The Martial God: Demonic Cultivator in a World of Magic [Isekai LitRPG]

We were then divided into classes based on our capabilities. The ten students who took the stone test were placed in Class S, naturally, with thirty-five more students following us. Out of the four hundred candidates, quite a few had failed the earlier test and were disqualified. The rest were divided into Class A through Class D.

It was a straightforward system, yet it carried pressure because the students had already been divided into a hierarchy. You were either among the best, or you weren’t. Class S wasn’t just a title—it was a status. Thankfully, I was a part of it.

It… might have worked if I hid my strength and watched the plot move seamlessly, but that wasn’t why I came to the Academy. There was no need to come here if that was my goal. I’d like to keep some things the same, true, but I had come here to change stuff, to stop some horrible things from happening, and save some poor people.

Hiding my strength wouldn’t take me far. My trash reputation would finally start fixing itself, I think, after that exaggerated show earlier. After that, I’ll try to build a team for myself, and then…

“Haah,” I let out a slow breath, feeling the tension ease from my shoulders as I entered the dorm reserved for Class S students. It was grander than expected—lavish, naturally. My room was large, with elegant furniture and polished wood floors that shone under the dim light. 

They allowed me two rooms, side by side, with a connected door for my maids. This was the case for every Class S student. In the other buildings, the regular students had more modest accommodations, and their servants were sent to separate dorms. It was clear that being in Class S wasn’t just about prestige; it came with great privileges too.

“Wow! This place’s huge,” Lilian’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Iska, look, isn’t this better than your room back at the mansion?”

She was already moving around, inspecting everything with that restless energy of hers. She often made me feel lighter with that personality of hers. She flopped onto the bed in the joined room—my bed—and sprawled out with a satisfied sigh. She seemed happy that she didn’t have to stay in the other dorm with the servants. 

A small smile tugged at my lips. “I’m gonna take a bath and sleep,” I honestly felt quite exhausted from the long journey, along with the orientation.

Lilian sat up, blinking at me. “So early?” She glanced out the window, noting that the sun had barely set, casting the sky in hues of orange and purple.

“Well, yes,” I let out a heavy sigh as I finally relaxed my odd breathing pattern. I’d kept it up for the entire week while traveling—especially during the mana test—so that my demonic energy wouldn’t slip. Although Nebula and her maid couldn’t really sense it, I didn’t take the risk. We were traveling, how could I be sure that a powerhouse wouldn’t pass by and sense my Qi?

But now that I was here, with Lilian beside me, I could let my guard down.

Lilian tilted her head. “You’ve been on edge for a while. Something going on again?”

“Nah, not anything to worry about. There’s a Ball Event tomorrow evening,” I said, cutting through her question. “I need to be in top form for it.”

“A Ball?” She raised an eyebrow, surprised. “I heard about it, your sister was talking about it to me and that wrinkly vampire. But I didn’t think you’d attend that. Since you know how you haven’t bothered with events like this for months after Luciel’s birthday, right? I thought you didn’t care about these things.”

I shrugged. “Tomorrow’s one is different. It’s important since it’ll allow me to socialize with some people I want to get close to. Especially because… the savior of my lifespan will attend it.”

“Ohhh?!” She jumped up, grinning. “You found them?! Who is it?”

I glanced at her, my expression unreadable. “I’ll tell you later, calm down.”

“Tch,” Lilian clicked her tongue but didn’t press the issue. She knew when to let things go. “Fine, fine. I’ll go get your bath ready,” she said, turning around and heading toward the bathroom.

As she left, I allowed myself a moment of quiet, staring out the window into the fading light. Tomorrow’s event would be a little annoying, but it was necessary. I had to secure the help I could before the opportunity would turn into an enemy.

There was no room for mistakes.

****

“And this is the statue of the founding Emperor, the Hero of Legends,” Iaskin explained, gesturing toward the tall marble figure that stood proudly in front of us. Six other statues lined up beside it, representing the heroes who had once stood by the Emperor’s side. 

Each of them was etched into the history of the Empire, the entire continent even, their presence larger than life.

I studied them with a distant gaze, Lilian standing beside me, her tail flicking as she eyed the figures curiously. The late afternoon sun cast shadows over the stone faces, giving them a more intimidating air than they probably deserved. 

I knew little about them from the Game, it covered their descendants more than their lore, unfortunately.

“Well, they did build this place up nicely, I’ll give them that,” I commented at last. From the stories Iaskin shared, this world had layers that I never knew about. Naturally so. How could a game cover all of a real world’s information?

