[Monster group "Humans" LV16 defeated!]
[Reward Evaluation: Victory, Base Rating D, Outnumbered +3—C, Overpowering the Weak -9—F]
[Final Rating: F]
[Loot: None]
"So, humans are considered monsters too?"
Sneaking out of the ravine checkpoint where the abandoned mine was located, Allen noticed that the guards were no longer in sight. As he did so, a familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
At this point, it had been at least three hours since Allen had assassinated the Kaedwen soldier using the unbreakable shield spell with an ice spear curse. It had been long enough that Allen assumed humans weren't part of the hunting range of the Witcher Journal. However, it turned out that the Witcher Journal simply hadn't responded right away because it had a unique way of determining whether humans were still in combat.
With this thought lingering in his mind, Allen paid little attention to the dismal evaluation of the rewards. What caught his attention instead was the new task that appeared afterward.
[Ding! Hunting Task: Humans I (Kill humans 0/1000) has been activated. Would you like to accept it?]
[Task Reward: Conjunction of the Spheres—Humans]
Looking at this newly issued task, Allen felt a swirl of emotions.
The humans of the Witcher world came to this place through the Conjunction of the Spheres. In the original story, there were many hints suggesting that these humans originated from a world similar to Allen's, or at least a parallel version of it—if the concept of parallel worlds even existed here.
So...
"Do I have a chance to go home?"
Allen thought.
Yet, as soon as the idea passed through his mind, he realized he wasn't particularly eager to return. No parents, no wife, no children. Born an orphan, he had no real attachments in that world. His so-called friends were just drinking buddies, barely close.
The only thing he cared about from that world was the mascot that had handed him a cup of milk tea, leading to his crossing into this one.
Here, however...
Vera, Vesemir, Mary, Hughes, Bond, Fred...
He had companions and mentors with whom he could trust his life. People who cared about him, and people he cared about. Even though the world of the Witchers was far more dangerous than the one he came from, and the School of the Wolf was under the scrutiny of kings and sorcerers, teetering on the edge of collapse, Allen had no desire to escape this world.
Kaer Morhen had become his home.
Lost in thought under the serene moonlight, Allen eventually stowed away the Witcher Journal.
"No point in thinking about it!"
Going home seemed like a distant prospect anyway, and collecting a thousand kills was no easy feat. After all, he had his principles, and he wouldn't commit senseless slaughter just for the Conjunction of the Spheres.
"One step at a time."
Allen sighed. Then, he kept moving forward.
---------------
After leaving the abandoned mine, Allen rushed back to the Orchard. After reporting his safety to Vesemir and Hughes, he mounted his horse, "Carrot," and rode off again, following the black elemental points in the path of the Wolf's medallion towards the two hidden elves.
Francesca was still quite young. Though her magical talent was exceptional, her teleportation range likely couldn't compare to that of an experienced sorceress. So, soon enough, Allen arrived at a small, abandoned cabin in the woods.
This cabin was probably built by a hunter from a nearby village long ago. It sat beside a small lake, and just a hundred meters in front of it lay a well-worn path through the forest, trampled by traders and horses. Such a frequented area was relatively safe. Drowners, ghouls, and wraiths didn't appear often here. And with the cabin nestled in a low area, hidden among trees and shrubs, it was hard to find unless you knew where to look.
"Francesca chose a good hiding spot," Allen thought.
The sound of hooves seemed to have startled someone inside the cabin. The flickering firelight in the window swayed, and then a small head peeked out from the window.
"A Witcher with two swords on his back, just like Granny Asha described."
"Go get Sister Lysa..."
A childish voice called from within the cabin.
Hmm?
Neither Francesca nor Sadia were here?
Allen was confused. The end point of the black elemental trail was in that cabin, after all.
"Right!" Allen suddenly realized that those black elements had always been destined for the man named Hode, not Sadia.
"Did Francesca figure out my hint?"
"Is she currently in some hidden corner, confronting her mother Sadia?"
With this thought, the Witcher dismounted. To avoid being misunderstood, he didn't approach the cabin any further. Instead, he stood about ten meters away, just outside the fence.
Soon enough...
