Bear School Astartes

Mark searched around, but Yan’an, which had already been burned to a crisp, how could there be weapons on the ground that a hunter could use?

Helplessly, he could only break a piece of iron fence from the roadside and hold it in his hand, while the other hand pulled out a poisoned flying knife from under his coat.

In the past, these bits and pieces were just auxiliary, supplementary items for hunters during their hunts.

But now, he really didn’t have much he could use.

Henrik snorted heavily under his mask.

If he hadn’t spread his arms wide and blocked the front, Mark behind him wouldn’t even have been able to complete those previous actions and would have been torn apart by the beastly patients.

However, this was the limit of his deterrent power as a hunter.

Still, three beastly patients managed to come up from the ladder they ascended.

The Church Stone Hammer that Mark threw down earlier was like a stone bullet in a siege battle, directly smashing a patient rushing up.

But the beastly patient hiding in the gap was only slightly stabbed at the intersection of the neck and clavicle by Mark’s one-handed sword in haste.

For the beastly patient whose disease had progressed to the point of being on all fours, this was not lethal.

So this beast, with Mark’s one-handed sword still stuck in its shoulder, limped up.

With a ’whoosh’, Mark was the first to throw his poisoned flying knife.

The situation was already this dire, it’s better to seize the initiative!

Although Mark said he joined the Church Hunter because of relaxed requirements during special times, his basic skills were not fake.

The flying knife spun in mid-air, and with a ’pfff’, it pierced the cheek of the beastly patient that still had the one-handed sword stuck in its body.

He was aiming for the eye, but unfortunately, the opponent raised its head slightly.

But even if it didn’t destroy one of the opponent’s eyes, just forcing it to raise its head was beneficial.

Henrik and Mark were very coordinated, he knew the moment the flying knife passed by his ear, there was no time to wait!

He rushed over almost in sync with the flying knife.

Taking advantage of the gap when the hurt beast opposite, which stood at the front, raised its head.

Henrik’s saw cleaver swung horizontally from the outside in!

The folded saw cleaver exploded with mechanical sparks, [Transformation Slash]!

The abrupt [Transformation Slash] not only increased the weapon’s power but also unfolded the folded blade, unexpectedly extending the attack range.

For the beastly patient who had just tilted its head, it was completely unavoidable.

The expanded saw blade dragged across the beastly patient’s side neck, with a teeth-grinding sound of tearing flesh.

The serrated blade tangled with clumps of black fur and flesh on the blade!

But this was just one beastly patient.

Patients whose disease had progressed to this stage couldn’t possibly feel apprehension or fear.

With a ’clang’, the fence iron bar that Mark had just picked up flew out with a burst of rushing sound.

The young Church Hunter clearly knew that engaging in close combat with unreliable weapons against deeply beastly patients was simply seeking death; it was better to throw them like a projectile.

Fortunately, the fences of Yan’an had sharp tops, and although they were slightly bent, they could still be used as a javelin.

The Church Hunter’s body, enhanced by [blood treatment], allowed the javelin flying through the air to stir the surrounding leaping flames.

With a ’pfff’, a beastly patient who was initially lunging at Henrik’s side was suddenly struck on its side mid-pounce!

The forward rush directly turned into a sideways tumble!

It howled, with its emaciated waist exposed to the spine, bent into a V shape by the javelin, was knocked outside the ladder and fell down again.

But this was all Mark could do.

He had used up everything in his hands that he could resist with.

Although hunters had been strengthened by [blood treatment], it was foolish to try to match beasts in physical prowess.

In the past, they could rely on a high-speed, decisive combat style to slaughter beasts because their weapon advantage could easily break a beast’s body.

But without weapons, hunters couldn’t possibly hope to smash beasts with their fists, right?

And although Henrik had gained the upper hand due to going first and the opponent’s injuries, it was impossible to directly kill the beast immediately.

"It’s over."

Mark thought to himself.

On this hellish night, he had been overstimulated, and facing the beastly patient lunging at him, he even felt a bit numb.

But even so, he still tried to dodge swiftly to the side, hoping to delay a little longer.

Although he himself knew that a hunter who only dodged without attacking wasn’t far from death.

But just at this moment!

"Bang!"

A seemingly ordinary gunshot came from not far down the street.

But after the seemingly ordinary gunshot, the beastly patient chasing after Mark had its shoulder burst with blood mid-air.

