Sophia Demiurge

The abilities I will be testing are only the magic skill ones, why? Because all of my physical damage skills are being stagnant in growth recently and I cannot yet incorporate them into my battle system. I am in a hero's test so I want immediate results. Well, like I said I already have set the seed for my physical style of fight, so no worries on that part.

Anyway, the three magic skills that evolved alongside me are the following: Bonfire Magic, Rock Magic, and Blow Magic. I cracked my knuckles as I looked at the clearing with a single tree in the middle of it, this clearing is not made by my subordinate but by myself so that I have a place to do field experiments such as this one, the clearing is a dome-shaped one over half a kilometer away from the settlement near the military training grounds I instructed the goblins to build.

This is so that the civilians will be safe from what kind of madness I will be doing here.

[Like eating corpse?]

Woah, you still remembered that? I can hear my stomach grumble as I looked back at that disgusting taste of Philo's ear.

[If my master can, why can't I?]

[Guide] said with a smug tone, I swear I can imagine him smirking if he is in front of me.

We have that kind of conversation as I casually threw a fireball into a tree about three meters in height I immediately fall silent seeing the sight of my fireball reaching a height half the total height of the tree and a width that can embrace the whole trunk of it.

"Ey?"

That's all I can say as I see the fireball engulf the lower part of the tree. I snapped my finger and explosions all over the body of the tree was heard, alongside the explosions, the flames of the Bonfire Magic spread through its body. All animals living inside the old and giant tree were charred black until only their ashes remained.

"That's what I call a glow-up."

I smirked as I watch the tree burn, smoke rose from the fire as the leaves, branches, trunk, and everything of the tree is being burned to ashes.

But still, in all seriousness, how the hell did magic that cannot even be properly used to create a campfire suddenly can burn a thick-ass tree? Well, I know in the description of the Ember Magic that the magic is only for utility in its early stages but who would have thought that, that description is because of the extreme contrast between the levels of the stages of fire element magic and not because of its weakness?

Magic, how mysterious.

I decided to put out the flames with giant water orbs, the orbs are a little flimsy so that they will spread out to the flames. The orbs in general are stronger than what I am creating when the magic is yet to level up, as I see the tree got itself disintegrated by the orbs, I also casually made until only a bunch of hissing and smoking pile of charcoal remained.

Yep, as expected of the early flower of my magic skills, it already has the power and density not to evaporate when facing a large amount of fire.

[It did not evolve you know?]

But it's still strong, right?

I ignored my unique skill and proceeded for the second to the last, blow magic. And as expected normal people still can't use it in battle because of its low volume. So I still have to have some "casting time" before I made it a strategic battle weapon with the only difference being that the time I needed to consume to compress it is shortened.

The Rock Magic as its name implies, can now clump into rocks that can be thrown or made into tentacles, however of course given that the magic is of Earth Attribute the magic can still create sand tentacles, so yeah, that's it.

Overall, they got buffed, first, who would have thought that a magic I don't use often will suddenly have the destructive ability to ignite a giant tree and then there's the water element that now Doesn't need to be compressed to destroy things (though it did not evolve) and of course, another added application to the ever so flexible Earth Element.

The Blow Magic is, well as strategic as always but also a decent one nonetheless.

The next I did is to experiment with the combinations I can make with this new power, first I can now infuse my sand tentacles with fire, they became a tentacle full of holes, and those holes will have flames gush out from them when I wave the tentacle around.

I became quite interested in it and waved it around whilst making the sand tentacle gigantic, now an Eldritch-like monster that spewed flames all around is visible, after some time I snapped out of my fancy of it and turned to make different combinations

Drills made out of the fire, an enormous arm made out of mud, molten rock raining from the sky, and many more were seen all around the perimeter of the clearing I made. I experimented further by using an element that counters one element to seal or store the other.

I smirked at the thought of my experiment, well experiment it is, and I have to make practical tests to see if it works like I intended them to be.

But they did not.

"Wha... But isn't it..."

I tried to modify that one experiment I want to succeed in until it was already night to no avail and I don't have a choice but to postpone it.

"Damn..."

The testing that have an unexpected bump was paused and will continue tomorrow of course, for now, I decided that I don't have anything to do so I will visit Ellie again. She might get lonely in her lab, so it's unavoidable.

[Yup, really unavoidable.]

I blushed a little hearing [Guide]'s remark but ultimately ignored it and made my way to the settlement, leaving a pitifully ravaged clearing bellowing with smoke. My Subordinates are as busy as usual. Right now their duty is not only to be my fighters but also to be a helper in organizing the goblins. Well, I can't teach the other goblins because they will pass out if I did so, so I can only rely on them to teach them how to be good civil servants.

So I am alone right now walking towards the lab of Eleanor.

"Oh... Hello there Little... I mean Lady Sophia."

Ellie looked at me as she tried to tug the sand tentacle and get out of the lab but failed to do so, I looked at the sand tentacle and looked at her again.

"You can come out now."

I said while putting a thumbs up as I walked beside her as we go to the dining area.

"So, what did you discover about my evolution?"

I asked as she looked down at me with her gentle eyes, she seems tired, having some bags under it, but still, I can see her happy expression on doing something she likes.

"I am just in the preliminary research, lack of equipment hinders progress but some peculiarities were found such as..."