Creak...
The door to the abandoned cabin opened. Lysa, daughter of Viscount Hudson, emerged, holding a torch.
"Come with me, Witcher."
Lysa's face was expressionless. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and began walking towards the small lake. Knowing Lysa's background, the Witcher didn't mind her cold attitude. He tethered "Carrot" to a nearby tree and followed her.
"Where are we going?"
"To find Sadia."
"Is it safe to leave Hode and the children behind?" Allen glanced at the cabin.
The small heads in the window shrank back as soon as they felt Allen's gaze. A moment later, rows of shining little eyes peeked out again. Lysa turned her head at his words, giving Allen a complicated look.
"It's fine. I won't be long. As for Uncle Hode..."
She hesitated, her face showing a sad expression.
"He... he's already left us."
Hmm?
Allen froze.
"Left" as in... died?
Seeing the expression on her face, Allen felt a slight pang in his heart. From what he had seen of Hod in the illusion, the man had indeed looked deathly ill.
But...
"How could it happen so quickly?"
"Didn't he already take the Verdant Sigh?"
Allen had a decent impression of Hode, though it wasn't strong enough to make him grieve. What concerned him more was whether he would still receive his reward from Ida Emean. The elf's task had been to escort a human couple out of Kaedwen, but now Hod was dead, leaving only Sadia.
Would he still get his compensation?
With that thought, Allen sighed inwardly. Life and death were beyond his control—he would have to take things as they came and hope that the elf would be reasonable.
"I'm sorry."
Allen said softly.
Lysa shook her head and continued walking.
"It wasn't your fault. We all know the real culprit is Henselt. Even if you hadn't come, Uncle Hod didn't have much time left."
Allen remained silent. After all, these were strangers to him, and he didn't know what to say in such situations. He simply followed Lysa's lead.
Still...
If Hode had already passed away, why were the black elements leading him to the cabin?
As he walked, Allen pondered. It felt like he had overlooked something important, but he couldn't quite figure out what.
Until...
"Ah!"
A scream echoed from deep within the forest not far away.
"That's Sadia's voice!"
Lysa exclaimed in shock, immediately trying to rush over, but someone grabbed her arm.
"You hurry back and take care of the children. I'll deal with Sadia."
"But…"
Allen shook his head seriously, cutting Lysa off.
Then—
Clang!
The silver sword was unsheathed.
Interrupted, Lysa paused, glanced at the silver sword gleaming coldly under the moonlight, and bit her lip as if unwilling, but then she ran towards the cabin. Seeing Lysa obediently leave, Allen immediately dashed in the direction of the scream.
Whoosh whoosh~
The night wind whistled past his ears. Allen quickly retrieved the last bottle of Cat's Eye potion from his reagent pouch. The moon was bright tonight. Even without the aid of firelight, a witcher could navigate normally. However, fighting was a different story. A single misstep could cost one their life.
"Good thing Francesca lent me the 'Night', or even this last bottle of Cat's Eye might have been used up."
To be on the safe side, Allen took out the 'Night' and equipped it.
This magical artifact, or rather "Night," also granted some degree of night vision, though it wasn't as good as the Cat's Eye potion. In comparison, the clarity of vision when using the Cat's Eye potion was at least three times better than with "Night."
Once fully equipped and after downing the potion, Allen accelerated. He passed through the grassy lakeside, then maneuvered around several dense willows. Francesca and Sadia immediately appeared amidst the thick weeds.
Seeing the large shadow looming beside them, Allen finally realized what he had forgotten.
In the abandoned castle of Viscount Hudson, the wraith could take physical form during the day because of that unknown black element.
Now...
Though the source of that element was still unclear, after spending so many years tied to it, how could there be no change after Hode's death?
"...Lord Hudson...Lord Hudson..."
"...Henselt...Tyrant...Despot..."
The furious roar, like a hurricane, blasted out from the shadow in front of Sadia, filled with deep resentment and rage. The nearby trees swayed violently under the force. Beneath the shadow's feet was a freshly dug grave. Perhaps Allen had arrived just in time. The monster, its features obscured, seemed to have only just formed and hadn't yet attacked Francesca or Sadia.
