Bear School Astartes

Confident that Lann really has nearly seventy percent certainty, he’d be able to end this long night of the hunt after a series of actions.

Erin’s originally cold and elusive voice became fervent and full of drive.

After all, speaking in terms of human mental endurance, every awake hunter in Yan’an now has already collapsed and barely supported themselves, not knowing just how many cycles this has happened.

This indeed honed their extraordinary craftsmanship and experience, but they are all too tired.

And as the ”Hunter hunting the maddened hunters,” the Crow Hunter carries an even greater burden.

But ”hope” is such an enticing thing laced with alluring magic power.

No matter how collapsed or weary, once people see the light of hope, they’ll spontaneously muster new energy.

After their conversation, Erin shook the crow feather cloak that was matted with thick beast blood and immediately left Oton Chapel without stopping.

She was headed to several places where Simon often lingered, to check the current state of Simon, who had died and returned from the collapsed Dream Realm, for their group’s reference.

”Right.”

But before Erin left with great resolve, Lann reached out and called her.

”I recently got a batch of Thunder Paper, it feels quite handy.” The Demon Hunter took out a sheet of coarse paper from his bag to show Erin. ”Are there any places left in Yan’an where I can find such small tools?”

Items like Thunder Paper, in Lann’s eyes when he first arrived at Yan’an, were very useful combat tools.

They could directly coat weapons with flames, increasing lethality.

Though today, he could easily use Magic Seal to enhance his swordsmanship, effortlessly wielding the Flowing Fire Blade.

Yet he noticed Rong Buqiu really liked these tools that could directly heighten damage and fire status during intense combat.

Though Rong Buqiu didn’t come along this time, Lann still wanted to bring some back as a gift.

”Thunder Paper?” Erin impatiently shook her head.

With a major event looming, who had time to care about these minor tools?

But she still fetched a small stack of coarse paper from beneath her crow feather cloak and handed it to Lann.

Unlike the dark red Thunder Paper, this small stack of coarse paper sparked with blue arcs now and then.

”I ran out of Thunder Paper, this is Fire Paper, used the same way, but the weapon is infused with electricity instead of flame.”

While stuffing the stack of coarse paper into Lann’s hands, Erin gave a concise explanation.

”It’s the result of the Strange Person Archibald’s study at the Hunter Workshop, nothing too complex like Thunder Paper. If you need more, I can make some at the workshop for you.”

Lann raised an eyebrow, surprised, and picked up a sheet crackling with sparks, examining it closely.

He didn’t expect Yan’an to have technology to infuse weapons with lightning.

But judging from the color, this lightning was closer to natural thunderstorms, resembling those released by Qilin.

Compared with the golden lightning used to hunt dragons in the Flame World, it’s very different.

But one shouldn’t judge by appearance alone, after all, placed in eerie and sinister Yan’an... this lightning likely just resembled natural lightning in color.

The essence was probably still a product of supernatural means.

If it was before, such minor tools like Fire Paper would not only cheer Rong Buqiu up but also be quite useful for Lann himself.

But after slaying the Fog Nest Master Terror Tyrannosaurus, he realized he had gained permission to wield Miracle, a unique magic system of the Flame World.

Though he’s uncertain where this authority originated from, he anyway can now use Miracle: Lightning Sword to directly imbue his weapon with dragon-hunting golden lightning.

So Thunder Paper’s practicality for Lann himself greatly diminished.

However...

”You said, you can make such small tools?” Lann stored the Thunder Paper in his alchemy pouch on his lower back and asked the Crow Hunter with keen interest.

”Originally I couldn’t.” Erin replied curtly, eager to take action after seeing hope.

”But after so many regressions, even if by fluke, I should have some progress.”

”This technology isn’t particularly profound, though controlled by the Church Workshop, still... I’ve gone through so many regressions.”

”If you’re interested in these small tools, then after we’re done, I can teach you.”

Lann nodded with great interest.

But before the Demon Hunter could say anything, the bird-beak mask of the Crow Hunter momentarily paused, then issued a muffled voice filled with amazement.

”’After we’re done’... I can hardly imagine having a chance to say this phrase amidst this long, endless night of the hunt.”

”Have a little faith in me.” Lann jokingly remarked, but with an earnest gaze encouraging her, ”I’m quite interested in this craft. I must learn it and try it out.”

