Bear School Astartes

”Marla! Stand aside!”

A savage roar suddenly broke through from the back of the crowd.

The one-eyed man wielded a crescent axe, a massive axe head as large as a human face, which whipped through the air with a menacing ’whoosh’.

The heavy mass, a huge iron chunk, exuded immense intimidation.

Without much effort, the one-eyed man cleared a path for Lann through the bandits blocking him. Normally, this was a laborious ordeal.

Because usually, they would band together to loot treasures, abduct women, or simply for the thrill of chopping down some live bodies.

It’s not easy to drive them away when they’re at an advantage.

But now?

The bandits who originally surrounded Lann found it hard to even stand before him.

They hadn’t encountered an enemy like this before.

No matter how desperately they resisted, the person clutched in his grip found themselves unable to budge his arm; that strength felt anything but human! More like that of a Titan!

The strength of bones is the limiter of muscular power, and with the current strength of Lann’s bones, he could easily pierce through a normal person’s hard skull in a direct collision!

Simultaneously, Lann’s grip was enough to make anyone caught in it feel as though they were being squeezed by iron pliers.

And his air blade technique, honed to instinct through innate ability, caused blood to gush out beyond reason every time he tore through human tissue.

Like a downpour.

This bloody imagery even made the Ancient Greeks more terrified and horrified than Cassandra’s instantaneous movement!

Blood is seen as flowing life, a common understanding early on in many civilizations.

And Lann seemed capable of extracting this ’life’ directly from their bodies, casually discarding it.

”Hades... Lord of the Underworld...”

Amid the bandits, faint tremors and murmurs emanated.

This was also why the one-eyed man had to act.

Had he delayed any further, his men’s morale might have crumbled.

”I’m going to tear your face apart!”

The one-eyed man loudly approached Lann, breathing increasingly heavily as he walked. Unlike the heavy breathing of a novice before combat, such breathing in a battlefield veteran invigorates the heart and muscles.

In short – adrenaline surge, fury soaring.

This fearful one-eyed man had once been a nightmare on Kefalonia Island. People feared his rage and violence, keeping silent, as still as a cold exchange.

Just like the monsters feared in Tartarus.

Yet today, his men only showed terror upon hearing him say ’tear your face apart’.

That fear wasn’t directed at him.

The one-eyed man silently mused.

The fear was aimed at this pretty-faced man! Marla! Just because I cursed him, my men began to fear!

Do they truly think he’s a Demigod?!

His men’s fear of Lann only fueled the one-eyed man’s anger more fiercely.

But Lann, the direct focus of this fury, showed a playful expression as the one-eyed man angrily approached.

That beautifully shaped eyebrow arched slightly, the Demon Hunter tilted his head and chuckled.

Then, he smoothly sheathed the Lady of the Lake’s Sword.

Spreading out both hands toward the one-eyed man, he provoked with a teasing gesture.

The intention to taunt was crystal clear.

”You look down on me... You dare to look down on me?!”

Facing an opponent after sheathing one’s weapon was the ultimate insult to a warrior.

The one-eyed man’s rage reached a point where his forehead veins looked fit to burst.

”Look down on you? That’s right, I do look down on you.”

Lann laughed easily, twisting his wrist and shoulder joints.

”Do you think your cruelty and rage earn my respect? It baffles me when ’quick-tempered’ and ’neurotic’ became boast-worthy traits. Just because others fear you for that?”

”After all, I’m not afraid of you, and I’ve seen creatures and humans far stronger than the power you pride yourself in. So honestly... why would you think you’re special to me, pal?”

No need for further words, the one-eyed man, veins popping, swung his axe and charged forward!

He was about the same height as Lann, roughly two meters and twenty centimeters.

The crescent axe in his hand was at least one and a half meters long, considered a long-handled axe, normally requiring both hands.

But in the one-eyed man’s grip, it was akin to a one-handed sword.

He spun the crescent axe on his side several times in anger.

Centrifugal force amplified the destructive power.

Lann leapt back quickly. On his retina, Mentos predicted the trajectory and attack range of his foe, calculations spiking to junior high school levels.

Thus, the Demon Hunter calmly tilted his head, watching the gleaming axe blade shave past less than two centimeters from his nose tip.

The gust swept through his silver hair.

On the ground lay a bandit’s corpse, dead from a torn subclavian artery, bleeding profusely due to Lann’s cut.

The one-eyed man’s axe merely grazed the corpse, a grown man in linen armor clutching a large round shield, like a ragdoll.

The axe blade hooked it, flinging it five meters away!

Observing this, Lann faintly curled his lips.

In terms of sheer strength, the one-eyed man possessed roughly eighty percent of Lann’s current level.

Far exceeding Lann’s perception of normal human capability.

Such figures had lingered unknown in Kefalonia, in the Greek world’s rural backwaters, for at least thirty years... Now it seemed distinguished warriors of the Greek world must possess levels beyond ordinary people.

—Indeed, this world is not simple.

”Laugh?! Smile to Hades instead!”

Lann’s evasiveness was mistaken by the one-eyed man as fear, boosting his confidence immensely.

Following the axe’s spinning circle move came a relentless downward chop!

With weapons sheathed in battle, even the Netherworld’s three judges would deem him a fool!

If he died, it would be his own fault!

The one-eyed man’s giant, cumbersome form raised the crescent axe high, like a fully drawn bow.

Then, gripping the axe tightly, he slammed it down!

No matter if the axe edge’s muscle stem is aligned, I could smash a skull flat even with the axe blade edge!

The one-eyed man thought confidently.

But simultaneously, Lann marveled at this opponent’s stupidity.

”Does he see me as a rival who can’t threaten his physique?”

”Sir, please understand. He’s been confined to Kefalonia, likely never faced an opponent of equal stature.”

”Makes sense.”

The mental exchange concluded in an instant.

In the real world, Lann’s boot with attached plate armor sidestepped just as the one-eyed man’s axe descended.

As the axe made a dull thud on contact with the ground, the boot seemed to have anticipated, stepping on the rising axe.

The one-eyed man, surprised, looked up to see Lann standing on the axe blade, leg slightly lifted.