Bear School Astartes

The clergy in white robes felt a surge of confusion and displeasure.

They had been waiting for a long time to conduct experiments on the Blood Saintess sanctioned by the Healing Church.

Administering ”Blood Healing” to those already afflicted with Gray Blood Disease and injecting gray blood into a Saintess who can directly produce Holy Blood are completely different concepts.

The clergy at the research center had submitted a request for cooperation with a Blood Saintess for a long time.

The church leadership had only recently sent this foolish woman here.

But who knew this foolish woman had a good relationship with Maria, which is why the clergy hadn’t acted immediately and instead waited until now when Maria was out.

Unlike Adeline, who only had the identity of ’Blood Saintess’.

Blood Saintess is merely an identity revered by people outside the Healing Church.

Women qualified to become Blood Saintesses are not many, but not too few either.

The church is currently distracted by many things and hasn’t cultivated Blood Saintesses on a large scale.

Therefore, the clergy were not concerned about Adeline’s identity.

But Maria is different.

Not only is she a powerful hunter, she is also a student of the First Hunter Gremman.

When she was sent to guard the research center, Archbishop Lawrence personally advised in private that it’s best not to let her know what goes on here.

And now they finally caught a chance, even if Maria returns later, they can simply say ’Adeline was reassigned’. If she wants to find her, let her do it herself.

The clergy in white robes had summoned many to observe the experimental process, aiming to record and study the details of this precious experiment.

Using an entire Blood Saintess! That continuous production of Holy Blood to nourish the parasite from the Ancient God’s corpse!

The thought of possibly gaining deeper knowledge and even, according to Byron Vis’ theory, getting a closer view of the Ancient God excited him to trembling.

But what is wrong with these fools?

I gave them the opportunity to participate in this great experiment, yet they can’t even maintain the basic silence?

Thinking this, the white-robed clergy prepared to reprimand them before injecting the gray blood into Adeline’s veins.

Once injected, the experiment officially begins, and every detail on Adeline’s body becomes precious information worthy of maximum attention.

He did not want to miss anything.

But just as he headed toward the door.

Silently, a segment of a ghostly blue dagger blade slipped through the door crack and effortlessly cut through the bolt that was supposed to lock the door.

That steel mechanism seemed to have been sliced through like a phantom, without any reaction.

But immediately...

”Bang!”

The laboratory door was kicked open! The bolt that was supposed to securely lock the door now had a smooth edge that could be used as a mirror.

The white-robed clergy wasn’t just a mere manager at the research center.

The moment he saw the Demon Wolf’s Fang blade, he had already drawn his Hunter’s Firearm, and as the door was kicked open, he resolutely fired a shot!

This reflex can not be considered poor among Yan Nan’s hunters.

But he wasn’t facing an ordinary hunter.

”Whoosh~”

Maria’s Acceleration Technique is more nimble than Lann’s, more aligned with the Yan Nan Hunter’s combat style.

Her rapid movement truly felt like a breeze passing by.

A puff of smoke appeared, Maria emotionlessly dodged the opponent’s mercury bullets easily.

Meanwhile, Lann didn’t even enter, standing by the doorframe with arms crossed against the wall.

The clergy in white at the sight of the female hunter rushing in felt guilty for his misdeeds, and knowing the opponent’s prowess, he decisively threw away the Hunter’s Firearm that needs reloading after being emptied, and swung his Hunter’s Staff.

But this action was incredibly foolish.

After all, he’s just a researcher, unaware of the consequences of attacking erratically in front of a hunter... Maria swiftly ’taught’ him.

”Bang!”

This time it was Maria’s ornate and intricate firearm that fired.

Precise and ruthless.

The mercury bullet hit the opponent’s body at a critical moment in his attack movement.

The sudden external impact felt like Flame World’s Combat Skills Block or the stance-breaking move in Iwami Style after being pushed to the brink of defeat.

It swiftly and completely disrupted his body’s original movement pattern.

In terms of power, it’s not massive. In fact, with a few seconds to catch his breath and move about, it wouldn’t matter.

But the key lies in those mere seconds.

After firing a shot, Maria didn’t stop; her long leather boots firmly pressed onto the ground.

Simultaneously, her right hand already took the form of a ”claw strike”!

”Squelch!”

This was the sound of flesh being torn apart.

The white-robed clergy’s eyes suddenly bulged as if they were about to pop out of their sockets!

A massive amount of blood gushed from his body, staining the white robe red.

