Bear School Astartes

Although the exact timing is unclear, it shouldn't be long before the celestial convergence rift opens.

Even in the distant village of Dim Waters, Lann could feel the slight tremor of the Roaring Bear Head Badge on his chest.

That night, Lann rowed to Black Seagull Island, bringing with him the organ preservation jar containing the "Second Heart."

When he arrived, the Lady of the Lake stood quietly by the water's edge of Black Seagull Island, letting the water wash over and caress her pale green feet.

Lann often felt a misconception due to the Lady's excessively 'approachable' demeanor.

For a moment, he thought the Lady of the Lake was just an ordinary Nymph.

But that feeling would vanish instantly, as he could still clearly recall the kind of power and 'connections' the Lady of the Lake used during Da Gun's expulsion.

Existences like this are born from concepts, or forces from an ancient, unspeakable era. They simply refrain from interfering with the mortal world due to their nature.

But that doesn't mean they are like mortals.

"Good evening, my Lady. It seems you knew I was coming."

Lann put down the oars and jumped from the boat into the shallow water near the shore, pulling the boat ashore while greeting the smiling lady.

The Lady of the Lake looked teasingly at the Demon Hunter.

"What else? You've lost a clever and reliable Attendant, so you decided to undertake this heart-wrenching task on your own. Someone's got to watch you, right?"

"Wow... you all know about my situation? I was just thinking about explaining it to you in detail."

Lann walked beside the lady, shaking the lake water off his boots and smiling sheepishly at her.

Even clumsy actions from handsome people can be called 'cute.'

At least at this moment, the Lady of the Lake subtly licked her lips.

"The thing inside your chest is very special in nature. The world sees various scales of celestial convergence daily, but every one of us noticed it when it arrived."

The lady pointed slightly off Lann's heart. Lann knew that was where the genetic seed lay.

"Yet our nature dictates that we won't interfere. Like Dana Meibi, she cares for nothing but her 'fields' and 'fertility.' If it hadn't linked and affected you, I wouldn't care. Demons like Gant Odim, who enjoy trifling with mortals, are rare."

"You are my Knight, Lann. While I won't help with the incision, ensuring your recovery is my duty."

Lann nodded, pursing his lips. He had to admit, having a figure like the Lady of the Lake promise recovery was truly reassuring.

"So... should we proceed here?"

Lann looked around, feeling the moisture-laden lake breeze, watching waves splash and weeds and small crabs drift with the tide.

From a hygiene perspective, this was in no way a suitable place for surgery.

But the lady nodded affirmatively, smiling and saying, "I am the 'Lake,' Lann. During this time, neither the breeze nor the microscopic life or non-life carried in the water will approach you."

Lann had no more reason to refuse.

Thus, by the lake that night, just like at Gos Velen's Silver Swan Tavern.

The young man's once lively expression slowly grew solemn, settling finally into serenity.

He unclasped his armor one by one, the heavy gear hitting the ground with the distinctive sound of metal.

"The surgery's goal: to attach the 'Second Heart.' It is expected to sever two heart vessels, please prepare, sir."

Mentos efficiently activated the surgical assistance mode, providing real-time feedback on Lann's actions on the retina.

This time, Lann withdrew the Dragonbone Dagger from his lower back for the surgery.

After implanting the genetic seed, subtle changes had been occurring over these days.

It seemed the biochemical reaction program within the genetic seed had begun to affect; he could vaguely feel his bone density, muscle mass, and skin resilience steadily improving.

Demon Hunters didn't have this capability; cutting an unarmored ordinary person and an unarmored Demon Hunter felt almost the same.

Now, the magnitude of change wasn't significant, but perhaps after more related biochemical organs were implanted, these traits could step towards transcending mortal limits.

This made Lann imagine his future... maybe he could even catch bolts with his skin?

That would be too much... surpassing steel with mere flesh. Anyone who's pressed their fingers against steel's sharp edges wouldn't entertain such thoughts.

However, presently, his muscle and skin strength indeed affected the precision of surgical acts.

The cold touch of Valerian steel on his chest brought him back to the night of the genetic seed implant.

That night, he had severed one of his heart vessels, decisiveness that even impressed the demons.

Now, Lann reflected on his emotions.

He was certain he hadn't become weaker.

And so, just like a reenactment of that night. With a faint "plop," the blade entered the flesh, cleanly and decisively.

Pain objectively existed, but it couldn't instill fear in him.

Separating the skin, slicing the muscle, expanding the surgical view on the ribcage, taking the 'deformed' heart from the organ preservation jar, and placing it into the chest cavity.

This time, the "Second Heart" was much larger than the genetic seed, so Lann even had to break two ribs to create a passage for the surgery.

The sensation of moving one's bones and organs with fingers was quite peculiar.

Fortunately, Valerian steel's sharpness could be trusted, and without hesitation or reluctance, cutting through the bone was no big deal.

It spared him prolonged struggle with the pain.

Having performed heart vessel severance surgery once, and with Mentos's learning method, his current actions were faster and more stable.

Two heart vessels were connected to the "Second Heart."

This artificial heart's interface was a Y-shaped vessel, allowing linkage with native vessels and the heart.

Achieving the effect where if one heart of the Interstellar Warriors suffers lethal damage, the other can sustain life functions.

The severed vessels were simply reconnected, and then Lann gulped down two bottles of "Pure White Rafad" Magic Potion.

The potent effects took hold within moments, and the 'wounded' heart vessels regenerated vessel wall fibers rapidly, visibly to the naked eye.

These fibers wove together, ultimately healing.

The Lady of the Lake waved her hand, and the accumulated blood in the chest cavity and body during the surgery was washed away by a cool stream of water, closing Lann's broken ribs along.

At last, Lann, pale, gasped heavily, one hand bracing the ground, the other clutching his chest.

Except for the bloodstains on his skin, he resembled a young man startled too greatly.

The "thud, thud" of heartbeats initially lacked synchronization.

The additional pulsing in the chest made Lann's stomach cramp, but before half a minute passed, the genetic seed's coordinating ability began to work.

The two pulsing frequencies started to align, eventually synchronizing.

The "Second Heart" surgery completed.