We continued to walk as I listen to her rambling, of course I can understand it, at least most of it like no human ever evolved so I am the first one and all of that, after some time we are finally near the dining area as I finally spoke.

"Phew, all that walking tired my legs out."

Ellie looked at me as she pointed her index finger toward herself.

"I can carry you if you like."

I then nodded, sitting on the ground as I smiled at a tired-looking one.

"That would be a big help."

[WHOA! WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT!]

I ignored [Guide] as Eleanor slowly lifted me into the air and then tucked me in both of her arms like her child. I wrapped my arms around her nape and my hand slightly tugged on her clothes so that I won't fall.

"Phew heaven."

"Huh?"

"Eh!? Nothing! Nothing!"

I continued to close the distance between Ellie and me as days passed. Of course, I am also waiting for the report Kabuto is yet to give, but I do not expect it anytime soon because I instructed him to be super careful about his espionage.

"My Lady, I have finally come to report the whole situation of the volcano settlement!"

And finally, after three days of waiting, the much-awaited report about those volcano monkeys arrived.

It seems to take three days to give me a detailed explanation through gathering gossip by using manipulation, seduction, coercion, and many more. That gossip however became reliable data as soon as Kabuto went and made a process of elimination.

[3rd Person POV]

The monkeys living in the volcano of the second layer are the most integrated, harmonious, and thus also the strongest of all community-type monsters of the whole forest. All of them have intelligence as good as humans with only the exception that they lack sufficient resources to expand it further. Plus, monsters are monsters, thus the idea of them being like those pathetic humans who rely on intelligence and manipulation to be above others will repulse them to the point of vomiting.

That's also the reason why their group has a very strong bond, they believe in something in unison, and thus they cannot easily be trampled upon. Plus the volcano has a rich amount of metals and other resources making them able to craft weapons, effectively making them the apex predator of the second layer.

The monkeys of the volcano respect a single leader, this leader is known for his unparalleled power and immense wisdom as he can make decisions that increased their influence and avoid a crisis. He is also the one who discovered that the suppression of the undead is just to protect themselves because of their dwindling in numbers and their strength being lessened for the past years, thus the monsters immediately went and sheltered themselves in layers so that they will not be subjected too much in this suppression.

But then, there comes a question of his followers.

Why did he not invade the whole forest the moment the monarch status of the undead was removed? Isn't it just normal to have that kind of ambition? For someone of his caliber, for someone who leads a group of monsters as strong as monsters and also as intelligent as humans, this kind of conservativeness is just unthinkable.

It's a monster's greed and ambition, and the wisdom to pursue it!

They have these two traits, but he acts like a scared chicken. Unfathomable!

This decision of his put a divide between the once harmonious leaders of the monkeys. Out of his four sons, two of them are against the idea of being conservative and persuaded his father day in and day out to get out there and show the might of their valorous tribe. While the other two supported his father because of the logic that, this place is still for the undead.

Meaning that it's protected by their deity, and anyone who interfered with the matters of such forest will have their selves doomed to vanish away from existence.

The retort of the younger ones who are against the idea is that even gods cannot block their fists, and the hero who is taking the test is just another puny human who will crumble into tears at the sight of them destroying her dreams.

The father however did not even protect the two people that went for his side nor rebuked the two who are against his will, he contemplated something as if he did not even notice the intense atmosphere of his settlement. One day, a large howl of a dying wolf was heard on the horizon, sending a shock to the monkey tribe leader.

"The Wolf King!?"

A moment when he said those words a large clamor is heard in the hallway of his room as his son shouted.

"Father! I came here to banish your incompetent self from the position of tribe leader! Our companion wolves already die- Gyaghk!"

A loud explosion shattered the black-colored rock table in front of the tribe leader followed by churning sounds of flesh and cracking bones resounding into the room, the leader then appeared in a kicking motion in the middle of the room as he stare at his son shooting through the walls of the volcano they live in. He then jumped around until he saw his son dragging up his body while hugging his broken ribs with his arms.

"Vanquish me? Incompetence?"

The tribe leader was furious, disappointment lingered in his sharp eyes.

"Your brothers already told you that the hero's test is not something we should interfere with, yet you continue to persuade me to commit mass suicide, and I am the incompetent one?"

Soldiers in the faction of his son started to gather and surround him, but the tribe leader is unfazed.

"How convenient, at least I won't need to hunt all of you down."

The tribe leader suddenly crouched making a leaping motion as he said with his eyes glaring at his son, this glare is a father who forgot about what blood relations can have.

"Now then, prove your stupidity for all of us to see."

He looked at his other son who is trembling with both fear and anger.

"But from now on, all of you are not part of this tribe, thus anything that you have done to offend anyone, will not have any relations with us."

He said that and leaped into the sky, going back to his office, making the large rock platform they are standing on crumble, all of the monkeys present stumble upon the disintegration of the platform until they finally reached the bottom of the volcano.

Meanwhile, inside the destroyed office of the leader of the monkeys.

"Father, is this really for the best?"

"The best? No, the chances lowered by half when those two decided to go against me. But still, between 50-50 and nothing at all, the choice is obvious."

Their conversation is of course only known by them, and as to what exactly is the context?

Well, except for people who have tight connections to the two elder sons, the masses can only think that "it's for the betterment of the tribe."