Bear School Astartes

Chapter 343: 343. The injury is not severe

”Bang!”

The flash of gunpowder igniting, a mercury bullet shot towards the alley’s top wall.

A beastly howl of pain followed.

Just as Henrik had predicted, the beast patient shot by the bullet wasn’t severely hurt, but the bullet’s impact was enough to knock it off the wall.

However, contrary to the old Hunter’s expectations—the beast patient falling down wasn’t one... but three!

The wind noise overhead was loud; although Lann didn’t focus his attention up there, he quickly judged that if only one monster fell down, it wouldn’t have made such a commotion.

Gascogne and Lann sped up together, and in an instant, the original three-person dense formation quickly dispersed.

Then, a light sound of landing footsteps, three beasts with limbs on the ground, eyes turning blood-red, abruptly charged towards the three of them!

The situation exceeded expectations, but Lann and Gascogne were still very composed.

Because the current number of monsters was still within their temporary three-person team’s manageable range.

Estimating from the traces on the carriage earlier, the strength of this level of beast patient was at least around three tons, capable of directly smashing the front end of a sturdy wooden carriage.

Even Lann couldn’t possibly confront such strength head-on.

But for Hunters or Demon Hunters, facing monsters stronger than themselves and slaughtering them was already a norm in their profession.

Lann was not someone who initially had the upper hand in strength.

Two giant wolf-like monsters, their extraordinarily lush fur fluttering in the air, blood-red eyes seeming ready to drip fresh blood.

Mouth wide open, sharp teeth and claws rushed towards Gascogne.

The Priest, already half a local, had experienced many nights of hunting.

This time wasn’t the most dangerous, and he wouldn’t die this time.

”Boom!”

The sound of the blunderbuss differed from the Hunter’s Pistol, bullets sprayed like flowers from the barrel, hitting the beast in front.

The impact involuntarily halted it for a moment, while the one behind disregarded everything and leaped over.

As it tried to start charging again, a chilling icy sensation came from its side.

[One-Line Slash]!

Step forward and slash down!

The thick-soled leather boots made a sharp friction sound against the brick ground, the force of the pounding footstep cracked the hard surface in a spider-web-like pattern!

The slash empowered by this force, cut into the beast’s side waist.

In a four-limbed posture, the beast patient became more suited for this move.

A mass of messy tough fur was shredded and flew sideways, this slash went directly into the beast patient’s lumbar spine!

The opponent’s strength reached three tons, but as long as you don’t stand in the direct path of the power, it’s as if the strength doesn’t exist.

”Awooo!”

The slash to the waist disrupted the body’s movement, and the originally fierce beast patient now staggered, its body pushed sideways by the blade’s force.

But the slash wasn’t finished...

[Double Strike]!

Leveraging the recoil force after hitting something hard, the blade was raised, while the body’s center of gravity accumulated strength in a series of bones, flowing smoothly, then hacked down with greater momentum!

This was Lann’s initial exploration of combining the Bear School’s heavy strike with the One-Line Slash while adhering to the [Unmindful Style] philosophy.

And now, it seemed the effect was indeed excellent.

A crisp ”crack” sounded, the precise blade cleaved into the gap already made on the lumbar spine, the immense, smoothly running force instantly severing the beast patient’s spine!

With the loss of the hardest main supporting bone, Aron Dite sliced through the remaining flesh and blood as if cutting tofu.

The first slash from the side made the beast patient stagger, the second slash directly severed the waist!

Even with the loss of its entire lower body, the beast patient remained frenzied, pain was irrelevant, only the desire for blood, the yearning to tear flesh, the craving for blood dripping was important.

That was the essence of a beast patient.

But moving with only two front claws, it’s neither fast nor agile.

Lann thus managed to stand on its back smoothly, holding the knife handle upside down with his left hand, pressing the pommel ball with his right hand, aiming downward.

The elegantly curved blade penetrated through the large occipital hole, protruding from the beast patient’s malformed mouth.

Lann twisted the knife handle half a turn along the way.

The frantic twisting beneath his feet stopped abruptly.

Lann prepared to assist Gascogne; in battles against monsters evidently stronger than oneself, the importance of experience and technique became even more prominent.

Though Gascogne seemed more robust and younger than Henrik, his accumulation of experience and skill was far lacking.

Thus was the reason Lann prepared to support him first.

But just as Lann got off the back of the already slain beast patient, looked towards the Priest, he was urgently shouting amidst his struggle with the monster: ”Henrik!”

At this moment, Lann didn’t think twice; he immediately grabbed the lower half of the beast patient he had chopped off on the ground and swung it towards Henrik!

”Thud,” a sound of flesh impact.

The monster rushing towards Henrik was knocked askew by the sudden impact.

Turning around to witness the scene, Lann now saw what the experienced Old Hunter’s condition was.

His eyes wide as saucers under the triangular hat and mask, revealing disbelief and overwhelming panic.

”This... impossible...”

He stared at the beast patient’s eyes as if two Blood Gemstones, muttering, unable to see the claws nearly at arm’s length.

This was entirely unbecoming of an Old Hunter’s standard.

The claw-like talons, even knocked askew by Lann, still slashed open the tawny leather coat and the flesh beneath.

Henrik’s collarbone erupted in a burst of blood, and quickly, the blood flow increased significantly. It cascaded down from the breach, soaking the coat.

Lann’s catlike eyes contracted sharply.

No matter the reason for Henrik’s distraction, he needed to finish the fight swiftly on his end.

Without pausing, Lann thrust his shoulder forward, charging!

The heavy footfalls in the alley resembled dull, rapid drumbeats.

The beast patient, just knocked askew by its fellow’s remains, hadn’t adjusted its stance, and the hard leather shoulder guard of the Bear School Armor slammed into its waist.

”Boom!” With that sound, Lann slammed the monster into the wall!

The solid structure cracked from the impact, flying dust floated out of the gaps.

For a beast patient with basic strength reaching three or four tons, this wasn’t severe damage. It had already withdrawn its two ferocious claws, preparing to embrace the Demon Hunter crashing into its side waist.

But Lann kept moving, Mentos had roughly analyzed this type of monster’s action patterns, combined with Lann’s own ’listening strength’ on the blade.

The mindless monster’s next move was predictable to him.

After the shoulder slam, the Demon Hunter immediately crouched to dodge, aligning the Lake Lady’s Sword with his evasion, continually dragging through the monster’s thigh.

Having dodged the embrace, Lann’s blade not only sliced through the beast’s tough fur and skin, tendons, even carved out a large gap in the beast patient’s thigh bone!

Regardless of madness or sanity, such a leg bone couldn’t provide support.

Instantly, the beast patient’s entire leg collapsed down.

And its previous embrace missed, leaving its upper body without any limbs to defend.

”Squelch!”

Post-evasion, Lann spun his waist and thrust! Aron Dite’s blade stabbed sideways into the fur-covered thick neck.

Still not enough, tugging the blade downward. With a slashing sound, the beast patient’s neck opened up a large gap where an entire hand could fit.

The foul, unhealthy blood poured from the throat, spreading like tar and grease into a puddle on the ground.

Accompanied by a beastly whimper nearby, Gascogne had also defeated his opponent and rushed to Henrik’s side.

Lann felt the Old Hunter was beyond saving.

That claw had dug from the collarbone directly to his main artery; the amount of blood he’d lost could fill a basin.

As Lann prepared to close Henrik’s eyes and express condolences to Gascogne, the Priest who had just reached Henrik’s side suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

”Phew~ Luckily... the wound is not deep!”

Lann: ”Hm... Hm?!!!”