Bear School Astartes

It was evident that these scholars had been holding their breath for a long time regarding the study of the Fierce Claw.

After the Barbaric Jaws Dragon was dragged out in a slumber and placed in the open space.

The scholars swiftly sketched the overall outline of the monster in their notebooks with a few strokes.

Then they made brief descriptions of its physical features and ecological habits.

Since the habits of the Fierce Claw didn’t differ from those of an ordinary Barbaric Jaws Dragon, this step was completed quickly.

Following that came the main event: the dissection.

The scholars brought a tool similar to the small skinning knives used by Hunters and handed it to Lann.

”Normally, this should be our job. Although we lack strength, making it difficult to cut through the monster’s leather and scale armor, the Hunters’ methods often don’t align well with research. But you’re different.”

”Your hand is steady, and we’ve exchanged academic knowledge before. You’re not just a brute Hunter who only knows how to slash and kill.”

Lann shrugged and took the dissection knife, as long as an adult’s arm, and walked towards the Barbaric Jaws Dragon.

”Where should I start?”

”We’re planning to start with the organs that have no apparent mutations, like the gular pouch at the throat.”

The scholars showed Lann a hand-drawn diagram indicating the dissection of a common Barbaric Jaws Dragon.

”You’ll need to open the surgical view from the side of the neck, bypassing the second arterial blood vessel and also...”

”And there’s a deeper venous blood vessel, along with a section of the deep nerve plexus, right?”

Before the scholar with the dissection diagram could finish, Lann calmly completed his sentence.

The scholar blinked in surprise and then murmured, ”Uh... you’re right.”

”Then I’ll start.”

The dissection knife in Lann’s hand was stable and precise.

Though lacking extensive surgical experience, he was already at a level capable of operating on himself.

The biological knowledge at the junior high level recognized by interstellar civilizations allowed him to make clean and crisp incisions, appearing somewhat artistic unconsciously.

In any case, anything like knives and sharp tools in his hands always looked impressive. This skill was almost instinctive.

The Barbaric Jaws Dragon had been lying dormant under anesthesia for a long time, sustained with feeding food through the esophagus by the staff.

But over this long period, under Mentos’ scan, it was found that its muscles hadn’t relaxed much, and its weight had only dropped by less than 300 pounds.

It didn’t seem like the state of prolonged inactivity while lying down.

One could only say that the monsters of this world indeed possessed a tenacious vitality.

Even though it’s been fed liquid food continuously, the tail that Lann had cut off had regrown with bones and flesh, only that the black hair on the surface was still a bit light in color.

Under the direction of the scholars, Lann successively dissected the gular pouch in the Fierce Claw’s neck, observed the muscle structure beneath its skin, the distribution of the nerve plexus at the root of the wing membrane on its back...

All the organs that were no different from those of a regular Barbaric Jaws Dragon were examined, and the mutation levels were shallow, mostly attributed to individual differences.

But next, Lann began to advance towards the thoracic cavity.

Due to his steady and skilled technique, Lann had yet to damage any of the major blood vessels of the Barbaric Jaws Dragon, resulting only in capillary bleeding.

Even though large areas of subcutaneous muscle were exposed on the entire Fierce Claw, it had only bled about ten liters in total.

This blood formed a small pool at Lann’s feet.

”Flame Bag... found it!”

The source organ that enabled the Barbaric Jaws Dragon to spew high-temperature sparks was operating right within Lann’s reach.

The entire Flame Bag was a sac-like organ composed of multiple small chambers, resembling a honeycomb.

In fact, each small chamber was a mini Flame Bag.

This was why, during hunting, Hunters could obtain multiple Flame Bags from the monster’s body.

Because the complete large Flame Bag was shattered into smaller ones.

This also explained why the attribute attacks from Hunters’ weapons were far less intense than those produced by the monster itself.

Because what Hunters could fit onto their weapons were only those small parts that hadn’t been destroyed during combat and could be accommodated within the design space of the weapon.

The Barbaric Jaws Dragon’s Flame Bag needed to be activated by its own high body temperature.

And even though the Barbaric Jaws Dragon’s body temperature was stable now, Lann could still feel the scorching heat, akin to touching a kettle, when he touched the Flame Bag with his bare hands.

”Full of vitality.”

Lann marveled internally.

The fact that it was so healthy after being under anesthesia and fed for so long was remarkable, wasn’t it?

But just as the scholars quietly recorded the details with the ’swish, swish, swish’ sound of their quills.

Mentos suddenly marked a line in Lann’s view.

”Sir, based on your tactile feedback and my calculated analysis, there seems to be an extension at this line from the Flame Bag.”

The biomechanical brain spoke rationally and calmly.

”And on the dissection diagram of the original Barbaric Jaws Dragon, this extension does not exist.”

The Demon Hunter’s cat eyes narrowed instantly.

”Gentlemen, I believe I’ve made a new discovery.”

He shouted loudly towards the surrounding scholars and tried to expand the surgical view as much as possible, pointing out the inconspicuous gland buried within the muscle.

The scholars initially leaned in with puzzled expressions, adjusting their glasses, but it didn’t take long before cheers erupted!

”Woohoo!”

A gland buried within the muscle appeared merely as an inconspicuous line among the muscle fibers. However, the scholars could instantly identify it as an organ previously undiscovered in other Barbaric Jaws Dragons.

”Obvious mutation!”

The director also cheered.

”Follow along the gland and let’s see to where it’s connected!”

In the end, Lann demonstrated that this gland was indeed the primary reason for the differences between the Fierce Claw and the original Barbaric Jaws Dragon.

This gland, directly connected to the Flame Bag, branched at the Fierce Claw’s waist, extending to both legs.

The clearly stronger leg had a smaller gland.

While the leg that appeared similar to the original species had a larger and fuller gland that connected all the way to the Fierce Claw’s claw cuticles.

”This explains why it can emit flames from its paws! It has mutated a gland specifically to supply flammable material!”

The scholars cheered but didn’t forget to detail and describe the discovered features and pending hypotheses in their research notes.

”And that clearly stronger leg... the gland on this leg is rather shriveled.”

Lann, lost in thought, gently traced along the dissected gland with his finger, speaking as he did so.

”The Barbaric Jaws Dragon’s Flame Bag needs a high body temperature for activation. Is it possible that this involves a bidirectional influence? This shriveled gland might have stimulated the muscle on this leg to maintain a state of high body temperature close to constant motion, without the capability of secreting flammable material. Thus, making the leg significantly stronger instead?”

”That’s a strong possibility.”

The head of the ecological research institute said.

Though the scholars were excited, they were still at a stage of ’novelty watching.’

However, in Lann’s eyes, it was entirely... shocking!

What is this!?