Bear School Astartes

”Where are you planning to go?”

Lann asked while sipping on an [Advanced Swallow], allowing the cut on his wrist to begin healing. He planned to replace his blood over three days and wasn’t in a hurry to drain it all at once.

”I want to take Viola back to my hometown.” Gascogne at that moment took off the modified version of the [Advanced Bear School Armor] left by Lann earlier and changed into light clothing.

”There’s nothing special about it, so unremarkable that it’s hard to remember, but... for the first decades of my life, it was always peaceful.”

”I think it would be a suitable place for us to live a normal life as a family.”

”Including Henrik.”

”Me?” The Old Hunter suddenly rubbed his hands awkwardly, far less comfortable than when he was chopping down beastly patients. ”No, I’m too old now, all I know is hunting...”

”Don’t say silly things, Henrik.” Gascogne shook his head and said, ”You see Viola as a daughter, and Viola sees you as a father. We can’t and won’t leave you out to start a new life on our own.”

The Old Hunter had a bit of the reluctance of an old person not wanting to burden the younger generation, completely missing his straightforward sharpness in hunting.

But Lann had already poured some water, washed his sticky blood-covered hands, and clapped his wet palms together, making a crisp ’pa-pa’ sound.

”It seems the things I said earlier were somewhat redundant, Henrik.” The Demon Hunter smiled while looking at Gascogne, his wife, and the Old Hunter standing together. ”Gascogne clearly has a decent retirement plan.”

The Old Hunter, after being seasoned by a lifetime of hunting in Yan’an, pressed down his wide-brimmed earth-toned hat, revealing a smile that was half awkward and half gratified.

For the Yan Nan Hunters with blades as cold as ice, this smile seemed almost too warm.

Yet Lann thought it was just right.

”But as a suggestion,” Lann tilted his head with a smile, ”when Gascogne goes back, it’s best not to be a priest. Keep away from all that spooky stuff.”

”No way!” Before Gascogne could respond, Henrik said firmly, ”No blood, no gods. Just like that!”

”But we can have you, Lann.” As the head of the family, Gascogne added to the Demon Hunter after Henrik finished speaking.

On that face with eyes covered by bandages, there was earnestness.

”We remember your help and benevolence, no matter when or where, if you ever need us, we will surely come to your side.”

”Especially me.” Henrik interjected with his aged voice, mercilessly teasing, ”Your hunting skills have not improved for a long time, such poor talent.”

The Old Hunter said while fetching a small Shaking Bell from himself and held it out to Lann.

It’s a Resonance Bell that hunters use to call each other, and Lann had picked up one ownerless earlier.

But apparently, the one Henrik gave him was a special call for help.

Lann happily accepted it, whether or not he would need Henrik, who was more than skilled in hunting, for help someday. Even just shaking it to chat when free would be convenient, right?

Hunters with families and attachments would urgently leave Yan’an to start a brand-new life.

But hunters without ties and attachments had much more freedom.

Erin, completely relaxed, stood with her arms crossed at the broad door of Oton Chapel, gazing out at Yan’an glowing in the sunlight.

The Red Witch, ever crawling at the door, continued to thank Lann for his contributions, even though she herself barely benefited from them.

Adeline had also woken up; could one say she was lucky?

Her first glance upon awakening was already greeted by Yan’an’s sunshine.

Though this has left the Blood Saintess now looking baffled.

And Maria, by Lann’s side, casually chatted with him.

”So, even after Old Yan’an was destroyed by the sudden outbreak of beastliness... no, beast disaster, the Healing Church still thought it was just due to inadequate blood quality?”

Maria was seated on a chair in Oton Chapel, casually crossing her legs, yet the Blood Nobility’s elegance was maintained even in such a posture.

”If I could say, I might have killed both the previous and the latter archbishops of the Healing Church; does that make you feel any better?”

Lann shrugged, saying.

”Not particularly good or bad. The people killed by their research won’t come back just because they’re dead.” Maria first shook her head, but then hesitated and nodded.

”But, you can tell me my teacher was still the one I remembered. He was controlled by the Ancient God and not willingly fallen with full awareness... Yes, this indeed comforts me.”

Under that tricorn hat adorned with swan feathers, Maria let out a long breath.

”Even while controlled and tortured, he did not cease to resist... I will continue to respect my teacher and cherish his memory.”

”Even though he once sliced my neck with that scythe...” Watching Maria unravel her inner conflict, Lann jokingly nodded, ”Good, I don’t mind either.”

Maria laughed silently.

”So, what do you plan for the future?”

Lightening the mood with the joke, Lann asked with a slight seriousness.

”Can you think of a destination?”

