Astartes of the Bear School

Chapter 1875, Chapter 1847: A Sense of Disconnection

“They really are…” Lan En shook his head and sighed, flicking away the remaining flames from his sword, “completely clueless about the situation.”

At this moment, the flaming chariot shaped like a ferocious old man's face had been reduced to a pile of large and small fragments that had exploded and scattered everywhere.

The spot where the flame chariot had been standing had become a charred crater.

After being stabbed in the ventilation hole on its head by Lan En, the Flame Chariot, which had suffered major structural damage, exploded from the inside out without any external pressure.

The raging flames inside the chariot were accumulated in a very short time, and then exploded with a bang!

When it exploded, the flames and thick smoke that spewed out of this thing formed a small mushroom cloud!
The Cuckoo Knights, who were following behind in a protective formation, naturally suffered heavy losses after this attack.

Even the formation completely collapsed.

The Cuckoo Knights' red and blue armored robes were ablaze with flames, scorching the flesh beneath their armor.

These immortal warriors didn't utter many cries or roars, but their injuries were a fact. Their condition had deteriorated significantly.

What happened next didn't take long.

Compared to the battle with the Flame Watchers, the Cuckoo Knights' team at least had no heroes; they only wanted to use a Flame Chariot to clear the battlefield.

Once the tanks are destroyed, they will pose less of a threat than the Flame Watchers from before.

So, a few minutes after Lann took action, the Pelum Avenue behind the roadblock camp was also left in a mess.

The huge crater created by the flamethrower, the scorched ground from the escaping flames, the burned corpse of Du Juan, Du Juan's charred body bleeding from its wounds...

The battlefield was a scene of carnage and billowing black smoke. Even during the Lienian civil war, the number of dead and the intensity of the fighting on this battlefield were extremely exaggerated.

The rain continued to fall, and looking back into the distance, Lienia remained shrouded in a hazy, tranquil scene. The golden tree that hung in the northeastern sky remained as enduring and steadfast as it had been for thousands of years.

"Let's go."

Lan En sheathed his sword amidst the crisp sound of the blade scraping against the ground, and greeted the velvet ball and the Qilin.

With no one blocking their way, they soon arrived back at the parking palace of the Dikedas Grand Elevator.

The elevator operator from the Golden Dynasty remained calm and composed, as if the deafening roar and flames from a short distance away had no effect on him.

Lienia's tradition of civil war would not dare to extend to the Golden Dynasty, after all, they were the conquered party.

This should be a common view and feeling among those living in the Golden Dynasty.

The elevator operator simply needs to raise the token and start the elevator as part of their duties.

Not only the elevator operators, but also most of the passengers traveling from Lienia to the Altan Plateau had this expression.

Lan En was very lucky; just as he got onto the elevator, his shift was about to end.

On the magnificent elevator, the two pairs of tall knight statues, their weapons sculptures began to glow, and the elevator began to rise accordingly.

This time, unlike last time when he came down from the elevator, Lan En didn't find anyone he could chat with like Craig.

So they silently traversed the interior of the dark mountain walls.

Finally, a warm and enduring golden light shone down, turning everything in sight golden.

We've arrived at the Asian Plateau at the foot of the Golden Tree.

People on the elevator descended in a lively manner; these were mostly pilgrims heading to worship the Golden Tree.

On the golden lawn outside the palace where the elevator stopped, a large crowd was queuing up to take the elevator down.

Lan En led the Qilin out of the shadows of the elevator and into the golden light, following the crowd as they descended the elevator.

Next to the team heading down to the Asian Plateau, a campfire was lit, and the leisurely and relaxing temporary campsite remained unchanged, with even a few new campsites added nearby.

People were playing small harps and cooking around the fire.

Even the people by the fire were around the same age as when Lan En went down.

It seems that these few people from the Golden Tree are still enjoying their 'leisure and relaxation during breaks in the queue', even after so many days have passed.

When Lan En came up and saw them, he almost thought he was having hysteria, as if he had never been to Lienia before.

The immortality of the soul and the certainty of reincarnation... these powers have made the people of the Golden Tree so carefree that Lan En can hardly understand them.

Everything was leisurely and peaceful, and under the light of the golden tree that enforced the Golden Law, it seemed that everything could last forever.

However, Lan En, Rongbuqiu, and Qilin felt a very... disconnected feeling.

The Dikedas elevator went straight up and down. If we only consider the horizontal distance, Lan En's current position is only about two or three kilometers away from the Lienian roadblock camp where he fought two battles before.

But it's only a horizontal distance of two or three kilometers.

The Lienian roadblock camp was scorched and burned, with blood and severed limbs raining down.

On the Asian Plateau, however, it seemed as if nothing had happened, and nothing had changed.

