Bear School Astartes

Facing the Molten Mountain Dragon directly for the first time, the awe it inspires is beyond words.

The tip of just one of its claws is larger than Lann’s entire body!

Even the mere passing of such a creature, due to its massive size, would cause air currents likely to discomfort anyone nearby.

Looking directly at its body might actually terrify those with weaker psychological tolerance.

Mentos is also fascinated by such mythical-like creatures.

In Lann’s retinas, it begins observing this so-called ’super giant ancient dragon species’ Aibo mentioned.

Overall, it closely resembles something from a monster movie in his homeland’s world, much like Godzilla.

But according to Aibo’s knowledge, the Molten Mountain Dragon constantly secretes substances indistinguishable from lava throughout its life.

Once these secretions cool, they solidify into forms like basalt and obsidian.

Thus, these secretions continually pile up on its back, eventually creating the appearance of carrying a living volcano.

The three of them finally understand why the Molten Mountain Dragon frequently changed its posture earlier... It reached land.

Given its colossal size and weight, the Molten Mountain Dragon’s motion strategy between water and land obviously can’t remain unchanged, which is why it kept changing postures to move in the most effortless way possible.

Its destination ahead holds an even more magnificent and breathtaking natural spectacle!

”Wow...”

Lann gazes somewhat lost at the enormous creature on the horizon.

Not the Molten Mountain Dragon, but a tree.

Or to be precise... a gigantic tree formed by countless entwined, symbiotic trees!

Even though the Molten Mountain Dragon is enough to trigger someone with macro phobia, its body length is actually less than one-fifth of this giant tree’s height!

Maybe knowing Lann’s amazement right now, or perhaps subconsciously making a comparison herself,

Aibo murmurs, ”Even the Molten Mountain Dragon is only... two hundred and forty meters long.”

Her tone is full of awe akin to Lann’s, along with a hint of excitement.

A tree over a thousand meters tall, even if supported by countless trees intertwined, depicts an unimaginable scene.

The strength of the xylem should logically be unable to support such a height at all.

Therefore, the tree’s base is extraordinarily vast, practically an endless expanse of primal forest!

Based on this estimation, the area covered by its root system... converts to a political district analogy and it would cover at least a province!

And below the pterosaur they are riding, the creatures in the forest seem to become active due to the Molten Mountain Dragon’s arrival.

Flocks of unseen birds and insects fly across the sky, the unheard roars of beasts mix with the sounds of gurgling streams and rustling trees...

Vitality, unprecedented life force.

It is almost the embodiment of ’nature’.

Lann has never seen such ’nature.’

The Magic World’s nature has long been polluted by Chaos Magic Power, evident from the root of the curse he and Geralt discovered in Brook Leon Forest.

Baron Cormorant’s lover merely uttered complaints at the forest’s edge, only to be twisted into a curse by some unknown being.

The forests in the Magic World carry more eerie, peculiar feelings.

In the worlds he has experienced, Iwami and Yan’an had similar afflictions, their natural landscapes distorted by some force.

The Ancient Greece was relatively untouched, maintaining its primordial state aside from the Divine Artifact, but that was just ordinary primordial world akin to Lann’s hometown’s ancient forests.

However, here... is different.

Involuntarily taking a deep breath, Lann feels as though the air itself is saturated with a condensed life force, almost turning into droplets!

Momentarily, Lann’s astonished and pent-up emotions seem as insignificant as a drop of ink in a creek against this vast nature.

Until...

”Screech! Screech!”

Suddenly, the pterosaur they rely on for flight lets out feeble cries, and the flapping of its wings slows increasingly.

”Don’t tell me this thing has a weight limit for just one person!”

”The carrying capacity of the travelling pterosaur is just one person!”

Lann and Aibo almost shout simultaneously, exchanging looks with Wende up top.

Lann, however, expresses a hint of expected resignation in his tone.

Right now, his weight reaches nearly three hundred kilograms, equating one person to three, this pterosaur’s petite structure had him cautious from the start.

Thus, upon hearing Aibo’s utterance, he naturally proceeds to devise a plan.

”Is there a way to gradually lower the altitude, Wende? Don’t worry about speed when landing, I’ll handle it.”

Directly, Wende pats his chest, locking the travelling pterosaur saddle with hooks.

Ordinarily, this gesture could be interpreted as ’I’ve got this.’

But now, paired with Wende’s conflicted expression, Lann would rather decode it as: I’ll try my best.

The travelling pterosaur appears about ready to exhaust itself, yet under Wende’s control techniques, it still makes intermittent fluttering motions, gliding downward.

This guy is formidable.

Watching Wende endeavor to control the travelling pterosaur, Lann internally concludes.

His technique is rich with details enough to daunt even an outsider like Lann who doesn’t know pterosaurs.

Truly someone easily identifiable for having skillful prowess.

And according to Aibo earlier, labeling Wende as a ’Hunter,’ her words conveyed significant trust—indicating a combat occupation.

To achieve such proficiency in technical fields outside one’s own occupation, while earning notable trust from peers in one’s vocation, by all accounts, he must be remarkably adept.

He doesn’t betray Lann’s internal appraisal of him.

Amidst the urgency of an emergency landing, Wende swiftly assesses all potential landing sites promptly, making his decision.

Such decisive judgment, followed by focused execution, induces Lann to raise his eyebrows in admiration.

This guy might even surpass the highest standards Lann previously anticipated for him...

Hunter... excluding the stereotype of Yan Nan Hunter and Demon Hunter, Lann grows curious of what Hunters are like in this world.

”We’re landing!”

Lann calls out, needing no communication with Wende, inherently understanding why he chose this location for landing.

—Here, lush green vines drape between the giant trees and rocks.

”Eh?!!”

Aibo, not yet responsive, finds herself plummeting, relying on inertia alone.

As Lann lets go, Wende also retracts the hooks locked onto the pterosaur saddle, as if preconcerted with him.

They accurately seize vines capable of sustaining their respective weights in rapid motion.

The durable vines stretch from their inertia and weight but remain intact due to ample nutrition and good growth.

Succeeding this, they mutually grasp a large bunch of vines, squeezing them under their arms.

Pulling each other tight.

Almost instantly after collaboratively forming a ’vine trampoline,’ Aibo crashes onto it with a startled ”Whoa ah ah!”

They don’t maintain force but instead relax just as Aibo lands, before the initial impact fully dissipates.

The flexible vines bend downwards and bounce back up.

After a few cycles, the landing impact completely vanishes.

The impact gone, the loosening vines reveal large gaps, through which the three descend.

The height is only about three meters above ground, often deadly for ordinary people.

But here, all three can, even the weakest, climb seven meters of vertical cliff in ten seconds flat, so none take heed.

Aibo rubs her rear, ”Ouch,” but doesn’t forget to thank Wende and Lann.

After all, if they hadn’t adjusted the vines’ positioning earlier, she likely would have plummeted straight to the ground.

Lann gestures reassuringly after dismissing the gratitude and, propped on his knee, exhales deeply—a momentary relaxation after immediate encounters with emergencies upon arriving in a new world.

Beside him, supporting himself on the ground, Wende raises a fist to Lann, revealing a bright smile.

Lann chuckles lightly and gently taps his fist against it.

”Pleased with the first collaboration, Wende.”