Bear School Astartes

”In my opinion, let’s be practical. Don’t count on stopping it.”

The group maneuvered the flying dragons around the slowly moving Molten Mountain Dragon, which, unimaginably colossal, seemed not to notice them at all, continuing on its way.

Even some lava jets erupted not far from beneath Lann’s feet.

To the Molten Mountain Dragon, they were no different from flies.

In fact, a swarm of scavenging Acid Wing Dragons was already circling on the back of the Molten Mountain Dragon, eagerly waiting for some unfortunate soul to be killed by the spewing lava, ready for a hot meal.

Lann calmly expressed his viewpoint.

”A wall won’t change anything. Instead of investing resources and effort into a wall that’s destined to fall, we might as well fully set up attack points along its path.”

”Aim for relentless attacks to maximize its stamina reduction and crack its outer shell. Since we know we can’t stop it, we might as well use the battle to gain more ecological knowledge about it.”

”After all, our ultimate goal is to investigate the ecology, isn’t it?”

After Lann finished speaking, he tilted his head, waiting for the opinions of these professionals.

Aiden stroked his short Mohican haircut, ”Sounds reasonable, Commander-in-Chief. Ancient Dragon Crossing is an ecological phenomenon; we don’t necessarily have to stop it.”

Little Jack nodded in agreement.

The Commander-in-Chief, in response, wore an expression of weighing and pondering.

After all, they initially wanted to stop the Molten Mountain Dragon mainly to gain more valuable ecological knowledge.

Now, knowing the original plan’s feasibility is low, there’s no need to stubbornly confront it on its path.

Harassing it along the way for delays and research seems like a good alternative.

”Then we...”

The second half of the Commander-in-Chief’s sentence, ”go back and study further,” hadn’t yet been said.

Suddenly, a strange yet intense feeling poured down from above the crowd like a bucket of cold water.

Savage, ferocious... an intent and ferocity to annihilate everything!

This presence, even from afar, surpassed the fierce aura of Fierce Claw that Lann had previously encountered, leaving everyone instantly silent.

Lann, in prior conversations with the leader of the second team, had heard of high-level equipment crafted from the precious materials of powerful monsters.

Those pieces of equipment, according to the leader’s words, were said to ”seal the essence and nature of those monsters.”

Rumor had it that if an unqualified Hunter forcibly donned such high-level equipment, such a reckless act could be deadly.

Or the human nature could be suppressed and distorted by the monster’s nature inherent in the equipment.

Lann initially took this as an urban legend-like tale.

After all, though nature in this world was magical and powerful, Lann, up to now, hadn’t discovered anything ’supernatural.’

If Margaret told him she’d used magic to seal a monster’s soul into equipment, he might believe it.

But here...

The Hunters here, though good-natured, tended to be somewhat boastful in their conversations, a habit Lann had gradually gotten used to.

So when facing the second team leader’s meaningful smile, Lann just laughed it off.

However, later, when he encountered the second Barbaric Jaws Dragon ’Fierce Claw,’ he genuinely felt the savagery and intense vengeance of that monster.

If equipment were made from this monster’s materials – those biological tissues closely linked to its vigorous life – perhaps these intense traits could indeed linger on the equipment.

But that’s about it. He still didn’t believe high-level equipment from the rumors could distort the nature and life of a resolute Hunter.

But now...

This nearly tangible, crushing vigor suddenly made Lann realize what kind of might these so-called ’high-level monsters’ could possess!

The rumors might be true.

That was Lann’s first thought.

And the immediate second thought was...

”Dodge!”

”Scatter!”

Wende’s shout was only a split second behind Lann’s.

Before the others could regain their senses from the shock of the aura, the two of them immediately took action.

The monster’s might descended from above, the first action was to disperse.

Wende and Lann exchanged a glance, and the two top-level Warriors at the scene instinctively understood the strategy and cooperation needed now.

Lann’s arm, held by Aibo, was suddenly pulled forcefully.

The sudden and immense force even made the leather buckles on his armguard strain against the bulging muscles, emitting creaking sounds.

”Whoa?”

Aibo, half a scholar, didn’t have time to react and was yanked sideways by the force in her hand.

The flying dragon she was controlling was also pulled off course under Lann’s arm strength, involuntarily screeching and flying to the other side.

Wende, responsible for holding Lann’s other hand, was well-prepared, maneuvering his flying dragon to veer alongside Aibo’s pulled-off dragon.

Then Wende’s left hand seized the opportunity to raise his armguard equipped with a projector.

From there, a blast nut, loaded before he took flight, was ready.

The blast nut, when hit, would shatter into a bunch of fragments.

Not highly lethal, but the impact and the noise created significant deterrence.

Wende launched the blast nut with precision, hitting the side of the Commander-in-Chief’s piloted flying dragon.

The explosion startled it, instinctively stumbling and flying to one side to escape the threat.

This disrupted their original formation; Aiden’s and Little Jack’s flying dragons were also pushed off their original spots.

It all happened very suddenly and quickly. Even the Commander-in-Chief, who’s been away from the frontline for many years, along with Aiden and Little Jack, hadn’t reacted.

But before they could express their surprise...

”Whoosh!!!”

A whistling wind surged down from high above, crashing through their original positions!

The pressure of the violent wind made the unstable flying dragons sway even more, but thankfully, they had shifted earlier.

This prevented them from being directly shattered in the first wave of impact.

The flying dragons screeched in surprise.

And the savage monster descending from the sky, bringing with it the pressurized airflow, hovered not far below, flapping its wings.