Bear School Astartes

Unusually, the Blood Nobility, who had maintained a decisive and cold image since their meeting, showed evident hesitation at this moment.

”This is a complication after the Gray Blood Disease advanced to the later stages and received intervention through Blood Therapy. The clergy say it’s best not to let those patients’ heads be exposed to light, nor should they be touched, otherwise it could be dangerous.”

Despite her hesitation, Lady Maria still told Lann the explanation she had heard from the clergy.

”Is that so? I’ll be careful.”

Lann obediently agreed verbally.

But as he walked, he discreetly glanced down at his hand.

He still remembered the feeling when he tried to press the head of the frenzied patient to calm him down earlier.

Enough to fit into a coarse cloth sack twice the size of a normal person’s head... Definitely not an empty feeling!

And the handling by the white-robed clergy after he subdued the frenzied patient, it hardly seemed like they were dealing with a patient.

The job requirements in the research hall weren’t complicated, nor difficult to complete.

So, after briefly explaining, Maria took the form filled out by Lann and left.

It seemed that although she could directly complete Lann’s hunter identity, it still had to be archived at the Healing Church.

Even in this urgent moment when manpower was needed, the Healing Church still followed its own procedures and regulations.

It might seem rigid, but it was actually a manifestation of strong organizational power.

Even under heavy pressure, it could still achieve its goals.

No matter if the process was strained or not, as long as it continued to function, the tightness of this organization was already considered outstanding.

The Healing Church had already begun to show its governing and organizational abilities in turning ’future’ Yan’an into a city with absolute control by both church and state during the Old Yan’an period.

And Lann, temporarily on duty, took advantage of his Yan Nan Hunter status, seemingly aimlessly strolling in the research hall.

But as his gaze swept over each place, Mentos constructed a scan in his mind and integrated it into the architectural analysis of the research hall.

”But sir,” as Lann strolled as if taking a walk, Mentos spoke, unable to maintain even its ’British butler accent’, ”the interior of this building so far... It is quite counterintuitive, isn’t it?”

Indeed, Lann himself was grinding his back teeth.

This place is certainly... not conforming to regular architectural structures.

If discussing strange and grand buildings, the Demon Hunter considered his knowledge quite extensive after traversing many worlds.

But a place as taxing as Yan’an in terms of complex terrain was really rare.

Perhaps when rescuing Rosalie’s daughter Geside, the infiltration of the Losric Great Library was comparable?

The Losric Sages, who drenched their heads in wax tears, focused solely on research and reading, entirely disregarding how the mountain of books had turned the originally tidy and spacious structure into a massive labyrinth.

However, they were guided by the transformed Golden Armor Feathered Knights, proceeding from rescuing Geside from the topmost floor of Losric Great Library downwards.

The initial view was clear and broad, making subsequent navigation less confusing.

But in this Old Yan’an research hall... not to mention the Gothic ornate style that increased the difficulty of recognizing the building.

Just looking at its structure.

Indeed, it was supported by a main central pillar utilizing a spiral staircase to access various floors.

But this pillar was adjustable!

The interface of the spiral staircase and the floors was also reconnectable!

Initially, Lann reached the top of the spiral staircase, baffled by the stairs not connecting with any floor.

Turning around, a descendant of Sumeru was also standing on a floor not linked to any spiral staircase, staring at him with rigid and indifferent eyes.

Only then did he realize that the staircase was adjustable.

But he was still unaware of where the control switch for the adjustment was, nor under what circumstances this contraption would be operated.

Silently noting another detail of interest, Lann resumed wandering as if idly strolling.

This research hall was very peculiar, but the Demon Hunter could also feel that the issues here were very crucial.

Whether it was the Sumeru descendant assigned to guard the stairway, Maria tasked with maintaining the institution’s regular operation, or even the white-robed clergy...

This combination of characters in this location, even within the Healing Church, was certainly not simple.

”Ah, you’ve become a Hunter?”

While ruminating, a deep voice floated gently his way.

The Demon Hunter turned to see the white-robed clergy standing at a staircase, watching him move on the spiral staircase.

His tone was calm and deep, yet Lann could sensitively perceive a hint of regret in the voice, which was indistinguishable from earlier speech.

Regret for what? That I became a Yan Nan Hunter? How does this affect you?

Actually, Lann already had a guess in mind, but his expression remained unchanged as he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

”Oh well... Hunter, hunter it is.” The white-robed clergy murmured almost inaudibly.

