Bear School Astartes

Chapter 376: 376. Distant Call

”Ah!!!”

The pain of her fingers being snapped off made the ’doctor’ scream involuntarily.

But soon, she even lost the ability to scream.

Henrik put away the Hunter’s Firearm, walked up to her unhurriedly, and then kicked her square in the chest.

With the ’crack’ of ribs breaking, Yusefka’s twin sister’s mouth gaped open, trying but failing to catch her breath.

Henrik accurately found two slug-like creatures on her body, both about the size of a hand.

One was covered in murky mucus, while the other’s head had several faintly glowing tentacles.

Henrik placed them into his coat pocket.

”Little girl, little girl...”

The Old Hunter sighed as he shook his head.

”When I was in contact with those who use the Secret Technique, you were nowhere to be found. Using weapons to perform feints, thereby completing the ritual action... you couldn’t have thought this was innovative, right?”

Experience is combat power.

For a Hunter, this description is quite accurate.

Gascogne had never seen the so-called ’Secret Technique’, so his first reaction was to dodge.

But merely dodging would only invite disaster.

Henrik recognized the slug-like creatures in his hand, the one with glowing tentacles was named ”Distant Call.”

If this Secret Technique were fully executed, it might collapse the entire area down to one level!

Those dim lights would transform into meteors in their peak state, then land and explode...quite a formidable power.

But in the face of an experienced Hunter, such a powerful Secret Technique could be disrupted with a single well-placed bullet.

The serrated blade rested nonchalantly against the ’doctor’s neck.

Just a gentle pull, and the sawteeth, which could easily tear off the hide of beastly patients, could sever a human neck.

”Why is someone from the Choir here? What did you come down from the top of Church Town for?”

Yusefka’s twin sister glared at Henrik with clenched teeth, yet she seemed unwilling to speak.

The Old Hunter had seen this expression many times, and it never made him angry.

The handle of the Hunter’s Pistol knocked sharply against the opponent’s temple, and the ’doctor’ from the Choir dropped her head to one side, losing consciousness.

Questions could wait. The most important thing now was that their most valued possessions were unharmed.

Gascogne first helped Yusefka sit up; she was the only doctor present.

Yusefka, though still glancing over occasionally, troubled by her sister’s actions and cruelty,

quickly understood what had been drugging them, and began undoing its effects one by one.

Viola and the two children embraced Gascogne.

Before coming, the Priest had stopped by his home for a backup blood vial, injected himself, and changed into clean clothes.

Lann’s combat prowess provided the protection people close to him needed, but Gascogne was the husband and father in this family.

Even if Lann could defeat him, the sense of security he brought to his family couldn’t be matched by an outsider friend.

Only now could Viola and the two little girls finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Henrik dragged the unconscious fake doctor onto the hospital bed, letting her lie like her surgical subjects.

After Gascogne’s emotional reunion with his family, he stepped forward.

”This place isn’t safe anymore, let’s prepare to move.”

The Gascogne family’s trust in Henrik was extraordinary, the two little girls even called him ’grandpa.’

With his professional and steady judgment, the Gascogne family had no objections.

”Shall we go to Oton Chapel? Lann mentioned he’d stop by now and then.”

Father Gascogne added to the plan, to which Henrik agreed.

During this long and grueling night of the hunt, having a reliable ally was a welcome blessing.

Viola then rushed to Yusefka’s side.

”Doctor.”

At this moment, Yusefka, looking at the few normal humans left in the clinic, bore a gentle face filled with guilt and pain.

After all, her sister had done these things... if it were someone else, she could easily distance herself from the mental burden.

But Yusefka’s gentleness wouldn’t allow her. She considered herself partially responsible.

”Come with us, Yusefka.”

Viola urged her.

”Your sister will surely be questioned, shouldn’t you at least accompany her? There’s nothing worth staying for here. Take the incense, and let’s leave together.”

”I’m sorry, I’m sorry...”

What else could Yusefka say?

All she could do was apologize, as she trudged off, dazed and disheartened.

----------

The road from the clinic to the small chapel had been cleared multiple times, so even if beastly patients from elsewhere wandered over, they couldn’t form a significant threat.

Gascogne led the way, with the experienced Old Hunter as backup, the group moved without tension.

However, on the other side, Lann’s journey was far more intense.

”Boom!!!”

A massive ax blade, the height of a person, smashed into the stone pavement.

Dust exploded, stones shattered and flew!

Lann, carrying the Turbulent Flow Greatsword, came to an instantaneous stop, allowing the ax blade to pass by him.

A gigantic sword blade, as wide as a palm and as thick as a knuckle, thrust upward. With a ’thud’ of entering flesh, a massive wound appeared at the enemy’s heart.

The thick blood initially flowed gently down the blade, then later gushed forth.

It was a towering humanoid creature, five to six meters tall, presumably a type of Thumeru.

Their ashen skin color, resembling dust, was a racial trait.

They wielded immense weapons forged specifically by the Church, draped in white cloth, and wore broad-brimmed hats of enormous size.

After confirming with Alfred the awareness and stance of these guards, Lann felt no hesitation in dealing with them.

They had reached a point of kill-on-sight for anyone entering from outside Church Town.

Even returning after stepping out of Church Town was unacceptable.

Until the Church’s upper echelons gave a ceasefire order, these Thumeru would continue their actions.

And the Church’s upper echelons?

Since the onset of this night of the hunt, no word had come from them.

Lann’s objective was clear: the Healing Church was the most powerful faction in Yan’an, the one most in contact with the Ancient God.

If he wanted a way to end this night, he had to visit the core of the Church.

Which meant the grand cathedral.