The Seven Demon's Tamer

"All right," Ryder said firmly. "I'm all ears."

He looked around at Mara, Brok, and Leo, then added, "We all are."

"There is nothing much to say actually," Dwang Sung clarified, his red eyes gleaming as he turned around from them to face the platform. "All you need is the briefing of the beast affinity of all these exclusive members standing right before me."

Pointing at the man in the middle, Dwang Sung started his introduction. "He is Koji, one of the elites and most valuable members we have."

"He has the affinity of teleportation, and he is the only one in the entire east of the planet Terra, bearing a beast with such kind of affinity," Master Sung continued, his voice taking on a tone of pride, and a signal for him to add some more intel.

Koji's lips curved into a smile, and he nodded respectfully at the recognition of Master Sung's gesture.

"Teleportation is more than just moving from place to place," he said, his voice carrying a slight accent of Japanese. "It's about understanding space itself, learning to manipulate it.

My familiar has no problem in using its affinity, but in order for me to harness it, I had to learn it from scratch, making lots of mistakes.

Most people think it's simple—point A to point B. They have no idea about the calculations involved, and the risks."

"Just like earlier, the portal by which you came here was created by him without summoning his beast, and if you guess, you are right—he is at the Tian level," Master Sung added, purposely ignoring the growing tension in the room.

It was clear why Master Sung was in no haste and why they were taken here. Koji's familiar's affinity was already the means he had arranged to transport them by and not aircraft like they had expected.

Ryder found himself wondering just how far this teleportation could reach—and more importantly, how accurately could Koji control where they ended up? He said he had learned to control it, right...?

Moving his finger to the next person with the casual air like all these were no big deal, Master Sung started his next introduction. "This is Yuki, also a priceless member and ally of the Red Eastern guild."

Yuki was smaller than Ryder had initially thought, her ash-gray hair falling in straight lines to frame her young face.

As for her eyes, the look in them wasn't quite matching her young face. They had the look of someone who knew a little too much.

"She has a familiar possessing the affinity of mind alteration. She does not need to summon out her familiar before using the affinity, and if you guess, you are right; she is also at the Tian stage."

"Though all of them are at the Tian stage, you should not mistake them for fighters," Master Sung added. "They simply have the techniques necessary for them to use their affinity properly, and a few basic fighting skills, so don't be mistaken."

"By simply placing her hands on a person, she can activate her affinity and either add more knowledge to the person, remove some knowledge from the person, even up to creating fake memories."

Master Sung also gestured towards Yuki to carry on, and she nodded in affirmation.

Yuki spoke for the first time, her voice soft and almost melodious. "The mind is like a vast library,"

"Most people only ever access a tiny reading room in front, never venturing into the deeper end. However, I am like those people.

I can walk through all of it—reorganize the books, add new chapters, remove some chapters. Sometimes I find... interesting things hidden in the archives."

Even a dummy would know she wasn't speaking about books. She was referring to real people.

"Now the last one over there," Master Sung moved his finger, directing it to the last lady by the side.

"What kind of interesting things?" Leo asked, laughing nervously in an obviously forced laughter.

Yuki's smile was innocent. "Memories people have forgotten. Dreams they've dismissed. Fears they've hidden even from themselves. The mind keeps everything, you know. Nothing is ever truly lost—just tossed to the archive intentionally or vice versa."

Brok let out another wave of nervous laughter. "That's... that's really not as reassuring as you might think. Try not to mess with my memory, will ya."

"Now the last one over there," Master Sung moved his finger, directing it to the final member of their group.

"That's Mika, also a Tian," he explained with pride, a slight grin at the corner of his mouth. "She does not really have a task here; she is simply accompanying the other exclusive members like she always does for safety reasons."

"Mika has a familiar with the affinity of multiple lives."

The words hung in the air with no one saying anything this time around. They were all just... bewildered.

"You must be confused by the 'multiple lives' I said, but I'll make it clear," Master Sung continued, apparently ignoring the growing bewilderment on his audience's faces. "She can reincarnate herself or others after death by using her beast's affinity."

Now that was surprising, and everyone gasped from Ryder's group, including Leo, whose jaw subconsciously dropped for a fleeting moment before he eventually exclaimed.

"What the hell!" Leo exclaimed, his blue-silver eyes widening with genuine shock. "An affinity that can bring back to life a dead person! Is this truly real?"

"As real as it sounds fake," Master Sung responded with obvious satisfaction at their reaction.

"How many times have you..." Mara started to ask, then stopped, as if unable to complete her statement.

"Died?" Mika completed, creating another wave of silence in the room. "Or brought others back?

I do not keep track," Mika admitted, tilting her head as she seemed to reason before she continued. "I ki..."

"Mika!" Ryder called out, cutting through her mid-speech.

They all hadn't noticed it up till now, the sudden change in Ryder's expression until now.

His eyes... burned with a kind of passion that made the room fall silent again.

"Does your affinity work on every single human being?" Ryder inquired, his tone carrying quite some intensity that took everyone aback.

"Yes," Mika responded. "It works on every single living thing."

That was exactly what Ryder wanted to hear before he could ask his next question.

"Can you... bring my mother back?"