Solara wrapped the bandages around her arm a little tighter, flexing her fingers as she moved. She still felt the sting beneath the gauze, a reminder of what she’d just gone through. The thick, healing strips covered much of her body, winding over her arms, her shoulders, and even parts of her face. Her wings were hidden now, resting beneath the layers of visible reality. Beside her, Iskandaar walked with an almost carefree stride, his expression unreadable.
She stole a glance at him, letting her gaze drift to the academy street they walked along. The morning sun cast long shadows on the cobblestone, light dappling through the trees that lined the street, but she barely felt its warmth. Her mind was somewhere else, back in that dungeon, back in that moment when Iskandaar Romani had given the order in a voice sharp and unwavering. "Blow yourself up," he had said, and she hadn’t hesitated.
She’d let herself be consumed in flames, creating a spectacle that left the boss room a scorched, hollowed-out ruin. It had almost taken her with it.
Iskandaar’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Feeling any better?” he asked, his tone as casual as if he were asking about the weather.
Solara nodded, even though the ache was still there, pulsing under her skin. “I’m alive,” she replied, half-smiling. “Thanks to you.” It wasn’t a lie. Sevrin wanted her dead, and it was Iskandaar who saved her.
He looked over at her, his gaze steady, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. “Don’t mention it. I’m glad you’ve healed enough to walk now. It might have been troublesome if you were late.” He tilted his head, studying her. “You’ve missed a lot while you were out.”
She raised an eyebrow, curious. “What’s been going on?”
“...A Holy Knight will be coming over soon,” he said. He looked straight ahead, but Solara could see the shift in his expression. He looked much more serious now.
Solara felt a jolt of panic. “A Holy Knight?” She stopped, turning to face him fully. “That’s not good. Will everything be fine?”
What she meant was if he’d manage to stay under the radar or not. She couldn’t ask that out loud in case someone heard. He gave her a sidelong look, his expression hard. “It’s under control. They won’t find anything. Isn’t that why I gave you that order? Besides, the academy has decided that Class S will be heading out soon. We might not encounter him at all.”
“To where?”
“The Eldergrove Expanse.”
Solara blinked, taken aback. “We’re going into the forest?” The forest near the academy was used as a hunting ground for students.
“Yes. Professor Katheran’s decision,” he replied.
“He’s pushing us straight into the forest, even after what happened in the dungeon? I thought he’d stay quiet for a bit, at least,” Solara asked.
“Well, nobody blames Katheran for what happened. He was outside the dungeon, as per the academy rules. But I think he’s taking it personally. He’s been… less condescending lately.” Iskandaar’s voice was light. “And maybe, he wants to prove to himself that he can handle it so he’s taking us to the forest. Either way, I’m excited for this class.”
She fell into step beside him again, her thoughts turning over the information.
The Eldergrove Expanse was no ordinary forest. It was known throughout the academy as a training ground, but first years were barely allowed on its outskirts. Teeming with monsters and magical plants, it was an ancient woodland that stretched endlessly, with thick canopies casting eerie shadows across the ground below. It felt sudden, but she didn’t feel scared.
She wasn’t scared of death. Otherwise, she wouldn’t take the gamble of almost blowing herself to death. She shot him a look. “You’re excited?”
“Yes,” he said. He walked in silence for a moment before he added, “I need Silverleaf plants, Hydra Lilies, and Fireheart Trees. Those three specifically.”
“Why those?” she asked, indulging his theatrics.
“They’ll be useful for an alchemical process I have in mind. Not really some serious alchemy, I don’t know anything in that field, but it's a mixture. To be honest, I need the closest thing to demonic beast blood that I can get my hands on,” he explained, his voice quieter now to avoid eavesdropping. “The Silverleaf and Hydra Lilies are great for mana regeneration and healing, while Fireheart Trees burn hot enough to fuse with almost anything.” He paused and looked at her. “Together, they’ll let me push regular monster blood closer to the properties of demonic beast blood.”
Solara stared at him silently. “And why exactly do you need demonic blood, Iskandaar?”
