Bear School Astartes

Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction.

Miel and Cotton had both entered the hidden passageway, covered by vines.

Miel helped Cotton sit down, then leaned out, shouting loudly towards Fluffy Ball, who was waving a plunder knife to draw the dragons’ attention.

”Alright, Fluffy Ball! We’re inside, meow! Come quickly, I’ll cover you!”

As she spoke, Miel also took a boomerang off her back, swung it in a circle, and threw it out, hitting a Paralyzing Thief Dragon on the head with a ’smack’.

”Coming, meow!”

Fluffy Ball breathed a slight sigh of relief and immediately dashed out from the opening on all fours.

A few of the Paralyzing Thief Dragons were unwilling to give up and wanted to chase, but ultimately, none could run faster than the cats.

In the end, even the largest Paralyzing Thief Dragon, which had stayed on the periphery, howled, ordering its underlings not to waste effort on such small prey.

Eating the nutritious supplement wasn’t enough to make up for the calories burned just now.

Not worth it at all.

Seeing the chaos subside, Miel, who was leaning out of the cave entrance, also sighed in relief.

She stretched out a little paw, trying to pull Fluffy Ball up.

But just as the calico cat, sprinting on all fours, was about to extend a paw, its sleek, glossy fur suddenly puffed up!

The Paralyzing Thief Dragons behind them let out panicked and chaotic roars, leaving Fluffy Ball with almost no time to think.

The survival instincts honed in harsh environments had it push off hard with its hind legs, leaping sideways with all its might.

And in the next instant, ”boom”!!!

A massive rock the size of a carriage flew past where Fluffy Ball had just been!

It smashed hard against the cliff face!

Having just landed, Fluffy Ball couldn’t help but glance back.

It saw that the Paralyzing Thief Dragon group, which had been as orderly as a gang on patrol, was now scattered all over the place.

They were not only scattered in terms of ’position’ but their limbs and organs were also scattered into a mess in an instant!

And, the largest Paralyzing Thief Dragon, acting as the godfather of the gang, was currently being pressed to the ground by a winged claw with earth-yellow skin.

Half of its belly had already been torn open.

The stench and bloody smell dissipated, and pitiful, faint wails intermittently escaped from its throat.

”...Barroth!?”

The entirely yellow skin, with blue streaks, encased muscle and bone of remarkable strength. A spiny tail extended from its tip.

Just by looking, one could feel a sense of primordial ferocity and violence.

The common ancestor of dragons, according to current academic circles, can be traced back to the Regis Flying Dragon. The skeleton of the Barroth is very similar to that type.

Even in this world full of wondrous nature, it’s considered ’primitive and violent’.

As a member of the dragon species, it was more adept at ground battles, using extremely strong claws and rushing power, along with a roar that could cause substantial physical damage, to overwhelm opponents and devour prey.

The boulder the size of a carriage that had just flown dozens of meters was pushed out of the rocky ground by this pair of winged claws!

In any ecosystem, the Barroth could definitely be considered a member of the strong!

Having grown up among the Valley Raider Race, Fluffy Ball naturally admired and was enchanted by the ’beautiful posture of powerful creatures’.

To be called an [Absolute Stronger] Barroth, in such aesthetic sense, is unquestionably an ’artwork’.

But now was not the time to admire and be enchanted!

The secret passageway entrance opened up by the Valley Raider Race was now blocked by the stone pushed out by the Barroth!

In panic, Fluffy Ball ran up to the blocked cave entrance.

It anxiously scurried around the big rock to see if there was a crevice it could squeeze into.

But unfortunately, the Barroth’s claw strength was so great that this massive rock, dug out from the ground, was practically wedged into the entrance.

Seamlessly tight.

Inside, the voices of two Elu cats were heard, shrill and desperate.

”Fluffy Ball! Are you alright, meow!”

”Watch us dig through this stone, meow!”

Then, came the sound of little cats’ weapons clashing chaotically on the stone.

Not only Miel, who was unhurt, but even Cotton, whose wrist was broken, was swinging a weapon with one hand.

Meanwhile, outside, Fluffy Ball slowly turned around under a strong sense of crisis, seeing the Barroth already focusing its sights on it.

As an [Absolute Stronger], the difference between Barroth and the large Paralyzing Thief Dragons is... it hunts and fights not only for food but also for pride and dignity.

In the Barroth’s hunt, it didn’t care how much meat was in front of it, or whether it was worth such effort.

As long as it’s seen and still breathing, then... no witnesses left!

Faced with the Barroth’s gaze, the calico cat, however, remained strangely calm under the immense sense of crisis.

Though its voice still trembled, it turned towards the rock behind it and urged.

”Quick, go, Miel! Cotton! Run, meow!”

”Such a big stone, even if the clan’s cats came to repair it, it would take two days! Don’t waste your energy!”

The calico, with its fur bristling all over, dared not move its eyes at all as it adjusted its helmet and tightened its grip on its plunder knife.

The Barroth’s hind legs and winged claws clenched the ground, lowering its body, emitting a menacing growl.

This was its preparation to launch a drag charge.

With such weight and power, paired with its armored scales and skeletal framework, it could shatter solid rock platforms with direct collision and trampling!

The move that had scattered and dismantled the Paralyzing Thief Dragon pack just now was precisely this one.

Now, faced with a small cat not even as big as its claw, the Barroth had no reservations about conserving its strength due to its destructive drive.

Going to be killed, meow!

The usually smooth and luscious fur on Fluffy Ball began standing up visibly.

With a large monster’s attack imminent, the adrenaline in Fluffy Ball’s body spiked.

The heightened tension and taut muscles made its pink nose moist and breathing laborious.

Its steps hesitated to move.

Somehow, it now felt the scar left from escaping an unknown monster in its last adventure began to twinge faintly.

That scar was on its back, usually hard to see.

But sensing through its own pain and experience, the wound should not be large. So Fluffy Ball had not paid it much attention, as such wounds usually heal quickly.

After drinking a recovery potion, it might disappear without a trace after one night’s sleep.

Thus, Fluffy Ball had not bothered to look more or check it further. But now it seemed... could the wound have split open?

This meant certain death, meow!

The Barroth charged at the calico cat with an unstoppable force, its massive mouth capable of opening one hundred and fifty degrees leading the way, ready to instantly shred this little creature.

However, just as Fluffy Ball held back its anxiety and stood firm through sheer willpower, its shadow projected behind, silently and gradually expanded into a unique form amidst the unfolding branches’ tableau.