Before they had walked far, Yu Keyan also sensed the auras of the two Demon Beasts. They did not seem to have any intention of hiding.
"Both are Servant Level, but one seems a little weak. Its aura isn't strong," Yu Keyan immediately judged, much as Lu Wu had sensed.
The five slowly advanced through the grass.
"Are we going to attack?" Lu Wu asked.
"Prepare a trap and lure them over. Let's try to kill them in a short time." Yu Keyan nodded.
"How do we do it?" Hearing that they were setting a trap, Mu Shengqi looked at Yu Keyan. "Should I do it?"
The Earth Element Basic Level Third Tier spell, Earth Wave: Collapse, could be cast in advance to create a trap in a specific area.
Although its duration was limited, Mu Shengqi was confident he could sustain it.
"I'll do it. I'll make a trap, and you'll be responsible for luring the Demon Beasts into it." Yu Keyan laid out their tactics. "Whatever kind of Demon Beast it is, once it enters the trap, Zhang Jierui, use your Ice Element magic to restrain it. Lu Wu and I will attack."
"What about me?" Yang Wan noticed she had no task and took the initiative to ask.
Yu Keyan pointed at Mu Shengqi. "When the Demon Beasts are chasing him, you'll be responsible for protecting him at all times."
Yang Wan nodded. "All right!"
"Then everyone, get ready."
"Understood!" Lu Wu and the others replied in unison, then made their preparations.
Yu Keyan chose an open spot with woodland around it where the others could hide. The soil there was soft, making it suitable for a trap.
Magical energy surged around him, and a brown Star Path flashed past. Immediately afterward, the grass beneath his feet grew even softer.
Not only that, but some of the dry grass slowly sank a little, as though the soil could no longer support it.
"The captain's Earth Element magic is strong!" That single spell was enough for Mu Shengqi to notice the difference.
Yu Keyan's Earth Element had definitely reached the Intermediate Level!!
With two elements at the Intermediate Level, his combat strength was still considerably greater than Mu Shengqi's with just one!
Although he knew he could not compare right now, Mu Shengqi did not feel inferior at all. He had great confidence in himself. A year from now, he would be strong too!
"Be careful." Lu Wu knew that luring Demon Beasts alone was extremely dangerous.
Mu Shengqi needed to control his speed to let the Demon Beasts see him while also ensuring they could not catch him.
"Don't worry. If it really comes down to it, I can fight them for a bit." Mu Shengqi was not afraid.
He knew Yu Keyan would not simply abandon him. After all, Hei Guan and the others were Military Mages and future Military Mages!
If he could not escape, he could still hold out until Captain Yu Keyan and the others came to rescue him.
Yu Keyan signaled to them, and Lu Wu hid in the woodland, watching Mu Shengqi leave.
Lu Wu was actually quite looking forward to this. This was a true magic squad in the strictest sense.
When assigning personnel, Hei Guan had taken defense, offense, and scouting roles into account. This was not merely the composition of a Military Department squad, but also the standard setup for many demon-hunting squads.
A squad like this had very strong combat capabilities.
An adult Servant-level Demon required a Basic Level squad working together to kill it. Some Basic Level squads would even be utterly thrashed by a Servant-level Demon.
Mages varied in combat strength, and sometimes it was difficult to make comparisons. There were exceptions to everything.
Hidden in the grass, Lu Wu began preparing his magic.
The two Demon Beast auras were within his sensing range, as was Mu Shengqi.
Once Mu Shengqi got within a certain distance of the two Demon Beasts, he hurled a spell straight at them.
The powerful Demon Beast chased Mu Shengqi, heading straight toward the trap.
After Mu Shengqi came into view, a tall One-Eyed Demon Wolf appeared as well. The One-Eyed Demon Wolf was fast, constantly closing the distance between them.
Those rows of fangs looked very familiar to Lu Wu.
This kind of Demon Beast was extremely difficult to tame, notorious for its bloodlust, greed, and brutality.
Knowing the trap's location beforehand, Mu Shengqi changed direction before reaching it, then stood ready for battle in front of it.
He was only about twenty meters from the trap, but to everyone's surprise, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf turned back when it was still over thirty meters away from the trap.
"Did it discover us?" Zhang Jierui asked.
Lu Wu shook his head. "No. This One-Eyed Demon Wolf seems unable to stop worrying about the other one."
Presumably, the other Demon Beast was also a One-Eyed Demon Wolf, but it had not joined the chase.
The most likely possibility was that the other One-Eyed Demon Wolf was injured, with a weaker aura, and could not chase Mu Shengqi.
"That's possible." Yu Keyan nodded.
They were all suppressing their auras, and given the One-Eyed Demon Wolf's bloodthirsty nature, it would not leave readily unless it encountered danger.
"Captain, that beast seems very alert?" Mu Shengqi came over to them, completely unable to figure it out.
"Attack the other Demon Beast," Lu Wu suggested. "This One-Eyed Demon Wolf chased you for a certain distance before going back because it had confirmed that its companion wasn't under threat. Its worry that its companion might be in danger made it return so quickly."
Although this was a deduction, Lu Wu had based it on the One-Eyed Demon Wolf's brutal, bloodthirsty nature and the other Demon Beast's weak aura.
Servant Level Demon Beasts had some intelligence, but not a particularly high degree of it.
Only after Little Fire entered the Advancement Period and his soul improved somewhat had his intelligence become a little higher.
"Attack the other Demon Beast?" Mu Shengqi raised an eyebrow. "You mean to provoke the One-Eyed Demon Wolf directly?"
"Exactly. That way, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf will definitely go berserk, making it easy to catch in the trap. It's just that you'll be in even greater danger." Lu Wu nodded.
"I trust you." Mu Shengqi barely hesitated as he prepared to set out again. "I still have plenty of mana. If we can defeat these two Demon Beasts one at a time, it'll help us conserve mana."
"Then be careful." Yu Keyan patted Mu Shengqi on the shoulder.
Mu Shengqi did not delay and headed toward the One-Eyed Demon Wolf again. By now, it had long since passed out of sight.
The surrounding grass and woodland were sparse, but the One-Eyed Demon Wolf's tall frame was still generally difficult to conceal.
"Yang Wan, stay sharp and be ready to protect Mu Shengqi at any moment." Yu Keyan looked at Yang Wan and Zhang Jierui. "If there isn't enough time, Zhang Jierui, use your Ice Element to restrict the One-Eyed Demon Wolf's movements."
"Understood!!"
Lu Wu and the others hid in the grass again, while this time, Mu Shengqi acted very decisively indeed.
Lu Wu sensed the already weak aura of the other One-Eyed Demon Wolf grow even weaker.
"Awooo!!!"
A wolf's howl rang out, louder than before, and Lu Wu's heart tightened.
This time, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf had truly gone berserk. Even its aura felt much more forceful, and its speed had increased as well.
Mu Shengqi felt this most clearly, casting magic to keep propelling his body forward.
When Mu Shengqi darted out of the grass, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf followed close behind.
Noticing that the One-Eyed Demon Wolf was too fast, Yu Keyan immediately had Yang Wan cast her prepared spell. "Do it! Interfere with the One-Eyed Demon Wolf and buy Mu Shengqi some time!!"
"Water Barrier: Guard!!"
Yang Wan did not delay. A rippling sphere of water immediately separated the One-Eyed Demon Wolf from Mu Shengqi.
Startled by the sudden Water Barrier sphere, the One-Eyed Demon Wolf paused briefly, allowing Mu Shengqi to put some distance between them.