The Seven Demon's Tamer

The sensation of teleportation was nothing like what any of them had expected.

They didn't feel like their bodies were being pulled and accelerated through some cosmic tunnel like it did when they were traveling to the astral shadow plane; they didn't feel like they were covering any distance either. It was almost like simply walking through a door—a very, very supernatural door that happened to bend space.

"Well, that was sudden," Leo muttered, brushing imaginary dust off his jacket. "I was expecting at least some dramatic swooshing sounds, or maybe my body being pulled through some sort of cosmic space for a couple of moments."

For a brief moment, the light blinded them, causing them to squint and shield their eyes for a short while. The transition from the white room to the new surroundings under the sky was not something that could be instantly adapted to.

As they dropped their hands, the view of the Red Eastern guild headquarters' gate stood right in front of them. Big was an understatement for the size of the gate—it was ridiculously massive. It towered above them with a presence of its own, like it was infused with some sort of energy that made the air around it give off a kind of pressure.

The gate itself was a masterpiece with architecture that gave clear evidence that this was related to a rich Eastern culture. Carved from what appeared to be a single block of dark red stone, it stretched upward for at least fifty feet, maybe more.

Complex carved creatures resembling a rare breed of aquatic animals with whiskers coiled their way around the edges, their eyes seeming to track the movement of everyone standing before the gate even though they were just statues.

"Damn..." Brok's voice trailed off as he stretched his neck back, trying to see the top of the structure. "Did they build this thing, or did they just find a mountain and carve it into shape?"

"I'm getting a serious neck cramp just looking at it," Mara complained, rubbing the back of her neck. "Whoever designed this clearly has an extraordinary mind."

Leo walked up to the gate and knocked on it experimentally. The sound that echoed back was... silence. But there was something about this door Leo knew, something about the energy flowing within it, but he wouldn't like to break the unsettling news to them right now, especially since they were not in danger.

"Solid construction," he commented. "Though I have to question the practicality of a door this size. What do they do when they need to let in a single person? Open the whole thing?"

"Who exactly are you asking?" Ryder yawned. "Do you think we know any better than you do about our new environment right now?"

They all would have tried to use the gate, but there was no knob or some sort of handle to open it. In fact, if not for the shape and the obvious door-like seam running down the middle, it would have been wrong to call it a gate at all. It looked more like a decorative wall.

"Should we push it or anything?" Brok questioned curiously. "We need to figure out a way in."

Ryder approached the gate slowly, running his fingers along the carved surface. The stone was warm to the touch, which was odd considering they were in what appeared to be a mountainous region.

"There's definitely something alive about this thing," he murmured, more to himself than to the others, but Leo heard it, which caught him off guard. It was indeed surprising that Ryder could tell, even though he didn't have the silver gaze like he did.

"Please don't tell me the door is going to start talking to us," Brok stressed, regarding it as a possibility. "That damn Dwang Sung dumped us here without a clue. He should have at least filled us up with some knowledge on how things work here, not just how to speak Japanese."

"Should we force it open or anything?" Ryder questioned Leo in particular, taking a few steps back from the gate. "We need to figure out a way in, and standing here admiring the craftsmanship isn't going to get us anywhere."

"I wouldn't do so if I were you," someone commented, startling them.

The group spun around in unison to see who owned the voice.

Behind them, Master Sung could be seen. He had also teleported with them, along with the three exclusive members trailing behind him.

"You're here." Ryder exclaimed with slight surprise. "I thought you would have left us to figure our way out ourselves," Ryder commented.

Master Sung replied with a short-lived smile that didn't quite reach his red eyes, then walked towards the gate, standing just a few inches away from it and staring right at it with his head held high.

Brok literally crept up to Ryder's ear and whispered, "What is he going to do now?"

"I wish I knew," Ryder responded, pushing Brok's head away from his ear. "Just watch; that's all we should do."

Joining both of his palms together, carefully and slowly, Master Sung made them all subconsciously tilt their heads forward in anticipation, except Yuki, Mika, and Koji, of course.

They had seen Master Sung doing this and many other amazing tricks a couple of times before.

Master Sung's posture was perfect—back straight, shoulders relaxed, hands pressed together in what looked like a prayer position.

For a few moments, he retained the position with nothing happening. The silence stretched on, broken only by the distant sound of wind whistling from the distant mountains and bushy paths around.

"Are you worshipping it?" Leo questioned rhetorically, his voice carrying evidence of the frustration he was feeling. "I should have expected this from an easterner right from the..."

**Bwoom.**

The word died in Leo's throat as a gust of wind went past him, carrying with it a pressure that made his heartbeat suddenly rapid.

It wasn't just him; everyone was suddenly in a state of bewilderment, trying to process what had just happened.

The wind wasn't natural—it moved, swirling around Master Sung, making him appear like he was in the middle of a hurricane. The temperature dropped several degrees in seconds, and the air itself seemed to thicken with crackling energy.

Aura was normally invisible to human eyes except Leo's, of course, but right now, Brok could swear he could see the red energy radiating from Master Sung and flickering around him like he was on fire.

"That's not fire, is it, Luxy?" Ryder asked quietly, standing straight. He was the only one unshaken by the burst of energy.

