Bear School Astartes

The seemingly never-ending rumble of gold coins collapsing from the golden mountain completely came to a halt at this moment.

The entire magnificent Treasure Hall was silent.

Until—’Ding!’ a sound.

The long echo of precious metals colliding lingered within this gigantic building.

Sorlin stood up from the golden mountain.

He tore off the crown he had worn since driving out Smaug, carelessly tossing it aside.

The crown of gold and iron slipped away like an inconspicuous item in this sea of gold and silver, rolling to who knows where.

The cold air inside Lonely Mountain filled Sorlin’s chest, calming his mind that had seemed about to split apart moments ago.

The dragon stench in the air, originally causing physiological discomfort with its strong adhesion and penetration, now smelled no different from moldy dust.

Sorlin walked down from the golden mountain, oddly: his movements were more agile and decisive than before, yet the gold coins that slipped and collapsed as a result were barely affected.

Sorlin tore off the luxurious cloak he had retrieved from his grandfather’s room and threw it onto the sea of gold and silver.

Under that cloak, he was still in the same not clean but sufficiently sturdy light armor as he had been throughout the past year’s journey.

He walked all the way to the doorway of the Treasure Hall, where the Beast-Biting Sword, Orcrist, quietly leaned against the wall.

It had been several days since he had faced Smaug with it, yet it remained here untouched.

Now, with Orcs filling the area outside Lonely Mountain, the Elf Treasure Sword, sensitive to the presence of Orcs, emitted a vigilant blue glow from its sheath.

Sorlin grabbed the Elf Treasure Sword forged from the First Era as he passed by, then left the magnificent hall without looking back.

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

”They’re almost at their limit!”

On Crow Ridge, Azog proclaimed cruelly in the Black Speech.

He looked down upon the Dwarves, their space being compressed step by step, pressed toward the tightly shut door of Lonely Mountain.

Would that door open?

If these Dwarves entered Lonely Mountain, it would surely be troublesome to fight a siege battle.

But the Pale Orc looked up at the gloomy sky.

He seemed intoxicated, deeply inhaling the cold air.

On this land, at this moment, the forces of darkness were proliferating fiercely, bringing changes to the sky and atmosphere.

The power of the Demon Wolf, the military might of the Orcs, and the residual evil power of the dragon within Lonely Mountain!

Farther off, a rapidly approaching band of clouds. They were the Gangdaba Orc troops mobilized by Borg!

Azog felt supremely confident!

”Prepare for the final strike against the Dwarves! I want them never to enter Lonely Mountain!”

Savage and evil Black Speech ordered them, as the Orcs behind Azog blew the horns and used a change in the flagpole to signal the army below.

And the Pale Orc, thinking the Dwarves were already dealt with, turned his attention toward River Valley City on the side.

In that direction were not only Elves and humans but also four Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms fluttering and shaking the ground!

These giant worms had no vocal organs, but their massive and heavy bodies slamming into the ground made the most terrifying roars with explosive sound and rumbling!

”Boom!!!”

Steel-like bodies raised and slammed down again, making the surrounding ground feel like it was experiencing an earthquake!

”Ah!”

The Elves and Orcs nearby, regardless of friend or foe, were flung into the air and then heavily fell back down.

Considering the generally lighter bodyweights of the Elves, more Orcs died during this process.

But clearly, the giant worms had no brains to care about such things, and Zhao Ge Luyin did not care about it at all.

He was now enjoying this battle he had orchestrated, an ’unfair fight’.

”Third time, Dragon Slayer!”

The azure Demon Wolf sprang up nimbly, steadying itself on the giant worm, laughing loudly toward the ground below.

A qi flow blade, due to its high density, created a visible difference in light refractive index with the surrounding air, shooting toward its position.

But the giant worm, like a mountain range, casually arched a section, shielding Zhao Ge Luyin behind its body.

The qi flow blade produced a saw-like effect of slicing through fresh flesh on the giant worm’s body but could not hurt the Demon Wolf behind it.

Zhao Ge Luyin, large in size with a paw that could cover half of Lann, ran about with ease on the giant worm but acted as though running on flat ground.

”I admit you’re formidable, but what of it? Your swordsmanship defeated me three times, pushing me back thrice, yet nothing happened to me! But you, can you dare to let my fangs touch you even once?”

The Demon Wolf’s sneering sound was extremely unpleasant.

Yet Lann, with eyes observing the battlefield calmly, had no interest in responding to it.

The body of the giant worm crushing down acted like a small hillside collapsing!

Enveloping shadows overhead, shattered ground, dust and debris flying up...

And those wolf eyes occasionally flashing yellow out from the dust and smoke, always threatening Lann’s nerves with cold pressure.

These giant worms would even coil their bodies like pythons after trapping prey, enabling them to crush enemies with their burrowing ability through mountains.

Luckily, these worms were mere wild creatures, and Lann quickly read their internal muscle movements, allowing him to start moving just before being surrounded each time.

But his movement method was limited to using the Acceleration Technique to dodge, augmented by jumps and hooks from the projector, enabling him to leap over the mountainous giant worm bodies.

