The thick trees flit past at an incredible speed. Surprisingly there are no issues with balance even while standing. I think we are going something like 60 miles per hour right now.

Even with all that speed, the suspension is doing its job well.

If you can call giant spider legs attached to a carriage-like platform suspension.

Regardless, the speedy spider carriage golem I created is so incredibly stable! I am really impressed with myself this time. I wonder if I can make other improvements?

No wait, I was making weapons!

I stop myself from admiring the spider carriage and sit back down at the table and hold the little contraption I am working on out to the demon sitting across from me.

“Prim, can you hold this piece here while I merge the handle on?”

“Of course my lord!”

We spend the next few hours tinkering with the thing in silence. I had explained my thought process and created a few light diagrams, but I am no engineer. I went to college for biology and animal sciences so my ability to craft advanced weaponry is limited.

If you want to know how a mantis shrimp claw functions though I can write a whole essay on that.

Hmm, mantis shrimp golems. An interesting idea.

I keep staring out at the forest passing by, the darkly lit expanse of wood and brush as inviting as ever.

The golems I sent out are never going to catch up, are they?

At least the spider carriage is too fast for any monsters to chase for long. Though, said monsters often find themselves skewered by a leg and tossed into a random crate I set up before they can attempt to follow us.

The carriage skewers another monster. This one looks like a deer but with the head of a rhino. As it places the corpse into the basket, the whole carriage shakes for a moment.

“Shit, I should add more legs.” I whisper to myself as the balance returns.

I get distracted too easily. Nearly dropped the whole thing I was making, which would have sucked.

I would ask Alice to help but she is currently asleep with her head in my lap.

I reach down and stroke her long green hair as gently as I can.

It had been a long day, and her new body now needs a normal human amount of sleep. Before she was just resting her eyes but never really falling asleep due to her status as a mana lifeform. Now that she is a real girl she has to submit to the mortal necessities that the rest of us do.

“I wonder if her nose will grow when she lies?”

“My lord?”

“Never mind, just a dumb comparison. Anyway, I think it is time for a test run.”

I pick up the long barreled gun, feeling the soft wood and weighty metal in my hand, and aim it at the nearest tree.

I start to run my magic through it and prepare for the kick back.

Click.

And the metal just moves a tiny bit, not really doing anything.

“Shit. It didn’t work. I really wish I took more engineering classes back in college. I barely understand how something like this is supposed to work.”

Keeping our voices low to avoid waking the sleeping princess, I realized that testing a weapon right now might not be the best of ideas and put down the prototype.

Deciding that I need to find some way to occupy the time I try and strategize with Prim.

“Hey, Prim. Got any special demon talents? I honestly don’t know anything about how demons work. That shitty professor never gave me any details.”

Prim looks a bit whiplashed from the abrupt change in topic but takes it in stride.

“Hmmm. I believe I can command the Lesser Demons for you if that is what you mean.”

“Wait really?! Can you connect to all of them?” I try very hard not to let my shock move me as I whisper shout at the demon sitting across from me.

“I believe so, yes. There are 19 of them, correct?”

I nod my head rapidly.

“This is perfect! I shall name you my first demonic general.”

The demon girl perks up excitedly at that. I can see stars in her eyes at her new title. I really have to wonder how the demon personalities are constructed. With only a sample size of one I can’t make any real observations yet.

I get Prim to settle down after a few minutes. I hope the next Mid Demon I create is more serious. This one is rather peppy.

After testing the connection and having Prim give out a few commands, I have Prim start watching over the Lesser Demons immediately so she can get used to it. She should have my combat knowledge and experience commanding them, so I believe that everything will work out fine.

Sadly she can’t command the normal golems by themselves, but their programming to follow the orders of their demon leaders should still be in place. I am just concerned whether this game of command telephone will cause issues or not…

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“Say, you ate or absorbed that guy’s Mana Core right? Those things contain soul fragments, so I was wondering if you got anything else from that.”

I never got anything from absorbing them other than a power boost but since she got the magic from it, it would not be out of the question to see other benefits.

The demon girl, whose outfit has at some point changed to a maid outfit without my noticing, thinks things over for a while before answering.

“Well, looking through my mind I would say yes actually. I absorbed many of the man’s memories as well... It seems they were a Guild employee that was sent to watch over and protect you. Is that something you would be interested in hearing about my lord?”

I… Shit… I am at a loss of how to respond to that.

I was so angry at the time that I didn’t bother to check who the person might have been.

I can feel my thoughts darkening again when a hand reaches out to caress my face.

