Beast Taming Patrol

Over an hour later, a beastly roar emanated from the depths of Immortal Country, as the monarch-level beast reluctantly cast a fierce glance at Team 19 before retreating with its troops sulkily.

Next time, it would come again.
Continue reading on empire

Annihilating a reserve camp would certainly earn it a generous reward from the emperor-level beasts, perhaps even a chance at an evolution path for its species.

As the beast tide dissipated, the members of Combat Team 19 treated the previously unattended wounds on the spot and then silently hurried toward the rest camp.

Their steps were noticeably faster than usual. Upon returning to the camp, they did not head to the logistics center first but quickly made their way to the instructors' quarters.

The instructors walking alongside them had complex expressions in their eyes, and finally, Li Hong spoke.

"Don't go, Tang Long isn't here."

The stride of the crowd came to an abrupt halt, and Lin Su sharply turned his head to look at Li Hong, "Instructor Li, where did Instructor Tang go?"

"He received treatment from a therapy beast here at the camp and has now been transferred back to the headquarters in the rear," Zhao Yue said, her voice calm as she had already regained her composure.

She had just escorted Tang Long there, and her words were naturally believed by everyone.

Back to the rear then...

The members of the squad felt somewhat desolate.

They still wanted to say something to Instructor Tang.

Whether to apologize or to express gratitude, they always had something to say.

"Today, a new instructor will arrive here to take Tang Long's place," Li Hong spoke with calmness, then fell silent once again.

The other instructors did the same, clearly having no intention of continuing the conversation.

After a moment's hesitation, the team members turned their gazes toward Lin Su.

Lin Su was silent for a moment before speaking swiftly, "Instructor Tang was injured protecting us. Other than strengthening ourselves, there is nothing we can do right now."

"We have slain a leader-level beast and fulfilled the additional combat requirements. Now, besides the number of combat missions, everything else is done; we just need to participate in three more battles, and then we can pass the combat assignment," Lin Su looked at his teammates, "The next task is time, and we have six days."

"In these six days, do you want to stay on the battlefield, or complete the combat tasks as soon as possible and return to the rear?"

Upon hearing this, the group fell silent for a bit.

After a short pause, a female team member spoke calmly, "I want to stay. Four days have passed, how hard could another six days of fighting be? I want to kill more beasts to avenge Instructor Tang!"

She was a member of Tang Long's team, and while others had only attended Tang Long's classes for a day, she had been with him for half a month, forming a deeper emotional bond.

As the female team member expressed her desire to stay, the other nine members of Tang Long's team also nodded, clearly sharing the same thought.

"I want to stay as well!" another member voiced, "Now, by killing beasts each day, I can earn hundreds of contribution points. Such opportunities are rare, so I want to continue."

As this team member spoke, there were quite a few who agreed.

The rewards of contribution points were also a motivation for them to keep going.

"Whether to stay or not, I'm fine either way," another female team member bit her lip, "As long as we all fight together, I'm not afraid of danger, but I am worried..."

She glanced in the direction of the instructors, "I'm worried that if we continue, more instructors will get hurt for us."

At these words, the team was collectively silenced.

They hadn't considered this before, but as the woman spoke, the scenes of the instructors unhesitatingly stepping forward to protect them on the battlefield emerged in their minds, along with the image of Instructor Tang's severed arm.

If they continued, and leader-level beasts attacked, they believed the instructors would still intervene, possibly putting the instructors at risk instead of them.

The desire to continue fighting was good, but if it meant burdening the instructors...

"Tsch!" Li Hong scoffed, "What? Worried that you're too incompetent and will burden us instructors?"

With that remark, everyone hung their heads slightly.

In the past, facing Li Hong's tone, they might have been unable to hold back their anger and would have retorted, but this time, they only felt guilty.

Because they had indeed burdened their instructor.

"Set your hearts at ease!" Li Hong bellowed, veins bulging on his neck, his voice echoing long down the road, "You are the fifth batch of the reserve camp under my charge! I've led many batches and haven't been burdened by them. Hindered by you? Ask your instructors, see how many batches they've led?"

"Fourth batch."

"Third batch."

"Third batch."

"Fourth batch."

"…"

As Li Hong's voice fell, the other eight instructors calmly spoke, the least being the third batch.

Once the instructors had finished speaking, Li Hong snorted, "Tang Long led the first batch, lacking experience, which is why he was injured. Don't think we lack experience too, thinking to burden us? You aren't capable enough!"

As Li Hong's words fell, a strange look flashed through the eyes of the other eight instructors.

They all knew well that Tang Long was not from the first batch.

He was the only instructor besides Li Hong who had led the fifth batch within the 19th Combat Team.

But they understood Li Hong's meaning and said nothing.

With Li Hong's speech concluded, everyone's emotions seemed to stabilize somewhat.

"When Instructor Tang returned to the rear, he told me to relay a message to you," Zhao Yue looked at the team members before speaking again, "He traded one arm for three thousand elite beasts, a huge gain."

Three thousand beasts...

The team members shuddered internally.

While they hadn't counted, the number of kills today combined with previous totals surely had passed three thousand.

To trade an arm for three thousand beasts...

"You don't need to worry about the instructors," Xing Yun spoke calmly, "In war, death is inevitable, if not you or me, then someone else. You just need to focus on how to kill the enemy."

Lin Su was silent for a moment, then suddenly lifted his head, looking at the team members before him.

"We... will stay and continue to fight until the ten days are up, how about that?"

After a brief silence, the empty road was filled with spirited voices, soaring to the sky.

"Fight!!!"