“I want to bathe in it,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. “I want to be boiled in it, actually. And I want you to do the boiling for me—with your phoenix fire.”
She stopped again, eyebrows furrowing as she tried to process what he’d just said. “Are you kidding right now? You… want me to boil you in monster blood? For what?”
Iskandaar looked at her, his eyes glinting with something. “Solara. It’s time for me to transform this body into the Heavenly Demon Body,” he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. What the hell even is that?
Solara opened her mouth to respond but found herself momentarily speechless.
This man, who casually ordered her to nearly blow herself up in a dungeon, now wanted her to burn him in monster blood as part of some demonic transformation process? Her disbelief must have shown on her face because he simply laughed.
“It’s not as strange as it sounds,” he said, almost reassuringly. “This is the next step. With the Heavenly Demon Body, I’ll be able to survive what’s coming. It’s a body surpassing human limits.”
“And you think I can just… make that happen? No, forget that. That’s not the point. Is it wise to give yourself something named ‘Heavenly Demon Body’? I am assuming it’ll make you give you more demonic features than right now.”
“Not until it's completed, no. There are five stages to it, and only in the 5th stage is it visible to people that it's a body that a human shouldn’t have.” His gaze rested on her. “Normally one would need something called ‘hellfire’ for the process, but phoenix fire will do. You’re the only one with fire strong enough to pull it off. Besides, this benefits you too. You’ll get stronger through this process, as you’d push your fire to its limits.”
Solara sighed, but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Sure thing, cult leader. I’ll join you in the forest and look for the herbs and beasts with you.”
He nodded thankfully. They continued walking for a bit longer, the morning sounds of the academy humming around them, and yet the path ahead seemed shrouded in shadows.
****
I needed this. Every ounce of demonic energy I could draw, every last drop of blood I could squeeze from a monster’s veins.
I’d need all that and more to transform my body into the Heavenly Demon Body.
The benefits of this body far surpassed the possible chance of getting found out. I could already picture the effects coursing through my veins: near-indestructible skin, the ability to break a blade on bare flesh, the strength that would make even the strongest think twice. Most importantly, it had direct resistance to magic...
A smirk tugged at my lips. This time might be troublesome, I’d have to hide from the Holy Knight, but the next time some Holy Knight came barreling my way with their blessed swords and wards, I’d make them run with their tails between their legs.
There was a reason I’d been drawn to this technique. Despite the lack of true knowledge on this, the only source coming from the game, I had spent months trying to figure things out. I’d be able to fight at the peak of my strength for longer and shrug off injuries that would leave a lesser man dead on the floor. I’m aiming to become something more than human—and something that even demons would fear.
The Heavenly Demon Body was a choice with great returns. Still, there were risks. The process would tear me apart before rebuilding me anew. But that was the nature of things, wasn’t it? You had to break to be made whole.
Stolen story; please report.
However, I had a more immediate worry about meeting head-on. I didn’t have the Heavenly Demon Body yet, but the incoming Holy Knight wouldn’t wait for that.
“It looks as imposing as the first time I saw it,” I said, stopping to examine the grand library looming before me, a stone behemoth carved with ancient symbols and etched with traces of enchantments.
Even now, its towering walls felt as if they held the secrets of worlds. It was a place that demanded reverence, with ivy-clad towers stretching into the heavens and stained-glass windows casting hues of blue and green across the polished marble floors.
My steps inside felt like I was walking into a fortress of knowledge. It made me want to learn. Could there be some kind of Suggestion Magic in place?
I made my way to the center of the lobby, where the librarian waited behind an old, half-circular wooden desk. He was a short man, barely reaching my shoulders, with a completely bald head that gleamed in the dim light. His bushy and white eyebrows almost seemed like they had a life of their own, twitching as he surveyed me with a gleam in his eyes.
He reminded me of the librarian of the Demonic Scripture Pavilion.
“Curious about more medicinal herbs, are we?” he asked, his voice roughened by age but steady. He chuckled at me. He had a creepy way of staring that made me feel as though he was measuring me in ways beyond what I could imagine.
