Bear School Astartes

Lann and the Qilin did not get too close to the small group of Dwarves, given that the others were still wary.

Rushing over might lead to unpleasantness.

But on the other hand, the Half-Elf in their group... he seemed to get along well with Rong Buqiu.

”No, no, no! Rong Buqiu, my home might be a cave, but it’s definitely not the kind of dirty, dark, damp, nasty cave crawling with snakes and bugs, do you understand? A Hobbit’s hole means comfort and cleanliness.”

”Oh!” The little cat responded with an enlightened tone, ”So you’ve done some remodeling inside the cave, meow?”

”Exactly! Bag End was dug by my family for several years, and then we spent an entire year decorating it before moving in!”

Perhaps inherently talkative, and Rong Buqiu’s size, even smaller than a Hobbit, reduced his fear and rejection.

In any case, the two were having a delightful conversation nearby.

”Do you smoke a pipe? Let me tell you, the Shire’s pipe-weed from the Hobbits is the best! It’s truly an art!”

As he spoke, the big-footed Half-Elf instinctively reached into his clothes but froze halfway through.

”Oh, I’d forgotten... I’ve been away from home too long. I’ve run out of pipe-weed.”

”No Hobbit has ever been away from home as long as I have, probably.”

He said gloomily.

Rong Buqiu didn’t quite understand this emotion, but its paw still patted his arm to comfort him.

”It’s okay, meow, I don’t smoke pipes!”

”It doesn’t smoke pipes either.”

Lann walked over from the side, speaking as he approached.

His relatively large size suddenly awakened the timid Half-Elf, even making him a bit anxious.

His mouth opened and closed, his palms clapping in front and then behind him, looking awkward and uneasy.

”H-hello! Bilbo Baggins, at your service!”

”Lann, you just heard.” The Demon Hunter nodded at him, ”You too, Master Baggins.”

”Hobbits, is that your name?”

”Hobbits or Half-Elf, you big people call us that, both are correct.”

Bilbo nervously rubbed his hands on his coat, but he immediately realized his coat was stiff and his face turned sour.

Lann also noticed the large patches on Bilbo’s overcoat.

”What’s this...?”

The Hobbit looked embarrassed, muttering softly.

”There was an Ogre just now, and he... he used me as a handkerchief to blow his nose...”

So the stiffness in the coat was from the Ogre’s dried snot?

Lann subtly stepped back half a step.

Bilbo also politely stepped back, putting on a look of understanding and indifference.

Though the Hobbit himself felt embarrassed, his good-natured personality made him consider others’ feelings first.

This made Lann start to like him.

Because the conversation between the two Wizards stopped momentarily, the scattered Dwarves who were resting and keeping watch still had many eyes on Lann and them.

The hostility and wariness in these gazes had lessened, perhaps due to Gandalf in their team.

But curiosity was inevitable.

”Lann!” In the distance, from the edge of the grove, Radagast jumped up and waved his staff to make himself more visible among the dense shrubs and branches.

”Come over! We’re both witnesses, you should come too and tell him!”

The Demon Hunter nodded, first bowing to the Hobbit to say ”Excuse me,” and then headed toward the two Wizards.

”The Dark Forest is falling sick! Gandalf! Corroded by darkness!”

”We expected that, otherwise, you wouldn’t be over there, Radagast.”

”But we never thought the corrosion would be this fast, this fierce!”

The two Wizards exchanged information; they seemed to be old acquaintances, and Lann’s approach did not disrupt them.

”Do you know what I’ve seen along the way?”

Radagast trembled as he spoke.

”All things have ceased to grow, at least those that are beneficial! And until yesterday, they were doing just fine!”

”The air is filled with the smell of decay, and the most terrifying are the webs...”

”Webs? What do you mean?”

Gandalf paced in deliberation, smoking his pipe, and whispered back.

”Giant spiders! Gandalf! Unnoticed, they’re right at my doorstep! They must be descendants of the evil Ugoliant!”

Radagast’s tone was low and heavy, as if telling a horror story.

”Without a doubt, they all came out from Dorguldu.”

Lann timely joined the conversation at this moment.

”I went in with Radagast, and the people around the forest say a Necromancer resides there. After we went in...”

”We encountered a... a spectral being!”

Radagast spoke with trembling fear, as if those memories were more vivid in his mind.

”A spectral being that exists in the Netherworld, wearing a crown!”

Gandalf saw Radagast’s frightened expression, removed his pipe from his mouth, wiped its stem on his beard, and handed it to Radagast.

He didn’t immediately believe nor give his opinion, merely letting Radagast smoke first.

”Have a fine puff of Shire pipe-weed, it’s invigorating and soothing.”

It wasn’t until Radagast slowly exhaled the smoke that he nodded down at the brown-robed wizard.

