Bear School Astartes

Radagast’s spell, on the surface, merely revived his friend, a great hedgehog.

But in the process, he also dispelled the abnormal atmosphere that had invaded the area of Rossga Castle.

Restoring the land to a state of leisure and tranquility.

The Lady of the Lake’s Sword in Lann’s hand gleamed like silver light, flipping agilely and precisely in his palm, leaving a bright and lasting light trail in the air.

With a ’slash’ sound, a giant spider larger than a normal human was unable to close its mandibles as it attempted to bite the Demon Hunter.

A bright blade thrust into the joint between the mandibles, the tip emerging from the spider’s compound eyes.

Lann’s expression was calm.

His firm grip on the hilt, the dense Valerian steel wire between his muscles allowed him to lift a giant spider single-handedly, using just the limited muscle groups in his wrist and forearm.

”Boom!”

He raised his foot and kicked forward forcefully.

The giant spider impaled on the blade was smoothly kicked off the sharp and exquisite blade.

A mouth-to-skull gash spilled a stream of filthy blood through the air.

The backward-flying corpse, driven by the spider’s instinctive reaction, curled up its legs under the last nerve impulses into a ball.

Like a ball, it crashed into another spider behind it.

The impact brought instability, allowing Rong Buqiu to leap into the air.

Unlike Lann, who had long arms and great strength, it utilized its nimbleness to full advantage.

The attacking angle from above was a defensive blind spot for the spider on the ground.

The Thunder Cat Sword pierced through like a hot knife through butter, driven by the adorable yet fierce ”Meow!” of the Elu Cat, piercing from the skull to the giant spider’s mandibles!

The Qilin was much more aggressive, not to mention its Ancient Dragon Level body—pure speed alone made it impossible for the spiders to touch it.

Often, a flash of lightning was followed by two hoofs the size of large bowls shattering the giant spider’s belly with electricity.

Inside the wooden cabin behind them, Radagast’s mutterings of incantations drifted out faintly.

Though Lann didn’t understand the language, it was like music able to be appreciated without comprehension.

Lann vaguely sensed in these incantations that Radagast was chanting a hymn about a name called ’Yafanna.’

This name inherently contained a power of nature and growth.

This power unfurled seamlessly from the wooden cabin, sweeping away the invading abnormal atmosphere.

The giant spiders seemed to possess little fear; even when Lann and his companions slaughtered every spider daring enough to approach, the remaining spiders hesitated not at all.

However, after Radagast finished his incantation, the abnormal atmosphere representing an invasive power was dispersed, prompting the spiders to flee without looking back.

Showing none of the ferocity seen moments ago, stepping over the bodies of allies to attack.

The shift in atmosphere signified a power dispute, while the giant spiders were merely ’tentacles’ of the invasive force.

Rong Buqiu and the Qilin watched warily around, while Lann shook the blade gently, observing the retreating spiders.

With the sound of flesh and blood falling on the grass, Aron Dite regained its bright silver sheen.

Sheathing the Long Blade, the sound of the wooden door cautiously opening was heard behind him.

Radagast cautiously poked his head out, surveying the area.

”Are they gone?”

Lann spread his arms open, signaling to Radagast that he could boldly look around.

Now, the woodland surrounding Rossga Castle was covered with fragments of giant spiders, large and small.

Even though these giant spiders were formidable among monsters, their flesh remained fragile to Lann and his weapon.

Slicing them apart was not troublesome.

Radagast breathed a sigh of relief, flinging the wooden door open and beckoning behind him.

”Alright, the danger’s gone, come out quickly. Run! Head north!”

A group of small animals scampered out from beneath the hem of the ragged Wizard’s brown robe.

The restored great hedgehog family also waved politely at Radagast and Lann.

They all headed north into the forest, where there might not be a tranquil woodland nurtured by Radagast’s influence but was equally distant from the dark threat.

The ragged Wizard finally ambled out, leaning on his Magic Staff, using the staff’s tail end to flick a severed spider’s head.

After flipping it twice, he swung it like a golf club, sending it flying.

His expression was sullen and furious, with a hint of fear.

”Those spiders can break into your territory, I guess...” Lann walked up to him and whispered, ”Isn’t this uncommon?”

”Uncommon indeed.” Radagast sniffed and turned to look at the southwestern sky, muttering under his breath.

