Bear School Astartes

”Hey! Over here!”

When Wende and Aiden flew close to the Molten Mountain Dragon, carrying Gaffi and Lann, a loud female voice called out from the rock wall on one side of the valley.

The two ’drivers’ controlling the flying wyverns naturally steered their mounts and landed at the source of the voice.

As they landed, Gaffi moved from Lann’s shoulder to Wende’s.

The owner of the voice was a short-haired investigator wearing the green uniform of the Investigation Corps, who seemed to have a touch of aristocratic charm.

During the ensuing conversation, Lann learned that she was paired with Aiden.

However, the Fifth Period Team, originally meant to explore the New World in pairs, had to be split apart due to the crisis caused by the super-large ancient dragon and integrated into the overall plan of the Investigation Corps.

”How many teams are on the Molten Mountain Dragon’s back now?”

Aiden skillfully communicated with his investigator partner.

”Including you guys, it’s five teams. Here’s the distribution of investigation areas, don’t overlap them, our energy is precious.”

The investigator in green handed the task distribution map to Aiden and then turned to continue her work.

”She seems very headstrong, doesn’t she?”

Lann whispered beside them, while Gaffi nodded in agreement.

”Isn’t being headstrong a good thing?” Aiden turned around with the map in hand and smiled. ”If people weren’t headstrong, everyone would just be holed up in the New World base, right?”

”Oh.” Lann commented with a deadpan expression, ”Even though that sounds cool, it seems like you just managed to subtly insult at least two period teams just now.”

Aiden waved his hand: ”I didn’t do that, don’t say things randomly. Everyone just has different ways of being strong. The technical personnel and logistics staff have made great progress too.”

At this moment, Mentos stamped Aiden’s head on Lann’s retina, expressing his opinion—’Aiden of Absolute Defense’.

After obtaining the on-site information, they blew a whistle from the trees where the flying wyverns were perched.

Two flying wyverns swept overhead, hooked by the launchers of the two, pulling them into the rolling black smoke in the mountain valley ahead.

Within the smoke that covered the sky, they distinctly felt the temperature rising, nearly reaching the Molten Mountain Dragon.

”This is... Right, here!”

Aiden, consulting the task distribution map, selected an area on the Molten Mountain Dragon’s back and landed.

It was a familiar scene: the ground of basalt and obsidian, dark red lava flowing through the cracks, and the scenery constantly retreating around them.

As soon as Wende dismounted from the flying wyvern, he drew the [Pulse Scimitar] from his back and fiercely hacked at the basalt wall nearby.

Finally, with a ’zing’, the [Air Blade Grand Spin] activated in white blade mode.

Lann looked on, puzzled.

”This is what we’re supposed to do.” Wende sheathed the bone saber back into its scabbard.

”Slash away on the Molten Mountain Dragon’s back and see where it feels most pain... To be honest, it feels a bit bleak.”

Wende kicked the spot he had been hacking with his armored foot, from which dark red lava seeped, soon cooled by the air and solidified into wave-like hanging black rock.

”We can’t even leave a mark on it as evidence. Searching for weaknesses on the Molten Mountain Dragon feels like finding a needle in a haystack.”

At that moment, Lann, who had just landed, looked around at the ground and rock walls with a strange expression.

”So...” he licked his lips and asked the troubled but determined Wende and Aiden, ”You’ve been worrying about this problem all this time?”

”What else could we do?” Wende shook his head. ”The flowing, seeping lava, unknown thickness of rock layers on the Molten Mountain Dragon’s surface, and searching for potential non-existent weaknesses on this small hill... Of course we’d be troubled.”

”Well, you probably don’t need to worry today.”

”Hmm?”*3

The two people and the cat looked at the Demon Hunter in puzzlement. At this point, his cat eyes sparkled under the black smoke that blocked out the sun.

”I’ve already found it.”

”...Hmm?!!”*3

-----------------

”Hey, if you could do this all along, why did the guys put in so much effort?”

The three people and the cat climbed up and down the Molten Mountain Dragon’s shell, led by Lann, as Wende excitedly griped.

”Do you know how many times I’ve been here this week?”

”But I haven’t been here, and I don’t know the specific problems you’re facing!”

Lann retorted in exasperation.

During the past week, everyone was busy with their own tasks, and communication was limited.

Previously, Lann hadn’t told the Hunters in detail about his extraordinary prowess in ’vision’. Everyone just thought he was simply skilled.

So when it came to this point, no one thought to ask him.

”Besides, even if I’d come earlier, what if the Extinct Dragon caught the scent and came over? My sword is still in the furnace, do you want to feed me to it?”

”Quit wasting time, meow! Let Lann lead the way!”

An excited Gaffi gave a flying kick, knocking Wende’s helmet askew.

The Molten Mountain Dragon had a weakness, which meant they could prevent the destruction of the New World’s ecosystem.

Gaffi was incredibly happy to see hope, even willing to give his partner a kick.

Finally, with the help of launcher hooks, they traversed several flowing lava rivers on the Molten Mountain Dragon’s shell.

They reached a location akin to the central vertebrae line of the dragon’s back.

”Is this one of the weak points?”

Wende frowned and looked around, yet found nothing noticeably different.

Aiden drew the [Sharp Spike Sword] one-handed sword and stabbed the ground. But upon pulling it out, only sticky dark red molten rock covered the blade.

He shook his hand, flinging off the lava from the sword blade.

”It seems... to be just a normal shell?”

He said uncertainly.

But Lann was very confident.

After all, in [Clairvoyance], the heat and life force of the ancient dragon within the Molten Mountain Dragon were crystal clear.

This elderly ancient dragon, nearing death, had power surging through its body like a current, impossible to ignore.

”It’s underneath, there seems to be a cavity.”

Lann said confidently.

”When it moves, the shell on its back should open and close. The outer rock at the contact points is crushed during movement, allowing lava to flow out, which solidifies as a single mass upon cooling. It’s only when the Molten Mountain Dragon changes positions again that it opens and is revealed.”

Mentos’ computational power flooded like a waterfall on Lann’s retina, integrating Lann’s biological knowledge and the observational data provided by [Clairvoyance].

The Demon Hunter and the biological AI quickly analyzed the explanation for the current phenomenon.

”It’s covered here, but that’s okay. Across this spinal column line are its ’special points’, and if we search along this line, we’ll find the exposed ones.”