I casually lean back in the little chair I created as I hear the crunch of the brush beneath me. I grin to myself at the relaxing atmosphere as I travel through the forest.

“Stop being so smug. You should have thought of this ages ago.”

My grin lessens a bit as the little wooden fairy sitting in my lap reprimands me.

We have been moving through the second ring for about a week now and I recently had a genius idea. Horse golem! I can now travel through the forest in style while working on training my magic instead. My little army of Demon Monkey Golems going out on the hunt and protecting us.

I had wanted to make some demons for a while now but Lucadon kept stopping me, apparently a Class 1 demon is kind of worthless.

Demon Larva they are called. Looking like nothing more than a black etherial slime and unable to do much in the way of damage. Now however I am Class 2, which lets me make Lesser Demons.

Right after we were dropped into the second ring I went and created one. Doing so took a lot out of me though so I can’t do it more than once per day it seems. Rather than using mana, it seems that my soul thread shed some kind of substance which then gathered the surrounding mana to create a black ghostly imp.

Small sharp claws that seem to border the line between physical and immaterial. About a foot tall with its black fire-like body swaying a bit in the flow of mana. Its dull red eyes just barely containing any sentience.

I have been making a new one every day, but that slowed our progress due to the exhaustion I felt after making one. Due to this I started wishing I had a car or something just to make my life easier. It was that thought that led me to using one of our Class 2 cores to make a horse golem. I even made a back rest on the saddle for comfort.

The whole thing is made from a large branch we found yesterday after killing some kind of giant bird. A fight that was much easier than I expected once I put the DMGs as I like to call them to work.

Demons are apparently stronger when possessing a physical body, especially something with a mana core. Normally a demon would have to possess something weaker than its ethereal form which in turn would mean it can’t access its full power. However my monkey golems won't fight back against the demons possessing them which lets me get the most out of their capabilities.

I currently have seven DMGs and a bunch of regular monkey golems supporting them. My evil army is already starting to take shape! Now I just need a spooky black castle on a structurally unsound cliff and I will be set for the whole Demon Lord image.

As I muse to myself about how my Title is finally becoming useful, I notice a dot of light appearing in my vision. Looking over the heads up display I had been working on for the last week I see a presence moving towards us.

I immediately stiffen and inform Alice of what is coming while making preparations.

[ Alice, we have a group of Class 3s coming our way. Three total, traveling rather quickly through the forest. ]

Sending the message to appear in her vision she nods her head and disappears from sight. Well, a normal person's sight as she is just letting visible light flow through her. One of the few spells I carved into her wooden body before we ascended.

I had also improved upon the spell now that I am Class 2 and applied it to all of my golems. Ordering all my golems to become invisible I have the horse golem shift into a more combat focused mode.

Sitting on the now spike covered wooden horse I get in a defensive formation with the golems.

I can feel myself sweating. I have faced Class 2 and technically Class 3 beings while at Class 1 but that protector kill in the temple was more of a fluke than anything. And Class 2 beings don’t get the same benefits that Class 3 ones do. The difference is like night and day when you look at how the body attunes to its magic.

A Class 1 has no physical attunement to their magic. Class 2 just makes a few modifications to the body to help their magic flow better within them, they in essence have not changed from what they originally were. Class 3 is different however. When someone reaches Class 3 they evolve. Their body now, in part, magic itself.

This evolution comes with a strong resistance to magic now applied to their bodies as well as incredible physical enhancement. I don’t like my odds against three evolved individuals all at once.

The dots on my map get closer and closer while I ready my spear. Just as I am about to fire a blast of light I notice that the individuals in question are human. Or were human before their evolutions.

The three people all come to a stop right as they notice me sitting atop my war horse. We just stare at each other, them in shock and wariness, myself in cold calculation.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

I can see a single man and two women flanking him from both sides. The man has golden hair and eyes, his body is covered in a turquoise green metal that I immediately identify as mithril. His gauntlets have large spikes on them with blood dripping off them from whatever he had recently killed. A brawler then, likely a Qi user if he is physically based.

Of the two women behind him there is a short girl with long flowing blonde hair that moves despite the lack of wind in the forest right now. Swirling patterns cover her skin with a compound bow in her hands, a quiver on her back, and a sickle and chain type weapon on her hip.

Her face is one that is rather serious but lacking a bit in emotion, looking at me with the same calculative look I am.

The second of the two is a taller but more expressive woman with short black hair and wispy black flames coming from her eyes. What I had thought were gloves at first seem to be shadows moving around, covering most of her arms.

I am not sure what the first woman's magic might be but I am guessing that the second’s is some kind of dark magic.

Our staring contest continues until the tall golden brawler breaks the silence.

“Greetings. My name is Helimos, The Fist of Justice! young one, are you lost? A child like yourself should not be alone in these woods. My party and I would be happy to help you find your parents!”

Yeah, I already don’t like this guy. Everyone reacts differently to gaining power, some become villains thinking that they can take anything they want now, others take pride in their strength and try to help others. Then there are idiots like this, people who believe they are chosen heroes and try to save the world. Such people always end up dead.