”Then wish me luck.” The bird-beak mask bobbed up and down, ”And good luck to you, kind-hearted Hunter.”

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

”Are you going to Byron Vis again?” Henrik asked, cleaning the beast meat and the coarse black fur stuck in the mechanism of his saw cleaver, while questioning Lann’s actions with puzzlement.

”Didn’t we just... just go there?”

Yet his own confused and obscured sense of time unwittingly tinged his tone with a hint of self-doubt.

In his mind, he had already visited Byron Vis with Lann this night and returned, which constituted a round trip.

And to make another round trip from Church Town to Byron Vis in one night? Isn’t that insane?

But in reality, that had been nearly half a year ago.

Seeing Henrik’s self-confused appearance, caught between the discrepancy of perception and facts, Lann was unsurprised.

Because a hunter who isn’t clear-headed can never perceive the truth.

Indeed, Henrik’s slight self-doubt was soon influenced again by that silent and traceless power.

The confusion of time once more shrouded him.

”I’m just letting you know,” the Demon Hunter shrugged indifferently at the Old Hunter. ”Last time, I forgot to ask Master William something urgent, and I need to make another trip.”

”Didn’t we clear out those frenzied beasts on the road before? I’m just making another trip; it’s no trouble.”

The Old Hunter scrutinized Lann with a suspicious gaze.

He then turned to look at Gascogne’s family.

The Hunter, who once was a Priest, seemed to sense his gaze and nodded slightly.

”...I’ll still go with you.” The Old Hunter pressed the dusty yellow hat on his head and spoke softly. ”You’ve brought a lot of food; if we eat sparingly, it can last for a long time. Gascogne has returned too; there’s no need for me to worry here.”

”Moreover, after the Blood Moon rose, those filthy beasts have undergone considerable changes; treating them as before, would inevitably lead to mishaps.”

Lann, however, seemed totally unconcerned and chuckled lightly.

On one hand, his combat prowess since he first arrived in Yan’an was incomparable now, so he’s quite confident.

On the other hand, he remembers clearly the path leading to Byron Vis; at that time, he and Henrik practically slaughtered everything through, what danger could there be?

Not even to mention ”danger,” but is there anything on this road that could ”scare” him at all? Absolutely impossible...

”Damn! What the hell is this?!”

Under the Blood Moon, on the deserted and sinister streets of Yan’an, the Demon Hunter suddenly jumped back in surprise, inadvertently blurted out an expletive he hadn’t used for a long time!

Lann’s amber cat-like eyes widened, while his body instinctively leaned back in a reflexive rejection, seemingly trying to distance himself from the thing before him.

The thing that had suddenly sprung up from the corner, the act of ”springing up” itself didn’t scare him, for his exceptional and transcendent hearing had already detected the monster’s presence before it moved.

What startled Lann slightly was the creature’s form.

The beasts of Yan’an were already eccentric and terrifying, but it was only now that Lann realized just how they would manifest under the Blood Moon.

It was a monster at the deep stage of beast transformation, resembling a werewolf in form.

This type of monster, Lann had seen not just tens but dozens of such in Yan’an.

Originally, he should have been utterly unperturbed.

But this one in front of him...

”Hoo~”

It lay crouched on the ground, its exhalation turning into a white mist near the surface.

Those limbs frantically slapped against the damp stone-bricked ground.

Yes, frantically chaotic limbs.

This ”werewolf” wasn’t a typical emaciated werewolf figure covered in black fur. Instead, its body seemed like an amalgamation of many wolf, dog, and human limbs tangled together, forming its waist, chest, abdomen, legs, and other parts!

And as if not fully fused, a peeled-looking dog leg would stick out from its back waist into the air, or a human hand would droop down from its stomach!

The sound of it crawling along the ground was eerily reminiscent of several blood-soaked hands slapping the surface, stirring terror.

However, Lann wasn’t the type to have his combat prowess affected during urgent and tense battles by an opponent’s grotesque and hideous appearance.

The reason for his current ’careless’ appearance was simply because he didn’t consider this scenario dangerous at all.

”Bang!”

The Hunter’s Firearm erupted in a flash behind the Demon Hunter; the quicksilver bullet hit the creature’s chest at a critical and subtle moment, throwing it off balance.

Immediately, the dusty yellow-clad Old Hunter rapidly and gracefully moved like a specter, arriving in front of the monster.

”Thud,” blood splattering!

[Vital Organ Strike]!