Bear School Astartes
Chapter 968 - 950: Annihilation
Looking at the destruction below that resembled world destruction, Lann, who was being supported and protected by a whirlwind, stood leisurely with his arms crossed, as if watching fireworks, and let out a sound of amazement.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Impressive."
If he were to return to the Magic Middle Ages and tell his friends about the current situation, they might even find it difficult to understand.
Because this level of destruction, capable of geological change, was truly beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Perhaps only those Legendary Mages, who first felt the power of magic during the human landing period, could achieve such feats through certain means, and then over time, became legends exaggerated by warlocks.
But Lann was watching with his own eyes from high above, as a Sunshine Spear was cast down, followed by the heavens collapsing and the earth crumbling!
This level of material destruction was not enough to make him feel incredulous.
Because he had seen more violent forces in [Memory Deep Dive].
He had even personally given orders, pressed buttons.
Even the sun would be compressed into a singularity, planets shattered into cosmic rubble by the attack of a few ships, the molten metal currents of a searing core exposed in the cold vacuum, solidifying...
In terms of physical destructive power alone, the Human Empire of the Interstellar Era was evidently more violent. Technology was also more professional than magic.
So Lann could understand this level of power, because it ought to exist, and he had witnessed it firsthand.
And the Demon Hunter never intended to kill Elderidge in a single strike from the beginning.
Though he approached the confrontation with Elderidge with a mindset of contest, he remained rational.
Elderidge was inherently a difficult enemy to kill, and even though his essence could be directly observed with [Spiritual Vision], it was quite troublesome to destroy.
So from the start, Lann aimed to cleanse his shame in that one strike, and then let the Nameless King’s Sunshine Spear be the end of him.
Simply put — the last strike was for pride.
Lann could not accept being inferior to someone as weak and despicable as Elderidge.
This pride usually went unnoticed under his kind demeanor, but when faced with someone like Elderidge, who made him furious and unacceptable, it manifested completely.
The collapse of a mountain’s side would not end in just a short while.
Billions of cubic meters of soil and rock, collapsing, colliding, sliding—just this process alone would take several hours.
And Lann was lifted by the whirlwind, arriving beside the Storm Dragon.
Evidently, this whirlwind was the power of the Storm Dragon.
The Nameless King, standing atop the dragon’s head, his eyes between a scarf and crown, glanced at the Demon Hunter indifferently.
’You have done something pointless.’
Lann felt he somewhat understood the meaning of this Nameless King.
Thousands of years of arduous cultivation, pursuing the Path of the Ancient Dragon, seemed to have even caused his ability to communicate and use words to degrade.
"Don’t misunderstand." Lann, floating in the whirlwind, smiled and waved his hand. "I didn’t challenge Elderidge just to help you."
"I did it for my own reasons."
The Nameless King’s indifferent gaze looked at Lann’s hands, at the greatsword that had returned to its original form, the cracks from the thunder patterns disappearing without a trace, leaving only a slight warmth of residual flames.
Then it swept across his profile.
Finally, inexplicably, he shook his head, as if sighing under his scarf.
He waved his hand, and with a slight flap of the Storm Dragon’s feathered wings, Lann descended toward the remains of Yanorlund that hadn’t been blasted apart.
The landing point was precisely where the Qilin carried Gwendolin, carrying the broken-legged giant to rest after fleeing.
After landing, the whirlwind gently dissipated. And Rong Buqiu came bouncing over.
"How~ impressive, meow!"
The little cat’s watery eyes were almost sparkling.
"First it was your sword, Lann, and then that thunder javelin, just a huge ’boom’...!"
Thanks to the unparalleled power control of the Nameless King, these bystanders at such a close distance weren’t affected by the power that could shatter half a mountain.
The little cat’s astonishment and excitement were understandable, but the Qilin’s calm in the face of the Sunshine Spear surprised Lann.
But when Lann used the mutated [Yakxi Rune] to communicate with it, the Qilin was somewhat at a loss itself.
It just said: ’This level of power... I seem to be very certain it should exist. Perhaps my parents have seen it? Or maybe more ancient ancestors have seen it?’
’But... in short, there’s no need to be surprised. Just bury yourself and flee at all costs when hostilities are confirmed. But it’s not a hostile state now, right?’
The Qilin’s words, which even it found confusing, made Lann think that the world in which the New Continent was located seemed quite profound.
However, future matters can be worried about later; there’s no point in saying more now.
Gwendolin, on the Qilin’s back, showed a worried look at Lann.
Above them, the Storm Dragon flapped its wings again, taking the Nameless King atop it, diving toward the mountain that continued to collapse, raising clouds of smoke and dust from the collisions.
