Bear School Astartes

The process of hunting large monsters is very lengthy, especially within the framework of the Hunter’s Guild.

Even this time, the Fierce Jackal Dragon, chosen for the ’recommended group and recruited hunters’ to practice with, was designated only after the Expedition Team’s internal ecologists assessed its recent voracious appetite as slightly impacting the ecosystem of the area.

Hunting is not senseless killing but rather a struggle for natural balance and survival.

This is one of the principles of the Hunter’s Guild.

In other words, Lann and Wende have to hunt a specific Fierce Jackal Dragon this time, and cannot just randomly kill any one they encounter.

According to Wende, the hunting procedure in this world for hunters is similar to what Lann remembered from hunters, just on a much intense scale.

They often spend days or even weeks tracking the prey in the hunting grounds, familiarizing themselves with its movement patterns, stabilizing their combat status, while the final battle stage actually doesn’t consume much time.

”But with guiding insects now, I think we can complete the task within one day!”

Wende patted the small cage at his waist, and the flying insects inside, like fireflies, seemed to sense the impact, dimming their light slightly before resuming normal brightness.

These insect-like fireflies are a major discovery of the New Continent Expedition Team, and even caused a sensation back on the Old Continent.

Their ability to collect and memorize pheromones is very strong.

Just put the target monster’s scales, fur, body fluids, or even soil it’s stepped on into the small cage, and these flying insects would emit light and track the target.

”Ah, it feels so convenient.”

Lann looked at the small cage and made a calm remark.

The sensory sensitivity of this thing seems stronger than a Demon Hunter’s; could it be said that it’s indeed the magic of nature?

Moreover, Demon Hunters feel a bit dizzy when their senses are heightened, so letting guiding insects handle it is wonderful.

Unfortunately, Lann can’t use them.

”To prevent biological invasion from another world, the Commander-in-Chief has advised.”

Aibo spread her hands to Lann: ”Large monsters are fine, since they’re easy to spot. But mini creatures like guiding insects are quite tricky, it’d be best for you not even to touch them.”

What can Lann say? She’s concerned, after all.

Even though he knows on the other side of the celestial junction rift, a Goddess purifies the impure, the Expedition Team’s rigorous standards mean they won’t relent unless they confirm in person an event that might cause biological invasion.

After the chatter, Wende and Aibo placed the outdoor survival items they brought into the camp tents, and Gaffi also put a small bundle inside.

Just then, a winged dragon carrying Wende’s gear flew over.

After strapping the Shield Axe back on, Wende nodded at Lann in acknowledgment, placing a yellow scale fragment into the guiding insect cage at his waist.

This was the mission clue provided by the Expedition Team when the task was accepted.

A scale fragment from the target.

The light of the guiding insects inside the cage slightly brightened, then, like a glowing fog cloud, drifted off in one direction.

The three people and one cat sorted their gear and followed along.

The green glow of the guiding insects was very conspicuous even in broad daylight.

Upon exiting the camp, the thriving vitality of the ancient tree forest again unfolded before everyone’s eyes.

Even having overlooked it once and traversed a section, Lann was still awestruck by its overwhelming, flourishing vitality.

As the trio and their feline companion hurried along following the guiding insects, Aibo’s excitement was particularly evident.

The personnel distribution for the Fifth Period Team involved two-person groups: one Hunter responsible for combat and one investigator dedicated to recording and analyzing ecosystems.

According to Aibo, this wasn’t the case in the Old Continent, as development was high in that region.

Hunters could act alone and complete tasks, with the Hunter’s Guild relying on its grassroots network to manage the rest.

But in the New Continent, every fact must account for unforeseen events.

What if stronger monsters smell the hunters’ work and come seeking them? What if they destroy clues and traces?

What if hunters of low knowledge levels encounter unprecedented situations and don’t know how to handle them, losing once-in-a-lifetime discovery opportunities?

Thus, having an investigator to record things live while alongside the Hunter becomes necessary.

Beyond her professional level, Aibo is grouped with Wende due to her survival skills, which far outstripped other scholars.

”Look!”

Aibo exclaimed excitedly, motioning for Lann and Wende to tread quietly.

Their tone kept them relaxed and calm.

They gathered around Aibo.

Ahead was an insect almost the size of two palms, resembling an enlarged bee.

Now it was stretching its six slender legs into a flower’s bud.

”It’s a Healing Honey Insect gathering nectar from Healing Dew Grass’ flower! Do you see? The insect’s six thin and long legs seem tailored for the flower’s shape!”

”Once the nectar is collected by the insect, the fuzz on its legs alters the liquid’s surface tension, making the nectar hang like a giant green droplet. Upon impact, it bursts into mist like healing medicine, treating surrounding life forms.”

The ability of Healing Honey Insects to fly around with nectar binds them to ’healing powers,’ so even the fiercest monsters in the forest usually show no hostility toward them.

Healing Honey Insects have thus secured a relatively peaceful survival in the forest, providing a treatment way to the forest’s creatures, even offering Healing Dew Grass the chance to spread pollen to ordinarily unreachable places.

This is a win-win biological chain affecting all involved.

The profound flower cavity of Healing Dew Grass and the slender legs of Healing Honey Insects may have resulted from mutual selection and evolution.

In the colossal, thriving biological chain of the New Continent, a flower and an insect unveil a glimpse to human observers.

”Yoo-hoo!”

But Wende wasn’t as sentimental as Aibo and Lann; he yelled exuberantly in a high-pitched voice and dashed to Healing Dew Grass.

With wild gestures, he shooed away the Healing Honey Insect, squatted down, and shook the Healing Dew Grass downwards.

Two mouthfuls of Healing Dew Grass’s nectar went straight down his throat.

”Resources were tight at first, so I dared not drink healing medicine; now there’s natural stuff! I couldn’t hold my throat for a minute longer!”

His voice was at first very high-pitched, but with the nectar’s healing effect manifesting, Wende’s voice was regaining normalcy.

At last, it was a quintessential male’s voice.

Yet the expression of ’finally relieved’ on his face didn’t last for long.

Because he saw that Aibo and Lann’s focus wasn’t on him.

The guiding insects circling him abruptly changed their green glow to red amid wing flutters!

Without much thought, Wende reached out to grasp the sword hilt protruding from the Shield Axe.

”Clang!”

The Shield Axe emitted a very recognizable sound.

Simultaneously, the immense yellow-green, four-limbed figure’s claw swipe didn’t kill the ’small thing’ in front. On the contrary...

A ring of differing refractive gas waves erupted from the Shield Axe, directly repelling the claw swipe of the yellow-green figure!