Bear School Astartes

”Your agility is incredible, Lann!”

While running on the danger-filled back of the Molten Mountain Dragon, Aibo couldn’t help but praise Lann’s recent performance with a cheerful smile.

It seemed like Aibo was already accustomed to the dangers, even enjoying them.

”Wende and I thought it would take you at least ten seconds to climb up that rock wall! But you just zipped up there! Are you a One-Handed Sword User? I didn’t see you on the ship before.”

Aibo seemed like someone who would start chattering away the moment she got excited.

Lann didn’t mind this kind of personality, as it’s much better than those who fail to act due to panic and fear in critical moments.

...But the amount of information in this sentence was overwhelming!

Lann discreetly swallowed and chuckled awkwardly.

A seven-meter high vertical rock wall, climbing in full armor, was considered a ten-second task in their eyes?

Are everyone here monkeys?!

Also, ”One-Handed Sword User”?

This sentence structure feels a bit like Japanese to Lann. In this context, ”User” refers not to a ”messenger” of someone or something, but as a ”user” of something.

Are warriors distinguished by weapon types here?

Are people’s basic qualities and combat styles determined by the weapon they use? I can’t quite figure it out...

Moreover, when Aibo said ’haven’t seen on the ship,’ it indicates that they were caught up in the Molten Mountain Dragon’s movement while on a voyaging ship, ending up on its back.

In the span of a sentence, Lann and Mentos had already combined efforts to analyze a lot of information as an initial understanding of this world.

”It’s complicated; we’d better find a way out of the Molten Mountain Dragon’s attack range first!”

Lann seamlessly changed the subject, and both Aibo and Wende easily agreed.

This even made Lann swallow back the follow-up words still left unsaid.

”By the way.”

Lann licked his lips, trying to ease the frustration of having the energy without a place to use.

”Aibo, you mentioned earlier... Are these lava the secretion of the Molten Mountain Dragon?”

Even while retreating towards them, Lann’s keen hearing had caught this bit.

Wende’s reaction was strange, as this short-haired, well-built young man appeared horrified as Lann began to speak.

It felt like what would happen next was even more frightening than the Molten Mountain Dragon’s lava.

He opened his mouth in anxiety but failed to make a sound, only able to frantically try to stop Lann from finishing the sentence while running.

But unfortunately, even though he wasn’t short, he was still a little shy of 1.9 meters tall, unable to completely cover Lann’s 2.5-meter tall mouth.

In the end, he could only cover his head in despair.

Seeing this, Lann felt confused and silently increased his alertness in case something more frightening than the dragon’s secretion appeared.

But soon after, he roughly understood what Wende was ’afraid’ of.

Aibo’s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement when Lann asked this question!

”That’s right! The Molten Mountain Dragon, formally known as Sol Magdolos, is a super-large ancient dragon-type monster! The magma we see, the basalt formed after the magma cools, and obsidian, are all merely its secretion!”

”In terms of temperature, the Molten Mountain Dragon’s secretion is no different from magma. But it’s undoubtedly biomass, not inorganic matter!”

While speaking, Aibo excitedly raised the large hardcover book slung across her shoulder.

Frankly, once this book was fitted with metal corners, it would qualify as a heavy mace.

Judging by her tone, if Lann weren’t currently with her on the Molten Mountain Dragon’s back, he might have believed they were in some harmless biological exhibition hall.

Miss Aibo, who harbors great interest in biology, would be enthusiastically pressing against the glass, observing the biological samples inside.

But the point is...

With a ”bang,” a massive chunk of lava, or the dragon’s secretion, splattered out from its rocky skin.

Wende adeptly pulled Aibo away from the danger zone.

Aibo earnestly thanked Wende afterward, but given her still excited demeanor, she’d likely get worked up again in another incident.

Lann looked at Wende with slight sympathy, while Wende waved his hand with an expression of ”let’s just leave it at that.”

Sometimes it’s really not easy to deal with a companion’s overly passionate research zeal.

”Sorry, sorry.”

Aibo awkwardly scratched her head.

”Actually, our situation earlier is rare, given that I’m an investigator and Wende is a hunter. Normally, I’d only enter the hunting ground to record and collect data after he’s completed the hunt.”

”Ah! We’ve arrived!”

The end of the journey rescued Aibo from her awkwardness.

The trio reached the relatively highest point on the dragon’s back.

This unimaginably colossal creature had survived for countless years.

A stair-like mound had amassed on its back.

If Aibo’s statement ”these are solidified secretions of the Molten Mountain Dragon” is true, then this dragon is truly...

Lann gently stomped and tapped the dragon’s back, feeling momentarily unable to describe his sensations.

Nonetheless, he somewhat understood Aibo’s excitement.

What kind of nature enables such a creature to emerge!

”Get ready! We need to jump!”

Before Lann could fully absorb his feelings, Aibo suddenly reminded them.

”What?”

Lann was stunned amid the earthquake-like vibrations.

With the dragon’s movements, the current location couldn’t support any standing living beings.

After all, this ”volcano” is alive. It can not only walk but also switch between standing and lying.

It’s really time to leave, but how exactly?

This lying dragon probably stretches hundreds of meters in length, standing at about eighty meters tall?

...Just jump, huh?!

Are people in this world all this intense? I’ve trained in martial arts but wouldn’t dare try this!

Lann looked at the dragon’s external body, easily sixty meters in height, and swallowed hard.

Luckily, Aibo and Wende weren’t some sort of monsters capable of ”landing naked from a hundred-meter height without a scratch.”

Aibo pulled a whistle necklace from around her neck and blew hard.

An odd sound, outside normal human auditory frequency but causing Lann to slightly furrow his brow, was emitted.

Soon, a piercing call reverberated from the sky.

It was a creature like a pterosaur among dinosaurs, though it seemed equipped with human-made saddles on its back.

”Hold tight!”

The vibrations increased in intensity; the Molten Mountain Dragon seemed eager to change its posture.

But its every action posed an extinction-level event for the tiny creatures on its back.

It was impossible to stand here anymore.

Right before the trio was flung off, Wende resolutely jumped straight off the dragon’s back!

In his left hand was a device resembling a crossbow, shooting out an arrow with a rope attaching to the saddle on the pterosaur.

This seemingly not-so-strong pterosaur had no trouble carrying him aloft as he urgently reached out to signal the other two mid-air.

Then Lann, too, stopped hesitating, securing the unsteady Aibo and leapt out!

His burst of jumping power was notably impressive, directly grasping Wende’s extended hand.

It wasn’t until airborne, steadily distancing from that living volcano.

For the first time, Lann saw the Molten Mountain Dragon’s full appearance.