Lilian pointed at the third statue of the Emperor. “And what kind of power did this person have?” she asked, her eyes darting between the statues. She had already asked about two others before, it seemed she was adamant about learning about all of them. Iaskin smiled nervously. “Were they mages or warriors?”

“From the staff they’re carrying, they look like mages,” I said, trying to soothe her curiosity. However, my few words didn’t help. Thankfully, Iaskin was there to talk.

“It varied, actually. These two sometimes carried magic swords too. This group was honestly very quirky. The Emperor was a powerful swordsman, but the others? All different talents. Some fought with swords and grimoires both.” 

“Wow.”

He moved to the next two statues, “Here, for example. The Bow Hero. He was a master archer who could strike down armies from miles away. Then there’s the Beast Hero, her strength was—”

“Hey, Ias!” 

Before he could finish, a call cut him off from a distance. Iaskin glanced over his shoulder. He nodded in acknowledgment, then turned back to me. “Iska, I’ll be right back,” saying so, he ran off.

 

“Let’s wait for him,” I said, my gaze fixed on the last statue he had pointed at. My eyes narrowed as I studied the figure of a woman with wolf-like features. “Damn, Lilian, one of the heroes is a wolf girl like you,” I said, throwing a sideways glance at her. “You think your grandma knew her? Since well, she’s old and a wolf.”

“Huh?” Lilian looked at the statue and then at me. She looked confused, “Young master… that is my grandma. Vargathrian the Beast Hero? You didn’t know?”

“....”

“Vargathrian, the Beast Hero? You never heard of her?” she repeated, her voice casual like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I nearly choked on my own breath as I tried not to react. Why the hell did nobody tell me this? She’s one of the Hero’s descendants?! My mind raced with the implications, and I shot Lilian a wary glance. If the New Hero Assembly found out I was using a Hero’s descendant as my maid, they’d kill me! 

I was not joking, those bastards were crazy like that. I groaned internally, and about then Iaskin returned. I pushed these thoughts aside and faced him. He looked a little worried and annoyed as he said, “I’ve got to go. Something urgent came up. Sorry, Iskandaar.”

I waved him off. “Nah, no problem. It’s almost time for the ball to start anyway.”

Iaskin nodded but then paused, his expression turning serious for a moment. “...By the way, just watch out for Kael Drakovar, alright? Father must have told you, and you saw how he’s been looking for trouble ever since that whole test fiasco. Stay sharp.”

I nodded back. “Got it. Thanks for the heads-up.”

With that, Iaskin ran off to join a crowd of friends. I looked back, searching for where he went. I spotted him among a crowd of his friends, and there, I recognized another man. I had a feeling, but I had hoped it was right. Iaskin was talking with him. So he’s already hanging out with that crowd, huh? It seemed I was a little late. 

Because of his bad choice of a friend group, in the future, he’d turn to evil and be pitted against the Main Character and his team. He’d have to fight his sister, and he’d ultimately lose. His fate in the game wasn’t very nice.

“Please, I already lost my youngest brother two years ago, I can’t lose him too! My family will be devastated.” Riasmin’s plea from the game resounded in my head as I watched the sight.

“....”

“It’s okay, you’ll be fine. He’s a weakling,” Lilian must have mistaken my serious expression as a worry for Kael Drakovar as she tried to soothe me. She shrugged with hands behind her head and added, “I saw him yesterday. A weak little boy, you’ll stomp on him. Cheer up!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “True. Besides, if things go south, I’ve got you to handle it.”

She grinned, flashing her sharp teeth. “You bet.”

I smiled. Although she was trying to console me for another thing, it worked. Things will be alright this time, not like in the game. A thought crossed my mind as I looked at her, “By the way, want to attend another ball? One for servants. It’s near the main event, where all the servants get to know each other and stuff.”

Lilian wrinkled her nose. “Nah, sounds boring.”

I let the moment hang before adding, “The chef who’s doing the main ball’s food is working for that one, too. So world-class meals, you know?”

Her ears perked up. She dropped her hands and looked at me in silence. “...When does it start again?”

****

The grand castle loomed ahead, its massive doors parting open to reveal the party inside. A red carpet stretched toward the entrance, designed to guide the elite into the hall. After staring at it for a bit, I walked up slowly, blooming my Demonic Sphere.

The moment I entered, all eyes turned to me. Whispers rippled through the crowd, and I could feel their gazes like needles. People weren’t even trying to hide their curiosity, judgment, and awe in their eyes. I wasn’t just some random noble to them anymore.

I ignored them. 

My focus was on something else. A person.

As I scanned the hall, searching for a particular face, a thought clung to the back of my mind. It’d be a real bummer if she’s not here.

Thankfully, my Demonic Sphere answered me soon after.