And as if enduring great pain, its whole body tensed and nearly collapsed to the ground!

The lethality of this bullet was completely disproportionate to its sound.

Mark knew what this meant.

This represented that the blood infused into this silver bullet was of exceptionally high quality!

The newcomer drifted over the flickering street like a plume of smoke.

In the instant it appeared, the slender blade carried a dark shadow, slicing through the beast’s body.

The sound of the long blade cutting into the body seemed like piercing a filled water bag.

The smooth and crisp action displayed the person’s exquisite and skillful swordsmanship.

Meanwhile, Henrik was still entangled with the injured beast on the other side.

He suddenly felt the wind beside him surge swiftly for a moment, making his side face feel cold, but it soon returned to calm.

However, the beast before him suddenly paused, followed by a ’screech,’ as its black-furred body sprayed out thick, foul-smelling blood along a neat trace.

Only then did Henrik realize that what swept past him wasn’t the wind, but something capable of severing a beast—a blade.

[Fallen Leaves] Long Blade bore the beastified patient’s unique blood, thick and filthy.

When the blade was extracted from the beastified patient’s body, the blood still clung to the black fur.

"Are you guys okay?"

The newcomer flicked the long blade, spattering the viscous blood and black fur onto the ground, then turned to ask Mark beside her.

"Maria... Lady?"

Mark, who just breathed a sigh of relief, finally uttered the name.

Henrik also extracted the one-handed sword from the beast he was facing, approached Mark, handed him the one-handed sword, and asked into the distance.

"Lann? Why are you together? I remember Lady Maria was going to join that hunt."

The Demon Hunter, resting his left hand on the hilt at his waist, approached from the distant street, dragging the sobbing Eddeline behind him.

His unbridled form and armor appeared even more imposing and awe-inspiring amidst the fire that had engulfed the entire city.

"That’s not important."

Facing Henrik’s query, Lann shook his head and turned to look at the still blazing Yan’an.

Henrik paused, sighed: "Yes, it’s indeed not important now."

"Henry and I want to seek refuge in the upper Church Town, and we’ll save whoever we can along the way." Mark accepted his one-handed sword from Henrik and finally felt a bit secure again.

He looked at Maria, and Lann with Eddeline.

"That place shouldn’t be burned."

Lann and Maria both understood that it was a proposal to go together.

"We also need to go to the upper Church Town, but..."

Maria paused her speech, held her triangular hat, and shook her head.

"We have other matters to attend to, so we won’t go together. You go ahead."

Henrik reloaded his Hunter’s Firearm, speaking incredulously.

"At a time like this! What could you possibly have to do?"

"Regarding the Research Center." Lann walked to the high platform where the ladder stood, overlooking the blazing Old Yan’an below, "There are many patients there. Maria and Eddeline can’t bear to leave them."

Though they can’t bear it, Maria and Lann both know deep down that this visit... is just to take a look, to confirm.

Hope?

...There’s long been no hope.

At this point, Henrik and Mark had nothing else to say.

The two hunters could only each sigh.

At critical moments, what each person cares about becomes more apparent.

Decisions made at such a time, under such circumstances, are generally challenging to be persuaded.

Not to mention Maria and Eddeline, don’t the two of them also hope to save people during the retreat?

"So that’s settled then."

Mark nodded at the group.

"If you must... make sure to reach the upper Church Town. People need to survive."

"We will go," Lann slightly turned his head.

With his back to Henrik and Mark, he turned half of his face.

Henrik, receiving a response, ought to feel reassured. But the young hunter watching Lann’s profile against the firelight felt... that expression was too profound.

"We will, of course, go."

Lann repeated once more, but his tone didn’t sound like discussing a safe, peaceful sanctuary in the fire disaster.

On the contrary, it carried a hint of danger.

But now, neither Henrik nor Mark had the mind to dwell on these details.

They turned around and started heading towards higher ground along the street.

"By the way!" After taking two steps, Mark turned his head and shouted amidst the roaring flames stirring the air, "Be cautious of those patients! Though it sounds harsh... nobody but the hunters can be trusted now! You understand, right?"

"We understand, Mark." Maria didn’t turn back, her wine-red eyes reflecting the city’s blaze.

The beastification has returned, more suddenly, more violent, more extensive than ever known before.

As one who witnessed firsthand that neither hunters nor the [Blood Therapy] could resist the beastification...

"No one understands better than us."

The Female Hunter pressed her hat, speaking quietly.