank—whether human or beast—he might just be able to escape. As for whether the hundred Super Rank knights in the mirror space, combined with his skills, would be enough to defeat an Ultimate Rank... he truly had no idea.

"Shall I carry you, Sir?" Sir Garren asked, uncertain.

"Yes, it would take far too long if I walked on foot!" Leo replied. He had already stabilized the kingdom’s affairs and wasn’t worried about leaving Edith in charge for a while. Just to be safe, he summoned a few Heavenly Rank knights to stay behind and guard his family. Additionally, an Ultra Rank knight, a Mythic Rank knight, and a Legendary Rank knight remained in the city, ensuring his loved ones’ safety was in capable hands. With these precautions, he had no concerns about their protection.

Sir Garren stepped forward, embraced Leo, and launched them high into the sky with a mighty leap.

...

The wilderness was an endless sea of towering trees, home to countless fierce beasts. Yet, curiously, none of these creatures ever crossed into human territory.

"Why don’t they? It’s so strange!" Leo mused aloud as he stood deep within the wilderness. Over the past few hours, they had encountered countless monsters, many of Silver Rank and even some of Golden Rank. Leo thought that if the monsters truly wished to, human defenses would be entirely insufficient. Leo himself had little to fear with the powerful Sir Garren by his side.

"Tell me, why don’t you beasts invade human lands?" Leo asked a Heavenly-ranked parrot, a creature with enough intelligence to understand human language.

The parrot, trembling under the oppressive weight of Sir Garren's aura, didn’t dare to show any disrespect. "The Great Demon King has forbidden us from entering," it squawked, its voice strained. "No beast with his bloodline may cross the line! Great human, please have mercy!"

"Who is this Great Demon King?" Leo asked, intrigued.

"He rules this entire region. All beasts here carry his bloodline. He is a dragon of Ultra Rank!" the parrot answered.

"Ultra Rank? Tell me more about the ranks among beasts. Are you beasts well-organized?" Leo inquired, his curiosity piqued.

"There are five ranks among us," the parrot explained. "First are Demon Beasts of Legendary Rank, then Demon Masters of Mythic Rank, Demon Kings of Ultra Rank, Demon Emperors of Super Rank, and, at the peak, Demon Gods of Ultimate Rank. For us lower beasts, even glimpsing a Demon King is a rare honor. I’ve lived for five thousand years and have never seen our king. The highest-ranking demon I’ve encountered is my local Demon Master, who leads the wilderness here."

The parrot, fully compliant under Sir Garren's menacing aura, continued, "We are well-organized. Demons—beasts of Legendary Rank and above—each govern their territories. Demon Beasts are the lowest rank among demons, and they control regions roughly half the size of human territory. Above them are Demon Masters, whose domains are a hundred times larger. As for the territory of a Demon King… I have no idea!"

"And where is your Demon Master?" Leo asked, a plan forming. "My friend here is a Super Rank human, so I have no concerns. Help me out, and I might even take you as a pet."

“Super Rank? As powerful as a Demon Emperor!” It thought, casting another glance at Sir Garren. A deep chill ran through its body; the gap in power between them was so immense that merely witnessing such a being felt like an achievement of a lifetime.

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The parrot hesitated momentarily, its eyes wide, before nodding in compliance. Becoming the pet of a human with the power to command a Super Rank knight was unimaginable; any beast would seize such an opportunity. Servitude to a Super Rank would be a remarkable privilege for a beast.

“Master, we should head northwest! Please, allow me to guide you!” the parrot chirped, already addressing Leo as “Master.”

“Sir Garren, release it,” Leo instructed. Sir Garren obliged, and the parrot began flying low, leading the way.

Though the parrot was of Heavenly Rank, its body was no larger than a chicken, so it couldn’t carry Leo. Nevertheless, it darted confidently ahead, guiding them toward their destination.

...

Born a pure tiger, Karandor had received a blessing of dragon blood from his Demon King while still young, elevating him to a loyal servant in his king’s domain. As a Demon Master of Mythic Rank, he was both physically formidable and highly skilled in spellcasting. Few beings in the world could threaten him.

