Forbidden: Max level warrior

The road to Feldrath stretched out like a ribbon of dirt and dust, cutting through the forest and curving toward the hazy mountains beyond. Ann walked calmly at its center, his black coat flowing in the breeze like a banner of war. Beside him, Lilly trotted to keep pace, occasionally glancing sideways as if unsure whether to look at him or worship him.

They hadn't spoken much since leaving the forest. Not because of tension—more like awkward awe. Ann had just manipulated the skies, fly above them all, and terrified three grown men into near-religious submission. Lilly probably thought he was one fireball away from becoming a walking apocalypse.

He wasn't sure she was wrong.

"So…" she ventured, breaking the silence with cautious curiosity. "What… exactly are you?"

Ann paused mid-step. "That's a loaded question."

She tilted her head. "You said Demon Lord of Infinity, but that's not… that's not a normal title, is it?"

"Nope." He resumed walking, hands behind his head. "Made it myself."

"You made your own title?"

"Well, kind of. It's complicated. Back where I come from, I built my character over five years. I maxed out every stat, cleared every dungeon, unlocked every secret item—basically became the final boss and the cheat code rolled into one."

Lilly blinked. "You sound… proud."

"Of course I'm proud! Do you know how many all-nighters I pulled just to farm for the Ring of Orion? Some bosses had a 0.001% drop rate! And don't get me started on permadeath mode. That hell was optional."

She blinked again.

"Sorry," he added sheepishly. "None of that probably makes sense in this world."

"No," she admitted. "But I think I understand the important part—you earned everything."

Ann glanced sideways. Her tone wasn't sarcastic. It wasn't even amazed. Just… respectful.

He didn't expect that.

A moment later, her stomach growled.

They both stopped. Ann looked at her. She blushed furiously.

"I—I'm fine," she said quickly. "Just tired. I can go a little longer—"

He raised a hand. "You're hungry. Say no more."

He opened the system interface with a thought and navigated to the System Shop.

Let's see… food… food… hmm… ah.

He tapped a button, and with a soft shimmer of light, a wooden table appeared in front of them—complete with roasted meat, steaming rice, baked bread, fruit, and even chilled juice in glass goblets.

Lilly's jaw dropped.

"You… summoned a feast."

"I could summon a castle if I wanted," he said casually. "This is just lunch."

She approached the table like it might vanish. "Is this safe to eat?"

"Perfectly," he replied, already cutting into a slice of roasted boar. "Crafted by the system. Nourishing, delicious, and zero risk of food poisoning. Enjoy."

They sat together beneath a tree and ate in silence. For a moment, Ann felt almost… normal. The breeze, the birds, the sun—it all felt real. Not like a game. Not like a power fantasy.

Just… life.

He took a long sip from the goblet, then glanced at Lilly. "So what's your story, anyway?"

She looked up, surprised. "Mine?"

"Yeah. I get it—you ran from the village, were nearly sold off, got rescued by yours truly. But what about before that?"

Lilly looked down at her plate, pushing a piece of fruit with her fork. "I was just… a common villager. Nothing special. My parents died when I was little, and the village raised me. But they treated me like property. Like something to trade when the harvest was bad or the taxes too high."

Ann's jaw tightened.

"I tried to escape before," she said softly. "Once. They caught me. Said if I tried again, they'd burn my legs so I couldn't run."

Ann clenched his fists under the table. The ring on his finger glowed faintly, responding to his pulse.

"You're not going back," he said, voice low but firm. "Ever."

Lilly looked at him, eyes wide. Then, slowly, she smiled. Not the awkward, hesitant one from earlier—but something warmer. Real.

"Thank you."

Ann gave her a small nod, then leaned back against the tree. The sun filtered through the canopy above, painting dappled patterns on the forest floor. For the first time since arriving in this world, he let himself relax.

But it didn't last.

A sharp sensation flickered at the edge of his perception—like a sliver of glass pressed against his temple. It wasn't pain, but… a tug. A pull. Something was brushing against his awareness.

He frowned and sat up.

"What is it?" Lilly asked, seeing his expression change.

Ann narrowed his eyes, scanning the empty path ahead. "Something's wrong. I feel... watched."

