Bear School Astartes

After the blazing long blade, Gremman, who was propelled by magical lightning into a sprinting state, immediately had half of his body engulfed in blood-red flames.

Maria’s Cainhurst Flame wasn’t the kind skilled at enduring or adhering to burn, but was instead purely used to increase attack power with high temperature.

Nevertheless, even so, after the glaring blood-red flames had passed, the old hunter who charged out of the fiery curtain presented a hideous and terrifying appearance.

The body that had been enveloped by flames was now burned to the point of skin and flesh festering.

Melted skin hung on the crimson muscles like paste.

And the damage caused by the burning flames was undoubtedly more difficult to recover from than when Lann had slashed with his sword earlier, and it was much more arduous.

Under Lann’s observation, Gremman’s extraordinary recovery ability had been steadily worn down in his confrontation with him, but the effect of Maria’s sword was far better than his own earlier attack.

It took a full two breaths for Gremman to recover to the point where even his clothes showed no difference from before.

And it was only during this time that Lann finally had a chance to catch his breath.

Don’t be deceived by how during the probing stage, they occasionally used words to lure each other.

But Lann felt very clearly that it was because Gremman wanted to speak to him that the old hunter paused for a moment in his otherwise exceptionally fast attack speed.

If he made any move at that time, the old hunter would immediately resume the intense battle with his swift speed.

Speed has always been the key to gaining the upper hand in battle.

And in this fight, the initiative undoubtedly mostly remained in Gremman’s hands.

Thanks to Gremman’s almost immediate restoration ability and his own speed at the beginning.

Only if he wanted to hear something from Lann or to say something to Lann could there be such intermissions.

Otherwise, the sound of swords clashing between the two could be as dense as firecrackers from start to finish!

So now, Lann finally took a breath during the rhythm of his restoration within these two breaths.

With a ”poof,” a bluish-purple flame suddenly appeared on the demon hunter’s left hand, surrounded by similarly colored scales.

[Curse Technique Fire · Flame of the Flame Empress Dragon].

Following that, the hand burning with [Flame of the Flame Empress Dragon] was wiped onto the Lady of the Lake’s Sword.

Instantly, a thin but rapidly flowing stream of air wrapped around the flame and entwined the long blade’s exterior.

[Water-shaped Sword - Flowing Fire Blade].

Previously Gremman’s rhythm was too tight, only allowing time for him to lay down the advanced version of [Yarden Rune] when Maria wielded the first sword, suddenly forcing Gremman back, now finally allowing him time to imbue his sword with [Flowing Fire Blade].

”What have you become?”

Cautiously approaching Lann from the side, Maria, beneath her tricorn hat, did not dare to take her eyes off Gremman for a second, speaking in disbelief.

”That’s not something [Blood Healing] could achieve!”

[Blood Healing] certainly could instantly heal burns, even large-scale severe burns.

If not questioning the origin and consequences of Holy Blood, its power is undeniable.

But no matter how vigorous the life force, can it ’heal’ clothes and wooden prosthetics together?

”This is certainly not [Blood Healing].” Lann murmured, the long blade already entwined with a layer of bluish-purple flame, ”This is a power closer to the essence than [Blood Healing], however...”

The bluish-purple fire blade swung in the air, leaving a splendid arc-shaped residual shadow.

”Obviously, this kind of power is about to be exhausted.”

Compared to the beginning, Gremman’s extraordinary regenerative power had significantly weakened, further proving under Maria’s sword that the flames could enhance the efficiency of weakening.

Moreover...

”Spit.”

On the other side of the already charred remains of a long strip of prominent flower, Gremman calmly adjusted his high-top hat, then tilted his head and silently muttered as he spat out a mouthful of black blood spit.

That blood spit made a sizzling sound akin to acid corrosion upon contact with the ground, emitting a pungent white smoke.

Gremman was poisoned.

And it was very potent.

The poison continues to erode his internal organs from within.

All his body can do is no different from the Yan Nan Hunters who use blood vials — to withstand the poison with regenerative ability.

Until either the poison or regenerative ability is exhausted within the body.

And regarding how he got poisoned, Gremman was roughly aware.

The scythe curved like a crescent moon was held in his hand, and the sharp edge was still smeared with the blood that had flowed from the neck nape of the young man opposite.

Magic Potion, [High-Level Black Blood].

A targeted magic potion originally used by demon hunters against vampiric creatures.

It aims first to self-poison, then to poison the blood when vampiric creatures drink from him.

This method of poisoning seems rather cumbersome and even quite foolish.

But this is determined by the properties of this potion, along with the demon hunter’s battle style against vampiric creatures.

