When the plot-skips players into the game world

Darkness, dampness.

As if submerged in a warm yet viscous liquid, Gordon's consciousness was being gradually dragged into deeper levels.

When Gordon awoke once more, he found that someone had already arrived.

"Long time no see, Director Gordon…"

A deep, middle-aged woman's voice sounded, "Should I now call you Inspector Gordon?"

Gordon slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in a space filled with a brilliant red glow.

Unlike the waiting room of the full moon ritual, this place wasn't pure darkness, rather it was more like being at the bottom of the ocean.

Under the nearly black deep red sky hung a crescent moon as dark as pitch. Beneath their chairs, high enough for them, was a blood sea that rose and fell rhythmically, casting up great amounts of white foam like the ocean waves.

In the center of the nine chairs was a huge, fully armored silver-white Knight sculpture. It appeared to be five or six meters tall, its hands resting a giant sword before it like a monument piercing heaven and earth.

But the legs it set in the blood sea and the tip of its sword blade were dyed red by the blood. It was a striking and horrifying sight.

This was also Gordon's first time participating in the New Moon Ritual.

The smell of blood pervading the environment was unpleasant to him. He instinctively furrowed his brow slightly, glancing to the left.

There were two people who had arrived before him.

This indicated that both of them were in Avalon and had a higher total level than him.

The first was a white-haired old man in a simple black suit, sitting upright and dignified. He had a large belly, which was so swollen that even just wearing the suit made it bulge significantly. The old man's hands were placed on his knees, and just this posture alone gave a subtle sense of oppression. Seeing Gordon appear, he nodded slightly to him.

The second was a middle-aged woman with her hair simply tied back in a ponytail. She was wearing an opulent red dress, as if she was about to attend a banquet. But completely at odds with her demeanor was the hideous and fearsome boar mask on her head.

——They're all acquaintances, Gordon thought.

Although they never had the chance to meet in a ritual… just one look, and he could recognize who they corresponded to in reality.

Every one of them was a Transcendent of the Path of Authority. Yet now, they actually had the chance to meet in an advancement ritual…

"…Yes, long time no see, Lady Red. We're colleagues at the Supervisory Court from now on."

Gordon also took the opportunity to ask in return, "Which Path are you planning to take now?"

"Love. Power leads to desire, and it's time for my derivative," Lady Red replied without any hesitation, "And here, you should call me [Red]."

"Then you should call me [Thunder]," Gordon responded. "By the way, your code name seems to have no meaning either. Just that dress of yours is enough to give away your identity."

"'Lady Red' is also a nickname, and I have no need to hide one nickname behind another. Besides, I don't need to hide my identity – just like you," Lady Red answered.

After speaking, she looked towards the old man, saying with deep meaning, "Minister Drost… what should we call you here?"

"Antlers," the Minister of Commerce named Drost said in a deep voice. "This time, I am advancing on the Path of Dusk.

"Although we are currently mortal enemies, this is, after all, only the New Moon Ritual for the first time advancement, and there is no cost to failure. There's no need for us to fight to the death—since we're all of the Path of Authority and know each other's real identities, how about we form a temporary alliance? We can eliminate the others first, and then decide the victor among ourselves."

"It's not a bad idea," Lady Red nodded. "Then let's not disclose our true identities and Paths to the outside world; we'll just refer to each other by code names."

"Since there are only three advancement slots at most in the New Moon Ritual," Gordon agreed, "it's still better than them going to foreigners... by the way, I'm advancing in the Path of Devotion this time."

"Path of Devotion? Then do you know the Illumination Art?" Lady Red asked.

"How could I," Gordon shook his head, "I'm not from the church. I don't want any trouble."

"Then do you have any other healing abilities?"

"No, I don't."

Gordon answered without hesitation, "But I can protect you both."

——And you dare say you're of the Path of Devotion?

It was her first time hearing of a Transcendent of the Path of Devotion who completely lacked healing abilities.

Lady Red's comment swirled in her throat, but she begrudgingly swallowed it down.

Before, when she heard that Inspector Gordon was going to advance in the Path of Devotion, she thought she might get the chance to enjoy a healer's assistance in the New Moon Ritual—professions of the Path of Love often came with self-harm features, which determined their heavy reliance on healers.

Sure enough, those Transcendents of the Path of Devotion who dared to participate in the New Moon Ritual alone were never proper Contributors.

Just then, a mist of blood started to rise from the fourth seat.

The three of them immediately stopped their conversation and turned to look at that seat.

"This is..."

Director Gordon quickly widened his eyes.

He saw that on the fourth seat, a viscous shadow was flowing, condensing into a black figure in a blood-red robe.

"Heh heh heh..."

A deep, rumbling, hoarse voice, like a lion that had just awoken, rose from the fourth seat, "You all arrived quite early..."

"...You are the Demon Scholar."

Director Gordon was very certain, his voice full of hostility, "A member of the Noble Red Society?"

Having been recently attacked by the Noble Red Society, he was now exceptionally sensitive.