”An evil spirit that can dwell in the Netherworld? Are you still sure now?”

”That’s not a hallucination from madness, Gandalf.”

Lann spoke from the side, nodding towards the scruffy wizard, ”Take it out, Radagast, we have the evidence.”

The brown-robed wizard didn’t dawdle anymore and directly pulled out a short sword wrapped tightly in leather from his bosom, handing it to Gandalf with caution.

Before the other could take it, he solemnly reminded.

”Be careful, Gandalf! This... it comes from the Netherworld!”

The grey-robed wizard was startled, his hand seemed to glow faintly before he finally placed it on the bundle.

As soon as he touched it, Gandalf’s expression changed drastically.

His deep demeanor was completely different from his earlier skepticism.

He already believed Radagast.

With wisdom and seriousness on his aged face, he held the wrapped short sword in silence for a moment, then raised his head, his sharp gaze first looking at Radagast, his fellow wizard.

Then... it turned to Lann.

”He went to Dorguldu with you, Radagast.”

Gandalf’s profound gaze was fixed on the Demon Hunter, though he spoke to his colleague.

”It seems you trust him a lot.”

”Oh, actually, we haven’t known each other for long, but he’s a decent guy, and the Qilin and Rong Buqiu are even better. Plus, he’s a very capable warrior, a really powerful one, you know?...”

After handing the short sword to Gandalf, Radagast seemed to have shed a heavy burden and relaxed significantly. His mouth also began to habitually prattle again.

Gandalf understood his colleague, after all, they might have known each other longer than the entirety of human history.

So he left the still-chattering Radagast and walked towards Lann.

”It’s not easy to find someone trustworthy these days, darkness is about to make a comeback.”

”That sounds really spooky.”

The Demon Hunter retorted expressionlessly.

In the Magic Middle Ages, if a wizard had said that to him, he might have scoffed.

After all, many warlocks proclaimed their prophecies of world destruction, seeking fame through it.

But they never cared about the consequences of prophecies.

A typical example is the Mad Wizard Adibad’s ’Black Sun Curse.’

The vicious prophecy against women born under an eclipse lent justification to their persecution in both court and among the populace, spinning out of control.

But this world is different.

Lann wanted to approach this world’s differences with the cautious mindset of an outsider.

”You have to face it, even if it is spooky, because this is reality, isn’t it?”

Gandalf’s aged voice chuckled.

But just then, his laughter abruptly ceased, and the nearby resting and vigilant Dwarves seemed to be suddenly startled, all becoming tense.

The interruption came in the form of several cries of ’ho-ro, ho-ro,’ a sound akin to a canine panting heavily while running.

It seemed that only Lann and Bilbo were confused about what was happening.

The Hobbit, still bewildered by the sudden change in atmosphere, asked blankly.

”Wait, what’s that sound? Wolves? Are there wolves nearby? Shouldn’t they have been gobbled up by those three Ogres earlier?”

”No, these are not sounds any random wolf pack can make, Master Baggins.”

The Dwarf with a fur hat prodded his long-handled war hammer, cautiously observing his surroundings as he spoke.

”These are Wargs! Beastmen’s Wargs!”

As he spoke, the silhouette of a beast crept out from the hilltop woodland, standing up!

That silhouette moved agilely among the jagged stones and vines in the hillside woods.

Pouncing down from the heights, it covered at least a dozen meters in a single leap!

The target was none other than the still-unaware Hobbit!

This Warg’s shoulder height alone exceeded that of Sorlin, a Dwarf whose height was close to the human average.

And its muscle and bone structure was on a completely different level from ordinary wolves.

Ordinary wolves compared to this Warg, were like malnourished sticks facing a world bodybuilding champion.

In the Magic Middle Ages, there were Wargs too, often the strongest of their packs, their fur color distinct from the gray wolves, a dusty gray.

If that dusty gray fur was well-kept, it could fetch a handsome price.

But things of that nature would probably be half-gobbled in one bite by this Warg!

”Snap! Whizz!”

A mechanical grappling hook flew out from the side of the pouncing Warg.

As its sharp teeth were about to engulf the Hobbit’s upper body in its maw, a ’squelch’ was heard.

The sharp hook could lodge into rock, and the Warg’s neck was no exception.

Its flesh and blood vessels were snared, and the fierce Warg only managed a few whimpering sounds before being dragged away!

Its body snapped several branches along the way, then it was pulled to Lann’s feet by the mechanical device.

The Demon Hunter’s hand drew a silver flash from his waist, and after a dazzling display of blade brilliance, an elegantly curved blade was thrust into the Warg’s skull.

”Beastmen?” Lann pulled out Aron Dite, flicking off the blood, with a serious question on his face, ”How did this involve Beastmen?”