In the busy research hall, mingled with the wails of patients, his voice was supposed to be drowned out.

But the Demon Hunter’s keen senses allowed Lann to catch all of it.

”Come up, we need your help here.” The white-robed clergy no longer had that ambiguous regret in his tone, and instead used a commanding tone to summon him.

Lann didn’t refuse, he just smiled. Instead, like a newcomer in the workplace, he obediently followed the instructions.

They passed blood-stained medical carts, with many dirty bandages piled up in the corners.

The wails of Gray Blood Patients echoed through the wards on each floor, the rooms’ soundproofing was good, but precisely because the soundproofing was good, the shrill screams turned into ghostly murmurs once outside the door.

And it was incessant, a gathering of murmurs.

When they reached a ward, the white-robed clergy didn’t even enter the door, he just pointed inside to Lann as if feeling bored.

”Suppress the commotion of the patients inside, make sure they stay put, crying and howling is fine, but it’s best not to let them kill themselves.”

He said coldly amidst the patients’ wails.

”Lady Maria did quite well before, I hope you can do the same.”

”Also, don’t touch their heads, that’s preci... that’s a dangerous move, it may endanger lives.”

Finished instructing as if he was ordering a subordinate, the white-robed clergy walked away straight away.

But just as he passed by Lann, he inexplicably felt a chill.

Yet this feeling was fleeting like an illusion, he shook his head and dismissed it.

In Yan’an, studying arcane arts, medicine and other such projects, if you haven’t experienced hallucinations it would be strange.

But Lann did not look back, yet he raised his hand to touch his own chin.

The movement tugged at his lips, revealing his stark white teeth... with a chill about it.

”Mentos,” the Demon Hunter said slowly in his heart, ”the word he actually wanted to say just now... was ’precious’, wasn’t it?”

The biological brain did not respond, just remained silent.

Yet that itself was a response.

’Precious’, and to use such a word on patients, Lann couldn’t think of another situation.

——Experimental samples.

Even though the experiences of ’future’ Yan’an led Lann to never presume the Healing Church was as progressive and compassionate as people in Yan’an claimed.

But upon actually seizing some clues, he still felt a moment of anger.

But he immediately controlled his anger.

This is but the nightmare of the Ancient God, recounting things that happened decades ago.

No matter how cruel, dark, despicable, they are already facts set in stone.

What he must do now is to unearth the deepest secrets from these revolting given facts.

Watching the back of the white-robed clergy, the Dragon Scale pieces on Lann’s gauntlet made a slight ’click’ sound, that was him relaxing the tensed muscles of his hands.

Lann turned his head and entered the dim ward.

The large ward was illuminated by only two kerosene lamps, casting damp and chill upon the stone walls and ground.

On several rows of wooden beds laid Gray Blood Patients identical to those frenzied ones Lann had suppressed before.

But their limbs hadn’t yet begun to wither and elongate like those frenzied ones.

But the loose gown-like patient clothes, the restraints tied around their chests, and the coarse burlap sacks on their shoulders were identical.

Under the dim light were the patients’ cries of agony, twisting and turning on their beds.

Beside each bed was a drip stand hanging two large bottles of bright red liquid, flowing into their veins.

The scene here was like a nightmare depiction straight out of an eighteenth-century horror novel about asylums brought to reality.

Lann took a deep breath of the air tinged with the strange potion scent, stepping forward to reassure these self-harming patients in pain.

Their fingernails had already begun clawing wildly at their own bodies.

Attempting to alleviate, numb persistent pain with sharp but fleeting agony.

Lann originally intended to try using the [Yakxi Rune] to see if it would be effective.

But unexpectedly.

As Lann’s footsteps approached, the patient lying on the bed, tortured to the point of convulsing and tensing their body, trembled and spoke.

”Maria, Lady Maria! Please save me! Hold, hold my hand!”

Their voice sounded as if on the brink of losing consciousness, as if the name they uttered was their last refuge.

And the other patients were just like them, appearing anxious, a bit afraid of ’Lady Maria’ leaving their mouths, scrambling yet weakly saying.

The voices of both men and women came from within those coarse burlap bags.

”Please, please tell me again about the flowers you love, Lady Maria. What are they like under the sun? Their color, their petals... I can’t see anything anymore, boohoo!”

”Lady Maria, it hurts... it hurts so much...”