There were three ways I could answer her question. Firstly, I could lie. I could make up the wildest lie, but it would still be believable if I worded it right and told her that was what I was. Something like ‘an old man from the distant continent in the east came to me and blah blah blah.’ I didn’t want to do that. Hiding the truth from her had already caused a situation before. I didn’t want to do that again.

Secondly, I could just tell her the truth. That ‘hey, I played a video game, and the next day I woke up in it. Yes, you’re a game character.’ not that she’d understand what a video game was, so I’d first have to expand on that. That was a stupid option. I didn’t want to tell my friends that they were fake. I didn’t believe they were fake; this world was real, and it had to be. I’d guess the game [Arcane Crown] was simply a story adapted from this world by some deity or beyond.

I wasn’t inside some game; I believed I was inside a world that had inspired a game I happened to play. That was what I thought anyway, but she might not. Low chance Nebula, or the other two, would consider their lives ‘fake’ just because I said so, but they might assume that I viewed them as such. As characters from a false story. I didn’t want them to think that because I didn’t perceive them that way. They were my friends, and I enjoyed their company.

That only left the third option as the only viable one. I had to tell them the truth, mixed with some lies that were not intended for harm but for the greater good.

So, surrounded by the three of them, putting down my cup of tea after taking a sip as the morning breeze rustled my hair, I let out a sigh. “I am from another world,” I said, and a pin-drop silence stretched.

“...The Demon World?” Solara asked, and I blinked, quickly shaking my head. I had given them the wrong idea.

“No, no. It’s a world you guys are not aware of. I think it’s not connected to this universe in any way,” I explained myself. “It’s a world occupied by humans, not demons, and has a civilization of its own. You guys have heard stories about the eastern continent, right? The culture is similar to that. The power system is entirely different, however.”

I observed their reaction for a bit. It seemed they were still unsure if I was joking or not. “For example, we don’t have the twelve gods. We have ‘divine figures,’ but they’re more of immortal sages rather than deities who control everything. Some of them are referred to as ‘gods,’ however. Such as the Demon God Mara. People worshiped me there by the same name. Reflection of the Demon God Māra, the Heavenly Demon himself. We call that world the Murim.”

They muttered the word under their breath and then Nebula frowned. “You said ‘I am Iskandaar’ last night when you walked out of the bowl,” she said, a frown etched on her face.

“...I am,” I said, my expression turning serious. I had his memories, and to many people that was enough to make me Iskandaar. No need to complicate this. “I think this was my previous life? Or a parallel life? Or someone else’s memories entirely,” that part wasn’t a lie. This wasn’t my story. The Heavenly Demon was also a game character like Iskandaar, which the real me had just played on a computer. But I did have his memories, and I was gaining more as the Skilltree Percentage increased. “Regardless, do you remember the incident where I hit my head on the road and passed out? I awakened these memories after that incident.”

“I…” Solara trailed off. “I have heard of similar concepts of memory loss. People hit their heads and lose their memories. Then sometimes they hit their heads again and regain their memories. It’s not totally impossible… except for the existence of another world.”

“Well, how is that impossible?” Lilian argued for me. “As you said, there’s a Demon World. Heaven also exists, and so does hell. They are dimensions of their own. If they can exist, why can’t distant worlds under the dictatorship of their own local gods exist?”

“...So, you’re a god?” Nebula looked at me with an odd expression. “A Demon God…”

“Ah, the concept of a demon is different there,” I quickly explained myself. “Imagine Shivaron, the God of Destruction. On paper, the word destruction appears ‘evil,’ right? And yet he’s one of the more popular gods, for people perceive him as an end to bad things and an icon of renewal. Māra is like that. The existence of Māra symbolizes the negative forces, temptations, and internal barriers that obstruct spiritual growth and keep beings trapped in samsara, the cycle of rebirth and suffering. His actions and influence are not malevolent for the sake of cruelty; rather, they are representative of challenges that test and hinder one's path to enlightenment. So rather than evil… Mara represents freedom. His religion is a religion of freedom.”

“....” Lilian and Solara exchanged glances while Nebula sighed.

“You know, this is too much to believe, right?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I believe him,” Lilian said. “I saw him at his peak for a very brief moment. Nebula, you’ve heard of the Lockdarn Incident, correct?” As a noble from that area, she had. She… also knew that the vampire group that attacked that place was the Obsidians.

