Bear School Astartes

Chapter 381: 381. Academic Route

There aren’t many survivors from the Yusefka Clinic, but under the protection of two Hunters, a path that has been cleared several times was traversed without incident.

When Lann returned from the Cathedral to rest at Oton Chapel, he noticed the place had become slightly crowded.

Yusefka was sitting with a patient who looked quite like her, but the patient remained in a coma, while Gascogne sat not far away, holding his Hunter’s axe.

Viola seemed somewhat frightened, but her complexion was much better than before her reunion with Gascogne. The two little girls were the same.

Henrik sat on the edge of the circular preaching platform in the chapel’s center, vigilantly watching the outside.

As Lann walked in with the Turbulent Flow Greatsword on his back, Henrik was the first to notice, and the first to relax.

With three professional Hunters now present in the chapel, it finally felt safe to him.

Henrik even relaxed enough to take off his triangular hat, revealing his M-shaped hairline.

Surrounded by incense aroma, Lann nodded to greet Gascogne’s family and then sat beside Henrik.

He had many questions he wanted answers to from this Old Hunter.

”Did you kill Amelia?”

Henrik was first surprised, then quickly returned to the Hunters’ characteristic cold calmness.

”It doesn’t matter, on this night, it’s not unusual for Church agents to turn into beasts. You say she transformed into a beast in front of you voluntarily...”

After pondering for a moment, the Old Hunter turned to face Lann.

His left eye suddenly rolled upward, while his right eye remained fixedly staring at Lann.

This physiologically impossible sight almost induced a psychological discomfort.

But Lann simply watched silently, noting a cross-shaped sigil formed by two interlocking arcs beneath Henrik’s left pupil.

”[Clockwise Metamorphosis], Byron Vis’s scholar, Compiler Carlisle, listened to inhuman voices, transforming them into sigils visible to humans using his own thoughts.”

Henrik pointed to his left eye, ensuring Lann had seen the sigil, then rolled his eye back, causing the sigil to disappear under his eyelid.

”This sigil can be engraved in a person’s brain using the sigil tool he developed, its external manifestation being under the eyeball. When Amelia beastified, you saw claw-like marks on her eyeball, indicating the Healing Church did research dangerous things from the patients.”

”Engraving in the brain means remembering?”

If Lann were in the outside world, he would probably naturally think so, but in Yan’an... he dared not rely too much on common knowledge from the outside.

Indeed, Henrik glanced at the young man with a surprised gaze.

Seemingly astonished at how he could ask such a naive question.

”The pattern is not complicated, the function of [Clockwise Metamorphosis] is to enhance physical functions. Do you feel stronger now? Byron Vis is a great academy; do you think the researchers worked hard to create a memory aid tool?”

Lann remained silent.

It seems that the so-called ’engraving in the brain’ process must be anything but gentle.

”Let’s talk about ’Inner Sight’, then.”

Henrik’s look at Lann as if he were stupid made him uncomfortable, so he immediately changed the subject.

The Old Hunter merely chuckled under the mask, showing no objections.

”The earliest Hunters began as hires for Byron Vis. They ventured to collect research materials for scholars. In the dungeon labyrinth, we first encountered the Ancient God. Of course, these are legends from older generations of Hunters than me. I have never seen a true Ancient God myself.”

”It should have started as a groundbreaking research project, but the discovery of the Ancient God sparked internal conflict at Byron Vis.”

”The potency and effects of the Ancient God’s Blood are too strong, and... too convenient.”

At this point, Henrik paused.

Lann can understand this hesitation, as simply by infusing the blood, one gains so many effects, it’s completely beyond imagination.

With Ancient God’s Blood, curing all ailments and strengthening the body with butchery skills is almost achievable.

Not to mention, the blood can inspire countless research directions.

If placed in the academic world of the homeland, it would indeed start a major research field from scratch, with no researcher able to resist this temptation.

”However...”

Henrik’s hesitation finally ended as he uttered the crucial word—’however’.

In many cases, ’however’ means everything said before is irrelevant.

”Master William thought Ancient God’s Blood couldn’t make humans closer to the Ancient Gods themselves; it’s merely self-deception masquerading as progress. The difference between humans and gods lies in the depth of Vision, not the quality of Blood.”

”If only pursuing god-like blood believing it would make someone divine... ’ruthless evolution is humanity’s downfall’. That’s what the Master said.”

Lann pondered his novel sensations, muttering to himself.

”Vision? That is... Inner Sight?”

”Indeed.” Henrik affirmed Lann’s reaction. ”In the early stages of this theory, it was also called ’Inner Eye’. It’s said that to verify this theory, Hunters hired by Byron Vis did really bad things. Again, these are just rumors I’ve heard.”

Inner Sight was the fundamental concept of Master William’s theory.

Upon witnessing the existence of the Ancient God, naturally, humans wanted their own life to reach such levels.

Enhancing Inner Sight so that the innate, shallow, limited Vision would see the same scenery as the Ancient God, was Master William’s chosen path.

This academic path did not rely on blood; physical evolution wasn’t the essence of divinity.

Like the Oton Chapel where they were now. In the church’s description, an Ancient God named Oton didn’t even possess a form.

”Then I’ll assume such a capability is a good thing for now.”

Lann said helplessly.

Without begging other life forms for the blessing of blood, but focusing on enhancing one’s Vision; this personal enhancement, at least, felt less constraining to Lann.

”It certainly is a good thing,” Henrik remarked indifferently.

”Those Byron Vis students who desired your ability often resorted to self-abuse, fasting, and dehydration as adults, all to suspend themselves between life and death. Some even underwent unspeakable modifications on themselves, yet even now, very few possess this ability.”

”Thus, I say your talent is quite impressive.”