Chapter 193: A Safety Net

Chapter 193: A Safety Net

A nearby exorcist instructor approached to teach this student without any foundation how to form a contract with a demon.

Huang Yangsui came from a mundane background and had no prior knowledge of exorcists or magic. It was only during the year-end assessment, where his innate talent was recognized, that he gained entry into this school.

"That person doesn't know any magic at all, yet the demon actually responded to him. I really wonder what kind of incredible luck he must have had."

Many envious voices could be heard nearby.

Huang Yangsui was currently oblivious to the envious gazes around him, his entire being immersed in the excitement of the pact with the demon. It felt like a dream, even after the ceremony was complete.

Huang Yangsui chuckled foolishly. "Please guide me more in the future."

Cat Demon Wei Er nodded. "Please guide me as well."

"But it's only a pact with a Mid-Rank Demon, why are you so pleased with yourself?"

Someone nearby murmured quietly. Wei Er's cat ears twitched atop his head, and he glanced slightly sideways in search of the speaker. The person, probably not expecting the demon to hear, quickly averted their gaze, pretending to know nothing.

He recognized that aura; it was on the test paper Wen Ying had given him.

"Today, no demon will make a contract with that person," Wei Er whispered to Huang Yangsui.

Huang Yangsui looked confused. "Not a single demon will contract with anyone?"

Wei Er: "…No."

"A discovery! Fellow brothers and sisters, that cat demon's species is a Nekomata!"

"It's clear, with two tails. It seems there's a similarity between demon species and yokai."

"Look over there!!! A second demon has appeared!"

In the various live streams, aside from one keeping a wide shot, the others switched to close-ups, zooming in on the student who summoned the second demon.

The black demonic mist dissipated, revealing nine light reddish-brown tails unfurling slowly. A powerful female demon emerged into public view, her lips curving in a barely perceptible smile.

"Holy sh*t, holy sh*t, holy sh*t, it's Nine-Tails Sister!"

"I'll pay five million to anyone who gets me into the Exorcist Academy!"

"I'll offer ten million! Just send me in!"

"Hmm, the real person is even more attractive than their photo from the Demon Realm's Judgment Bureau."

Ordinary people might judge by looks, but exorcists valued power more. Those well-informed knew that the Nine-Tailed Fox was now one of the three major demon races in the Demon Realm. Whoever received a response from the Nine-Tailed Fox was the envy of all.

Lilith chose a girl, who was visibly agitated and stammering as she spoke. Standing so close to a demon from the Nine-Tailed Fox clan, she felt an immense sense of pressure. Even though the demon was simply standing there quietly and looking at her, the girl couldn't help feeling like a herbivore facing a carnivore.

Scanning the crowd, Lilith frowned slightly at the overly eager gazes coming from all directions. Afraid that Lilith might misunderstand and act on impulse, Wen Ying quickly sent her a text similar to Wei Er's.

After reading the message, Lilith slightly toned down her intimidating aura and proceeded to sign a contract with the exorcist who had summoned her.

Having messaged Lilith, Wen Ying then sent texts to her classmates who had yet to be summoned, explaining in advance that human customs were different from theirs.

Time passed, and soon it was noon, which in turn quickly gave way to the afternoon. As more and more demons were summoned, the students who had yet to make a contract grew increasingly restless, and the atmosphere shifted from excitement in the morning to tension.

Wen Xinxin still hadn't received any response from a demon. Seeing her in the live stream, Wen Ying was initially puzzled as to why Persephone hadn't replied. Upon closer inspection, however, her lips twitched wildly.

He gave his cousin a guaranteed prize from one pool, yet she insisted on trying her luck with other pools for a demon.

From dawn till dusk, Wen Xinxin stubbornly avoided lining up for Perseus, causing Wen Ying to worry that Perseus might feel rejected and unresponsive.

Wen Ying called Perseus, "Perseus, that human girl probably prefers a demon that appears more gentle and ordinary."

Perseus picked up on Wen Ying's concern but casually replied, "I haven't changed my choice." Then, he hung up.

"Mysterious…" Wen Ying muttered. "Perseus' reaction doesn't seem right this time."

Where there's abnormality, there's usually a reason. Wen Ying made a mental note of this and decided to observe the situation for a few more days.

The countless permutations of people and thirty demons were truly time-consuming. By evening, Wen Ying noticed that most of his classmates had responded, likely tired of selecting.

It was just left to Perseus and Wen Ying. Seeing Wen Xinxin obstinately refusing to join Perseus' line while choosing his instead, Wen Ying felt a momentary blackout.

Fortunately, he had previously instructed Lu Qingyuan to initially join other demons' lines as a formality, saving the last spot for his own. This way, he would be the last to appear.

Otherwise, with Wen Xinxin's determined refusal to choose Cerberus, Wen Ying's fun would have been halved.

Wen Ying had promised to retrieve his cousin from the demonic realm, and now, Lu Qingyuan was diligently fulfilling his duties for Wen Ying. Observing the situation, he noticed another demon who hadn't chosen a contractor yet. Thus, he pretended to have stomach pain and slipped away to the restroom.

Seeing this, Wen Ying was pleased and decided to gift him more potions.

Then, Wen Ying callously ignored Wen Xinxin's summon without any response. Sighing, Wen Xinxin joined the last queue that she hadn't tried.

"There are only two left. I find the current situation quite intriguing – the top and bottom of the thirty."

