Terrifying New Companions

As soon as my name was inscribed on the paper, an ominous demon emblem materialized beneath the contract, signifying its immediate activation. Juliere had previously informed me that this emblem indicated the commencement of the contract's magical power, and that any breach by either party would result in unforeseeable penalties. As for the executioner of these punishments, even Juliere could not ascertain its nature; she only conveyed that it was an entity beyond my capacity to resist.

Upon witnessing my signature, Fang Lingxue smiled faintly and handed me a basic swordsmanship card along with an internal energy card. She remarked, "Welcome to the Demon Seal Mercenary Corps Reserve!" The first-level basic swordsmanship card, though composed of merely eighteen simple movements, encompassed all the essentials of swordplay. It served as the foundation for all sword techniques, necessitating repeated practice for mastery. The second-level internal energy card allowed the user to permanently increase their internal energy cap by three hundred points. The gifts from Fang Lingxue were so invaluable that I found them impossible to decline, as they catered precisely to my current needs. 

Fang Lingxue observed me placing the two cards into my demon book and selected to use them. "Your current abilities are insufficient for survival in this realm. I will arrange for you to join our mercenary corps' novice training camp. If you have no other matters to attend to, we can depart at once!"

"I still have some belongings in my room; I will join you shortly!" Fang Lingxue nodded, leaving her contact number with me before taking her leave.

I hastily finished my breakfast and brought a portion for Juliere before returning to my room. My earlier mention of fetching items had merely been an excuse; in truth, I wished to inquire about the mercenary corps. "What? You've joined the Demon Seal Mercenary Corps! I barely dozed off for a moment, and you've already enlisted… Goodness!" Juliere exclaimed dramatically, prompting me to cover my ears. I proceeded to recount my encounter with Fang Lingxue and the signing of the training contract, surprised by Juliere's extreme reaction.

"Did you know? More than half of the Demon Seal Mercenary Corps consists of beautiful women. You little lecher certainly have good taste. Their reputation on Demon Island is unparalleled; they never use newcomers as cannon fodder during perilous missions. Clearly, I've found myself a fine client! Except for that lecherous bit…" 

"I am not lecherous!" I protested vehemently, though Juliere's comments made me inwardly gloat over my good fortune. 

However, Juliere shifted her tone, donning the persona of a devilish overseer. "The elimination rate in the mercenary corps' novice training camp is remarkably high. I doubt that little lecher like you will pass all the training!" Disheartened, I retorted, "Juliere! Could you refrain from undermining my confidence?" 

"This is my duty; you signed the contract! Oh well, come with me to the training camp!" I was unsurprised by Juliere's dismissal of my request, but when I made another, she refused again: "No can do. The Demon Seal Mercenary Corps prohibits novices from bringing commentators into the training camp; I cannot accompany you."

"Why didn't you mention this sooner? I wouldn't have come here just to be discouraged. I could have left with Fang Lingxue right away." Juliere chuckled and snapped her fingers, saying, "Well then, enjoy your time in the training camp; do try not to be dazzled by the plethora of beauties."

Leaving breakfast behind, I stormed out of the guest room, completely forgetting my original intention to ask Juliere about the mercenary corps. Upon contacting Fang Lingxue using the communication card, she instructed me to meet her in room 2034. When I arrived, I discovered that the door was ajar, and Fang Lingxue's voice echoed from within, "Mr. Wang Lin, you needn't knock; please come in!" Hesitant, I stepped inside and found three men already present. Fang Lingxue introduced them: "These three are Wolf King, Jack, and Baijing Zhenfu! They are all novices like you and will join you in the training camp."

I nodded at them, attempting to convey friendliness with a smile, but their expressions were formidable and devoid of emotion, causing my greeting to fall flat. "Alright, let's introduce our abilities. You will be trained as a small team in the training camp, so developing rapport early on will be highly beneficial," Fang Lingxue encouraged.

Wolf King grinned, a towering figure over two meters tall; while his serious demeanor could be intimidating, his smile was distinctly fearsome. "I am Wolf King. People say I suffer from lycanthropy delusions, so I came to Demon Island in search of the true power to become a werewolf. I've trained in Russia, participated in several wars, and I understand various combat techniques and weaponry." 

After Wolf King's introduction, Jack spoke with a flat tone. "I've killed many people—around a hundred or two. The last person I killed possessed a wish fruit, which is why I'm here." He shrugged nonchalantly, adding, "I don't want to do much! If I can find a perfect way to dispose of corpses without being disturbed by the police, that would be wonderful." 

Baijing Zhenfu stated earnestly, "I am a descendant of an exorcism family, here to seek the legendary ultimate secret art. I've only killed demons, never a human!" 

"I'm a high school freshman; the most gruesome thing I've done is dismember a grasshopper!" Hearing these three individuals, each with their terrifying backgrounds, I found my introduction to be somewhat incongruous. 

The four pairs of astonished eyes in the room made me wipe the sweat from my forehead and quickly add, "I've also killed a chicken once!" Wolf King erupted into raucous laughter, while Jack merely furrowed his brow in silence. 

Surprisingly, Baijing Zhenfu offered me a faint smile, endearing him to me. Fang Lingxue smiled and snapped her fingers, signaling for silence. 

"Now that you are on Demon Island, you must adapt to your new surroundings. Please open your demon books so I can check what cards and treasures you possess!" 

Wolf King casually summoned his demon book, surprisingly the smallest model, a sixty-four-page format with only a thousand storage slots. The ease with which he opened it left me quite envious.