“...Yes. I also had the luck to see the cleaved city when I was passing by that area a few months ago,” she said, and I smiled. “Is the person who dealt that decisive blow your grandmother, Lilian? Chancellor Amelia doesn’t use a sword.”

“Neither does my grandmother.” Lilian added, “Vampiric Father died not to Amelia and my grandmother, but to him. The young master… used a single sword strike to eradicate the ancient vampire, cleaving the city in two. The world was bright in light for a few minutes, I passed out.”

The soft wind blew the curtains as the room held its breath again. Nebula Carlstein, granddaughter of the Vampiric Father, slowly turned her head toward me. I wondered what thoughts swirled in her head. Was she finally starting to believe that I was truly a god from another world, reincarnated as a human? Or was she wondering if her mother and I fought?

Then I remembered that she didn’t even know that her mother was still alive.

I suddenly had an urge to tell her the truth, but that’d be too many secrets for a day. I’d tell her some other time. Plus, Lilian will go crazy to learn Nebula was not just any vampire but an Obsidian. And I never told her so, despite knowing the truth.

“I can trust that,” Solara said. “Phoenixes are more common in the eastern continent, from what I heard. Our ancestor Phoenix was also from there. So if this world that you speak of is truly similar to the East, it makes sense why you knew about my condition and how to cure it in that odd way.”

“It is. Serpentine dragons soar the skies, and phoenixes clash with them,” I said, pushing the book further onto the table and slowly rising. They stared at me as I walked around the table and expanded [Eclipse of the Shadow Tyrant]. Pure darkness bloomed out of me, spreading and devouring the girls into a separate space with me. They looked a little spooked but not alarmed. Good. They hadn’t started seeing me as a demon.

I stopped covering my presence with my energy core in my dantian, which I had turned ‘pure’ by moving all the demonic essence to the demonic core. My presence spread across the shadow realm, and I heaved a sigh. I looked at the three girls, “This is me standing in my most ‘demonic’ form. No spell covering my appearance. As you can see, no horns or wings. As the Heavenly Demon, I am the Demon God by spirit, not body. In theory, I can’t be considered a demon. I hope I’ve made the distinction clear.”

“So you’re a deity…” Nebula said. My claims had finally submerged into her mind. She looked a little apprehensive of me now, although not anything much. It was an awe that’d go away fast, I was sure.

“Is that why you’re making a cult?” Solara asked. Nebula’s head snapped to her and then at me. She didn’t know I was making a cult. “Because gods need faith to live? I heard that theory somewhere.”

“No,” I said. I looked at my only two cult recruits and then the person I hoped to recruit later. They stared at me, waiting for me to speak, and I did. “The Heavenly Demon God Cult’s mission in this world is to save it from its inevitable destruction. Trust me, the world is going to end, and while I’m no hero, as an inhabitant of the planet, it befell my shoulders to save it.”

Lilian stared at me, and then she kneeled. Solara watched that and followed. My Stars kneeled, a fist touching the ground, while Nebula stood, staring at me with unreadable eyes. “...I-”

“You don’t have to kneel. You’re not a follower,” I said before she could speak. I wasn’t here to recruit her today. It wouldn’t work. I could feel it. “You wanted answers, and as your fiance, even if we might not be walking the same path, it’s my responsibility to answer your doubts about my identity, goal, and personality.”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

“Oh.”

I dropped the [Eclipse of the Shadow Tyrant], my Demonic Qi also returning to normal, as I gestured to the two girls to stand up. I looked at Nebula, who seemed too surprised to say anything. She seemed hesitant to speak, and I decided she needed time to think things through.

“I hope I’ve satisfied your curiosity, Nebula,” I said. “And I also hope you’ll keep this meeting a secret from others. Even your maid.”

Thus, I dismissed the meeting.

****

On her way back to her room, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway, Nebula found her mind wandering. She’d never felt this way before. From an early age, she’d believed demons were the epitome of evil, that they’d do anything to achieve their goals uncaring of moral boundaries.

Then, one day, during her 18th birthday, she screamed into the night and looked into the mirror, realizing she’d become the exact thing she hated.

