The battle unfolded smoothly as the bomb and the charged Igni flame tore the drowners apart. This combination successfully eliminated five or six of the drowners. However, the more stupid the creature is, the less able it is to judge the strength gap between the two sides.
Those drowners who were not affected by the explosion and flames still had no fear at all, they bypassed those companions who were seriously injured by the explosion and continued to rush towards him with teeth and claws.
Wayne jumped off the railing and returned to the top of the stairs. Instead of raising his sword to defend himself immediately, he took a few steps to the exit of the stairs, formed a seal with one hand, and pushed down, setting a magic trap at the exit of the stairs.
The ground was instantly adorned with a magic circle, emanating a purple magical radiance. Standing within it, Wayne felt no discomfort, but any drowners that rushed in would be immediately affected. The magic circle bound them with magic power, significantly slowing down their movement speed.
While the sign itself didn't inflict direct damage, its special effect proved highly suitable for defensive operations in this advantageous terrain. It was the preferred choice for witchers when dealing with ghosts, spirits, and other nimble and fast monsters.
The only regret was that, due to limited materials, both Geralt and Wayne had only one bomb each. Otherwise, burying a few on this path that the monsters must pass through may directly kill most of them.
Wayne calmly waited for the arrival of the monsters when he suddenly heard a loud explosion behind him.
With a quick glance, he found that Geralt had also used a similar method to him, getting the bomb into the drowners and detonating it.
Despite Geralt's Igni Sign not having the reach to attack as compared to Wayne's, he patiently waited until the drowners closed in on the entrance of the stairs. At that moment, he ignited the fuse and dropped the bomb to detonate it. However, this proximity to the explosion meant that he too was caught in the blast. The force of the bomb sent mud, river water, and the flesh and blood of a few unfortunate drowners flying everywhere, drenching Geralt thoroughly.
But no matter how embarrassing they were when the explosion was over and the water ghosts swarmed up the stairs, Wayne and Geralt had no choice but to wield their weapons and engage in combat against these foul-smelling monsters.
As a seasoned veteran, Geralt was accustomed to such battles. Unfazed by the mud and blood splattered on his body, he leaped towards a charging drowner, deflecting its reaching arm with his shoulder. Raising the silver sword, he slashed down towards its head.
The silver sword in the White Wolf's hand emitted a faint glow. It was an elegant and slender blade adorned with various mysterious inscriptions. When it cleaved through the drowner's face, encountering minimal resistance, half of its head was severed instantly.
Having successfully dispatched one of them with a single strike, Geralt wasted no time. He pivoted to evade the pounce of another drowner. The silver sword traced a flawless arc, slashing through the chest.
The razor-sharp blade carved a wound over one meter long in the drowner's chest cavity. The immense force sent it plummeting to the ground in agony. Even through the gash, the still-beating internal organs were visible.
However, more of them surged up the stairs. Unconcerned about their fallen companions on the ground, they extended their claws, roared, and closed in on Geralt, forming a menacing circle around him.
Despite Geralt's adept and nimble dodges, the sheer number of monsters surrounding him undeniably restricted the space for his evasions. Geralt found himself compelled to frequently cast the Quen Sign while skillfully dodging. The monsters surrounding him fell one by one, each succumbing to the precision of his blade. Yet, as the battle raged on, the relentless advance of the drowners posed an ongoing challenge, demanding every ounce of Geralt's prowess.
Fortunately, while these drowners were formidable, they ranked among the lower tiers of monsters. Although their claws could grip human flesh, they were incapable of penetrating metal armor.
Wayne's battle situation was completely different from Geralt's. When drowners rushed up the stairs crowded together, the first thing they encountered was the Arden trap for slowing down.
Wayne positioned himself at the center of the trap, avoiding direct contact with the drowners. Relying on his agility, he evaded the attacks whenever a drowner forcibly breached the trap in an attempt to reach him.
Observing the opportune moment, when two or three drowners broke into the magic circle, Wayne extended his left hand. Channeling the magic, he used a powerful Aard seal that had been strengthened by accumulating power, to send the drowners flying towards the rocky wall, causing their thin and small bodies to slam into the wall fiercely.
Of course, this roundabout way of fighting not only takes a long time but also consumes the magic power in the body, which is not suitable for most witchers.
However, with the blessing of the Swallow Potion and the Tawny Owl Potion, coursing through his veins, Wayne found his magic power at an optimal level. This surplus allowed him to utilize the Axi Sign strategically. He would confuse one or two drowners, inducing them to turn on each other. This disrupted the attack rhythm of the drowners.
In this way, the high-intensity battle lasted for more than 20 minutes.
Geralt, who chose to fight hand-to-hand, ended the battle first. Panting heavily, he clamped the silver sword covered in blood and filth in the armpit and wiped off the blood on it. Then he gritted his teeth and walked towards Wayne, who was still fighting.
As Geralt neared Wayne, the battle at this end was drawing to a close. One of the last three drowners fell under the sway of Wayne's Axii sign. Disregarding the imminent danger of its belly being ripped open, it sank its teeth into its fellow companion.
But Wayne, the master who controlled it, showed no mercy, and directly used a powerful Igni Sign, causing the three drowners to be enveloped in fierce flames.
Driven by an instinctive fear of flames and high temperatures, the drowner with its torn-apart stomach wrestled free from the control of the Axi seal. Enveloped in flames, it thrashed and screamed in wild desperation. However, before the inferno could consume it entirely, a silver sword, swiftly thrust into its eye socket, in an instant, and then turned the brain inside the skull into a paste.
Geralt stood aside and watched Wayne's battle, and when he saw that although his armor was covered with dust, but there was no trace of being hit by monsters, he couldn't help but admire him
"Wayne. I have to commend you for your prudence and careful approach".
Rubbing his ribs, which had been hit by drowner's assaults, Geralt grinned through the pain. "Even an old witcher like me can end up beaten all over when facing so many monsters. But you emerging unscathed from such a fierce battle is certainly commendable."
Hearing Geralt's approval, Wayne turned his head and wiped the dust off his face with his hands. He grinned and was about to chat with Geralt for a few joking words when he suddenly focused his eyes and noticed a cloud of fuzzy and hazy gas behind Geralt.
A hunchbacked, ugly monster with strong limbs and sharp claws emerged from the gas.
Before the white wolf could react, the monster's sharp claws were already raised high, descending with a speed as if it were breaking a mountain and cracking a rock.
"Get out of the way! Geralt!"
Wayne instinctively yelled, forming a seal with his left hand and thrusting it forward. The seal struck the monster that had appeared suddenly. The attack unfolded with startling speed. Despite Geralt's attempt to dodge and avoid the lethal strike aimed at his neck, he still took a severe blow from the claw on his back.
"what!"
With a scream, the famous White Wolf Geralt was ruthlessly sent flying.