I had come here a few times before. The human soup process for the Heavenly Demon Body required exotic herbs, and I couldn’t find them in this world. So I had to find alternatives. After intense research in this library, I found some alternatives. The Silverleaf, Hydra Lilies, and Fireheart Trees were not herbs available in Murim. Thankfully they seemingly had the same attributes.
“Not this time, old man.” I shook my head, letting a slight smile play on my lips. “I’m here for something different. Books on Holy Knights. Heard rumors that one might be stopping by the academy soon, and I figured it’d be worth brushing up.”
The librarian’s sharp gaze grew even keener, and his lips quirked up in a smile. “Holy Knights, eh? Quite the topic. Good... good. It’s wise to seek knowledge, lad, especially on matters like these.” He tapped his cane against the floor, and a faint shimmer of magic rolled through the air, wrapping around me like a light breeze.
A faint blue thread of light appeared, drifting through the air like a will-o’-the-wisp. It flew, winding down the aisles as if guiding me deeper into the library’s heart. The librarian nodded approvingly. “Follow it. Should lead you to exactly what you need.”
Thanking the old man, I followed the light as it twisted through the labyrinth of shelves. Books upon books, tomes older than I could fathom, seemed to whisper secrets as I passed. The rows stretched on, blending into the shadows until I found myself in a far corner, where the light hovered above a single volume.
It was a massive, leather-bound tome with a cracked spine from years of use. The title was embossed in faded gold, and it read: The Holy Order: Guardians of the Light and Wrath of the Divine.
I pulled the book from the shelf, its weight settling in my hands like a stone. The cover was worn, and as I opened it, the scent of old parchment filled my nostrils. “It looks like people aren’t very curious about them,” I muttered to myself, although my memories of the original Iskandaar told me it was more like people liked to talk about it rather than read about it.
I thumbed through the pages, skimming past the lofty, grandiose tales of their virtues and legendary feats. It was cliche. But as I delved deeper, the text grew darker, peeling back the facade to reveal the stark reality beneath.
They were more than just enforcers of some holy order. Their training was ruthless, pushing them to the brink and stripping away any semblance of mercy. It also granted them unbelievable strength.
Holy Knights were the United Church’s hand of judgment, often working in the Empires and Kingdoms whenever demons were involved. They also delivered swift, unyielding punishment to those they deemed unworthy. Demons were their primary targets, of course, but the stories hinted at countless other casualties caught in their path.
Heretics. Those suspected of dark arts. Even those who merely brushed too close to forbidden knowledge.
I paused, my gaze lingering on a passage detailing one of their more notorious rituals, “The Purging Flame? Nasty.” The words were etched with an almost reverent quality, however the facts were disgusting. It detailed how Holy Knights could use a sanctified fire to scour the demonic taint from a person’s soul. It wasn’t a gentle process. Much of it reminded me of witch hunting back on Earth, where poor women died because people suspected them of being witches.
The flames would expose every hidden layer, peeling back even the strongest illusions and disguises. Often it’d just burn a normal man to death. I frowned, my fingers pressing into the paper until it crinkled beneath my grip. I had known they were a threat, but this was beyond what I’d anticipated. If they suspected a man to be under a demon’s influence, the man’s wife, children, and even close friends might be killed.
How annoying. The Holy Knights were hunters, in the truest sense of the word, and they did not care for excuses or half-truths. So this is what Amelia meant. They could see through lies, pierce through shadows, and rip apart illusions without a second thought. And if they were to find someone with a taint like mine… well, they wouldn’t hesitate.
I snapped the book shut, sliding it back onto the shelf. I had read enough for now. Even if I already knew that they’d be trouble from playing the game, there was a cold finality in seeing the details, how it laid out, in reading the lengths they’d go to. It made my skin crawl. The last thing I needed was to have one of those zealots breathing down my neck.
Letting out a slow breath, I made my way back through the towering stacks, the faint light of the library’s lanterns casting long shadows.
The librarian was there as I passed by, his gaze following me with that same knowing look. “Find what you were looking for?” he asked.
I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. “More or less.”
He chuckled, the sound low and almost conspiratorial. “Good. Knowledge is power, but it can also be a burden, lad. Don’t let it weigh you down.”
