Bear School Astartes

Epic level lung!

Lann lowered his left hand, the mechanical structure of the arm armor clicked.

His right hand was holding an arrow, examining it with interest.

The arrowhead wasn’t just made of steel; a green crystal was attached to it, adding weight that made the arrow’s fall trajectory obvious.

And such a small crystal could instantly vaporize into a dense fog impervious to wind upon impact... There’s no doubt this technique has surpassed the level of this era.

Undoubtedly, this is a supernatural force.

But Lann was also puzzled because in his [Spirit Vision], this small particle carried no special energy.

Therefore, he found it even more intriguing.

Poison? Who among combatants would find this thing unfamiliar?

Yet, even the most basic sword oils of Demon Hunters contain Chaos Magic Power, according to them.

But this more convenient and advanced green crystal lacked any energy, stirring curiosity.

Pus-green smoke inhaled through Lann’s nostrils, circled in the lungs, and exhaled through the mouth.

The efficacy of this poison is considerable, nearly on par with the Demon Hunter’s basic Magic Potion.

Which means, in a regular person’s concept, it’s deadly poison.

An You, despite enduring sharp pain from kidney impacts, couldn’t help but show shock and disbelief as she watched Lann calmly walk out of her poisonous fog.

The handsome face, akin to a statue, had toxins spreading through the veins, gathering near the eye sockets.

These black marks lent Lann’s face a kind of sinister beauty.

”Your defenses are quite interesting.”

Lann spun the arrow on his finger while slowly approaching An You.

Judging by his knowledge, seeing the speed of the bruised spread on An You’s waist, her kidneys were probably damaged.

”You’re dying. Anything you’d like to say?”

The Demon Hunter calmly gazed down at the female mercenary, who responded with a fierce, unyielding glare.

”Screw you, heh, that’s what I want to say.”

Her face pained to the point of turning pale, the agony from kidney damage much worse than a kidney stone, which alone is enough to make one wish to die.

Yet, despite such pain, this woman still carried a fierce demeanor.

A kind of refusal to be ”tamed” fierce.

As a woman mercenary of this era, she resembled more a wild hunter than her pet lynx.

”Understood.”

Lann nodded calmly.

”Although I want to know who wants to kill me, and what’s with your strange abilities... But I don’t want to torture you. Even if tortured, you probably wouldn’t speak. So, I’ll find out myself.”

Finally, An You, who was in too much pain to speak, managed to nod her head towards the Demon Hunter.

Lann crouched down, supported her limp body. From the back he drew out the Dragonbone Dagger and rested it on her neck.

”Goodbye.”

”Slash!”

The Demon Hunter waited until the female mercenary’s body completely stopped moving before starting to search her corpse.

He found a small bag containing the poisonous green crystal. A rolled-up papyrus with a mud seal. He also retrieved the short curved saber discarded by An You, used to buy time.

Lann broke the mud seal; the papyrus showed a task given to [Shining] An You by the One-eyed People, which was to kill a debtor named Marcos.

Based on Lann’s encounters with Cassandra and Phoebe, this Marcos was likely the one they spoke of.

Yet the remaining green crystals, Lann hadn’t figured out where An You got these things.

The arrows in her quiver were clearly ordinary, but what she shot just now was a Poison Burst Arrow.

Was it because of the bow?

Lann looked at the bow still grasped in the corpse’s hand; it was entirely green with some anti-skid engraved patterns.

But when Lann tried to string an arrow, nothing happened.

”Two guesses: first, I guessed wrong; An You’s green crystal was bought, not produced by her. Second...”

Lann picked up the green longbow, carefully examining and murmuring his analysis.

”This thing recognizes people, and they currently don’t recognize me.”

The second guess was proven in subsequent tests.

Because the short curved saber, which could emit strange flames, didn’t perform well in Lann’s hands.

Evidence of oil applied on the blade showed that even in An You’s hands, oil was used to ignite the blade.

But when Lann replenished the blade’s fuel and ignited it.

The blade bore only a thin layer of flame, far from the torch-like display in An You’s hands.

”The locals’ extraordinary powers are this exclusive? Like genetic authentication.”

Lann scratched his head, still gathering these items, prepared to show them to Cassandra later.

She surely understands these matters.

As for that woman who left an impression on Lann... He couldn’t help but touch his chin.

”She should still be dealing with the One-eyed People?”

According to their usual sayings, the One-eyed People’s influence in Cephalonia was comparable to a King, making it impossible to overthrow them swiftly.

Lann flicked the papyrus with intriguing smile.

Just as well, the only clue left by An You was the task received from the One-eyed People, meaning whatever happens, Lann planned to ’chat’ with them.

”Let’s see, who did this newcomer from afar offend to warrant a bounty notice to kill me?”

The Demon Hunter burned the female mercenary’s body, along with her lynx.

According to Greek World customs, he took two silver coins from his pocket and placed them over her eyes as fare for Charon on crossing the Nether River.

Kausos’ scorched earth, today ignited with yet another pile of flames.

-----------------

On the hillside near the harbor, Cassandra was taking out a water pouch from her pocket for a sip.

The harbor below was the ’palace’ of the One-eyed People, known by even the three-year-olds in Cephalonia.

Filled with his henchmen, they gathered, using violence and lending to influence everyone on the island.

As she continued to gaze, she spotted a ship anchored along the coastline, upstream in the bay, with its stern on the sand, bow rocking in water.

It was smaller than the Athenian warships Cassandra could see from her home’s rooftop, yet it seemed sleeker, crafted with precision, the dragonbone back painted black, hull painted red. The stern curved into a scorpion tail, prow flaunted a shining bronze ram, eyes painted on either side.

”Let’s negotiate again! Let me explain once more! The Adrestia is everything to me!” A voice lamented.

The voice boomed across the entire harbor, reaching Cassandra’s ears.

”Adrestia.” Cassandra murmured. Nemesis... was this the ship’s name?

”A fitting name indeed.”

Gulping down the last drop from her water pouch, Cassandra tossed the deflated pouch to the ground, agile fingers drawing her signature broken spear, eyeing the port under the hill.

Eyes full of eager anticipation.