Suddenly, a series of sharp, echoing noises erupted from deep within the dense forest.
Everyone froze, startled by the sudden disturbance.
The sound was faint but unmistakable — the roar of a demon.
"What's going on?" Huo Yumeng whispered nervously.
Although the sound came from far away, hearing it in the dead of night sent chills through them all.
Zhuge Ru said calmly, "It's probably just two demons fighting. Nobody in their right mind would provoke one at this hour."
He yawned, clearly exhausted. "I've followed my uncles into the wilderness before — this kind of thing happens all the time."
Hearing that, everyone relaxed a little.
"Good thing we're not too deep into the forest," Lu You muttered. "Otherwise, I'd have turned back by now."
Everyone silently agreed. Knowing that the danger was deeper in was all the reassurance they needed to stay right where they were.
"I just checked the perimeter — it's safe for now," Song Jie said. "But two people will need to stand guard tonight. We'll rotate shifts."
No one objected. They had done this before.
"Tonight, Mu Lei and I will take the first watch. The rest of you, get some rest."
As soon as Song Jie finished speaking, several of them, too tired to stay awake, crawled straight into their tents.
By the campfire, Ding Yumian and Huo Yumeng were drying their hair, the firelight dancing across their faces.
Huo Yumeng's eyes landed on Little Green, perched on Song Jie's shoulder.
"Song Jie," she said with a curious smile, "can I hold your Summoned Beast for a bit?"
"You can try," Song Jie replied. "If it lets you, go ahead."
"Alright."
Huo Yumeng reached out her hands and gently scooped up the tiny creature.
"So cute!" she exclaimed, poking at the little green leaf sprouting from its head.
Ding Yumian leaned closer, her eyes lighting up.
"Ding-a-ling!" Little Green made a clear, tinkling sound that melted both girls' hearts.
"It's adorable!" Huo Yumeng giggled, running her fingers along the leaf before playfully poking its tiny cheeks.
But Little Green soon started squirming. Being pressed against Huo Yumeng's chest made it uncomfortably warm, and it began to struggle to get free — its little legs kicking in panic.
The boys sitting by the campfire all stiffened, eyes wide, trying and failing not to stare.
"Song Jie, what's wrong with it?" Huo Yumeng asked innocently.
"You're holding it too tightly," Song Jie said with a wry smile.
With a small "ding," Little Green broke free, floating up into the air before landing — right on top of Bai Liang's head!
Mu Lei burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Bai Liang, you're green!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Bai Liang's face turned dark as thunder.
He didn't dare touch the creature — Song Jie's Summoned Beasts were all troublesome in their own ways.
"Song Jie! Get this thing off me!" Bai Liang growled, trying to keep his temper in check. "Who the hell wants something green on their head!?"
Song Jie couldn't help but laugh. He'd experienced this before.
"Little Green, come back."
The creature hesitated for a moment — it found Bai Liang's curly hair rather comfortable — but eventually floated back to Song Jie's shoulder.
"Alright, everyone, get some rest," Song Jie said. "We've got a long way to go tomorrow."
Everyone nodded, and the camp gradually quieted down.
The night passed peacefully.
The Next Morning
The sun rose bright and gentle, and the heat wasn't nearly as suffocating as the past few days.
"Song Jie, there seem to be more bones here," Huo Yumeng said uneasily, glancing around.
Scattered across the ground were bleached-white bones — clearly from demons.
They had seen a few earlier along the way, but now, the remains appeared more and more frequently.
"Maybe some demons were eaten by others," Mu Lei guessed. "Who else would eat a demon except another demon?"
The others nodded in agreement. Demon cannibalism wasn't unusual out here.
As night began to fall again, the group searched for a safe place to set up camp.
"Wow, look at all these flowers!" Huo Yumeng exclaimed, spotting a patch of glowing silver-white blossoms carpeting the ground.
"They smell amazing!" she said as the sweet scent filled the air.
"Song Jie, this looks like a good spot to camp," Mu Lei suggested.
"Alright," Song Jie agreed.
They quickly began setting up their tents.
Huo Yumeng picked a few flowers, tucking some into her own hair and placing one in Ding Yumian's.
"You look even prettier with this, Yumian," she said with a playful grin.
Xu Mingliang, still trying to make up for his earlier blunder, silently helped them pitch their tents.
Soon, everyone gathered around the campfire again, eating and chatting.
"You guys eat first," Song Jie said, getting to his feet. "I'm going to check the surroundings."
They nodded. It had become routine by now.
A few minutes later, several dark figures appeared not far from the campsite.
Hidden among the trees, they watched the firelight flicker over the group of students.
"Report. No sign of Song Jie yet," one of them whispered.
Indeed, they couldn't spot anyone resembling the man in the photo.
"Do we really have to follow their orders?" one of the men muttered uneasily.
"If we don't, our families will be ruined!" another hissed.
Their leader grabbed the man by the collar. "Shut up. If you don't want to do this, I'll kill you myself."
The man quickly backed off, saying nothing more.
They were all criminals — not mass murderers, but still branded as felons. They had been offered a "deal": complete this mission, and they could walk free.
Lu Nian had given them no choice. Either succeed, or watch their families become test subjects.
Their task was simple: make Song Jie consume the Blood Relic, then bring him back — dead or alive.
Failure meant their loved ones would pay the price.
Under the cold moonlight, their disfigured faces looked eerie and inhuman — a precaution to hide their true identities.
"So, what now? Do we go after him or wait for him to return?" one of them asked.
"We don't know where he went," another replied. "Chasing him blindly won't work."
The leader thought for a moment, then sneered. "Capture his teammates. When he returns, we'll use them to force him out."
The others nodded grimly. It was a good plan.
Once they made their move, they'd have to kill everyone anyway — no witnesses, no loose ends.
"Yes, sir," they replied in unison.
There were six of them in total, all waiting silently for the right moment to strike.
But just then —
A sudden commotion broke out nearby.
The sound of rustling leaves, heavy footsteps, and a faint, eerie cry pierced through the night.
Before anyone could react, Song Jie appeared out of the darkness, his expression tense.
"Everyone! Get up — now! Follow me!" he shouted.
...
Author's Note:
The first half (completed version) of Versatile Mage: My Magic Has Gone Beyond Limits! is now available on Patreon!
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Thank you all for your continued support! 💙