The leather gloves of the Yan Nan Hunters are distinctive, with the fingertips wrapped in iron, designed precisely for the action Maria was executing—[Vital Organ Strike]!

Stabbing a hand into the opponent’s body, not just for the single stab damage, but for...

”Ugh-!”

The white-robed clergy let out a beast-like roar due to the pain.

Two drops of his gushing blood splattered onto Maria’s face, a stark contrast between the blood-red and her snow-white skin.

Maria remained expressionless.

Her hand gripped the opponent’s viscera inside his body, then violently yanked sideways!

”Schlack!”

The hunter enlarged the opening with her palm with brutal force, resembling a traditional Japanese cross-shaped disembowelment!

Along with a mass of shattered viscera, it flowed outward!

That entire process constitutes the complete [Vital Organ Strike]!

The white-robed clergy fell back, head first onto the floor, the freely flowing blood quickly forming a large puddle.

The immense blood loss was the primary reason Yan Nan Hunters favored this technique.

The blood made them feel elated.

Adeline, tied to a chair, screamed in fright.

But Maria, with a cold face, approached directly, using the short knife of [Falling Leaves] to cut off all the restraints on her, pulling her away.

”Lady Maria?” Adeline stared blankly at the corpse on the floor and then at Maria’s profile, ”Weren’t you supposed to be working... You killed someone, Lady Maria!”

”He deserved to die!” The Blood Nobility said expressionlessly and quietly, without stopping. ”Don’t ask anymore, we’re in a hurry!”

After going out the door, Maria turned to see Lann waiting at the entrance.

”We need to take her with us! Here...” said the female hunter, casting a dangerous and cold gaze at the clergy hiding in various rooms and on the stairs, ”I am not assured.”

Her tone was strong, not up for negotiation.

But Lann didn’t show any intention to refuse.

”It’s indeed unsuitable to stay here.” The Demon Hunter nodded, ”When we reach the destination, have Adeline stay in the carriage, it should be safe enough.”

”Then let’s go.” Without further ado, Maria pulled the still bewildered Blood Saintess and headed out.

This research center, under the guise of curing patients, was actually conducting disease experiments, and she had no desire to stay any longer.

She now just wanted to quickly get to the small fishing village, to find out from her teacher.

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

With his head lowered, Lann sat slightly hunched in the carriage, watching the rapidly retreating scenery outside the glass window.

Maria and Adeline sat opposite him.

This was a dated yet unique carriage.

The horses pulling the carriage, except for breathing, seemed to make no extraneous movements, hardly like living creatures.

The exterior of the four-wheeled carriage was sturdy wood, somewhat peeled of paint, and the inside was luxuriously comfortable with full-coverage cotton cushions.

This was a carriage Maria brought from her hometown, Cainhurst.

The Yan Nan People say the Blood Nobility have a nostalgic and lavish demeanor, which indeed seems accurate.

Maria had just told Adeline about what really went on in that research center, and what they intended to do to her.

Adeline found it hard to believe, using her own words, ’It was a research center set up by the Healing Church, isn’t it supposed to be for the salvation of mankind?’.

Maria could understand this sentiment; they both trusted in something wholeheartedly.

Only, Adeline trusted in the Healing Church, while Maria trusted her teacher, and because of the teacher’s relationship with the Healing Church, she also trusted the church by association.

But all these matters will ultimately have an explanation.

Either the Healing Church is lying, or...

Maria took a deep breath, pressing her triangular hat down, using the shadow of the brim to hide her eyes.

Small fishing village... what kind of beast in the village requires such a gathering of hunters for a hunt?

Lann shrank back watching out the window, his frame and armor, in this confined space, against the normal people sitting together, felt even more contrasting.

Now, his and Simon’s investigation directions had converged, and the small fishing village, undoubtedly, was the key of keys.

But he was somewhat worried; was Simon still alive?

Their last parting was abrupt, without establishing any means of contact. Lann initially thought the guy had [Blue Spirit Medicine], a potion that aids in stealth; he surely could find a way to come over for a few words of exchange.

But it seemed he was caught up with something; there was no sign of him moving.

This even made Lann worry; could the guy be dead?

After all, in this nightmare, he’d lost count of the times he’d died.

An accident, a mishap... a single slip-up, even a hunter couldn’t survive.

The three on the extravagant carriage each had their own thoughts.

But time progressed objectively, and Cainhurst’s carriage finally reached its destination.