"Song Jie, stay behind me. If they come at us later, coordinate with me," Song Tao warned in a low voice.
Although Song Jie was a Light Mage, if he used his spells well, he could still be a solid support in battle.
"Got it," Song Jie nodded.
Seeing everyone tense up made him nervous too. Based on their knowledge of Zhan Kong's speed, it would take about ten minutes for reinforcements to arrive.
All they needed to do was hold out for ten minutes.
Minute by minute, the wait dragged on painfully.
If only one or two Servant-level beasts appeared, they could easily handle them.
But if there were several, with only one Mid-level Mage on their side, things could turn deadly fast.
For now, their best option was to wait for support and pray they hadn't already been discovered.
But—
A faint rustling suddenly echoed around them.
"Stay alert!" Song Tao's expression darkened as he quickly scanned the surroundings.
Everyone tensed up, their faces grave. Beads of sweat formed on their foreheads as they gripped their weapons tightly.
Song Jie's heart was pounding too. This wasn't a single demon—they were surrounded!
And he suddenly realized… while the students were experiencing their so-called "training," there were others out here truly carrying the danger for them.
"They're coming!" Song Tao barked. His sharp senses had already picked up several fast-moving auras nearby.
Moments later, dark shadows emerged from the undergrowth.
"One-Eyed Demon Wolves!" someone shouted.
Five enormous, grey-furred wolves crept out, each with a single blood-red eye gleaming under its brow.
Everyone's expressions sank immediately. Five of them—that was bad news.
"You guys hold off the other three! I'll handle the two on this side!" Song Tao commanded.
The others nodded. These were just Servant-level beasts, but with their numbers, things could easily spiral out of control.
Song Tao, being a Mid-level Mage, could take care of two alone. The problem was keeping the rest at bay.
If the wolves grouped up, a single Mid-level spell could wipe them all out—but of course, the beasts wouldn't just stand still and let that happen.
So the others had to hold the line.
"Ground Wave!"
The Earth Mage was the first to complete his Star Path. The ground beneath one of the wolves suddenly rippled, and the beast lost its balance, sinking halfway into the soil.
"Ice Vine — Freeze!"
An Ice Mage followed up, freezing the limbs of another wolf solid.
"ROAR!!"
The remaining wolves howled angrily. One of them lunged forward at terrifying speed—
Straight toward Song Jie!
"Water Barrier — Guard!"
The Water Mage finished his Star Path just in time, conjuring a shimmering blue shield in front of the Light Mage.
The beast slammed into it, water scattering in all directions.
"That was close!" gasped the Ice Mage. "I almost got shredded just now!"
"The Captain's already dealt with one! Hold on a little longer!" the Earth Mage called out.
But just as he said that—
Crack!
The Water Barrier shattered with a deafening sound!
"What!?"
Everyone's faces froze in shock.
A single strike shouldn't have been able to break a Water Barrier!
"This one's an Advanced Servant-level demon!" someone shouted in horror.
Advanced Servant-level—beasts on the verge of evolving into Warrior-level monsters. Their strength was far beyond ordinary Servant-rank creatures!
Song Tao had already slain two wolves when he heard the commotion. His expression darkened immediately.
An Advanced One-Eyed Demon Wolf among the pack… none of them had expected that!
The beast lunged again, its gaping maw dripping blood as it closed in on the Earth Mage—
The man froze in terror, realizing he had no time to dodge. Death was inches away.
But then—
Two blinding spheres of golden light suddenly shot out at lightning speed!
Glorious Light! Double Burst!
BOOM!
The twin orbs slammed into the wolf's chest and exploded violently!
A blinding flash filled the forest. When the smoke cleared, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf had been blasted backward, its fur scorched and its skin torn open.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
Those golden orbs… came from Song Jie!
"Ice Lock — Ice Chains!"
Taking advantage of the chaos, Song Tao completed his Star Map and froze the last two wolves in place, then shattered them completely with a burst of ice magic.
When the battle ended, five massive corpses lay across the forest floor.
Everyone exhaled in relief, their bodies trembling from adrenaline.
"Song Jie… was that Light magic you just used?" the Water Mage asked in awe.
Song Jie nodded. "Yeah."
"Your Light magic is insane! How can it have that kind of destructive power?" the Earth Mage exclaimed.
Everyone had seen it—the Advanced Demon Wolf was annihilated in a single strike! That kind of explosive force was on par with Mid-level spells.
Song Jie just smiled faintly and didn't explain.
"Hahaha! Looks like the Chief Instructor's little challenge backfired this time!" Song Tao laughed heartily.
"Song Jie, you've got real talent. Ever think about joining the army?" one of the others joked.
Before Song Jie could reply, a strong gust of wind swept down from above.
A shadow landed before them.
It was Zhan Kong.
"Boss!" Song Tao and the others hurried over to greet him.
Zhan Kong's eyes swept across the scene—the slain wolves, the burnt earth—and he nodded approvingly.
"Is everyone okay?" he asked.
"We're fine, sir!" Song Tao replied with a grin. "But, uh… you might want to hear this."
They quickly explained what had happened.
"What!?"
Zhan Kong's expression changed instantly. He turned toward Song Jie in disbelief.
"You're telling me he killed an Advanced One-Eyed Demon Wolf!?"
"Boss, the corpse is right there. You can check it yourself," Song Tao said, half-smiling.
Zhan Kong frowned and walked closer. The wolf's body was indeed heavily burned—but the wounds clearly weren't caused by ice magic.
He turned back toward Song Jie, his expression complicated.
"You really killed it yourself?"
"They all saw it," Song Jie said calmly.
Zhan Kong was silent for a moment—then burst out laughing.
"You're full of surprises, kid! Hiding this much power, huh?"
He strode forward and threw an arm around Song Jie's neck.
"Easy, Boss!" Song Tao chuckled. "He can't breathe!"
Zhan Kong let go, still grinning.