This targeted magic potion’s toxicity doesn’t severely disrupt the demon hunters themselves, yet it effectively suppresses vampiric creatures, hence why the demon hunters cautiously consume it in moderation.

Moreover, vampire creatures are generally faster, more agile, and lighter than Demon Hunters.

It is rare for Demon Hunters to catch up with them, let alone poison them or hit them with sword blades or alchemy bombs.

Luring vampire creatures to drink your blood, thereby passively poisoning an enemy much faster than yourself, is actually a good strategy.

And this combat style matches Lann’s current situation very well.

He, too, had no speed advantage in front of Gremman, being in a position of passive defense.

Whereas Gremman, or rather the Yan Nan Hunters, were even more obsessed with blood than the vampire creatures of the Magical Middle Ages!

Blood Demons, Bat-winged Demons, Katakan, and similar vampire creatures, at least have to use their mouths and tongues to suck blood.

What about the Yan Nan Hunters?

They merely need to peel open the prey’s flesh, letting the prey’s blood spill onto their bodies to naturally feel a sense of satisfaction and comfort.

That blood can even bring them pleasure and vitality through the skin.

So similarly, as Gremman slashed Lann, causing his blood to spill on himself, the poison naturally seeped in.

Although Lann hasn’t implanted the [Egg Stone Kidney] yet, he already possesses exceptional poison resistance just based on his own fundamental qualities, outclassing the Demon Hunters.

Of course, he no longer uses his original set of [Combat Magic Potion Combinations], having long since increased the quantity and adapted it to the local combat environment of Yan’an.

To deal with the blood-addicted, lightning-fast Yan Nan Hunters, [High-Level Black Blood] is undoubtedly very suitable.

Thus, at this moment, black poisoned blood kept oozing from Gremman’s mouth, while black blood flowed from his nostrils, trailing from the shadow of his hat down to his chin.

All these scenes were within Lann’s expectations.

But one thing caught the Demon Hunters off guard.

”This poison again, tsk... It even makes the blood smell bad.”

Gremman grumbled with a hint of displeasure in his low mumble.

However, Lann picked up on something... What did he mean by ’again’?

The Demon Hunter slightly furrowed his brow.

He felt as if he had forgotten something.

But at this moment, there was undoubtedly no room for conversation between them.

No words, but Maria and Lann cautiously and synchronously paced, pulling apart in distance to approach the distant Gremman from two directions.

”That bloody and fiery blade looks powerful, only the Blood Nobility of Cainhurst can use it?”

Lann asked casually, but his eyes remained fixed on the old Hunter slowly standing with the help of his scythe.

”Interested? I can teach you later. But...”

Maria said coldly.

The two swords in her hands, both extending with blood-red flames up to two meters, were held in a crane-wing spreading posture.

The heat from the flames made her one-shoulder cape flutter, the black exterior and red inner lining appearing more eerie and heavy under the flame’s colors.

It was evident that this was a unique swordsmanship.

”We must end this nightmare before we talk about ’later’.

Lann nodded lightly: ”I completely agree.”

In the distance, the old Hunter, holding the grip of his scythe, slowly rose with his head lowered.

The huge moon behind him illuminated him into a black silhouette.

The remnants of blood-red flames on his body gradually faded within the static blue flames burning on him.

...

[Acceleration Technique] *3!

In an instant, the figures of the three on the field almost disappeared simultaneously!

Yet, even though the two genuine Yan Nan Hunters moved with extreme celestial speed, their unique technique made hardly any noticeable noise.

The reaction force from Lann’s push-off left a moderate crater in the flower field beneath his feet, with the mud, sand, and stones being sent high by the force.

Maria’s two long blades, burning with blood-red flames, trailed a bizarre, gorgeous afterimage at sheer speed, like vast silk unfolding in mid-air.

She rushed straight toward the also-disappeared Gremman!

The static blue flames on the old Hunter, others might not know what it was, but Maria knew.

It was the effect his mentor achieved after pushing the [Acceleration Technique] to its limit.

In Gremman’s hands, the [Acceleration Technique] was no longer just a technique to ’slightly increase normal moving speed, dramatically increase flashing, sprinting speed’.

The old Hunter had developed this technique to the realm of internal expansion.

The name still remained [Acceleration Technique], but it could already enhance the overall body’s operational efficiency.

Only the name, like the normal techniques of Yan Nan Hunters, remained the same.

Thus, when Maria crossed the space cut, saw the puppet lady lifelike in appearance, and then noticed Lann was fighting Gremman in this condition, she was taken aback herself.

For in her understanding, as long as Gremman turned the [Acceleration Technique] to this efficiency, no matter what kind of enemy, it should be shredded in front of that [Funeral Blade] within half a minute.