He wasn't imagining it. The sensation was real. Not visual or audible, but magical. Someone—something—was trying to observe him. Not through eyes, but through magical scrying.

Amateurs.

He concentrated and reached out with his own mana. A soft pulse of power radiated from him, spreading across the landscape like ripples in water. He found the thread—thin, slippery, but unmistakable. A remote divination spell. Someone far away was casting a vision probe… likely from a city, or an arcane tower.

He snapped his fingers.

The air around him shimmered.

In the distant capital of the Scarlet-Flame Kingdom, three scrying crystals exploded simultaneously, sending backlashes of mana into the hands of the robed mages who had tried to peek in.

Back in the forest, Ann's lips curved into a smug grin.

"You okay?" Lilly asked.

He turned to her. "Yeah. Just returned a favor to a few nosy mages. They'll be nursing burns for a few days."

She didn't fully understand what that meant, but the confidence in his tone reassured her. Ann stood, brushing his coat off. "Change of plans. We're skipping the long walk."

Lilly blinked. "What do you mean?"

He raised his hand and traced a glowing symbol in the air—an intricate ring of runes and interlocking geometry. The forest dimmed as mana gathered in swirling patterns, responding eagerly to his will.

"This world might be different," he said, eyes glowing faintly, "but magic still obeys power. And I've got a lot of it."

A bright circle of light flared beneath their feet—an arcane teleportation array, elegant and ancient-looking, inscribed with dozens of shifting sigils.

"You can do that?" Lilly asked, her eyes wide.

Ann shrugged. "It's one of the easier spells I know. Just need to picture the place."

He focused his will and whispered the destination: Feldrath—the nearest town, once a starting hub in the game. Now, it would be their first step into a real and unpredictable world.

The spell surged to life.

"Hold on," he said, reaching for Lilly's arm.

There was a flash of silver-blue light.

And they vanished.

A soft glow of light flickered in the shade of a quiet alley just outside the town gates.

Ann and Lilly stepped out of the fading teleportation array, unnoticed by the sparse midday foot traffic. No explosions, no crowd. Just two travelers emerging from a shimmer in the air, tucked behind a wooden fence near the outer walls.

Ann dusted himself off. "Much better than a flashy entrance."

They circled to the front gate, approaching two guards stationed under a shaded outpost. One was chewing on jerky; the other leaned lazily on his spear. Both perked up when they noticed the approaching pair.

"Halt there," the taller one said, straightening up. "Identification papers?"

Ann raised an eyebrow. "Identification?"

The other guard, younger and a little more casual, nodded. "Adventurer card, merchant permit, noble seal, whatever. Can't just walk into Feldrath these days. Regulations, you know."

Ann smiled faintly. "Right. Well, I don't have any of those."

The two guards tensed slightly—not in aggression, but in that opportunistic way people do when they sense profit.

"That's a problem," the older one said carefully. "Standard fine for undocumented entry is… well, it varies."

Ann reached into his coat and flipped them a single gold coin.

It spun in the air before landing in the older guard's palm with a solid clink.

He stared at it.

The younger one leaned in and nearly dropped his spear. "Is that—real gold?"

Ann said nothing. Just looked at them calmly.

The older guard cleared his throat. "Well, uh, yeah. I suppose a donation to the local patrol fund covers the processing fee."

The younger one grinned. "You must be doing well for yourself, sir. Visiting family? Business? Looking for a tavern, maybe?"

Ann tilted his head. "Information."

"Ah, then the Adventurer's Lodge is your best bet," the older one said quickly, slipping the coin into a pouch with almost reverent care. "They've got a map board, job listings, all kinds of local news."

The younger one elbowed him. "Maybe let the man breathe. You don't want to annoy a big spender."

Ann gave them a faint smile. "Appreciate the help."

The guards both straightened, suddenly far more professional.

"Welcome to Feldrath, traveler," the older one said. "If you need anything—directions, recommendations, someone roughed up—we're your guys."

Ann gave them a nod and stepped through the gate with Lilly following close behind, her eyes wide as they entered the bustling town.

Behind them, the guards exchanged glances.

"I like him," the younger one whispered.

"Yeah," the older one muttered. "Let's not get on his bad side."