Chereads / Witcher: The Half Elf / Chapter 32 - Gargoyle

Chapter 32 - Gargoyle

Crossing the arched stone bridge above the pond, Wayne found that the bridge was connected to another dark corridor adorned with various exquisite murals. A group of elves and dwarves, armed with weapons, stood guard on the terrace outside the corridor vigilantly, to guard against any monsters that attempt to surge from it and harm the residents. Upon noticing the fully armed Wayne approaching, the elves and dwarves respectfully nodded to the witcher, demonstrating their admiration and respect.

Different from those ordinary residents in the camp, as fighters, they can better understand the power of the witcher. The vivid memory of the dozens of drowners that were slain the previous day lingered in their minds. To overcome such a sizable number of monsters would typically require a group of over 20 individuals.

However, just two witchers had managed to dispatch them nearly unscathed. Evaluating the wounds on those monsters, it was evident that each blow dealt by the witchers was fatal—a level of proficiency beyond the reach of ordinary individuals.

Faced with the attitude of the dwarves and elf warriors, Wayne smiled back, with a little pride in his heart. No one doesn't like the respect of others, especially demon hunters like them who risk their lives to get rid of monsters. Nevertheless, in this world, sensible individuals are scarce, outnumbered by muddled brutes.

Upon entering the corridor, the surroundings remained shrouded in pitch darkness. However, aided by the cat potion, Wayne was able to clearly see things around him. It's logical to assume that this ruin, undisturbed for thousands of years, may have seen some deterioration in any traps that were set up back then.

Wayne walked forward carefully with the sword in his hand, and soon passed through the corridor and came to a huge room similar to a banquet hall. The banquet hall is very large. Although there are no windows, the surrounding walls are carved with extremely exquisite marble reliefs, especially the ceiling here, which is a huge landscape composed of various weird sculptures.

While the hall once likely housed exquisite furniture, the wooden pieces have succumbed to the ravages of time, reduced to dust. What remains are some metal objects, still bearing traces of their original form.

He took a step forward and was about to continue exploring inside the banquet, but suddenly the medallion on his chest suddenly vibrated, even accompanied by an undetectable buzzing sound, just like a vibrating mobile phone.

Startled by the medallion vibration, Wayne immediately stopped moving, clenched his sword tightly, and looked around carefully. This was the first time he encountered such a situation, but whether it was in the game or Vesemir's teaching, he knew exactly what he had encountered.

As his medallion continued to vibrate, Wayne deduced that a sorceress must be nearby, or at the very least, there were traces of magic in the vicinity. With narrowed eyes, he treaded lightly, moving cautiously against the wall. He intended to reach the rear of the banquet hall and discover the origin of the magical trace.

Acknowledging the skill of the ruin's designer, Wayne considered the possibility that the creator was a magician or had enlisted the assistance of a highly skilled mage in the construction.

As Wayne entered the range of the banquet hall's dance floor, the sound of cracking rocks echoed from the ceiling. Before Wayne could look up to discern the cause, a strong wind gale along with a boulder was released from above.

In an instant, Wayne's hair stood on end, and without thinking, he rolled towards his side to avade the incoming attack.

Boom!Ka Ka Ka!

The thunderous crash of a colossal boulder plummeting from a great height sent tremors through Wayne's heart. He swiftly propped himself up with one hand, regaining his balance, and directed his gaze upward. There, standing at his previous location, was an unsightly monster resembling an obese goblin.

The creature's entire body was composed of gray-blue stone, featuring an expressionless face, flickering fluorescent eyes, and a pair of malformed wings on its back. It bore no resemblance to any normal monster Wayne had encountered before.

But with just one glance, Wayne recognized what it was.

Gargoyle a kind of stone statue which are extremely dangerous opponents. Etched out of granite or marble, they are able to withstand tremendous amounts of damage and exhibit superhuman strength. One blow dealt from their boulder-like fists will crush even a man clad in heavy armor. Not even those out of reach of a gargoyle's arms can feel safe, for they are able to throw hunks of stone with deadly precision.

Dealing with them was quite challenging, as ordinary weapons would prove ineffective, only scraping the surface of the stone and potentially damaging the wielder's own blade.

Fortunately, the witchers of the past had thoroughly studied this monster. The weaknesses of the Gargoyle were recorded in detail in the books of kaer mohren that he had learned. In addition to targeting the fragile joints, these creatures were also vulnerable to the witcher's silver sword.

Although the effect of cutting them with a silver sword is not as clean as cutting through flesh and blood, as long as enough damage accumulates, they can still be killed.

In addition, this kind of monster is also afraid of anti-magic bombs. When they are covered by the dust of anti-magic bombs, they will lose control because the magical power in their bodies is blocked.

Thinking of the records in the books, these monsters have thick skin and infinite strength, their movements are quite slow, and they are not invincible enemies. Wayne exhaled lightly, picked up the silver sword that Geralt had lent him, placed a strengthened version of the Quen shield on himself, and then laid a huge Yrden magic trap on the ground anticipating the gargoyle's attack.

The gargoyle that fell to the ground stood there dumbfounded. It seems that, due to not being activated for thousands of years, the internal program of the gargoyle appeared slow or hindered. It stood there for more than ten seconds, until Wayne almost couldn't bear it and took the lead in attacking. This huge fat guy wobbled towards Wayne.

As Wayne engaged in combat, he discovered that this stone monster was not as difficult to deal with as he imagined. Because the reaction speed of this gargoyle is too slow. With his own abilities and system enhancements, Wayne's swordsmanship is comparable to that of a cat school assassin master. He can easily roll over and jump behind the gargoyle to avoid the monster's powerful attack. Often when the gargoyle turns around to face Wayne with difficulty, its back joints have already been attacked several times.

As the two faced each other, Wayne skillfully executed several acrobatic rolls to evade the gargoyle's slaps and tramples. After successfully dodging the attacks, he swiftly circled around the gargoyle's back to exploit its vulnerable points. On the seventh attempt, Wayne used his silver sword to slash continuously at the gargoyle's back joints.

Unable to withstand the onslaught, the colossal gargoyle finally succumbed. Its limbs, neck, and torso, resembling a structure of building blocks, were reduced to scattered parts strewn across the ground.

Among the shattered remnants of the gargoyle, a fist-sized, red and green crystal-like object caught Wayne's attention. It was the heart of the gargoyle, a magic item that served as the power source for the stone statue.

While not incredibly valuable, the heart of the gargoyle could fetch a decent price if traded with scholars or mages interested in magical artifacts. It could provide enough funds for ordinary people to sustain themselves for several months. Wayne picked up the crystal with a thoughtful expression, considering its potential value in future transactions.