"No, it's not." Luxy replied. "That's pure gamma energy control. The kind you asked me to teach you long ago, remember?"

**Bwoom.**

The second wave swept over them like a burst of concentrated force, and Mara and Brok both fell to their knees subconsciously. It wasn't their will; their bodies were acting on their own, responding to their instinct that recognized the presence of overwhelming power.

"What the hell is happening to us?" Mara gasped, trying to push herself back to her feet and finding her muscles strangely unresponsive. "I can't... why can't I stand up?"

Leo was holding his ground, though his body was trembling, being strained by Master Sung's overwhelming energy burst. His enhanced perception allowed him to see the aura in much greater detail than the others, thereby straining his eyes.

Ryder seemed fine but startled, staring at the dancing energy.

**Bwoom.**

Then the third wave came, crashing over them with an intensity that was even reflected on the ground beneath their feet. Cracks appeared in the stone pathway, and the eyes of the statues momentarily glowed with red energy just like Master Sung's before fading. The third wave was short-lived, and its effects were nearly immediate.

The gate began to open with a sound like thunder rolling across mountains. The massive structure split into two from the nearly invisible seam in the middle, each half moving sluggishly, reflecting its obvious weight.

"Now that," Leo said, feeling his body suddenly become weak from the strain of holding his ground against Master Sung's energy outburst, "was significantly more impressive than a doorbell."

It was only at this moment that Brok and Mara were able to struggle back to their feet, trembling with every motion they made, especially Mara. She was the weakest, after all.

Master Sung lowered his hands and turned to face them, looking entirely too composed for someone who had just exuded such aura.

"This is the Red Eastern defense system," he explained casually. "Built to handle even the greatest threats."

"Defense system?" Mara repeated, finally managing to get back to her feet with Ryder's help. "That was a defense system? What exactly is it defending against, armies of dragons?"

"The principle is simple," Master Sung continued. "The gate responds only to members of sufficient rank within the guild, such as I and the Sen. It prevents unauthorized entry while ensuring that those with proper authority can access the compound quickly."

"Consider yourself lucky you never attempted to force your way through, because this is a defensive structure for a reason. It could have retaliated."

Ryder remained silent, processing what he had just witnessed. It was quite reasonable, actually. Such a fast-rising guild like the Red Eastern would naturally attract enemies, so advanced security measures weren't a surprise.

The Red Eastern guild had been able to keep all their challenges in check and maintain the appearance of a guild with no significant threats. If he could guess, based on the appearance and apparent durability of the gate, it should be quite capable of withstanding considerable assault.

"It should be strong enough to withstand quite a lot," Ryder muttered aloud, running his hand along the smooth inner surface of the gate as they passed through. "And with high-ranking members of the Red Eastern guild hierarchy present at all times in the base, you have multiple layers of protection."

"Precisely," Master Sung said with approval. "Physical defenses are only as good as the people who operate them. The combination of both ensures our security."

"But you are so strong, how would someone even think of making enemies with you?" Ryder wondered inwardly.

They all walked into the building together in nearly synchronized steps. At first, the inside of the building was not visible, but only after taking a few steps through the gate, a quick flash of light met their view, and Ryder and his crew could see the inside for the first time.

It was like an entire capital city on its own. Several tall, towering buildings encompassed the landscape, all having unique Eastern styles and diverse designs. The few-story duplexes that occupied the majority of the area were all decorated with carvings of dragons, phoenixes, and other mythical creatures coiled around them like the gate.

On the far end in the horizon, a tall structure touching the sky stood, while close by, several tall structures all having identical architecture lined the area in smart arrangement.

Some other bungalows were scattered within the towering buildings with curved rooflines swept upward in arcs. Pagoda-style towers rose at regular intervals, their multiple levels creating a pleasing rhythm across the skyline. Gardens were visible between the structures, adding touches of green that softened the stone and wood construction.

"What the hell!" Mara gasped. "It is like a kingdom on its own."

"Kingdom, headquarters, main base," Master Sung spoke dismissively. "Whatever you call it, it's all right."

For some strange reason, despite the number of buildings that existed in the compound of the base, the entire area was eerily silent.

They didn't spot anyone, not literally, though, because the moment they stepped in through the gate, a few of them were able to notice figures looming around—Ryder and Leo in particular, given that they had the best perception.

Just right beside the gate from the inside, there were two elevated towers just as tall as the gate positioned on both sides. Each of the towers was filled with Red Eastern members that acted as guards.

They could even feel some of them summoning out their familiars but halted after they noticed Master Sung in their midst.

Seeing their guild leader along with the strangers, they all respectfully lowered their defenses.

Master Sung seemed to notice that Leo and Ryder saw through to the guards who didn't even make any move that would have alerted anyone of their presence.

Mara and Brok were still acting normal, not even flinching or showing a sign of noticing anything unusual. Clearly, they didn't feel the presence of the occupants of the dual towers.

Nearly every moment reminded Master Sung that Mara and Brok weren't supposed to be moving with them.

He knew he was making the right choice by giving the recruiting invitation to just Leo and Ryder. The others were extras that he would have shoved away if not that he had another use for them.

If Ryder was emotionally attached to these people, he could use them to his benefit later on in times of necessity. All he needed to do was to play his cards right.