Bear School Astartes

As the main entity of [Muddy Stream·Destruction], it hasn’t consumed the materialized body of the Moon God, so there is no growth to speak of.

However, the [Combat Skill: Residual Fire] using the Greatsword as a carrier has changed due to burning the body of the Moon God.

These weapons, and the [Combat Skill] carried on them, each have their own transformative states. Lann feels a bit uncertain, but he can vaguely sense that it’s not a bad thing.

If one wants to understand this matter in detail, seeking a professional would be necessary.

But considering someone like Belengar is out of the question, even though he is considered one of the pioneers of this Greatsword, right now... saying it might hurt his pride a bit.

—The issues this Greatsword involves nowadays might exceed his range of expertise.

Perhaps only the Giant Blacksmith from the Flame World, who forges weapons for the Fire Divine Race, has the ability to comprehend it.

This involves matter, soul, flame, and even the divine rank and essence.

Lann, holding the gigantic Greatsword in one hand, stuffed it into the mouth of the Alchemy Pouch uncritically pondering.

Maybe I should still mention it to Belengar.

Although knowing that this sword has been altered by some unknown hand, making it even more supernatural, there’s nothing he could do about it.

This would surely agitate the Old Demon Hunter.

But, isn’t this also about pushing him to progress!

The last time I took him to the New Continent, after exchanging forging techniques with the Investigation Team Hunters, he made great improvements. This spirit of striving hard and actively progressing in craftsmanship must be maintained.

Passion is incited!

Lann is confident! To once again ignite Belengar’s passion and ambition!

”Thud, thud.”

The Demon Hunter’s mischievous grin hadn’t yet faded when two knocks came from outside the room, bringing him back from his amusement.

”Come in.”

Just after the response, the door handle turned with a ’click’ sound, opening the door.

Maria, with her white hair neatly braided into a ponytail, leaned in.

She just happened to see Lann pushing such a large Greatsword into his waist pouch.

”... No matter how many times I see it, I always feel like I’m still in the Dream Realm.”

The cool voice of the Blood Nobility used to mock presents a unique contrast.

”In a worldview of skepticism and conspiracy, the spiral of doubt and conspiracy can endlessly deepen, with no end.”

Lann, stuffing [Muddy Stream·Destruction] completely into the Alchemy Pouch, casually said to Maria.

He even turned his face, raising an eyebrow at Maria.

”Just think it over, getting sucked in would be never-ending.”

Maria walked entirely in, folding her arms and leaning against the wall by the door.

The stern temperament of the Yan Nan Hunter gave her a peculiar charm of handsomeness.

She could understand Lann’s discussion about the worldview, yet she was unconcerned.

”It’s scheduled for today, isn’t it?”

”Yes.” Lann nodded in agreement, ”Things have mostly been settled, so we can leave today.”

Not only regarding Lann’s own blood issues but also the changes in [Muddy Stream·Destruction].

In the past few days, as promised, Erin taught Lann how to make [Thunder Paper] and [ Fire Paper].

These two combat-convenient items, as she claimed, weren’t difficult to produce.

[Fire Paper] was merely using some unique flammable material, added to a special sandpaper in a safe manner, allowing it to remain ignited when rubbed against a weapon.

However, while [Thunder Paper] is made similarly, the raw material has an inherent sinister flavor of Yan’an.

The electric light from [Thunder Paper] was the creation of the [Strange Person] Archibald from the Hunter Workshop, inspired by a certain dark beast encircled by electric light.

The material for this electric light also relates to Yan’an’s beasts.

That is to say, related to the beast plague.

It makes sense that Yan’an’s overall era style aligns with that of the Sun Never Sets Empire’s Victorian Era, Lann’s homeland.

During this era, although electric facilities were in use, freely harnessing electricity to enwrap weapons seems a bit beyond the times.

Clearly, supernatural factors play a key role here.

This is certainly enough for Lann to regard it with caution.

However, the material capable of generating electric light could probably only be obtained from those unique beast-plagued individuals in Yan’an.

But around Lann, there’s never a shortage of such materials.

Be it the natural high-voltage electricity of the Qilin, or the magic lightning from the Female Warlocks, he never lacks these resources.

Once he fully masters the method of creating [Thunder Paper], replacing the materials with safe and reliable alternatives shouldn’t be difficult... Lann casually thought with his Alchemy talent.

In fact, Erin also possesses a lot of secret knowledge that was initially under the control of the Healing Church’s workshop.

Such as the [Blue Spirit Medicine] that camouflaged Simon from Lann successfully before.

Or the [Lead Shot], capable of making a hunter’s body suddenly as solid and heavy as lead for a short period, enough to deflect an attacking blade while causing no stagger, but also slowing down one’s own movements.

But, just like Byron Vis’s era, where [Arcane] researchers would use concentrated human blood serum as a mental stabilizer, these processes carry a flavor of Yan’an’s sinister style.

Lann found all these unappealing at face value.

Ultimately, only the simple and user-friendly gadgets like [Fire Paper] and [Thunder Paper] were stored in Lann’s knowledge base.