Lan En stepped off the elevator, led the Qilin, and turned to look at the radiant golden tree and the magnificent Rodel at its foot.

He still hadn't dried the dampness from the Narienian rain on his hair and eyebrows.

The everlasting golden dynasty... Who could have imagined that a mere 'Faded One' on a business trip to Lienia would bring news of a bombshell rebellion?
The sudden peaceful atmosphere, contrasting with the recent fierce battle, left the demon hunter feeling somewhat disoriented. Fortunately, Lann was a seasoned veteran.

During a major battle, those at the front fight to the death, while those at the back seize the time to eat, sleep, and relieve themselves—this is all normal.

So, with just a few words of reflection, Lan En mounted his Qilin and headed towards Rodel along the road on the Yatan Plateau.

On the Asian Altar Plateau, just like at the entrance of the large elevator, everything was as usual.

Along the roadside where Lan En passed, several golden bolts of lightning continuously struck the same spot with a 'boom'.

However, it did not cause much damage; instead, several flowers with swirling golden arcs of electricity grew at the spot where the golden lightning struck.

On a patch of yellowish-brown grassland, a flock of sheep roamed and grazed leisurely.

The grass turned yellow not because it was dry and lacked water, but simply because it had changed color due to the influence of the golden trees.

Several sheep in the flock made strange gestures while running away after being startled by pedestrians, curling up into a ball.

It rolled forward like a wool ball, with golden arcs of electricity wrapped around its thick wool.

The border region truly lives up to its reputation as a world from the Age of Gods; even sheep can unleash magical lightning.

Lan En heard that someone in the border region had imitated this posture and even honed it to the point that it could be shaped by soul power and formed into battle ash, which was called [Lightning Sheep Ball].

All I can say is that the soldier had quite a playful streak.

But just as Lan En was lost in thought, riding his Qilin past a large, collapsed building ruin by the roadside.

Suddenly, someone on the ruins called out to him tentatively.

"Lan En?" The voice was somewhat deep and uncertain. "Is that Lan En?"

"Ok?"

Lan En tugged at the Qilin's mane to make it stop.

The Witcher had heard breathing sounds from the large collapsed ruins beforehand, but he couldn't identify the person based on just a few breaths.

So I just became a little more vigilant, thinking I'd just pass by quickly and be done with it.

But he can call out his own name? And that voice...

"Torisha?" Lan En rode his Qilin to the bottom of the collapsed ruins, looked up and called out, "Is that you?"

The portion of this large ruin that is exposed above ground is already three stories high.

Hey! It really is you!

On the edge of the collapsed ruins, a head wearing a headscarf, soft hat, and veil peeked out.

His golden eyes, which were only partially visible, were filled with surprise.

With a 'whoosh', the perfumer's thick cloak and apron rustled in the wind as Torisha jumped from the ruins to stand next to Lann.

She also carried a complex and somewhat pungent herbal scent.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you. Haven't you been in Rodel lately?"

Torisha's tone was very concerned; she was a kind-hearted person.

Lan En dismounted, and the velvet ball meowed as it greeted Torisha from its horseback.

“Indeed,” the Witcher replied. “I’ve been well taken care of in the Round Table Hall. Although I haven’t met Twofinger yet, I feel it’s not appropriate to stay here doing nothing any longer.”

"In addition, there happened to be a matter that required someone's help, and Sir Hundred Wisdom of the Round Table Hall entrusted this matter to me."

"So you're done now?" Torisha straightened her thick apron, which was a little messy from jumping. "How many... uh, days have passed?"

The people of the Golden Tree are generally insensitive to time and death. After all, neither is particularly important to them.

"In short, nothing special," the Witcher said vaguely, avoiding the main point.

Lan En didn't consider himself a citizen of the Golden Tree; he had merely discovered a fire burning beneath the Golden Dynasty's current facade of glory and stability. He would hand over the evidence and information to the Round Table Hall, but how things would unfold afterward was a matter for the Golden Dynasty to handle internally.

Therefore, he didn't think this kind of information should be revealed to a perfumer like Torisha.

Sometimes, revealing information to others can be harmful.

The profession of perfumer is actually that of a herbalist with magical powers. Although they have a relatively high status, they don't really have any real authority.

“Oh, it seems I asked the wrong question.” Torisia said knowingly, and didn’t seem to care much. “You Faded Ones directly serve Two Fingers, so it’s true that what you do shouldn’t be publicized.”

"And what about you?" Lan En skillfully changed the subject. "What are you doing here?"

As Lan En asked the question, his head was already tilted back.

Above the collapsed ruins, several ugly and distorted faces emerged, cautiously peering down.

Lan En had seen these creatures called 'hybrids' since the first day he arrived.

(End of this chapter)