Bear School Astartes

”When I start to show relaxation, buddy, that means the plan is already completed.”

Now, instead, Lann was approaching the rigid Deer-headed Spirit.

Some green light bands crawled out from the back of the spirit’s shoulder.

And they kept extending and wrapping around its withered body.

The light bands were green, but different from the eerie, gloomy green of the Deer-headed Spirit; it was more like the freshness of lake water, the vitality of buds under sunlight.

As the green light bands increased their coverage over the spirit’s body, it emitted the sound of wood being forcibly snapped, a ’crack’.

Its joints were gradually losing their ability to move.

The branches filled with Chaos Magic Power were slowly becoming real plants, immobile plants.

The spirit’s neck twisted back, and what met its hollow eye sockets was a conical crystal embedded in its back shoulder!

Was that small cat just now?!

It wasn’t attacking with that ridiculous weapon; it leapt specifically for the crystal!

Meanwhile, the calico cat tied to the tree root in the back also ceased crying and struggling, only stared at the spirit with its big, wet eyes, showing its small canine tooth.

The small paw even gave a thumbs-up.

”Woo woo~”

Cold wind blowing through bone cavities could be heard underneath the spirit’s skull, anxious and angry.

But as the green light bands spread over it, its roar was no longer threatening, merely a sound.

With the ’crack crack’ of breaking branches, the spirit struggled to twist its neck back, its hollow eye sockets staring straight at Lann, the claws that could have killed large monsters still stubbornly reaching for the Demon Hunter.

Lann watched motionlessly as those sharp, menacing claws neared him.

Until finally, the spirit’s unwilling roar persisted, but its claws could no longer extend.

Its body had completely turned into natural tree wood.

No movement, no harm.

With the sound of branches collapsing and snapping continuously, the vast tree roots produced by the spirit’s magic power disappeared with a crash.

The fluffy ball ’waa’ fell to the ground.

The claw that was almost touching Lann’s face also turned to ashes.

Lann waved his hand in front of him, chasing away flying ashes, and wiped the nosebleed with the back of his hand.

His right hand, fingers occasionally twitching involuntarily, as it had been squeezed a little fractured by the spirit’s grip.

On his right-hand gauntlet, the surface of Valerian steel even had the spirit’s vicious claw marks.

Though not deep, it was rare for an attack to be unbearable for Valerian steel.

”Are you okay, meow?”

Fluffy ball’s ears and nose were also bleeding, but it quickly came to Lann, asking him with its head up.

The Demon Hunter waved his hand weakly.

”You take care of yourself first. Did you bring healing medicine? Go check on the Grand Commander.”

The small cat immediately rushed towards the distant Grand Commander, shouting without looking back: ”I brought medicine, meow.”

Seeing fluffy ball running away, waking the Grand Commander from the ground, feeding him potion, Lann finally could relax.

With a Hunter’s constitution, such symptoms weren’t a big issue.

Feeling relieved, Lann sat down on the ashes made from the spirit’s body.

He shook his still painful right hand, then picked up the conical crystal emitting a faint green light from the ashes.

”Seems you’re alright?”

The Lady of the Lake’s calm and teasing voice entered his mind, making Lann completely relax.

Looking beside him, the kirin also jumped down from the high platform, curiously rummaging the large amount of ashes left by the Deer-headed Spirit with its hoofs.

”This guy was too troublesome, luckily I made arrangements in advance... Do thank Aisne for me, my lady.”

The faint green light from the crystal earlier wasn’t just the power of the Lady of the Lake contacting the crystal across worlds, but also the power of the Silver-Eyed Queen of the tree spirits in Brook Leon Great Forest.

”Quite interesting.” The lady’s tone was joyful. ”Aisne also asked me to convey her gratitude to you just now.”

”After capturing this Ancient Deer-headed Spirit, she has it pressed on the central spring of Brokilon. She views the massive natural energy from the spirit as a gift from you.”

”That’s hardly a gift.” Lann chuckled bitterly, touching below his nose, at least not bleeding now. ”What kind of gift nearly kills the giver?”

”Indeed, this time was fortunate. No matter how strong the spirit became, it was naturally suppressed by Aisne. Otherwise, I couldn’t have provided assistance across worlds.”

”No one wishes to meet strong foes, but the appearance of strong foes is uncontrollable. Fortunately, you still found a way to defeat the strong enemy.”

The Lady of the Lake spoke gently and appreciatively, like a handful of soft and embracing lake water.

”Speaking of which, my champion...” The lady’s tone turned teasing and ambiguous, ”it seems you haven’t gifted me anything yet?”

”My loyalty and respect to you, my lady.”

And the already seasoned Mr. Lan met the challenge effortlessly.

”That’s my gift.”

”Heh.” The lady chuckled meaningfully, no longer entangling. ”Take care, until you return.”

”Of course, I just need to handle the aftermath slightly.”

Lann agreed straightforwardly, as it was indeed time for him to leave within the next few days.

In his hand, the crystal’s green light gradually faded, returning to a pure, colorless state.

And nearby, the Grand Commander swaggering alongside Fluffy Ball approached.

He was in worse shape, with blood traces at the corners of his mouth, eyes, ears, and nostrils, already scabbed over, just appearing slightly unsteady while walking.

”What do you say? The Deer-headed Spirit is dead? Then we gonna...”

The Grand Commader’s expression turned complex, glancing at Fluffy Ball by his side.

According to Lann’s earlier instructions, they should now kill this small cat to prevent the spirit’s resurrection.

Though he was prepared when the fight began, he still felt blocked in his heart now.

Fortunately, Lann looked at him with a blank expression: ”What do we do? It’s fine. Time to go home.”

”Hmm.”

The Grand Commander first nodded heavily, then seemed to come around, quickly turning to look at Lann seated on the ground.

”Hmm?!”

Lann lifted the conical crystal in his hand: ”It’s not dead, I’ve banished it back to my world, now it should be...”

The Demon Hunter tossed the crystal up and down, the Grand Commander and the cat’s eyes following the movement: ”Now it should be sealed.”

”...Damn!”

Post-reluctantly, the Grand Commander suddenly held his forehead, letting out a complaint.

”Why didn’t you bring out this thing earlier?”

Lann retorted bluntly.

”This thing is essentially asking my friends on the other side for help, do you have no time difference in your communication? Do you know how many people I had to find in between to restrain the Deer-headed Spirit? And how was I supposed to know I’d run directly into the target this time?”

”I started working on it as soon as the battle began, and then desperately dragged it until just now, then found a point of intense magic on the spirit, had this cat insert it only to trigger successfully! Did you think I could just whip this thing out and use it?”