Everyone was still processing what had just happened, but when they saw the anxious look on Song Jie's face, they didn't dare to hesitate and quickly followed behind him.
The black-clad figures hidden in the shadows froze—they were just about to make their move! How did things suddenly change like this?!
"Should we chase them?" someone asked nervously.
"If we chase them in the dark, we'll expose ourselves!" another whispered.
"Follow quietly," the leader ordered in a low tone. But even as he spoke, he could tell something wasn't right.
The chaotic sounds in the distance were getting louder—like countless demons stampeding through the forest!
Mu Lei caught up to Song Jie, breathing heavily. "What's going on?!"
"There's a pack of wolves heading straight for our camp!" Song Jie said urgently.
Everyone gasped. No wonder they'd heard strange noises earlier—it was a demon pack on the move!
Mu Lei cursed, "It's the middle of the damn night! Don't these beasts sleep?!"
Even though Huo Yumeng was physically fit, running through uneven ground in the dark was exhausting. Fortunately, Ding Yumian supported her, helping her keep up.
"Head to that hillside!" Song Jie pointed to their left and changed direction immediately.
Meanwhile, the black-clad figures behind them had spotted the cause of the chaos.
"It's a wolf pack! There are so many of them!" someone shouted.
"Run! Unless you want to die here!" the leader barked.
They hadn't expected to encounter this disaster tonight—they were so close to completing their mission!
Song Jie and his group had already reached the hillside and climbed up into the trees to observe the area.
From above, they could see faint movements in the darkness—hundreds of wolf demons charging past like a grey tide.
Huo Yumeng panted, "I'm… exhausted… These things picked the worst time to go for a midnight jog!"
"Zhuge Ru, have you ever seen something like this before?" Mu Lei asked.
Zhuge Ru shook his head, wide-eyed.
"There's a wolf pack nesting near the survey area. This might be them," Ding Yumian said seriously.
"But it's strange," Mu Lei muttered. "Why are they migrating in the middle of the night?"
"Do you think the noise we heard last night was them?" Dongfang Ming asked suddenly.
Everyone froze. Thinking back, the sound from last night did seem similar.
"Maybe their territory was taken over by another group of demons," Mu Lei guessed. "They might be moving because of that."
Several people nodded in agreement.
"I just hope our tents survived," Lu You sighed. "If not, we'll be sleeping under the stars."
Moments later, the wolf pack thundered past beneath them. There had to be at least a hundred of them—an overwhelming number.
Zhuge Ru exhaled shakily. "There are so many… If we hadn't left in time, we'd all be wolf chow."
"For safety, let's rest here tonight," Song Jie said. "We'll return at dawn."
No one disagreed. After that scare, no one wanted to go back into the dark.
The Next Morning
At first light, they returned to the camp. Their tents were shredded, but luckily their backpacks were intact.
"Oh, there's a dead demon here," Mu Lei called out, frowning.
Everyone gathered around. It was a red, ant-like demon about the size of a basketball.
"What kind of demon is this? Anyone recognize it?" Mu Lei asked.
Everyone shook their heads.
"This thing's blood is everywhere," Huo Yumeng said with disgust, stepping back.
"Alright, pack up. We can reach the survey site today," Song Jie said.
After gathering their supplies, they set off again.
By midday, the sun was blazing, and everyone's faces were flushed from the heat.
Huo Yumeng smiled, "Yumian, those flowers we picked yesterday are amazing—they still haven't withered."
Ding Yumian touched the silver-white flower in her hair—it was still as vibrant as before.
"Yeah, but the scent's gone. Such a pity, I really liked it," Huo Yumeng said.
But Ding Yumian was no longer listening. Her eyes were on the map. "The area we need to survey is just ahead!"
"Then let's move!" Song Jie said.
They had two detection devices—small enough not to attract any nearby demons' attention.
They split into two teams. Song Jie, Mu Lei, Ding Yumian, and Huo Yumeng formed one, while the other five went the opposite way.
They immediately began their measurements.
Old Man Deng had already taught them how to read the data, so they stared intently at the screen.
Soon, numbers started flashing across the display.
"Holy crap, we're rich!" Mu Lei shouted.
If they detected underground resources, they'd earn bonus points and rewards.
"Keep going! There might be more over there!" Huo Yumeng said eagerly, her eyes sparkling like a treasure hunter's.
While everyone was excited, Ding Yumian fiddled with a small black bead she found in a box nearby.
"Yumian, what's that?" Huo Yumeng asked.
"I'm not sure. I just found it in this case," Ding Yumian said.
Song Jie walked over and frowned deeply when he saw it.
"What is it?" Mu Lei asked, noticing his expression.
"This... is a tracker," Song Jie said.
Mu Lei blinked. "A tracker? Why would there be a tracker in our supply box?"
These items were all provided by the military, and this training was supposed to be confidential. Even the school wasn't supposed to monitor them.
"Maybe the school added it for safety?" Huo Yumeng guessed.
Song Jie shook his head. "If that were true, they wouldn't put it somewhere so obvious. It defeats the purpose."
"Then where did it come from?" she asked, confused.
"Where it came from doesn't matter anymore…"
A chilling voice suddenly came from behind them.
Everyone turned.
The six-man team from before had appeared—but there were only five left now. They looked battered and bloodied, faces twisted with desperation.
"Capture Song Jie," the leader commanded coldly. "Kill everyone else."
...
Author's Note:
The first half (completed version) of Versatile Mage: My Magic Has Gone Beyond Limits! is now available on Patreon!
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your continued support! 💙