I can tell just from the tone of his voice that he truly believes I am nothing more than a child he should be swooping down to save. A child who will run crying to him thanking him for being my savior.

I feel the urge to rain on his parade as hard as I can.

“My mother stabbed me in the gut on my birthday and my father dumped my bloody body in this shitty forest, leaving me for dead.”

Silence hangs over the group after that rather blunt bomb I just dropped. However things don’t go as I had hoped.

Now the whole trio is looking at me like I am a wounded puppy that needs a hug. Especially the taller woman with the black flames wisping off of her, I feel an overwhelmingly warm and motherly feeling radiating off of her. It is like they have totally forgotten that I am currently riding on a horse golem covered in giant spikes…

“Oh you poor thing! Come here, we will protect you!”

The black haired woman rushes over to me at a terrifying speed, reaching over to pick me off my horse and hug me. I don’t let her though and point my spear right at her face.

“I don’t know you, don’t come any closer.”

She does not seem to care, pausing only for a moment before she pushes the spear to the side faster than I can react and plucking me from my mount.

I suddenly find myself wrapped in her arms pressed into her rather ample chest. I find myself relaxing for a moment, dirty thoughts on my mind. However I snap out of it and try to think of a way out of this situation.

I can’t just say I am doing perfectly fine after my sob story got them all protective like this. I need something to get her off of me and I can’t go using my light magic because I really don’t know these people. I still don’t know why my parents killed me for having light magic but I know it is safest to not let anyone know I have it for now.

It is that thought that gives me an idea of what to say.

“Let go of me! How do I know you were not sent by my parents to finish the job? I will fight to the death unless you let go now!”

I reshape my spear around to point right at her eyes and have my war horse get ready to attack.

The woman finally realizes what is going on and carefully places me on the ground with her hands in the air.

I keep my spear pointed at her as I back away.

“Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself. I promise we were not sent here for you. Here, see.” She says, quickly pulling out a small golden shield from her hip and pouring mana into it. “We are gold ranked adventurers in good standing.”

I glare at her and the shield in her hand. On it appears her name, her Class, her magic, and her reputation level.

Rose Ashfort, Class 3, Shadow Magic, 4.5 Stars

“I promise you can’t fake these because of the magic the Guild uses. Please trust us. We can keep you safe.”

I already know that Guild badges can’t be faked, that is not what is important. She is a noble considering she has a last name, and that could mean trouble if she is from my kingdom.

“I can keep myself safe enough, I have been living in this forest for months just fine.”

That gets a very shocked look across their faces as I feel a pulse of mana from each of the two girls and Qi from the man. They are identifying me, good thing I made a dummy connection to The System or they might have been compelled to attack me.

“You are Class 2?! But you are so young!”

They all shout in sync. Which is weird and impressive at the same time.

“Like I said, I can take care of myself. Now what kingdom do you come from, Lady Ashfort? I can’t trust a noble I have never heard of.”

That has her stuttering, the whole rest of her party is still remaining in the back. Apparently deciding to let the most motherly of their group deal with me.

“I-I am from the Tuskan Kingdom. But! I have abandoned my family and noble lineage so please do not judge me based on the sins of my kingdom.”

That has me narrowing my eyes further. Ignoring the pleading look on the woman's face as she tries to win me over, I remember everything I can about the Tuskan Kingdom.

The kingdom is well known for its greed and crime, They have invaded and betrayed kingdoms many times in the past garnering a terrible reputation. Their nobility being just as arrogant and cruel.

The fact that she is claiming to have abandoned her family name could mean many things. I would assume it was a trick to lure me in, but the woman could easily have killed me already when she had ahold of me.

I don’t really care about her circumstances though, I just need an excuse to part ways with this group. And this is a perfect one.

“I see no reason to trust you. Your kingdom has always been after my own. I will find my own way back.”

The woman’s face falls as she hears me say that. Sadly the wannabe hero takes that moment to step in.

“Come now, we are a party well known for their duty to justice! You are not safe here if what you have said is true. We shall escort you back to civilization. We are currently based out of the Dragon Empire, which is quite safe I can promise you that.”

That has me raising an eyebrow. The Dragon Empire is a vast nation that borders a substantial amount of The Sea of Trees. Known for its advanced technology and superior might. It would be a really nice place to visit, but a foreign noble kid like me appearing from the forest with no money would find it difficult to get in.

These people are incredibly pushy and overbearing but they are not bad people from what I can see.

I really don’t want to go along with them but I am thinking it might be my only choice now. I just want out of this damn forest. I can ditch them once I get inside the city.

Sighing very audibly I keep my spear up but more relaxed.

“Fine, I will go with you to the Empire. But I have conditions.”

I am already exhausted just from dealing with these people, I need rules in place for my own sanity if I am going to travel with them.

Perking up the woman before me smiles broadly and nods her head.

“Of course! I promise we will keep you safe!”

I am probably going to regret this.