Bear School Astartes

After finishing an entire magazine of the [Mechanical Dragon Bullet], Lann only slightly shrugged his shoulders from the recoil.

The skeletal structure, muscle form, and even the massive weight of the Interstellar Warriors were naturally designed to manipulate these weapons.

When using such large-caliber weapons, if not overly exaggerated, they could even counteract each shell’s recoil with their own strength for stable shooting.

After emptying a clip, the maniacal grin on Lann’s face immediately disappeared.

He calmly withdrew the magazine and slung the heavy crossbow onto his lower back.

Like a man pulling up his pants after a satisfying experience.

The two men and a cat beside him, utterly dumbfounded, craned their necks to peek into the crevice of the rock wall.

At the base of that cavity, there was an irregular cone the size of a human.

In the middle, there was a head-sized hole, completely translucent. Lava, like blood, seeped out from the edges of this hole.

Such impressive gun control...

Wende and Aiden exchanged glances, both reading the surprise in each other’s eyes.

For regular heavy crossbow Hunters, the main factors affecting their skill level are: the pairing of ammunition, flexibility in using tools, planning the terrain, and understanding the monster’s endurance.

Thus, a skilled heavy crossbow Hunter could even incapacitate a monster by strategically distributing ammunition and utilizing the terrain.

The ability to control the ammo’s landing point is not particularly significant.

As long as they roughly concentrate the ammo on any specific limb of the monster.

In fact, the industrial design of a heavy crossbow doesn’t particularly support high-precision shooting.

But Lann’s accuracy... how to describe it?

An ordinary heavy crossbow Hunter might aim to hit the monster’s head with every shot.

But Lann hit the forehead, directly in the bullseye every time!

The pursuit of precision is on a completely different level!

And he was shooting from a standing position, using the [Mechanical Dragon Bullet]!

That [Flame Assault Crossbow] didn’t even have a recoil-reducing accessory installed; all three slots in the Forging District were fitted to increase range!

”So...” Wende remarked heavily, ”There really are people in this world with a natural gift for certain weapons. How long has he been training with the heavy crossbow?”

”A day, including the light crossbow. Mainly, I explained the structure and ammo to him. The practical experience was just half an hour.”

Aiden scratched his head, speaking honestly.

”And it seems like it’s not just these two things he learns quickly.”

”Well, I stand corrected, meow~”

Gaffi kicked at Wende’s leg armor beside him as he spoke.

Lann spread his hands and walked over: ”Would you describe that last move as artistic or not? The bullet lodged into the heat organ, causing successive eruptions of lava flowers, ultimately boring a large hole through the violent impact and splashing lava!”

While Lann was bragging, the entire ground... or rather the back of the Molten Mountain Dragon began to quiver.

”Oooooo!!!”

The grand and distant roar whipped the back of the Molten Mountain Dragon with an airflow as fierce as a storm.

The relatively light Elu Cat was almost blown away, fortunately, Wende caught hold of Gaffi’s leg to prevent it from being swept off.

Inside the cavity just pierced by Lann’s blow to the heat organ, seething lava began to spurt and roil violently.

Yet the Hunters were not alarmed, instead revealing expressions of delight.

”It works, meow! All five heat organs shattered; its reaction is much more intense!”

”Continuous combat is necessary.” Once the roar and storm subsided, Lann stood up from his shooting stance and said.

”These heat organs aren’t very hard, but they regenerate. We must continually attack its back day and night to disrupt the Molten Mountain Dragon’s internal heat circulation... Its size is simply too massive.”

Wende waved dismissively, putting Gaffi down along the way.

”As long as there’s hope and tactics, we can do it! It’s just a matter of time!”

When this bout of destruction ended, they mounted their flying dragons and returned.

In the time that followed, such hit-and-run tactics continued repeatedly.

The Hunters planned to weaken the Molten Mountain Dragon’s immense vitality and energy with a concentrated offensive.

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

After Lann discovered the heat organs of the Molten Mountain Dragon, it continued to tread the valley for three days, while the Hunters made repeated trips between its back and their temporary rest point during these days.

Replenishing ammunition, cooling their bodies and armor.

The sorrowful cries of the Molten Mountain Dragon echoed through the valley, growing more painful and uncomfortable.

It was being scorched by accumulating heat within its body that couldn’t dissipate.

It was nearing its limit.

All the Hunters realized this during the dawn of the third day.

Their final attack for today was also the moment the Molten Mountain Dragon would reach the end of the valley.

If this terrain that restricted the Molten Mountain Dragon’s movement were to be lost, subsequent battles would only become more difficult.

Moreover, after exiting this valley, the Earth Vein Corridor... was not too far.

One way or another, today was the day to decide the outcome.

The Commander-in-Chief had been coordinating supplies and organizing defenses at the end of the valley for these three days.

And now, he stood at the position that would confront the Molten Mountain Dragon head-on, feeling the massive creature’s vibrations faintly coming through the ground beneath him.

It was already very close.

”Relying solely on the [Vitality Drink] doesn’t ensure clear thinking, you should take a rest, have a feast, and eat more meat.”

Sword Master came up from behind the Commander-in-Chief, offering a very ’Hunter-style’ health suggestion.

The Commander-in-Chief’s stern face barely mustered a smile as he looked up towards the sides of the valley.

”Are the explosive barrels and bombs set up above?”

”Little Jack led the setup.” Sword Master calmly stated, as if not even the black smoke from the Molten Mountain Dragon that had drifted into view could disturb his composure.

”You should trust him a bit more.”

At the end of this valley, due to unique geological activity of the New Continent, a unique structure had been formed.

Tens of millions, even billions of tons of rock jutted out from the earth, forming these cliffs over a height of five hundred meters.

The tops of these cliffs twisted and extended inward like monstrous claws, reaching into the valley.

With time, this form of rock would inevitably become structurally loose and brittle under weathering, eventually breaking apart and crashing to the ground.

The Commander-in-Chief keenly noticed the potential for using this terrain.

He had explosives and bombs affixed to these protruding rocks, preparing to utilize the rocks’ weight and mass to make the Molten Mountain Dragon really ’feel the pain’.

”It’s unfortunate, in a few more days, the cargo ship we sent to the Old Continent should be back. I even had the captain bring back a Dragon Cannon.”

”Stop worrying.” Sword Master calmly refuted him, ”Even if we had the Dragon Cannon, it needs to be mounted on a ship to bring it here. By the time we dismount the cannon and transport it inland, the Earth Vein Corridor could be blasted twice over.”

”We’ve done everything possible, the young ones have performed well. There’s nothing to regret. You’ve assigned the plans. Now just pay attention to when to detonate the explosives above, and drop those giant rocks.”

”But there are always unpredictable factors.”

Sword Master’s reassurance was heartfelt, but for someone as resolute as the Commander-in-Chief, their judgment seldom wavered easily.

The Commander-in-Chief’s dark face gazed upwards, seemingly looking into the void.

”This is a struggle over the flow of the most potent biological energy on this continent. Although I wish to say ’everything’s complete’, well... let’s hope so.”