”It’s really uncommon.”

”In broad daylight, these dark creatures can appear so close to me!”

”Did you just see where they went back to? It’s the southwest!”

”This is going to be a big problem!”

With that, he didn’t care about the chaotic Rossga Castle, whistled, and then those large rabbits appeared from nowhere, obediently waiting for Radagast to hitch them up to the sled.

While Radagast was busy fixing his sled, he spoke hesitantly.

”Listen, Lann... uh. I want... no, I want to ask you...”

”You want me to go with you to check out the situation.”

Before Radagast could finish, Lann smiled and finished the sentence for him.

”But when you’re asking for help, you don’t even look me in the eye... are you really a well-traveled wizard, Radagast?”

The disheveled wizard, busy with the sled and too embarrassed to look up, froze in his movements.

Finally, he awkwardly lifted his head and gave Lann a stiff smile.

”Don’t make fun of me, Lann... I’m actually feeling scared now. The dark omen is making a comeback. And I really don’t want to drag you into this.”

”But I’m really worried, if something happens...”

Radagast rubbed his face hard and spoke to Lann.

”So I will go with you to check the situation.” The Demon Hunter responded, ”You helped us, now it’s our turn to help you. It’s only right.”

Radagast looked at the already harnessed Qilin and Rong Buqiu standing on the Qilin’s head, nodding heavily.

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

As soon as he made the decision, Radagast took Lann and the others rushing towards the evil old castle.

”We’re just going at the right time when their evil powers have been dispelled by me and are retreating! It will save us a lot of trouble!”

In the whirlwind pulled by seven or eight large rabbits, Radagast spoke to Lann, who was riding the Qilin and keeping pace with him.

”Dorguldu! Something must have happened there! I have to confirm it; it’s my duty!”

Lann lay low on the Qilin’s back; the speed wasn’t slow now, and he didn’t want to crash into a branch in the dense forest.

”Until now!” Lann shouted to Radagast amidst the rushing wind, ”I don’t even know what’s in Dorguldu!”

”What’s there that makes you so secretive?”

”That is...” At this point, Radagast’s lips, along with his dirty beard, trembled continuously. ”That is the Great Dark Enemy!”

With just that short description, Lann suddenly felt a chill.

”Back then, we united the righteous forces of Middle-earth to defeat him! It was a significant event, even marking the divide between the Second Era and the Third Era!”

”At that time, after being defeated, the Great Dark Enemy’s physical form collapsed, his soul extinguished, leaving only a glimmer of light that fled to Dorguldu.”

”We only know this glimmer landed here, but we could never find it. Fortunately, the powerful artifact carrying all of the Great Dark Enemy’s power and life force still wanders outside. As long as we ensure it doesn’t fall back into his hands, he can’t cause any more trouble.”

”So for thousands of years, I have remained here without moving, only occasionally checking.”

”Wait!” Listening to Radagast, Lann wondered if he had been impulsive.

He twitched at the mouth, thinking in a world with a Creator God, of a Great Dark Enemy only defeated by gathering all of the world’s good forces?

”Really, Radagast. How about we ask Old Tom for help?”

”Can you stop being so cowardly!”

Great, now it was Radagast’s turn to purse his lips.

”Sorun isn’t that formidable; if the world’s righteous forces could truly unite, he’d be extinguished in a day! He merely manipulates desires and ambitions to corrupt and divide people!”

”And now with this movement...”

Radagast also wore a bit of uncertainty on his face.

”I don’t know if this movement was caused by him.”

”I heard rumors before that a human necromancer entered Dorguldu. Even though it’s just a human wizard, if he triggers the dark powers of the old castle, it might create a significant disturbance. That’s why I must see it and identify it myself.”

”After all, once it’s confirmed that the Great Dark Enemy is reborn, all races must arm themselves and prepare for war. But if it’s just a wrong message... have you heard about the boy who cried wolf?”

”Between different races and countries, there are already conflicts. If we’re always crying ’the Great Dark Enemy is returning’, no one would believe us in critical moments.”

”They wouldn’t set aside prejudice and hatred to unite against a common foe.”

After briefly explaining the situation to Lann, who had ended up here due to an ’accident’ and knew nothing... they had already arrived at Dorguldu.