These giant worms were controlled by Zhao Ge Luyin, allowing the Demon Wolf to run easily all over them as if on ground level, but if Lann dared to go up...

The skin on the surface of these worms is small and cracked, as wide as a person’s thigh. If one steps in and the worm writhes and presses up, it’s no different from putting a foot in a rock hydraulic press.

Lann had indeed considered killing these four Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms first.

After all, they ought to be easier to deal with than the Demon Wolves.

But the giant worms are not only ’meat shields’ prepared by the demon wolves, that can be casually discarded; Zhao Ge Luyin himself also knows their importance.

If Lann primarily attacks the demon wolves, the giant worms will move their bodies to block the blade radiating holy power.

If Lann primarily attacks the giant worms, the demon wolves will be ready to bite at any moment.

This was the battle strategy that Lann tried, but the result...

”Plop~”

A drop of bright red blood fell from Lann’s left fingertip onto the dusty wasteland.

The Demon Hunter’s amber cat-like eyes glanced slightly to the side.

A piece of flesh the size of a normal person’s fist was completely gone from his left upper arm.

Not only the blood and flesh, but even the steel cables of the Tendon Coil covering them had a perfectly smooth cut missing a piece.

That was nicked by Zhao Ge Luyin’s claws when it scraped past him earlier.

The flesh that was dug away also tore off a piece of skin near Lann’s wound, exposing quite a bit of the internal steel cables.

However, thanks to Lann using Extinct Dragon material, the regeneration ability of the Tendon Coil was good, and he himself had also implanted the Belisarius Furnace.

So this horrifying wound was healing rapidly.

The Early Recovery Amulet on his waist was also continuously supplying life force.

Having personally encountered the unique nature of Zhao Ge Luyin’s claws and teeth, Lann had roughly confirmed the conjecture he had previously worked out with Mentos.

But the problem still wasn’t solved; a demon wolf and four Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms collaborating... are too hard to kill!

Though the battlefield had already been forced close to River Valley City because of his fight with the demon wolves, Lann still dared not call for the Qilin and Rong Buqiu to come support him.

Because both the Qilin and Rong Buqiu are actually wild creatures, their bodies lack any protective power, and Lann didn’t know nor dared to gamble on the demon wolves’ control over the worms, fearing it might extend to them.

On the other hand...

”Breathe~ In~ Out~”

Long and rhythmic breathing began to be audibly clear beside Lann’s mouth.

This breathing technique, long ingrained into his bones, should normally be completely unnoticed. The increasingly loud sound of his breathing now only indicated that his oxygen consumption was becoming unsustainable.

Although Lann had completed several surgical processes since before, finishing the three original casts.

Yet these surgeries were actually all about increasing the body’s output and energy consumption!

The Belisarius Furnace was just for accumulating energy in ordinary times, used for rapid self-healing when injured.

The balance between the super organs and unoperated organs was originally unified and controlled internally by the Genetic Seed, but due to this high-intensity, long-duration battle it was gradually approaching collapse.

”Boom!”

Another reckless fly-and-swipe attack from Zhao Ge Luyin!

The Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms followed closely, pressing horizontally downward!

Lann neither wanted to be restricted by the demon wolves’ claws and then crushed to death later, nor to have his body gouged out with one claw.

Hence, he had to move swiftly again.

The demon wolves also retreated instantly, not lingering in front of Lann for even half a second.

Because they knew themselves, to exploit their ’meat shield’ advantage they must keep a distance; the giant worms simply minimize their risk of harm but don’t entirely protect them.

Occasionally using their top-level attack means to sneak an attack on Lann was the most suitable tactic.

”Gandalf! Do you have any ideas?”

Having just leaped over the worm’s body, Lann shouted without looking back, as they were already very close to River Valley City, having spotted a pointed gray hat on the city wall earlier.

Zhao Ge Luyin actually wanted to drag their battlefield toward River Valley City because the Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms could easily smash this old, dilapidated city.

However, under Lann’s ingenious and compact restraint and control, the Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms and Zhao Ge Luyin were forced to halt here for the ’high-value target’ that he was.

”If you don’t have a plan, I’ll have to take a gamble!”

The nearby elves and orcs hurriedly fled from this powerful and exaggerated battlefield, being pushed toward the other side of the city walls.

And Gandalf on the city wall indeed heard Lann’s resolute and calm loud call.

Yet his response was...

”Endure! Lann! Keep enduring!”

”What did you say?!”

Even while maintaining a cool and rational combat state against Zhao Ge Luyin and the four Earth-Swallowing Giant Worms, Lann raised an eyebrow.

I was asking you for a countermeasure, and you’re giving me a pep talk?

”Yes, Lann, persevere!”

But somehow, Gandalf’s words seemed exceptionally powerful at this moment. Not only Lann, but even the militia on the River Valley City’s walls near the battlefield suddenly surged with courage and fervor.

”As long as we persist, there is hope! We have done all we can do! Justice will answer us!”

From the depths of his heart, Lann felt the small fatigue and weariness disperse like dust being cleansed away.

Replaced by courage and perseverance.

This wasn’t mindless recklessness; rather it felt like tirelessly striving amid adversity, never giving up, believing steadfastly in finding a way out with determination and courage.