Bear School Astartes-Chapter 868 - 851: Old Knight

The lumberjack leader’s body was as fragile as it felt on the outside.

Gaunt, withered... any description would do.

The sharp wooden stakes were the product this group of lumberjacks had cut just moments ago.

Four to almost five meters in length, with the thickest part as wide as a frying pan lid, yet ending in a sharp point.

Lann didn’t know why they cut the trees into this shape, but initially, all these lumberjacks placed their finished products by their feet. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

They just didn’t look threatening or aggressive, so Lann assumed it was some sort of special work requirement.

But now...

The rough, splinter-ridden stake pierced through the leader’s vest from behind and came out through the chest.

This rough, uneven surface brought with it large amounts of blood and flesh, almost splattering everywhere.

The chest of the lumberjack leader was pierced directly, yet his expression remained wooden, as if he hadn’t reacted at all.

He soon died as well.

And the stake that killed him was thrust by the lumberjack whom Lann had witnessed die just moments before!

Now, this lumberjack, who had gotten up holding the stake, his body was even more gaunt and withered, while a horrifying howl erupted from his throat.

When the sound burst from his dry throat, it seemed aged and insane.

Lann furrowed his brow deeply at this bizarre scene, cautiously stepping back while gripping his sword’s hilt.

The ’dead’ began to stir, displaying a ’murderous, mad’ demeanor...

"Scatter! Everyone move back!"

Not understanding the situation, Lann could only shout loudly to alert the other lumberjacks, while motioning with his hand for them to keep their distance.

But it was useless, as the remaining lumberjacks were as dull and sluggish as their leader.

Even the lumberjack who had been sitting by a corpse munching on black bread hadn’t stood up yet.

Moreover, worse things were happening.

The lumberjack leader, pierced by the stake, with flesh and blood splattered everywhere... now he was climbing back up!

And just like the man who died first, he picked up the familiar tool at his side, the wooden stake they had cut, and began to move.

Previously, although Lann found these people wooden, they had been at least somewhat normal.

But after this revival, their eyes seemed empty, soulless, driven only by an urge to kill.

These people all seemed abnormal.

Out of caution, Lann’s retreat kept him from becoming the primary target of these ’revivers.’

They wielded the sharp stakes like knights charging with lances, surging forward.

The lumberjacks who didn’t react soon perished.

Lann could swear by his biological knowledge, he was sure those people were truly dead.

No heartbeat, thin bodies losing at least a basin of blood, exposed innards... if that doesn’t constitute ’death’, he truly didn’t know what would.

Yet even so, the world seemed determined to challenge the Demon Hunter’s understanding.

The dead soon revived, and as before... once alive, they were frenzied.

In the end, only the Demon Hunter was left as a target.

"Tsk..."

Lann clicked his tongue.

Undeath, this ability was not unfamiliar in his travels.

In the Reed Country, he had fought alongside the National Guardian Sword Saint for two friends, attacking the Immortal Peak Temple which had fallen into heresy. The monks there had sought the way of enlightenment outside the Buddha.

They relied on undying insects within them to live, even after being dissected or having their innards gouged out.

But who were those in the temple able to achieve ’undying’?

During the Warring States of Japan, Buddhist incense thrived, and the Immortal Peak Temple was a prominent Esoteric Buddhism temple in Japan.

In the Immortal Peak Temple, those granted the undying insects were at least lecturers, the novice monks couldn’t even dream of it.

But here?

Just over a dozen lumberjacks who couldn’t even fill their bellies!

The wounds on their bodies vanished as if they never existed, leaving them more withered in appearance.

Their dry throats howled, charging at Lann with stakes!

The Demon Hunter didn’t want to engage in close combat with these abnormal opponents without understanding the situation.

His left hand remained on the sword hilt, while his right hand extended to his side.

All he needed was to signal according to his agreement with Rong Buqiu and Qilin, and Qilin’s thunder would clear obstacles from afar.

What troubled Lann about these dozen lumberjacks was their bizarre behavior, not combat prowess.

But just as Lann considered ’calling long-range support’, his ears twitched, and he withdrew his hand.

In the next moment, metallic clanging footsteps echoed from the opposite slope in the forest not far away.

A warrior clad in armor, about the height of a regular person, jogged over the slope.

He wore armor that should have been imposing and refined.

But likely due to long battles and adventures, aside from the sunset-colored beautiful metal parts remaining intact.

The cloth exterior, leather buckles, and even chainmail turned into tattered strands encircling his body.

In one hand, he held a moderately-sized metal round shield, with the same dusk gold hue as the armor.

In the other hand was a flame-shaped greatsword.

The distinguishing feature of this sword style was its serpentine curved blade, regarded as resembling undulating flames.

The advanced steel sword of the Bear School, which Lann had used, mimicked this characteristic in design.

If cut by this wavy blade, the bleeding would be severe and difficult to staunch.

He seemed very familiar with the scene before him.

Unlike Lann, consuming by the unknown situation and the Lady of the Lake’s caution.

He dashed straight into the group of deranged lumberjacks.

The flame-shaped greatsword on his shoulder came down with the momentum of his steps!

A "thud" echoed as if it cut into a target rich with blood and flesh.

The flame-shaped greatsword, striking from the mad lumberjack’s left shoulder, cleaved all the way to his left waist!

It virtually sliced the lumberjack vertically into uneven halves!

The blood spraying from the severed opening was unbelievably copious.

Lann’s eyes widened slightly... this was not a normal human’s show of strength.

An ordinary knight, even charging on horseback and wielding a saber, would’t do more than cleave from shoulder to chest against an unarmored person.

Yet this fellow, with a mere couple of jogged steps and zero momentum, managed a strike relying purely on his own strength!

Extraordinary power, seasoned combat experience, all made this knight from the woods proficiently cut down the dozen ’revivers’ without much effort.

He didn’t even catch his breath.

"Look at you, tall and imposing."

Cleaning the blood and flesh from the flame-shaped greatsword, he leisurely approached Lann.

"Were you frightened into a stupor by the undead and didn’t dare move?"

"But that’s odd, seeing their emaciated forms yet still willing to engage... should I call you a fool or a warrior?"

His face was obscured by a helmet and scarf, rendering it unseeable. But judging by his voice, he was quite elderly. Like someone of grandfather status.

"No, not exactly frightened." Lann’s hand didn’t leave the hilt, speaking with pursed lips ambiguously.

"I’ve just rarely seen these spirits formed by the undead, not fully grasped the situation."

"Heh, in a world about to be dragged under by Prince Losric? You’re quite fortunate."

"Aren’t I? You came to my rescue yet again... may I know your name?"

"Fodolink. Holy Knight... no, just a wandering old knight, Fodolink. Don’t mention it."