I gave him a half-smile, one that didn’t quite reach my eyes, as I headed back outside. The light of day seemed too bright after the gloom of the library. I blinked, letting my eyes adjust as I walked through the academy grounds.
This can be really troublesome. My thoughts spun with the information I had gleaned, the weight of it settling like a stone in my chest. I couldn’t afford to be reckless. The best case scenario would be if the Holy Knight wouldn’t be here until we leave for the forest.
I let my mind wander as I walked through the academy grounds, pondering the possibilities and the risks ahead.
The thoughts kept circling as I made my way to the café on the corner, a spot tucked away from the busiest parts of campus, where I could think in peace. I already had a reservation made. I found Lilian sitting at a table, spoon-deep in a bowl of pudding, oblivious to the world around her.
“Eating pudding without me?” I raised an eyebrow as I slid into the seat across from her. I tried to lighten myself up for this. Being gloomy and shifty wouldn’t solve anything.
She grinned, a drop of pudding on the corner of her lip. “You were taking too long, young master. I got bored. Was walking with Solara that fun that you’re so late?”
The café was quiet, filled with the warm scent of freshly baked bread and the low hum of conversation from other students. It was a stark contrast to my dark thoughts. I liked that. I glanced around, ensuring no one was within earshot, then leaned back in my chair, relaxing a little.
“I visited the library. Holy Knights are troublesome,” I said, meeting her silent stare. “...Anyways, you should’ve gotten two,” I glanced at her pudding.
She stuck out her tongue. “I did. I ate three already.”
“You’ll grow fat at this rate,” I said, and she scoffed.
We fell into easy conversation, letting the world fade around us as we joked and talked about everything and nothing. I liked feeding this girl, she was good company with a full tummy. It was a brief reprieve, a small moment of normalcy that almost made me forget the storm on the horizon. Until I heard it.
The rumble of hooves. The cheers of the crowd.
I turned my head, as did Lilian. Our light expression quickly dropped. Oh, fuck me. A line of horses thundered into the academy grounds, the riders clad in gleaming armor, each one looking as if they had been carved from stone. What stood out the most was the man at the head of the line. Built like a mountain, clad in gold-plated armor that shone brightly in the afternoon sun just as I had read in the book earlier.
A Holy Knight.
Lilian looked at me and then back at the chivalrous knights. Her expression was serious. The air around us seemed to chill, the tension thick as the large knight dismounted, his every movement precise and deliberate. He didn’t remove his helmet. Holy Knights didn’t like to.
He cut an imposing figure, and everyone around him shrank in comparison as if his presence alone could crush them.
“So that’s him,” Lilian murmured, eyes narrowing.
“That’s him,” I confirmed, watching as he strode across the academy grounds, heading straight for the main building, followed by the dozen other knights.
[Level 95]
He stood at peak 6th Ascension, but his holy powers should make him much stronger. He was likely going to meet with the chancellor. I clenched my jaw. This man was no ordinary knight. I couldn’t be sure, but he could probably see right through me.
My mind raced, and then my eyes froze. A flash of white caught my eye across the street, and I paused. Nebula Carlstein stood there, her face pale, her eyes wide as she watched the Holy Knight enter into the academy.
“Wait… Shit.” My heart skipped a beat, a sudden, chilling realization washing over me. I wasn’t the only one in danger here. I could probably hide my energy, but how could Nebula hide her blood? She was a vampire, and with a Holy Knight in close proximity, her blood was as good as a target painted on her back.
Her vampiric essence would draw suspicion faster than anything else. It didn’t help that the Holy Knight was here for Prince Orion, and she had been a part of his group. I cursed under my breath, barely catching the sharp look Lilian gave me.
“This is not good…” I muttered, a sinking feeling settling in my gut.
Lilian’s expression mirrored my own worry. “You think he’ll go after her?”
I didn’t answer. My jaw clenched. I had to act fast, had to figure out a way to keep her safe. I hadn’t accounted for this, hadn’t considered that Nebula’s presence during the attack might have put her in the crosshairs.
Did I have no other choice?
Do I have to kill him?