"Is it the Three-Headed Hellhound and the Mirror Demon? Exciting, I'd be nervous with my heart pounding."

"I think any demon is better than none, regardless of their race."

"That's not necessarily true. A relative told me there's a hierarchy among exorcists. Some cliques would mock those who contract a Mirror Demon."

"It's here!"

Staring blankly at the table containing the blood of the Three-Headed Hellhound, Wen Xinxin watched as magic fog rose from the ground, forming an array. A powerful hand tore through the mist like a claw, leaving behind a fleeting trail of black flames.

Feeling the paradoxical chill and heat simultaneously, Wen Xinxin stood frozen, slowly lifting her stiff neck to gaze at the ominous demon that had rendered her body rigid.

So tall, so muscular, so terrifying.

Wen Xinxin had no interest in seeing the devil's face. The moment she met the Cerberus's gaze, she felt as if her soul had been seized, plunging into those blood-red eyes, where a paradoxical chill and heat coexisted.

The demonic bloodline of the Mirror Devil within Wen Xinxin's veins, after a long absence, sensed the aura of an elite devil, causing her soul to tremble.

The live stream chat froze for a moment before comments started trickling in again.

"My god, those eyes are terrifying. I couldn't move just now, and my hands are still shaking as I type."

"There were other scary devils earlier, but not like this one. Whoever's controlling the camera, switch back to the wide shot quickly! I feel like he's about to rip through my screen and be right in front of me."

"It's bearable, just a bit suffocating."

"Friendly reminder, you can breathe."

"My relative said Cerberi are an irascible race. Suddenly, I feel a bit sorry for that girl; she can't handle it."

"To be honest, after looking at it for a while...it's just slightly terrifying. Mainly, I like the collar around his neck and the golden earrings on his ears."

"Well, it doesn't seem quite as terrifying now," Wen Ying raised an eyebrow. In some ways, humans were indeed braver than demons.

Beros lowered his gaze to study the human girl before him, taking a casual look before lifting his hand, offering a contract.

Previously, he had forcibly signed a slave contract with an exorcist. He had only recently broken it; otherwise, that human might have recognized the puppy as him, completely destroying his image.

The barrier was weakening now, which was why demons could appear in human form in the human realm today.

Wen Xinxin's gaze was unfocused, her mind seemingly elsewhere. The exorcist teacher beside her, noticing the demon patiently waiting with outstretched hand for the contract, promptly approached and shook Wen Xinxin to bring her back to reality.

"The demon wishes to form a pact with you. Release your magical power promptly," the exorcist teacher whispered into Wen Xinxin's ear.

Wen Xinxin came to her senses, finding it somewhat difficult to believe that such a terrifyingly formidable demon had chosen her. It was an unfolding of events straight out of a romance novel, prompting a private musing within Wen Xinxin, her thoughts tinged with a hint of incredulity.

Interestingly, this demon's gaze seemed to be inspecting something from the very beginning.

Wen Xinxin was perplexed but dared not inquire. Following her Exorcist mentor's instructions, she sealed a contract of equality with the Hellhound.

"Wait!"

Just as Wen Xinxin was about to seal the pact with Cerberus, someone suddenly called out from the side. Startled, she lost control of the magic in her palm.

The person who had shouted looked down on Wen Xinxin's clumsy manipulation of magic as he stepped forward from the crowd. He seemed confident, walking with his head held high and an aura of self-assurance, but there was still a hint of uncontrollable fear on his face when he reached Cerberus.

"I apologize for my rudeness," Mu Jingnian said, his voice tinged with resentment. "I've heard that the Hellhound prefers strong partners. Why would you choose an ordinary person who has only been in contact with magic for a few months over other accomplished exorcists?"

Wen Xinxin wasn't offended; she was curious too. But once she had this demon, she definitely wouldn't let him go. She planned to show him off to those who had looked down on her.

Cerberus glanced sideways. "None of you are strong enough to pique my interest."

Mu Jingnian was taken aback. "Then why not choose the best among the worst?"

Cerberus' blood-red eyes fixed on him, and beads of cold sweat formed on Mu Jingnian's forehead. The oppressive presence made his limbs turn icy.

The headmaster, who had hurried over, squeezed through the crowd. Seeing that the temperamental demon was showing signs of anger, he quickly intervened. "Mu Jingnian, demons have their own preferences. Their choices aren't based on formulas. You should focus on preparing your speech for tomorrow's opening ceremony."

Turning to Wen Xinxin, the headmaster continued, "I remember your name is Wen Xinxin, right? Your talent in magic is outstanding. With some effort, I believe you will achieve great success in the field of magic."

Wen Xinxin spoke bashfully, "Thank you for your recognition."

As the dean spoke, Beros scanned the area but failed to spot Wen Ying. Instead, he sensed Wen Ying's aura emanating from a nearby stone. Knowing Wen Ying's character, the young man would deliberately wait until the end to make an appearance, seeking amusement in such a manner.

"I must apologize," the dean expressed sincerely, "He's just overly eager to form a pact with a demon, that's why he acted impulsively. Normally, he's not like this."

Beros paid no heed, dismissing the explanation entirely.

"Bond with me," Beros said to Wen Xin Xin.

The others watched in puzzlement as the hellhound chose such an ordinary exorcist. Why would the Cerberus opt for Wen Xin Xin?