”We’re prepared and have already bid farewell to Dr. Yusefka.”

Maria was still leaning against the wall, but the hands that had been folded across her chest extended one, and she raised it to fully open the door as she spoke.

Outside the door, Adeline was still wearing a Healing Church outfit, and just from the fabric, it indeed was an excellent coat.

Two hard-shell suitcases lay at her feet.

Yan’an was basically empty, and she and Maria had emerged from the nightmare with nothing on them. These suitcases were filled with some decent clothes they had found in the abandoned Yan’an.

Maria stood upright from the wall she had been leaning on and walked outside to pick up the suitcases, calmly speaking to Lann.

”Then let’s go.”

The indifference of the Yan Nan Hunters allowed her to remain calm even knowing they were heading to the Otherworld.

Just like when Lann saw in the [Spiritual Vision]: Lawrence betrayed Master William, leaving Byron Vis in the same calm manner.

Thinking this, Lann’s eyes lowered slightly, instead pondering for a moment.

”No... you should head to the cemetery behind Oton Chapel first. It’s where I feel the rift is going to open.”

”Wait for me a little, I still need to see someone.”

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

Even though the sun and sunlight appeared, the Forbidden Forest outside Byron Vis was still filled with an oppressive feeling.

When Lann stood on the second floor of the academy once again, and from the building extended to the Moon Viewing Terrace on the lake.

What he saw on the terrace was nothing but a skeleton.

Just like many skeletal remains in Yan’an, the fully weathered skeleton on it was wearing ornate robes showing no signs of aging, completely illogical.

The golden scepter was still held in the skeleton’s embrace.

The rocking chair that seemed to sway eternally had stopped completely.

Lann’s boots clicked on the stone surface of the terrace.

His face unchanged, he walked to the front of the rocking chair, looking at the deep lake surface just a few steps away where he could fall directly.

”Are you well, Master William?”

He spoke without turning his head, as if the skeleton did not represent death at all.

This sense of ordinariness was enough to make an observer feel absurd.

Yet in Lann’s deep-set eyes... the rocking chair, the elder on the chair, truly existed.

The same as in the previous two meetings.

”Is that so?” Having just asked a question, Lann seemed to quickly receive a reply, he nodded his head pointedly, ”Then you truly got what you wished for.”

But throughout, there was only his voice.

”Are you saying that the curse of the Moon God’s death still clings to me?” Lann pursed his lips, speaking discontentedly, ”It’s unfair. This was foreseen and planned by you, Gremman lent a hand, I executed at the end, why is it only recognizing me?”

”Just because I’m the most direct, the one who slaughtered Him?”

”Oh... come to think about it, that’s true. Curses involve the one who acts last taking the brunt. That old coot Gremman also used this trick to relieve stress.”

Saying such dreadful things, yet Lann’s face showed no concern.

He even leisurely squatted down, pulled off a finger bone from the skeleton on the rocking chair, and tossed it into the lake below the terrace, creating ripples that reflected sunlight.

”You two old guys are really sinister.”

”Especially you, the weight of the curse fell to your side... The remnant poison from the death of that Ancient God has become your research material, hasn’t it?”

The Demon Hunter cursed with a smile, then fell silent, as if listening intently to the skeleton.

”... No, there’s no need.”

Lann stood up from the squatting posture, stretching comfortably, and ’boom boom’ two sounds, heavily hammered his own chest.

”No need to share with me, honestly, I don’t physically feel this curse at all. If it’s on me, then it’s on me, at least with me holding it down, it won’t turn into some nightmare again.”

Saying this while walking back down the terrace, as if all he needed to say to the skeleton had been said.

He waved without looking back, like he was saying goodbye to the skeleton.

At the last moment, his steps paused at the threshold where the terrace led back into the building, turning around as though he remembered something, smiling.

”And don’t misunderstand.”

Under Yan’an’s sunlight, silver hair fell onto his beautiful lips as Lann tilted his head, mingling with his smile, as if shining.

But this beautiful smile, amidst the relief of farewell, carried a hint of... danger.

”I wasn’t unlucky to be entangled with the curse of that vile aberration.”

”Rather, that filthy aberrant superior, His last shred of power... is forced to stay with me!”

After laughingly finishing his words, Lann walked into the building shadows without looking back.

”Old man, if you go on to research the remnants of the Moon God’s echoes or if He left a doppelganger somewhere that wasn’t entirely burned, just tell Him one thing...”

”See if I can suppress you for a lifetime!”

The young Demon Hunter entered the building’s shadow, where sunlight couldn’t reach.

And outside on the terrace, the massive moon quietly hung over the lake at Byron Vis.

The elder asleep in the rocking chair, still holding his golden scepter, sat in the seemingly ever-still rocking chair.

”Then goodbye, Lann.”

The elder on the rocking chair, with his aging sunken lips, slightly curved a bit of an arc.

His face, covered by a metallic eyepiece, turned towards the bright lunar disk in the sky.

”With the curse... May your path be long, filled with anticipation, filled with discovery.”