When Tang Yue and Xue Musheng heard Song Jie's response, they exchanged a glance, both frowning slightly.
Seeing this, Zhan Kong walked over, patted Song Jie firmly on the shoulder, and said with a grin,
"That's gutsy! Are you planning to join the military in the future?"
"Song Jie, think carefully," Tang Yue warned him softly. "This is far more dangerous than regular training."
The current exercise had been arranged by both the school and the military. Under normal circumstances, there wouldn't be any real danger.
However, joining the perimeter patrols on an actual sweep was a completely different story—
He might encounter truly ferocious demon beasts!
But Song Jie wasn't afraid. He had already overcome his inner fear of demon beasts.
Besides, his current strength was comparable to that of a High-level Mage. If they really ran into demon beasts, he was confident he could handle them.
"Chief Instructor, does that defensive magic tool you mentioned still count?" Song Jie asked.
"Of course!" Zhan Kong replied, nodding with a faint smile. He didn't believe Song Jie could actually complete such a task, but he was amused by the boy's courage.
As Zhan Kong nodded, however, he suddenly felt that Song Jie's gaze was a little... unusual. But he quickly dismissed it as his imagination.
"You two teachers don't need to worry," Zhan Kong said to Tang Yue and Xue Musheng. "I'll assign him to a more experienced team. He won't face any unnecessary danger."
He added, "There's also a Mid-level Mage in that team, so you can relax."
Hearing this, Tang Yue and Xue Musheng finally sighed in relief.
With a Mid-level Mage on guard, there was little to fear. Unless a Warrior-level demon beast appeared, most Servant-level creatures could be dealt with easily.
And since the military had already conducted several thorough sweeps, it was unlikely that any Warrior-level beasts would appear nearby.
"Alright, since everything's settled, come with me," Zhan Kong said, looking at Song Jie.
Song Jie nodded and turned to Tang Yue and Xue Musheng.
"I'll go with the Chief Instructor."
Soon after, the two arrived at the military camp.
"Boss, why did you bring a student here?" someone asked curiously.
"He's joining us for training," Zhan Kong replied.
"Training? Boss, are you serious? You're letting a student tag along with us?"
Their mission this time was to clear the routes ahead for the student teams. Taking a student along meant extra responsibility—and potential danger.
If something happened, they would have to protect him, which could easily slow them down.
Naturally, no one wanted to take on that burden.
"Song Tao," Zhan Kong said, turning to one of his reliable subordinates, "you both share the surname Song, so I'll hand this guy over to you."
Song Tao smiled and nodded without complaint. The other teams immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's your name?" Song Tao asked.
"Song Jie."
"That's quite a coincidence. You'll be with us for the time being," Song Tao said with a grin.
"Thank you, Brother Tao," Song Jie replied politely.
Thus, he joined Song Tao's team—making a total of six people including himself.
Zhan Kong then reminded everyone,
"When sweeping the area, if you encounter demon beasts, report first before engaging. We can't afford any unnecessary casualties."
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison.
That night, Zhan Kong didn't allow Song Jie to return to the student camp. He already knew that the next day's operation might become… complicated.
The Next Morning
Before dawn, Song Jie and the others set out earlier than the student teams. Their task was to scout ahead and clear any potential threats.
"Later, you'll stay behind us," Song Tao instructed. "If something goes wrong, act carefully. If we can't handle it, don't hesitate—just run."
Song Jie nodded seriously, understanding Song Tao's concern.
Their teams were divided along several routes, each responsible for ensuring the safety of the paths the students would later take.
For the first few days, everything was calm. They hadn't encountered any demon beasts, and the journey was smooth.
At noon one day, the group sat down to rest and eat.
"Hey, Song Jie," one of the soldiers said, chewing on a piece of dried rations, "did the boss really tell you he'd give you a defensive magic tool if you kill a demon beast?"
Everyone looked at Song Jie curiously.
"He did," Song Jie confirmed with a nod.
Someone immediately clicked his tongue. "The boss is as shameless as ever! Making a Light-element Mage fight a demon beast? What kind of logic is that?"
Everyone laughed bitterly.
After all, Light Mages—especially at the Basic level—weren't known for their combat power. Many barely had the means to defend themselves, let alone kill a demon beast!
To them, this sounded more like a trap than a reward.
Song Jie only smiled quietly and didn't argue.
If they did encounter a demon beast, it would be a good chance for him to show just a bit of his real strength.
After all, getting that defensive magic tool would be quite useful.
Song Tao stood and clapped his hands.
"All done eating? Let's keep moving."
The others nodded, shouldered their packs, and continued toward the dense forest ahead.
"We've patrolled this forest several times already. There shouldn't be any problems," one of them said casually.
"Still, stay sharp," Song Tao reminded. "Complacency kills."
Everyone nodded. Song Tao's cautious nature was well-known—he never tolerated mistakes, and with good reason. Out here, a single slip could cost a life.
They moved quickly, familiar with the terrain, and soon put nearly a day's distance between themselves and the student teams.
But as they continued forward, Song Tao suddenly raised a hand.
"Wait!"
The entire group froze.
"What's wrong, Captain?" someone asked.
"Something's not right," Song Tao muttered. He crouched down, inspecting the ground carefully.
The others gathered around and saw it too—fresh footprints.
"There are demon beasts here!?" someone whispered, immediately going on alert.
Song Tao's face darkened. "And it's not just one."
Multiple sets of tracks.
He instantly ordered the team to stay vigilant while he reported the situation to Zhan Kong via the communication device.
At that moment, Zhan Kong was marching behind the student convoy when the report came through. His expression hardened.
He hadn't expected that even after so many sweeps, there were still demon beasts that had slipped through the net.
"Captain, what should we do next?" one of the men asked.
"We hold position," Song Tao replied. "The Chief Instructor and the others will be here soon to clear them out."
The students hadn't reached this area yet, so as long as they handled the threat in advance, the training could continue safely.
"I already sent the signal. Stay alert!" Song Tao ordered. "If they're close, those beasts might sense the transmission."
Their communication devices had limited shielding capabilities. If the demon beasts were nearby, they could easily track the signal—
And find them first.