Bear School Astartes

"Speaking of the Ecological Research Institute," Lann said as he walked with Aiden to a cooler area, "last time I left, the director mentioned researching the ’blue light points invisible to the average person’ I saw. Any progress?"

During his last trip, Lann vaguely saw, through [Spiritual Vision], blue light points permeating the New Continent, seemingly with a general flow tendency.

But they were invisible to the average person.

He always felt that this flow of light points seemed related to some confusion that misled the old Molten Mountain Dragon’s sense of direction.

Back then, the director of the Ecological Research Institute, an old man from the Douding Dragon Race, looked very excited upon hearing this guess. It’s uncertain what the research progress is now.

However, Aiden scratched his head and lifted his light crossbow that was slipping off his shoulder.

"I haven’t really communicated much with the Ecological Research Institute people lately; as you can see."

Saying this, Aiden laughed heartily, patting his biceps showing off a muscular pose to Lann.

"I’ve officially started high-level hunting tasks now. With the deeper exploration of the New Continent, many situations have cropped up all at once, keeping me busy."

"I reckon even the old men at the Ecological Research Institute have to focus on practical research now, putting conjectural studies on hold."

"Oh," the Demon Hunter nodded understandingly and sympathetically, "those old men must be feeling quite stifled right now."

"Who would disagree?"

Aiden nodded in strong agreement.

As they spoke, the two vigorous and nimble-footed hunters caught up with Tishaya and her team, who were slowly retreating with the wounded.

Fortunately, there were quite a few carts from the investigation team around the base, similar to the Elu Cat Cat Team’s carts; otherwise, moving so many injured individuals would be a problem.

The Qilin reluctantly pulled the cart while Rong Buqiu stood on the cart board occasionally looking back, making it the first to spot the hunters approaching.

"They’re back, meow!"

The Three-Floral Kitten bounced with happiness on the cart board, waving to the back.

Everyone heard the commotion and turned back with surprise.

The voices of people echoed through the canyon.

Aiden and Lann walked up, and one of the cheerful Fifth Period Team members proudly and happily announced first.

"We trapped the Flame King Dragon in the arena!"

Upon hearing this, Tishaya and Belengar, who only knew the Flame King Dragon was formidable but didn’t quite understand the significance of Ancient Dragons in this world, showed no reaction.

But Aiden’s partner, the compiler Gerry, who was bending over without any feminine frailty to help the reluctant Qilin push the cart, froze with her mouth open, staring at Lann and her partner.

"What did you say?"

She seemed to believe it was more likely she heard it wrong and thus asked for confirmation.

"You... trapped an Ancient Dragon?!"

"Just barely," Lann added from the side, "it stayed because it found gunpowder tasty, unwilling to fly away after we blasted the gate and confined it in the arena."

Upon hearing this, Gerry’s face lit up with excitement.

Though the ’trapping the Ancient Dragon’ was somewhat diluted, it was still unprecedented in this world.

Yet, for a female scholar capable enough to be a hunter’s partner and compiler in the New Continent, without academic dedication and initiative, how could she have boarded the ship to the New Continent?

Faced with an unprecedented situation, shock and disbelief are the initial reactions, but what follows is naturally excitement!

It’s an opportunity to research Ancient Dragon ecology!

"We need to quickly return to Star Base!" Gerry said promptly after calming down.

Aiden nodded in agreement: "That’s exactly what Lann and I think too!"

"Then please take these wounded to the nearby camp, meow!"

The black and white Elu Cat promptly stepped forward and said.

"Take them to the camp; I will find other Elu Cats to help take care of them until people from Star Base send reinforcements, meow."

"Though the camp is simple, hunters placed supplies there; there’s food and water, and the location and terrain are very secure, meow!"

"Moreover, their condition isn’t serious." Belengar, who had been tending the wounded with Elu Cats throughout this, said beside, "Most of them are just dehydrated or have fainted from heat. They’re surprisingly fit; once out of the high temperatures, they’ll recover fast."

"Let’s get moving, then."

Finally, Gerry made the conclusive statement.

Tishaya looked appreciatively at this strong-willed compiler beside her.

The former dean of Airetusa always appreciates strong-minded, decisive, and enterprising women.

The camp is set in the wilderness, providing hunters executing tasks a small facility for brief rest with basic supplies.

Aiden himself had rested at several camps in the Great Ant Mound Wasteland area, so without the black and white Elu Cat leading, he led the group to the nearest camp.