He could tell at a glance that the hue soaked into the man's red robe was precisely the color of blood. He even smelled a stench. Materials for the New Moon Ritual were not easy to come by, but those obtained from the human body could replace six of them. It was much simpler if one only acquired wax figures, snakes, and mirrors.

It was just turning dark, and the only ones able to enter their ritual at this time had to be Transcendents from Avalon... even located at Glass Island.

Demon Scholars had a habit of killing to acquire materials for rituals. According to Director Gordon's knowledge, the advanced profession of "Demon Incarnation" for Demon Scholars required the act of killing numerous people and taking materials from living bodies to conduct rituals for a possible advancement. Without committing such cruel acts, a Demon Scholar at best would only be a "Scholar".

The temptation of being reborn as a powerful, immortal Demon was irresistible; those Demon Scholars walking the Path of Transcendence almost invariably could not resist the call of the power of the path, seeking to transcend the nature of life and the limitations of lifespan and flesh, heading towards that inevitable end.

...However, even Director Gordon, who was well-versed and knowledgeable, had never seen a Demon Scholar cause such a stir during their first advancement ritual.

Even if he had Transcendent rankings in other paths, he should only be able to use the power of the Path of Transcendence during his advancement in that path.
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How could a first-level Demon Scholar have such a powerful demon?

"You are a Demon Scholar from Star Antimony."

[Antlers] spoke in an old yet composed voice: "Who is your mentor?"

At this moment, Aiwass, including his hair... his entire body was covered in the liquid form of the Shadow Demon.

The dripping shadows from the Shadow Demon that formed sheets made his originally short hair seem as though it was long and pitch-black.

And Aiwass, who had just woken up, merely raised an eyebrow.

You old fellow, quite experienced, aren't you?

To think you knew that Demon Scholars of legitimate birth from the Kingdom of Star Antimony could contract high-level demons early—summoned by powerful Demon Scholars before letting their apprentices make a pact. Whether the apprentices could handle it was their own problem.

The strong demons, deceived into contracting with the weaker, most certainly would not submit. Their disobedience and desire to escape their masters' evil intentions would put tremendous pressure on these young Demon Scholars.

If they didn't want to be devoured by the demons, these youngsters would have to try their best to showcase their talents. However, those demons were far stronger than the levels these scholars were at, so no matter how much they demonstrated, it was difficult to gain the demons' recognition.

It was like being chased by a fierce beast—these young Demon Scholars would be squeezed by a constant sense of crisis, forced out to their greatest extent the potential belonging to the Path of Transcendence.

If in the end they couldn't control it, it was merely ruining a student, and such people were plentiful in Star Antimony. Countless individuals longed to become Demon Scholars, to change their destiny, to dominate the destinies of others. After all, the summoned demon was still around; they could just give it another master.

Through such repeated selection, every Demon Scholar cultivated would control a demon far stronger than themselves and possessed an intense desire for transcendence.

"Tell him, 'I don't know any mentor. Reveal your identity, or else I won't answer any of your questions,'"

Aiwass instructed the Shadow Demon in his heart: "Remember to be fierce, better to appear impulsive and arrogant—pretend to be the type of person who seems intellectually inferior, easy to manipulate. Make a distinction from my true self."

The Shadow Demon immediately responded in Miss Assassin's voice in his heart: "As you wish, Master."

Afterward, the black liquid that covered Aiwass resonated along with his voice, emitting a deep echo-filled roar like that of a lion's growl:

"You lack the most basic manners, old man. I don't need a mentor—state your name at once, or I shall let the demon gnaw on your flesh and blood!"

As "Aiwass" spoke, the viscous shadows on his body began to flow, forming into a hideous magical beast's skull. His raised face opened into a blossoming black flower, with countless pitch-black sharp teeth intertwined with a grim black aura.

"...Oh, that's not right. You are not a Demon Scholar, you are a Demon."

The old man said with interest: "A Demon possessed by a Shadow Demon, how rare. We actually have such Transcendents in Avalon.

"Since there's still time, why not get to know each other a bit, Mr. Shadow Demon? I am Antlers, this is Thunder, and that is Red... You're new here, aren't you? If so, perhaps we can collaborate. Let's eliminate the others first... How about it?"

Demon and Demon Scholar are different. If a Demon Scholar has contracted a powerful demon, then he is most likely to have a mentor.

But a Demon being possessed by a demon is completely random—that is to say, it is possible for a pure newcomer without a mentor to be possessed by a powerful demon.

When Antlers realized that this "Demon" might be a newcomer, he immediately saw Aiwass as someone he could use. Thus, his attitude immediately became very sincere, seeming to bear no prejudice against the Path of Transcendence.

Meanwhile, "Thunder" and "Red" remained silent, merely watching Antlers perform.

——Want to play your role to the hilt, huh?

Aiwass realized that the confrontation for the New Moon Ritual had already begun at that moment.

"You have a good attitude, old man. Let's forget what I said before."

He then narrowed his eyes slightly and let the Shadow Demon around his body respond in a very natural tone, "Then you may call me Aleister...That's my name.

"Yes, I'm a newcomer. From the Noble Red Society, here for my first advancement ceremony today."