Bear School Astartes

This monster suddenly charged out from behind Wende, delivering a slap right on the head.

On all fours, its posture resembled an iguana, only magnified by dozens of times.

About ten meters in length, with a shoulder height of around two and a half meters.

Its body was covered in scales with yellow as the main color interspersed with green patterns.

However, its most distinctive feature was the mane on its head. Like yellow dreadlocks, they draped down, forming something akin to a middle part hairstyle.

The Fierce Jackal Dragon.

Also the target species for their current hunting activity.

Although this creature was only rated as a two-star monster in the mission level set by the investigation team.

But while its size pales in comparison to the several dozen tons of the Barbaric Jaws Dragon, it still weighed at least a dozen tons.

When this Fierce Jackal Dragon ambushed Wende, that strike it delivered almost lifted its entire front half off the ground, then it added the weight of half its body to smash down with its arm strength!

Purely from a power output standpoint, this slap exerted at least several tons of pressure!

If it were Lann, he would instinctively adopt a more ’agile’ strategy to deal with such a sudden attack.

But Wende was different.

This guy had said to Lann in the forging district of the Star Fortress, ’I know a little of everything.’

But judging from his earlier performance, Lann didn’t think this was simply a ’know a little’ level at all!

Although Lann was not clear about the internal structure and operating mechanism of the weapon called the [Shield Axe] chosen by Wende.

However, in that brief confrontation earlier, he could still roughly understand the principle involved through his vision and experience.

The Shield Axe is a weapon with an internal mechanical structure, which seems to transform and activate mechanisms to enhance lethality during use.

And these internal mechanical structures, at the moment of activation or contraction, would release mechanical stress that interlocks internally for a very short time.

And Wende’s response earlier...

By twisting his waist, he gave the Shield Axe slung on his back initial inertia, holding the hilt to control the direction of that inertia.

Then, combining his strength, the inertia of the Shield Axe, and the mechanical stress released at the moment of the Shield Axe’s transformation, these forces were combined by his keen experience and superb technique.

Everything happened in an instant!

Under the accumulation of these combined forces, even though the Fierce Jackal Dragon used half its body to pounce towards the ground, it was forcibly blocked back by Wende!

The distinctive ’clank’ sound occurred when the monster struck the shield, a noise made by the internal mechanical stress of the Shield Axe counteracting the external force and then returning to tranquility.

It sounded like one sound, but in reality, it was a mixed noise emitted by many internal mechanical structures at once, hence it sounded peculiar.

Wende’s body took a small step back in this sudden confrontation.

Yet his body’s balance showed no sign of instability, nor did his stance falter.

Rather than being pushed back in the confrontation, it should be said that he was being nudged backward while tensing his stance against the attack.

His stance remained unmoved, and his center of gravity remained stable, which meant the Hunter could make a counterattack move in the instant following the attack!

”Click.”

The Shield Axe finally exhibited its alternate form in Wende’s grip.

The structure of the shield began to change, the blade that previously functioned as a one-handed sword was inserted into the shield, interlocking with the mechanical structure inside.

Instantly, what was originally a sword and a shield became an axe with a hacking blade as its handle and the shield as its axe blade!

Due to the deployment of the mechanical structure, the already sizeable Shield Axe now reached nearly three meters in total length!

With the increased length, the leverage used during operation also extended, causing Wende to amplify his body movements, fully twisting to gain the power to swing the weapon.

The extended Shield Axe was before Wende, and he raised it upwards with astonishing arm strength, slashing upwards!

The Fierce Jackal Dragon, initially shaken by Wende’s defense after its failed ambush, staggered in its entirety.

Its front chest was fully exposed due to uncontrollable leaning back.

The axe blade of the Shield Axe crashed from below into the front chest of the Fierce Jackal Dragon.

After the sound of scales and steel colliding, there followed a series of sounds of scales cracking and flesh splitting.

”Roar!”

The ambusher, instead, let out a wretched scream after the momentary clash.

The Hunter, who responded with an overhead swing after being ambushed, seemed to be just realizing it as well.

He widened his eyes, gaped his mouth open, and shouted with his newly recovered voice, ”Damn it!!!”

As if he had been the one hit.

A fierce wind gusted past Wende’s side.

That was Lann, who had activated [Acceleration Technique].

The dark, heavy [Murkblade] greatsword was pulled out from his Alchemy Pouch during the charge.

”Boom!”

A sound akin to a cathedral bell ringing resonated through the forest.

The [Acceleration Technique]’s boost to base speed, combined with Lann’s precise control of his balance, made the slash executed with forward momentum swift and explosive.

[Heartless Flow: Shrink Ground]!

The not particularly sharp sword blade cleft right into the crook of the left forelimb of the Fierce Jackal Dragon, which had just landed.

This creature had instinctively reverted to a quadruped state to reduce its exposed chest area after being almost opened up by Wende’s Shield Axe upward swing.

But Lann’s sword hit just as its front limb touched down again.

The balance of the force bearing the ground was disrupted; while its extraordinarily tough flesh in this world prevented its front limb from being directly severed, it went askew to the side.

Struggling mightily on the ground, it wouldn’t be able to rise anytime soon.

Wende’s great axe retracted amid a burst of mechanical activity, reverting into a sword and shield combination in his hand.

Taking advantage of the Fierce Jackal Dragon’s temporary incapacity, Lann and Wende quickly exchanged words.

”Is this our target?”

Holding the [Murkblade] ready to strike at any moment, Lann asked while preparing.

The investigation team’s task was to hunt a specific Fierce Jackal Dragon, so if this wasn’t the target, it would be wise to use this opportunity to disengage from the battlefield.

Although Lann didn’t think killing an extra Fierce Jackal Dragon would have a significant ecological impact on the vast and thriving ancient forest.

But out of respect for the investigation team’s ethos, Lann didn’t want to go against their intent to protect nature.

Turning to Wende, this seasoned Hunter had his eyebrows knitted, appearing rather troubled.

”I don’t know, the guide bug gets frightened back into its cage once large monsters enter combat nearby; I have no clue if this is the target.”

Under normal circumstances, the guide bug would lead hunters to the target’s side undetected by the monster, and then retreat into the cage when the battle starts.

But this process was clearly not normal; it was the hunters who were ambushed.

Lann didn’t speak, simply tilted his head waiting for Wende’s decision.

Before coming, the group had decided that Wende, the experienced hunter, would guide Lann, the newcomer from another world.

After a second of thought, Wende tugged on Lann’s arm, and the group immediately withdrew from the scene.

Because Lann didn’t resist and cooperated well, the movements of three individuals and one cat were swift, vanishing into the lush jungle as the Fierce Jackal Dragon staggered to its feet.