Demon Gate Aspirants

Back on the shore of Violent Lake, where their party had set out for the Eternal Doom Island three months ago, Liam, Mary, and the three other survivors spotted a small makeshift camp.

Four carriages and a wagon were parked in one corner, with horses neatly tied in a makeshift stable. Six tents of varying sizes, all made from the same special cloth, formed the core of the camp. Several men patrolled the perimeter, their eyes scanning the surroundings. One guard kept watch over the lake, while others monitored the south, east, and west.

The guards were dressed in black, with masks covering their faces and hoods concealing their hair, making it impossible to distinguish their identities.

Among the twenty or so people in the camp, only two men were unmasked. One, a blond man, sat in front of a table, eating something, while the other, an older gray-haired man, stood beside him. Both faced the lake, seemingly lost in thought.

'That's him.'

Liam stared at the strong, blond man—the same man who had kidnapped him months ago and locked him in the cell of the car Day and Ellis had been traveling in before he joined the group.

The other man was unfamiliar, but given Liam's transformation since his capture, he realized, observing those two, that seeking revenge would not be straightforward.

'This man is powerful. At the very least, he has third realm cultivation... He might even be a fourth realm cultivator!' Liam thought, secretly clenching his fists behind his back.

"Get out. The Commander will tell you a few things. Pay attention to his words. This is where your journey as disciples of Demon Gate truly begins," the man who had registered them instructed, pointing to the bridge connecting the boat to the small harbor on this side of the lake.

Without a word, the five of them crossed the bridge, stopping a few yards from where the Commander was finishing his meal.

The late afternoon light was fading, casting long shadows across the camp. Campfires and torches flickered to life, casting a warm glow and adding to the sense of impending night.

"You're early, Officer Fulton," the Commander remarked, looking at the person standing in front of Liam's group.

The five survivors of the Eternal Doom Island couldn't distinguish any of the men apart by appearance, but their magical auras were distinctly different. The Commander and each of his men were easily identified by these auras.

Officer Fulton stepped forward and greeted the Commander respectfully. "That was a good harvest. We got five survivors, and they all finished the selection test quickly, Commander."

First Officer Merlin, standing beside the Commander, narrowed his eyes as he looked at Liam and Mary. "There are two Spirit Lords in the group."

"That was a surprise to us. Looks like we've picked up some interesting talent for the sect," Officer Fulton said, approaching the two men. "The black-haired boy seems to have chased his second spirit on the island."

"Oh?" The Commander looked at Liam with a puzzled expression.

First Officer Merlin shook his head, sighed, and closed his eyes. "What a fool. Such a terrible mistake!"

Officer Fulton laughed at Merlin's reaction. "What a waste, huh?"

"It doesn't matter. If he doesn't have the patience to choose his essences, let him learn from his own pain. Ignore that for now. Let's complete the rite of joining the sect," Commander Amos said, dismissing the issue.

He then turned his attention to the five new members of his group.

Standing with his back to the group, Amos didn't recall where each of them had come from or who had recruited them.

Turning around, he addressed them, "From now on, you are all new members of Demon Gate, or more precisely, Aspirants.

You will be part of my group for an indefinite period. But for now, we won't have much contact. We're heading to the sect where you'll learn to be Demon Gate Spirit Masters. You'll spend some time studying there until I call you for external missions.

For now, I'll leave First Officer Merlin to supervise and guide you in your first steps as members of the sect."

He motioned for the gray-haired man to step forward before entering his tent.

First Officer Merlin stepped forward, his stern gaze and scarred face trembling as he looked at the five Aspirants.

Demon Gate was not a power that assigned constant teachers to guide its members; it favored self-taught methods. However, raw beginners like Liam's group were exceptions.

"From today until the end of the trip to the sect's headquarters, I will be available to answer your questions. But I hope you don't waste my time. Think carefully before you come to me.

In any case, there are some materials in the carriage that will take you to the sect's headquarters that can help you learn more about the sect. Before you come to see me, make sure you read all of them."

The five of them nodded in unison, eager to read the books that awaited them.

The gray-haired man continued, "The trip to the headquarters should take two weeks. That is how long you will be under my tutelage. After that, you will enter the sect and pass the Promotion Exam. Use this time wisely. For now, I excused you to begin your reading."

The five Aspirants made gestures of thanks before walking in an orderly fashion, with Liam leading the way to the carriage Merlin had showed.

Demon Gate, like any organized force in this world, had a well-defined hierarchy. The group of five Aspirants would soon discover that, although they were called members of the sect, for now, they were merely outside disciples.

To carry out missions outside the headquarters and act as their captors did, they would need to become inner disciples. But the path to this promotion was not as easy as Merlin's words made it seem.

When they arrived at the sect in two weeks' time, they would have to pass the Promotion Exam, maybe became Initiates, the first path necessary for them to apply to become inner disciples of the sect.

If they didn't pass the Promotion Exam, they might end like servants of the organization, a much harsher fate for anyone!

Throughout the night, they would learn various things about the Demon Gate, until Commander Amos' group finished dismantling the camp and they set off from the shore of Lake Violent.

Thus began the journey for Liam's group to the Demon Gate headquarters, a journey filled with anticipation, uncertainty, and the looming challenge of the Promotion Exam.