"You shouldn’t have tangled with Elderidge in the end; it was too risky. Brother’s Sunshine Spear’s power was almost on par with Father! If you hadn’t distanced yourself from Elderidge then... "
The power displayed by the Nameless King did not surprise Gwendolin. Instead, it was just reminiscent.
After all, not only had he seen this eldest brother’s figure in battle in ancient times, he had even witnessed their father, Gwyn, the King of the Sun, in his prime.
Furthermore, Losric City was lifted several hundred meters by the two princes.
From an energy perspective, this might be more terrifying than the Nameless King blowing up half a mountain range.
After all, Losric City also covered a mountain range.
Magic sometimes defies logic.
And now, the Shadow Sun is simply worried about Lann.
Facing Gwendolin’s concern, Lann merely chuckled nonchalantly.
"Really? I feel like he wouldn’t be so cruel as to blast me to death along with everything else."
The Demon Hunter scratched his head.
"But it doesn’t matter, I feel comfortable anyway. The darkness within is receding... but why does he still rush down into the collapsing mountain?"
Lann looked puzzled at the smoke rising to the skyline, swept away by a storm towards the dragon’s path.
Gwendolin shook his head wearily. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
"Eldridge is a resurrected Lord of Cinder. Though most of his soul has been burned away, he still isn’t easy to kill. Even if he takes a Sunshine Spear directly from his brother."
"But it’s okay, your final Greatsword ignited the ’Cinders,’ though I’m not clear how you did it. But Eldridge’s ’wood’ was burned by the ’Cinders,’ and now his brother is chasing him down; he is as good as dead."
"Is that so," Lann marveled at Eldridge’s Life Force, or perhaps the strength of someone who became a Lord of Cinder. Then, as if remembering something, he changed the subject.
"But your brother..." Lann pursed his lips, pointing to the ruins of Yanorlund, now mostly a wasteland. "Returning home after so long, his first move is so harsh?"
"It’s my fault." Gwendolin nodded mournfully. "Perhaps my brother... doesn’t really feel nostalgic for the homeland that exiled him."
"Don’t be so down." Lann patted Gwendolin’s shoulder, making the Dark Moon God shrink a bit.
"He indeed doesn’t care about this ancient Divine Capital, but that doesn’t mean he resents you. When I told him the situation, he didn’t hesitate."
"Is that so?" Gwendolin seemed doubtful, but a moment later, a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
He was only minutes away from being devoured by Eldridge.
The road to the Ancient Dragon peak is also difficult. If what Lann said wasn’t true, he should now be being digested in that pool of black sludge.
"Alright, we should head down. It feels like the base of Yanorlund is about to collapse."
Lann mounted his horse, securing the completely exhausted Gwendolin in his arms; Rong Buqiu instinctively jumped onto the Qilin’s head.
"Leave the great Lord of Cinder to the Eldest Son of the Sun, while below this Divine Capital, the rebellion suppression continues."
Lann tilted his chin towards the burning, once-peaceful, and splendid city below, now ignited by the flames of the giant dragon.
Neither the city’s master, the Shadow Sun, nor the passing Demon Hunter were worried about this.
Because within that city lies only a group of hateful traitors.
Lann tugged on the Giant Blacksmith’s chain, assisting him downward.
After a few steps, the Demon Hunter suddenly seemed to sense something, glancing towards the collapsing mountain.
Simultaneously, a slight curve formed on his thin lips.
The darkness hidden within had completely dissipated. The long-unseen sense of ease made Lann feel good.
This also signaled that Lord of Cinder Eldridge had officially declared dead.
-----------------
In the Cold Valley, little of the Pontiff’s power remained.
Shalivan’s face, solemn and angry. But he could no longer vent this emotion on the slaves or his subordinates, like he usually did.
He could only flee with his head down in the shadows of the city, like a vagrant dog.
Footsteps treading on stone bricks dusted with a layer of snow, Shalivan tried to keep his steps light and quick.
Because he understood, the people behind were relentless!
"Ha~"
The monster’s breath could be heard clearly despite the distance.
This is the sound of Warrior Knights exhaling cold air.
But unlike before, when these beast-like knights attacked wildly and repeatedly.
After the sound of exhaling cold air, it was not the sound of Ilyushil’s straight sword slicing through objects but...
"Rip!"
The sound of a blade piercing through armor and flesh underneath, clean and crisp.
Decisive and abrupt, leaving no room for reaction!
This is the battle style of [Dragon Hunter] Ongstein.
He likes to pierce the weak points of the enemy directly with his Dragon Hunting Spear during the brief pause after their attack and before their next move.
A Warrior Knight’s head, still emitting cold air, rolled out from the corner of the wall.