But then… “Hmm?” Karandor’s massive, hundred-meter-long frame tensed as a chill swept over him. He sensed an aura so overpowering that it was almost paralyzing, an aura beyond anything he’d encountered. Even his Demon King couldn’t exude such terrifying energy.

“Super…” he murmured, shuddering. Though he had never met a Demon Emperor, he recognized that this aura was far beyond an Ultra’s. It felt as if his very soul were being crushed from a distance. As a mythic-ranked being, he was 'only' two realms below a Super, but the gap was like heaven and earth. Not even a hundred Demon Kings could rival even the weakest Demon Emperor, let alone him, a mere mid-ranked Demon Master.

He dared not move. Attempting to flee might attract unwanted attention from this terrifying entity. Instead, he respectfully lowered his head, hoping the Super Rank would pass by.

But fate had other plans; the aura grew closer. Either this powerful being was headed directly for him, or he was merely unlucky enough to lie in its path.

...

“Such a beautiful tiger!” Leo exclaimed as he laid eyes on the enormous beast before him. Even after over ten years in this fantasy world, he’d never encountered a magical creature so grand up close.

Karandor, seasoned by centuries and well-versed in human language, heard and understood Leo’s words. Yet he remained silent, his gaze locked on the true source of his fear: the Super Rank knight standing just behind Leo.

“Big tiger, what’s your name?” Leo asked. He felt no fear; in a one-on-one fight, this tiger could likely kill him without much effort. But with Sir Garren—and over a hundred other copies of him in the mirror’s space—Leo was confident. Only another Super Rank might make him cautious, and against an Ultimate, he’d be lucky just to escape.

"Great human, I am named Karandor!" the tiger responded respectfully. Although the human addressing him was weak, the Super Rank knight standing behind him was a different matter entirely. As a Demon Master, Karandor possessed the intelligence to curb his wild instincts; he wouldn’t risk a fight with a being two full realms above him.

“Are you willing to be my mount?” Leo asked, growing weary of being carried around by Sir Garren. The prospect of riding a mountain-sized tiger was far more appealing.

Karandor hesitated. As a proud tiger, the thought of serving as a mount for a weaker human was humiliating, but under the cold gaze of the Super Rank knight, he felt his options shrink. “Of course, great human,” he replied, suppressing his pride.

Leo grinned at the response. He had expected these beasts to be wild and reckless, but he’d been pleasantly surprised. While lower-ranking beasts in Silver or Golden ranks had attacked without a second thought, the Heavenly Rank and above beasts he’d encountered were remarkably intelligent and cautious—behaving much like humans.

“The differences between species grow smaller with rank,” Leo mused. “Mortal humans and beasts are worlds apart, but by Super Rank, there’s little difference aside from physical form. And even that can likely be altered at those levels.”

Climbing onto Karandor’s massive back, Leo called out, “Sir Garren, come up here too!”

The parrot, who had been fluttering nearby, piped up, “What about me, Master?” It looked anxious, hoping not to be left behind.

“Come sit on my shoulder,” Leo said with a smile. The parrot, about the size of a chicken, flew over happily and perched on his shoulder.

“Hey, why are you so heavy?” Leo grunted, surprised at the unexpected weight. If not for his enhanced physical strength, he’d have been crushed.

“Master, I am quite fit for my rank!” the parrot protested, genuinely baffled. From its perspective, it was slim and trim, certainly not overweight.

“Alright, get down. Maybe I can find a spell to reduce your weight later. For now, no sitting on my shoulder!” Leo ordered. The parrot sighed but obediently fluttered down, visibly disappointed.

“Big tiger,” Leo said, patting Karandor’s massive shoulder, “you’re a native of this region. Show us the natural wonders, anything interesting or worth seeing!”

“Yes, great human!” Karandor replied with a bow of his mighty head, ready to lead them through the wonders of his territory.