Sadia still appeared as her old, frail self. She seemed entranced, shouting Hode's name, desperately trying to approach the terrifying shadow. Thankfully, Francesca held her back.
"Enid, knock Granny Sadia out and get her out of here!"
Seeing the situation clearly, Allen immediately shouted to Francesca.
"Allen!"
Francesca's eyes lit up upon noticing the witcher. Following his instructions, she unhesitatingly struck the side of Sadia's neck with her right hand. Sadia's body instantly went limp, and Francesca began dragging her away from the monster.
"Allen, we had just buried that dead man, and this creature suddenly appeared…"
Francesca explained while pulling Sadia away. Allen nodded, quickly analyzing the shadow still roaring in fury.
[Name: Greater Wraith (Hode)]
[Level: 56]
[Attributes: Strength 29, Agility 29, Constitution ?, Perception 29, Mystery ?]
"Just as I thought, it's a wraith formed after Hode's death."
Its level was higher than his, but its displayed attributes were clearly inferior to Allen's. As for its constitution and mystery...
Allen's mind worked quickly. He immediately retrieved Specter Oil from his reagent pouch and coated his silver sword with the faint blue glow. No matter the differences between a greater wraith and an ordinary wraith, using Specter Oil on Elsa was never a mistake. And since there was only one monster...
"Take care of Granny Sadia!"
Leaving those instructions behind, Allen took advantage of the greater wraith's moment of distraction and charged towards it, still enraged by the suffering it endured in life.
[Monster Hunt]
Sizzle!
The silver sword sliced into the black spirit, like a red-hot iron plunging into ice water. The contact point bubbled and steamed.
[Monster hunt] progress: 6%
"Roar!"
The greater wraith howled in agony, its spiritual form twisting in pain. The witcher stepped back, dodging the wraith's frenzied, instinctive swings. As expected of a greater wraith!
Allen thought to himself.
In his Monster hunt state, a regular wraith would have its progress bar fully charged after a single hit. But here, with a greater wraith, a single strike only yielded 6%. Quickly dispatching the monster was clearly not an option.
Allen's eyes shifted, and he swiftly changed his strategy to handle the greater wraith.
He crouched.
Placing his right hand on the ground beneath the wraith.
Immediately, magical energy flowed from the mutated organ near his heart, down his right arm, and through the magical channels in his fingers, forming a structured flow into the ground. In the blink of an eye, a magic circle glowing with a faint mysterious purple light emerged from the ground. Around the circle, hourglass-shaped runes flickered continuously.
Yrden Sign!
"Allen, watch out!"
Just as the magic trap was completed, Francesca's terrified shout came from behind. At the same moment, Allen suddenly felt a gust of wind above his head. He rolled to avoid the attack.
"Huh?"
After his roll, Allen was surprised.
Just seconds ago, the greater wraith's hands had been empty, but now a shimmering, ghostly long sword was clutched in its hands. This sword was at least twice as long as Elsa.
Where did that sword come from?
The witcher was puzzled. Moreover, the wraith, previously a long strip of dense black mist, had now condensed and become much clearer.
Unlike regular wraiths, which hovered with one hand holding a lantern and the other gripping a weapon, this greater wraith was about three meters tall and resembled a human warrior. Both hands gripped a ridiculously long sword, and its feet, emitting thick black smoke, seemed solid as they pressed into the ground. Like a warrior charging into battle, it rushed at Allen with ferocity.
"Roar!"
"Kill Henselt!"
"Kill the tyrant!"
"Kill the despot!"
Thanks to the Yrden Sign's slowing effect and the fact that the greater wraith's strength and agility were slightly inferior to Allen's, the witcher could handle its attacks with some ease. However, there was one thing Allen found strange.
If he remembered correctly, wasn't Hode a knight?
So why did he now resemble a Skellige berserker?
And furthermore...
You want to kill Henselt, so why are you swinging your sword at me?
....…
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
186. Chamomile of the Blooming Moon.
187. Sadia and the Child of Miracles.
188. Gate of Ard Gaeth.
189. Witcher Master Allen.
190. Spatial Skills.