In books, Vampires were not classified as demons, but they were basically the same things. In fact, they could be considered a sibling race to the Devils, which was worse. Her entire worldview had to change then, for she wasn’t ready to view herself as a monster. Her father certainly didn’t believe her as one, even as she had clawed at him, biting his neck, he’d just hugged her and told her it’d be alright.

During her 19th birthday, she had a similar outbreak. It was more contained, but it was still intense. By that time, she’d come to accept her identity. That she’d forever be like this, and that, despite that, she’d never do anything ‘demonic’...

Then, her fiance turned out to be a demon, who killed a Holy Knight right in front of her.

Of course, she wasn’t blaming Iskandaar. She was glad he did what he did. He saved her from a man who prayed to some god while claiming to be the light of justice. Yet, the same man of religion didn’t hesitate to raise his sword against her, who was barely an adult, a simple girl who never hurt an innocent. What kind of religion was that?

Nebula wasn’t unaware of the terrible stories floating around the Holy Knights, but she always thought they were more exaggerated than real. Then, such an incident happened right to her. She had felt ashamed to be a vampire, a monster who was hated by gods and therefore hunted by their followers. Even until yesterday, she felt like that.

Today?

Somehow, she felt different.

By the time Nebula reached the door of her room, knocking twice, she felt much of the confusion in her heart lift. The door opened, and Mirella peeked, blinking when she saw her expression. “My, young lady. You look happy.”

Nebula hadn’t noticed the smile etched on her face. “Do I?” She giggled as she headed inside. In her mind, a thought wandered, an idea that she hadn’t considered before.

A Religion of Freedom, he said…

By some whims of face, her fiance turned out to be a god.

****

The room was bathed in soft light as the morning stretched into noon. Nebula had left, and the two girls also wanted to. I didn’t want that. “Stay here,” I said, glancing at them. “There’s something you need to know. Sit down.”

Solara’s wings twitched slightly, a reflex she had when tension built up. She was curious about what I’d tell them that I couldn’t reveal in front of Nebula. Lilian merely narrowed her eyes. I was sure both of them would like it as they sat down on the edge of the bed.

I stood and explained. “As I mentioned before, the world I come from is different,” I started, my gaze shifting from Solara’s pale eyes to Lilian’s intense stare. “There’s no System there. No levels or status windows tracking our progress. Power is marked by a different scale altogether—a scale that measures mastery, not numerical progression. We also absorb an energy called qi from the atmosphere to increase the size of our cores.”

Lilian’s brows furrowed. “No System? Then how do you even know how strong you are?”

“Through experience and understanding. Through mastery. And more easily through the amount of qi we have,” I said, my tone sharpening, drawing their attention deeper. “Let me explain. In that world, martial artists are ranked based on many factors, and those ranks determine one’s capability. Like how we start from Zeroth Ascension.”

“Ohh.”

“Yes. In that world, a normal is a normal person. But after they start absorbing qi into their cores, they become a martial artist at the bottom of the barrel, as a Third-Class Warrior, working his way up.”

Solara tilted her head, the tension in her wings easing. “So, like ascensions?”

“Kind of, but not quite. The numeric titles end soon,” I said. “A Third-Class Warrior is akin to someone just starting their journey. They know basic techniques and can use Qi, but their abilities are rudimentary. They’re like academy trainees. Then comes the Second-Class Warrior, the intermediate step. They’ve moved past the basics and can harness Qi effectively in battle.”

Lilian leaned forward, eyes glinting. “What about after that?”

I nodded, pleased with her interest. “First-Class Warriors are next. They’re advanced practitioners—people who’ve refined their Qi and techniques to a notable level. They’re respected, feared even, for their prowess. Now, imagine that as a baseline. If you’re a First-Class, your strength would be equivalent to someone in the Level 50s here. I think. And my point is…” I trailed off dramatically, “If you cultivate while leveling up with the System at the same time, you’ll essentially double your strength.”

Solara’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. “How?”

“Yes. Cultivating your body using mana or qi refines it and makes it tougher, stronger, and more resilient. Then, when you level up with the System’s help, it compounds that strength. Imagine you, Solara, at Level 28, cultivate your mana up to First Class and therefore become as strong as someone in Level 50. Despite being Level 28 still. Then you can level up from 28 to 50. Does that not double your power?”

