"I possess only five cards, which were bestowed upon me by the demon assistant." Jack cast a fleeting glance at the Wolf King's demon book before summoning his own. Like the Wolf King's, his was also a sixty-four-page edition, but upon opening it, he revealed an astonishing array of dozens of cards and treasures, neatly lined up across several pages.
"I vanquished that demoness to acquire these!"
Yahoi Masamu shot me a glance but refrained from summoning his demon book, merely stating, "I too have slain that she-demon, securing twenty-eight cards and three treasures!"
"I have done nothing but receive two basic martial arts cards from Miss Fang; I possess nothing else!"
In the face of a group of exceptionally fierce brutes, would you reveal your assets? What? You say you would? Congratulations, your intellect has evidently been compromised.
These individuals have even slain demon narrators; should I join them?
Though I maintained an outward facade of calm, my calves seemed to cramp in fear—an anxiety induced by the Wolf King's introduction. Noticing that I had not opened my demon book, Fang Lingxue said nothing, while the Wolf King gazed at me with curiosity, seemingly intrigued.
Jack closed his demon book with a flourish and addressed Fang Lingxue, "I can hardly wait to embark; there shouldn't be any further delays, right?" Fang Lingxue nodded and led us out of the room.
She had prepared a spacious Buick van for five of us, and once we departed from the Demon Island Grand Hotel, we headed south.
Having perused the map of Demon Island, I was aware that this peculiar island spanned an extensive area—approximately several hundred thousand square kilometers. Along the journey, I seized the opportunity to inquire about various aspects of Demon Island, gaining a general understanding of this world.
The origins of Demon Island remain a mystery; the first to discover it on Earth was a shadowy American consortium, who stumbled upon the fruit of wishes while excavating a ruin. They learned that consuming the fruit would grant them free passage between two worlds.
Demon Island harbors extraordinary phenomena beyond imagination; the initial explorers returned with holy water that promised eternal youth, igniting a fervor among underground factions globally, leading to the formation of numerous teams daring to venture into Demon Island.
Some sought prolonged life, others coveted immense power, while some sought elixirs to resurrect lost loved ones. Additionally, there were those pursuing the fulfillment of desires unattainable in the realm of reality. In short, each individual arriving at Demon Island harbored diverse aspirations.
However, the mortality rate among those early adventurers was staggering, exceeding ninety percent. Over time, various factions abandoned the model of recruiting adventurers from outside, opting instead to cultivate professional mercenary teams within Demon Island.
Currently, at least twenty to thirty mercenary teams operate actively on Demon Island. Fang Lingxue, employed by the Demon-Sealing Mercenary Corps, has served as their agent on the island for three years.
Throughout the journey, apart from the exchanges between Fang Lingxue and me, the Wolf King and his companions remained entirely silent. Once we disembarked, Jack stretched languidly, yet I suddenly sensed a chilling atmosphere encircling us and instinctively took a step back.
A piercing sound sliced through the air, resonating in my ears, as Jack unexpectedly brandished a scalpel—its sharp blade glimmering like ice under the sunlight, poised at the exact location where my heart had just been.
"Holy Light Bullet!" The sole technique I grasped erupted from my subconscious. Caught off guard, Jack had no time to evade as the holy light bullet, trailing a long arc, struck his face, sending him hurtling backward from the force of the impact.
In mid-air, he executed an agile somersault and landed safely, his face unscathed. "Next time you strike, the lesson you learn will be far more severe!" I feigned composure, tossing out this remark as I strode confidently toward the training camp, though inwardly my stomach churned with anxiety.
If Jack were to attack again, I would undoubtedly perish! He seemed genuinely surprised by his blunder, licking the scalpel before breaking into a grin. He turned to the Wolf King and remarked, "This kid is quite amusing; I intended to eliminate a worthless fool, yet I've found myself in a significant predicament."
The Wolf King let out a strange cry, striding up behind me and placing a hand on my shoulder, saying, "Thank goodness Jack acted a moment too soon; otherwise, the one losing face would have been me.
It seems you, like me, were not entirely truthful about that demoness, eh?" I brushed aside the Wolf King's massive hand without looking back.
However, his words made my heart tighten again. "What do these people consider life? No wonder Juliér is reluctant to join me at the training camp; it's not that the Demon-Sealing Mercenary Corps has special rules, but rather that it's far too perilous here.
Aside from my tenfold strength card and the Holy Light Beetle, I possess no other skills. With these men, who have slain demon narrators and seized countless cards, if I were to show even a hint of fear, I would surely be torn to shreds, right?
Fang Lingxue did not intervene in our brief skirmish; she merely opened her demon book, and without revealing what card she had activated, a pair of pristine wings suddenly unfurled from her back, and with a gentle flap, she ascended into the sky.
At that moment, I noticed a faint glimmer in Jack's palm, unmistakably another scalpel.
"Currently, there are one hundred eighty-five new recruits in the training camp. Upon your report, a designated instructor will be assigned to you. Now, summon your demon books and proceed through the entrance for inspection," Fang Lingxue said, displaying a calm demeanor as if unaware of Jack's murderous intentions.
The entrance to the Demon-Sealing Mercenary Corps training camp was guarded by two formidable sentinels with horse heads. I opened the contract page of my demon book and waved it before them, prompting the horse-headed sentinels to immediately gesture for us to pass.