As I grappled with the bald instructor Snooker, various forces and magnetic fields expanded around us, making it no wonder that Guan Ling struggled to maintain her footing. Weir let out a scoff, withdrew his hand, and stepped out. I gestured for Guan Ling to follow closely.
Upon seeing the magic circle beneath the training camp again, I recalled the few magic tomes I had acquired and resolved to delve deeper into the mysteries of the teleportation magic circle next time I had the chance;
otherwise, entering and exiting Demon Island would remain exceedingly inconvenient. Guan Ling seemed quite apprehensive about the teleportation magic circle, gripping my arm tightly. I had to offer her some words of comfort and encouragement.
As the teleportation magic circle activated, the silver symbols on my hands enveloped us in protection. I was now quite adept at using the teleportation magic circle, no longer as clumsy as I had been during my first experience.
When we materialized at the teleportation array in the headquarters in France, we were greeted by a stranger—a tall woman with dark skin, full and sensual lips, exuding an alluring yet chilling aura that was rather intoxicating.
The stunning woman beckoned me to follow her, and Guan Ling whispered in my ear, "This woman has quite the commanding presence!" I replied with a wry smile, "All the women here carry themselves with great authority!"
Though I had spent quite some time in the Demon Sealing Mercenary Corps' training camp, I was still largely ignorant of its inner workings.
I had a premonition that this visit would unveil some secrets of the mercenary group.
The striking woman led me into an office building at the headquarters and pointed to a particular office before departing without uttering a single word. I knocked lightly on the door, and a soft voice invited me in. Pushing the door open, I entered with Guan Ling, where a graceful Oriental woman looked up at me and smiled, saying, "You must be Wang Lin. Only six individuals have successfully passed the fifth trial; this training camp has indeed produced some remarkable talent."
I furrowed my brow and inquired, "May I ask who the other six are?"
"You, along with your three companions: Jack, Hachi Matsuhira, and Wolf King. The remaining two are named Jin Pingnan and Wen Chihu.
A wave of annoyance washed over me, but I refrained from correcting her misconception that Jack was one of my companions; it seemed I would have to contend with him for a long while. Letting out a quiet sigh to suppress my emotions, I asked, "What does the sixth training entail? Can we begin now?"
"Ah, a confident young man! The sixth to tenth trials take place at this military base, which include shooting, combat, computer skills, driving, and studies on the customs and knowledge of various worlds. The previous trials were merely to eliminate the unqualified; these five are the true training. I will be your personal instructor;
you can call me Meishu!" She picked up a document and smiled at Guan Ling, saying, "If you wish to join our Demon Sealing Mercenary Corps, you may seek out Gu Yali as your personal instructor to commence your training. We have already received your information; your father is no longer in danger, but he cannot meet with you just yet."
"Why not?"
"Because he has taken refuge in the Bosa World, a place you cannot access with your current abilities." Guan Ling took the document, her expression fluctuating between uncertainty and resolve. However, she quickly agreed, stating to Meishu, "I would like to join the Demon Sealing Mercenary Corps."
Meishu beamed, "That's wonderful! You will be grouped with Wang Lin and the others; a team of five is most suitable for adventures."
"I refuse to be partnered with Jack again! If it comes to that, I'll withdraw!" The implication in Meishu's words—that we would still be teamed with Jack—infuriated me, prompting a loud protest.
"If there are more than three objections within the team, you may refuse one member. However, you currently cannot contact Wolf King and Hachi Matsuhira, as they are also undergoing personal training."
"Hmph! Regardless, I will not team up with someone who might turn on me at any moment, no matter what the others think!" Meishu merely smiled gently, saying nothing. Guan Ling, puzzled by my insistence, had no familiarity with Jack and could not offer any biased suggestions. In the end, she simply remarked, "I'll support your decision;
as long as you find one more person, you won't have to team up with someone you dislike. That should work, right?"
Even without Guan Ling, I doubted Hachi Matsuhira and Wolf King would willingly team up with Jack. Realizing this, I abandoned the issue and shifted my inquiry: "How long will this training take?" I had already missed over ten days of classes. Although I had informed my parents earlier, if I were absent for several more days, they would undoubtedly report me as a missing person, which was a pressing concern.
Meishu smiled brightly and answered my question satisfactorily: "These five training sessions have no fixed duration; as long as you pass quickly, it varies. There have been instances of individuals completing all tasks in just a day and a half.
Perhaps you can try to break that record!" I mused to myself, "While breaking the record isn't my primary goal, if someone managed to finish in a day and a half, I should be able to complete it in less time than that. Even if I'm ten times slower than them, it would only take me half a month, which is bearable."
Meishu always smiled warmly before speaking, her demeanor incredibly gentle. With a personal instructor of such caliber, I felt quite content.
The Demon Sealing Mercenary Corps favored women; although Meishu had assigned Gu Yali—a rather fierce woman—as her personal instructor, I trusted she would not treat us men as harshly.
After clarifying everything, Meishu handed me a folder containing my new identification, a French passport, a military base officer's credential for easy access, a membership card for the French Paranormal Management Association, and a set of keys.
"You'll likely want to rest today; training will commence tomorrow. I will arrange your accommodations, and you can dine at the cafeteria within the base. The facilities here are quite comprehensive, so staying for an extended period will pose no issues."
I tucked these items into the Book of Demons, and suddenly the silver symbols on my hands shimmered brightly. My mind jolted, and the smiling figure of my personal instructor Meishu began to blur in my vision. What would I see next?