Song Jie and Zhan Kong exchanged a brief glance before Song Jie looked away.
Zhan Kong didn't think much of it. He turned toward the assembled students, his voice steady and commanding.
"I'm Zhan Kong, your chief instructor for this training. You're very fortunate—you're the first group of students I've led since taking this post."
His eyes swept over the group, sharp as a blade.
"So, here's something simple," he continued. "I've prepared a bounty mission. If any of you can complete it, the entire class will receive an A grade."
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere changed completely.
Students gaped in disbelief. Even the accompanying teachers, Tang Yue and Xue Musheng, exchanged uneasy glances.
"Complete a bounty? How are we supposed to do that?"
"Instructor, that's impossible for us!"
"Yeah, only Hunter Mages can take on bounty missions. We're still students!"
A wave of protests rippled through the group.
But Zhan Kong ignored them, his voice firm and unyielding. "I didn't bring you here for a vacation. If you don't wish to participate, you may withdraw now."
Withdraw?
No one dared.
Withdrawing meant forfeiting their scores—and without those, they'd lose their chance at entering a good magic university.
The training assessment made up twenty percent of their total grade. No one could afford to skip it.
When no one stepped forward, Zhan Kong smiled faintly. "Since no one's leaving, you'll do as I say."
The students exchanged helpless looks. They had no choice but to obey if they wanted to pass.
"Oh, and one more thing," Zhan Kong added casually, "if any of you—or a team—actually completes this bounty, I'll personally reward you with a defensive magic tool."
Gasps filled the air.
A defensive magic tool!
Everyone knew how expensive those were. Even a low-tier one for beginner-level mages cost hundreds of thousands of yuan.
For ordinary families, that was an impossible sum.
Of course, most of them assumed Zhan Kong was confident no student could possibly complete the mission. That must have been why he made such a bold offer.
After the announcement, the instructors began dividing the students into smaller teams. With over a hundred participants, sending them all together would be chaos.
"Song Jie, can I be on your team?"
"Me too!"
"Count me in as well!"
A small crowd—mostly girls—hurried to Song Jie's side.
Zhan Kong raised an eyebrow, amused. "And why exactly does everyone want to team up with him?"
"He's seen demons before, Instructor! He even helped kill one!" a girl said eagerly.
"What?" Zhan Kong blinked in surprise.
He hadn't expected Tianlan Magic High School to have a student like that.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he studied Song Jie for a long moment, then grinned.
Zhan Kong walked right up to him. "What's your name?"
"Song Jie," he replied, slightly wary.
"Good. Then you're not participating in this training."
"What!?"
The students around him immediately erupted in confusion.
"Chief Instructor, are you kidding us?!"
"Why can't Song Jie participate?"
"That's unfair!"
Zhan Kong's expression hardened. "Are you the instructor—or am I?"
The group instantly fell silent.
Tang Yue and Xue Musheng, standing nearby, exchanged worried looks but didn't interfere. This training was under Zhan Kong's command.
Zhan Kong gave Song Jie a light pat on the shoulder. "I was wondering why you looked familiar earlier. So, you've already fought a demon."
"That was just luck," Song Jie said calmly.
"Luck?" Zhan Kong chuckled. He'd faced enough demons to know that surviving an encounter with one took more than just luck.
"I mentioned a bounty mission earlier," Zhan Kong continued, a mischievous glint in his eye. "But I never said there would only be one."
Song Jie's brows twitched. He could already tell where this was going.
"Your training will be different from the others'," Zhan Kong said. "But if you manage to kill a demon during it, I'll still give you that defensive magic tool."
It sounded generous—but everyone could tell Zhan Kong didn't actually believe Song Jie could pull it off.
Tang Yue frowned. "Chief Instructor, will Song Jie be in any danger?"
"Don't worry," Zhan Kong assured her. "I'll assign personnel to watch over him. He won't be in danger."
"Then what exactly will his training involve?" she asked.
"He'll be part of the perimeter unit," Zhan Kong said plainly.
"Perimeter personnel?" Tang Yue's frown deepened. "Isn't that too dangerous?"
"This isn't the place to discuss it," Zhan Kong replied. "Let's talk inside."
He motioned for them to follow him into a nearby tent. The rest of the students stayed behind, whispering in confusion.
"Did I hear that right? He's sending Song Jie on another bounty mission?"
"That's insane!"
"I bet he just doesn't want to lose that defensive magic tool!"
The complaints went nowhere—no one dared speak up directly against the chief instructor.
Inside the tent, Zhan Kong spread out a map on the table.
"The perimeter has been swept several times," he explained. "Normally, there shouldn't be any danger left. Otherwise, this training wouldn't even be happening."
The training's main purpose was to give the students real-world experience—how to survive outside the safety of the city walls and what demons looked like up close.
Beforehand, the military had cleared out nearby monsters, creating a relatively safe zone. Still, caution was essential. Any accident involving students would be unacceptable.
To ensure safety, trained mages were stationed on the perimeter as a vanguard. Their job was to handle any stray demons that appeared before the students encountered them.
"Perimeter personnel might still run into demons…" Xue Musheng hesitated.
Zhan Kong shrugged. "Didn't he already help kill one? He'll be fine. If he wants to become a great mage, he'll have to face danger eventually."
"That's true," Xue Musheng admitted, "but it's still too risky. Song Jie is a Light Mage. If he were a Fire or Lightning Mage, at least he could fight back."
As they debated, Song Jie understood exactly what was going on.
Zhan Kong wanted him on the perimeter to test him—or perhaps to make a point. Tang Yue and Xue Musheng were worried, but arguing wouldn't change anything.
Besides, Zhan Kong had promised a defensive magic tool if he could kill another demon.
Song Jie made up his mind. He stood and said calmly, "Teachers, I'm willing to participate in the perimeter mission."