“It does…” The realization dawned on the two girls slowly, Solara’s wings trembling as she processed what that meant. Lilian’s lips pulled into a grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes—feral, determined.

“So this is why you’re so strong,” Lilian said, breaking the silence. “What's your current cultivation rank?”

“Let's see,” I hummed. “...I'll say I stand in Peak Class.” I then told them about all the classes. There were eight. It might be confusing to understand if I didn't mention them all. They went like this…

The Third Class.

The Second Class.

The First Class.

The Peak Class.

The Master Class.

The Grandmaster Class.

The Transcendental Class.

The Heavenly Martial Artist.

“Oh,” Solara blinked. Just like Lilian, she looked taken aback. “So you're only at fourth rank of cultivation, and also at 4th Ascension in the System ranking. And yet you were playing with a 7th Ascension. You know, this thing is really powerful. So… why teach us this?”

“Silly girl. You vowed to be my follower. You and Lilian are my two Stars,” I said, leaning back against the table. “You need to be stronger, enough not to embarrass me, and so it's only natural I'll raise you.”

Solara’s eyes softened, the unease in her expression melting away. “What’s the highest rank in your world?” she asked, curiosity laced with challenge.

I smirked. “The Supreme, or the Heavenly Martial Artist. They’re legends—beings with god-like abilities who defy logic. The kind of power that can shift the course of history. I, as the Heavenly Demon, held such power. I’m unsure if they’re as strong as the gods of this world or just—”

“As strong as Arcane Crowns, I think,” Solara finished for me. “Since you said you were a god in ‘spirit’ and not in body. That sounds like what an Arcane Crown is. They wield the powers of gods through their Crowns, but still are mortals in the end.”

“Good analogy,” I agreed. “Although right now I'm not at that high of a level.”

Silence fell again, but it was contemplative. The girls exchanged looks, a silent conversation passing between them before Lilian spoke. “So… how do we start?”

I stepped forward, my shadow falling over them as I crossed my arms. “With the basics. I’ll teach you a cultivation technique that uses mana to strengthen your core, your body, and your understanding of energy. It won’t be easy, and it will take discipline. But if you follow through, I promise you’ll see results. That’s the basics. I also need to test it since Mana and Qi might be different. Their core location is different, so maybe the energy is too? I have to confirm that first so that there aren’t any accidents. Once done, I’ll provide you with two specialized cultivation methods,” I said, “Yang Energy Cultivation Method for Solara and Lunar Energy Cultivation Method for Lilian.”

“Oh! You have Lunar Mana? I didn’t know that,” Solara turned to Lilian in surprise and said. The girl grinned. The two chatted for a while about their affinities while I grabbed my cold cup of tea and drank it. I had to finish it since Lilian would be too busy to heat it up for me.

…Oh, wait.

I focused on the cup and poured Star Affinity, Stellar Qi, into the liquid. A moment later, the tea started boiling. I quickly withdrew the energy before the cup could explode.

I forgot I had great energy control now. It was called [Mana Manipulation], but it let me control Qi just fine. So the energy was probably the same. After all, I absorbed it from the atmosphere, and the atmosphere of this world was filled with mana. So it was just the placement of the core that made the energies work differently.

That little experiment pulled Lilian and Solara out of their conversation, and they looked at me. I met their gazes and shrugged, sipping tea. “Ready?”

I asked, and Solara’s wings spread slightly. “We’re ready.”

Lilian nodded, a glint of determination sparking in her eyes. “Teach us.” She had been really happy when I raised her from the 4th Ascension to the 6th Ascension by finding monsters to hunt for her. Since I could barely level up thanks to my EXP Restriction, I made her gain strength instead. Somehow, she looked even happier right now.

A smile crept onto my lips. I had chosen my Stars well. “Alright, let’s begin. Close your eyes and feel the mana within you. Picture it not as something you simply draw upon for spells or aura but as an extension of your body. It flows with your blood and moves with your breath. Try circling it within you first. Absorption from the atmosphere will be a lot more difficult if you don’t know how to do inner circulation first.”

They obeyed, their expressions shifting as they focused inward. The room filled with quiet energy as I watched their attempts, correcting their stances and guiding their breaths. This was the start.