With the Flame King Dragon trapped in the arena, the heat it naturally emitted was significantly blocked.

Although this camp is still slightly warm, it’s not severe.

Several people on the cart had already gotten off and rehydrated along the way.

The average physical fitness of the New Continent Expedition Team members made Belengar purse his lips, but he had nothing much to say.

Once everyone was settled in the camp, Lann and Aiden prepared to head back to Star Base.

At this moment, Aiden and Gerry blew the whistle to summon the flying wyverns.

Now that they’re far from the Flame King Dragon, the Ancient Dragon’s aura won’t deter the wyverns from coming or cause them to fly chaotically.

"Do we need to call a few more over?"

Aiden said to Lann with a playful smile on his face.

Clearly, he still remembers how Lann used to hang onto other people’s wyverns like cured meat, managing with two wyverns to make the journey.

"No need for that," Lann shrugged, "just call one more over."

"Eh? Did you lose weight?"

Aiden habitually touched his short Mohawk hairstyle and clicked his tongue in surprise.

"Did you lose weight that drastically?"

"Not quite. I just have..." Lann had a serene smile on his face as he patted the neck of the Qilin beside him, "a more efficient way to travel."

At Lann’s action, the broad and flowing runic cloth on the Qilin’s body floated in mid-air.

Revealing the part of its body that had always been concealed.

"Ah!" *2

Aiden and Gerry immediately leaned back.

The Qilin, being a widespread and gentle Ancient Dragon species, is one well known to people.

The two elite investigators naturally recognized it at once.

The horse-like skeleton with fine scales, covered in dark blue thunder patterns, with joints and neck, chin adorned with flame-like flickering white fluffy mane.

The pale horn on its head with a crystalline texture.

Of course, this is an Ancient Dragon—a Qilin!

But... can an Ancient Dragon be ridden?!

Never heard of that!!

Somehow, watching Lann patting the Qilin’s neck with a ’serene’ smile, Aiden and Gerry felt a bit numb.

"Seriously..." still a bit unbelieving, the determined Compiler murmured, "Is it just like the legend? Helping humans? Peaceful coexistence?"

The Qilin’s gentle nature left behind stories among humans, like the legend of "raising human orphans."

But seeing it firsthand, well...

But now, they have seen it.

Rong Buqiu was directly perched on the Qilin’s horn, squatting on its head, grooming its mane for fun!

"I feel like that’s even more outrageous than us capturing the Flame King Dragon..."

Aiden said with a twitching mouth.

"So-so." Lann still responded ’serenely’.

Gerry, holding his notebook, was curious and eager to unveil the magic horse harness on the Qilin to observe it closely.

Before this, even though they saw the Qilin, due to the runic cloth and harness, they only thought it was a mount Lann found in the Otherworld.

Not to mention the Otherworld, even their Old Continent had hunters in remote areas taming horse-like creatures to assist with hunting and travel.

The New Continent Expedition Team recently developed relationships with the local Detel mountain cats, preparing to learn methods to temporarily tame local small monsters.

When that time comes, small monsters like Fierce Jackal Dragons can be temporarily tamed in the wild as an aid.

So initially, Aiden and Gerry didn’t think much of the Qilin’s presence.

...but who would’ve thought that beneath that large and sturdy harness outfit was a Qilin? An Ancient Dragon?!

Meanwhile, Lann had already helped Tishaya onto the Qilin’s back and walked to Belengar’s side.

Outside the campsite, three wyverns had already flown in response to the whistle’s call.

Following their human-trained habit, they perched on the tree outside the campsite, all equipped with saddles matching the Investigation Team’s standard projectors.

"Alright then," Aiden pouted, looking at Lann enviously, "we’ll just fly up first. You have a Qilin, don’t leave us too far behind."

Regarding the Qilin’s speed, even if the hunters haven’t seen it firsthand, most have heard about it.

With that, Aiden and Gerry waved towards the two wyverns on the tree.

The two wyverns immediately flew low over their heads while they skillfully shot the hook locks from their left arm projectors onto the saddles.

With the hook locks secured onto the saddles, the wyverns called out, taking the hunters and Compiler into the sky.

Tishaya and Belengar both looked curiously and amazed at the disappearing figures of the two.

Using flying creatures as regular transportation...truly a new experience for them.

"The creatures of this world are truly amazing, those wyverns easily carrying humans, they don’t harm them?"

Belengar asked Lann, who was walking over, with a mix of wonder and curiosity.

"Why are they so trusting in using these wyverns?"