”Perhaps it’s Cainhurst.” Maria sighed, her long boots swaying aimlessly on her slender legs, ”Yan’an has already deteriorated, maybe my hometown can still be my refuge.”

”Though it’s a bit awkward, but...” Just as Maria finished speaking, Erin leaned against the stone door frame of the chapel and raised her hand to interrupt.

”Cainhurst is also empty, those filthy... Blood Race, have already collapsed. Only the headless lady ghosts roam in the castle.”

Due to Maria’s presence, Erin swallowed half of the usual term ’Blood Race of Filth’ she used, only saying ’Blood Race.’

After receiving the information about this ’new’ era of Yan’an, Maria could only helplessly press her triangle hat again, falling into confusion.

After all, looking at it this way, she truly has no place to return to.

But at this moment, the Demon Hunter had already donned his full armor, gaining a comforting sense of security, while hesitantly glancing at the bewildered Maria and the clueless Adeline due to the upheaval.

”If there’s really nowhere else to go, um...” Lann cautiously suggested, drawing the eyes of the others to look at him, ”Maybe you could consider my place?”

”Your... place?” Erin initially didn’t react, then said in realization, ”Otherworld!”

”Otherworld?” Maria pressed her hat in frustration, ”First time travel, now an Otherworld appears too? Oh heavens.”

Even with the grace and elegance of the Blood Nobility, Maria’s chaos could be felt at this moment.

For her and Adeline, too much had happened in a short time, and the information was overwhelming.

Lann was now efficiently dressed in armor, moving ’clack-clack’ to confirm the fit, while continuing to speak.

”I’m not asking you to come with me, I’m just a bit worried about you two.”

”After all, others have at least awakened from the Dream Realm within the normal timeline, but you two... I can say I dragged you out of a dream within a dream.”

”You simultaneously possess the dual factors of the ’Kos’ Curse Dream Realm’ and ’Yarnan Main Dream Realm,’ and even if the Ancient God’s Dream Realm has a certain degree of authenticity, according to the normal timeline, you both died dozens of years ago.”

”Just like when you first arrived at ’Yarnan Main Dream Realm,’ suddenly encountering fatal poisoning and blood loss conditions, we still don’t know what’s going on. Why do the symptoms differ so much for people from the same dream realm?”

”So,” Maria furrowed her brows upon hearing this, ”You suspect that after leaving Yan City, we might inexplicably experience dangerous symptoms like when leaving Old Yan’an?”

Lann didn’t directly answer, but sternly reminded, ”Now, there are no blood vials for you. Even if there were, it’s best not to use them.”

”Without blood vials and blood healing.” Maria remained frowning, ”Then what will we do if something does happen?”

The Demon Hunter spread his hands, ”That’s where I’m trying to help you. Besides blood healing, there exists safe and reliable recovery abilities in this world.”

The Blood Nobility’s refined chin gestured toward the empty magic potion glass bottle at Lann’s feet.

”Like this Potion?”

”This thing is also dangerous, very toxic.” Lann kicked the bottle aside casually, letting it roll away, ”But in my place, we can use magic.”

”Magic? You mean Arcane?” Speaking of ’Arcane,’ Maria’s face became even more cautious, more than when discussing blood healing.

After all, in her past impressions, blood healing hadn’t caused any issues until the bomb exploded at the end.

But ’Arcane’... this thing never stabilized since the day it was born.

The people who study ’Arcane’ go insane as a matter of course, relying on viscous human blood for moments of peace—a method passed down since Byron Vis’ time.

Later under Lawrence’s hand, it became one of the foundational theories for constructing ’blood healing.’

”I said, it’s very safe, okay!”

Lann reassured helplessly, but at the same time, he could understand the jittery anxiety among the Yan Nan People.

After all, the night of hunting was not too far behind.

Adeline tugged at the corner of Maria’s single-shoulder cape, with cautious eyes.

She now seemed to be treating Maria as her mainstay.

As Maria turned back to look at the Blood Saintess, she also sighed deeply and nodded.

”Then we’ll trouble you, Lann.”

”It’s no trouble at all, helping people as far as one can.” The Demon Hunter shook his head, ”It’s just a pity that if it really works, we couldn’t save more people from that nightmare back then.”

But deep down, everyone present also knew it was impossible.

Because just to emerge from the nightmare required consuming at least two blood vials.

At the time, even if you gathered Henrik’s, Gascogne’s, and Erin’s reserve blood vials, how many were there in total? How many could be saved?

And after a slightly somber sigh, Lann raised his head again, looking at Erin and the Red Witch near the chapel door.

”And what about you? Do you have any plans?”