“Don’t worry Lua, we had to get rid of him either way. Otherwise we would not be able to contact Lucadon. If he saw us disappear or if Lucadon showed up, then your secret could have been exposed.”

The darkness fades while I let Alice’s words comfort me.

“Right… There was no other option. And all those humans were human supremacists. Well, not Agera, but… Ugh! I didn't have a choice, I didn’t have a choice….”

I forcefully shake my head to reset my brain.

“Ok, I am good now.” I say, not convincing anyone.

“Let’s just focus on what we have to do. Prim, can you go over everything you got out of the guy’s memories?” Alice helps move things along to prevent my dark thoughts from returning.

She is so kind.

My spiraling has been getting worse recently, I need to stay focused!

It turns out that the guild employee’s memories show he was a Class 3 mind mage serving directly under the vice-guildmaster.

“Damn, and when she was so nice to me too.”

Prim went on to explain many internal guild related things as well as some interesting information about The Dragon Empire.

It seems that the empire was planning to break from the human nation alliance in a few weeks from now.

“Shit. If I had just waited a bit longer then everything would be too chaotic for them to chase after me. Now that the divination lock is gone they must be rallying.”

While Prim continues to explain more about The Dragon Empire’s and The Guild’s plans, I get back to work on my weapon prototype. Hopefully I can expand my magic skills at the same time.

“Lua, what is that?”

Now awake, Alice seems rather interested in what I am making.

In my hand is a wooden handle connected to a three foot long rod of coiled metal. Inside the coil are two metal rails with another metal block in the center attached to the rails.

“For now, it is just an experiment. No idea if it will work though.”

I twist the coils more with my Golemancy and load a small bullet inside the chamber.

“You see, I remembered this cool sci-fi weapon from my life on earth. It used two big rails and strong magnetic currents to launch a projectile. Now, if I can replicate that effect with my golems and light magic, I believe I can make something rather dangerous.”

I had taken apart quite a few of the metal bits attached to the things I bought back in Carrion City in order to make this. Just a normal rail was not enough to work, but then I remembered how coils can be used to induce electromagnetic fields.

My magic control is not quite as refined as I would like so I thought of using a physical coil as a guide for now.

I am lucky that some of the equipment I bought had copper parts. At least, I think this is copper. It is orange so I deem it close enough.

I probably could have designed this after my first ascension but powering it would have been another issue altogether.

Reaching out with my mana I carve a durability rune into the bullet golem before aiming at a tree.

“Well, here goes nothing.”

I start running my light magic in a raw form through the coils and rails. I try pattern after pattern in an attempt to make the bullet move but get the feeling that I am being pushed back by something.

I vaguely remember something about a grand curse but decide to see if I can push past it.

Alice explained that it was made to prevent advanced technology or magical equivalents. However, I have always been good at breaking things and finding loopholes.

My whole existence is a series of loopholes at this point, so why not?

Torrents of mana flow around me as I inject Qi and Demonic Essence into the process to help me push even harder.

The bullet starts to slowly glide along the rail at which point I zero in on the right flow of power to get the results I want.

The pressure from the curse gets stronger and stronger. I can feel it pushing against all my strength, not allowing my creation to exist.

I double down and force out more power all at once until I feel the sensation of shattering glass throughout my body.

The magnetic currents, suddenly unhindered, burst through all at once. The golem bullet launches at an incredible speed. Even with my enhanced vision and thinking speed from Magic, Qi, and multiple ascensions, I can not trace the path of the projectile!

One moment it is there and the next there is a loud explosion as the bullet pierces through an entire spirit tree. A massive crater and an explosion of splinters left in its wake.

“Huh, I guess the railgun works.”

Alice and Prim stare at the damaged tree, mouths agape. Even as the tree heals itself they never stop looking back and forth between the gun and the hole.

“I wonder what I could do if I made a bigger one.”

Alice glares a bit at me for my casual statement.

“What? A giant golem railgun seems like a great idea to me. We might even be able to hunt dragons with one.” I mutter the last part under my breath.

The glare from Alice intensifies.

Looking down to ignore the glare and admire my creation I try and think back to what that shattering sensation was.

Did I break that grand curse?

No, that thing was something that even The System Creator couldn’t touch according to Alice.

In fact it was created with the explicit purpose of stopping The System Creator from doing something.

But I know I pushed past it, so what was that?

Suddenly a black and red screen fills my vision.

Unlocked Demon Lord’s Protection

High Curse Resistance

Unavailable

Unavailable

..

.

What?