With a "ding" sound, a series of treasure chests, each adorned with a cloaked wraith emblem, appeared in front of the Witcher. He glanced at the translucent chests and then at the statue of Melitele behind them.
Eleven white lights, three blue, one purple, and one gold.
Uh...
The odds of getting gold weren't too bad this time.
Allen remembered once opening twelve wraith chests and didn't get a single gold item. Still, after opening five ghoul chests and getting five golds, it felt a little underwhelming.
As the items emerged from the chests, the animation for the final gold-quality chest was nothing special, following the typical sword oil formula style.
As expected.
[You obtained: Experience Orbs 11, Emerald Dust 3, Wraith Essence 1, "Enhanced Specter Oil" Sword Oil Formula]
He navigated to his inventory.
[Item Name: Enhanced Specter Oil]
[Type: Sword Oil Formula]
[Crafting Requirement: Alchemy Level 4]
[Formula: Bear Fat 1, Specter Oil 1, Arenaria 1, Essence of Wraith 1, Mistletoe 1, Wolf Liver 1]
[Effect: Apply to weapon to significantly enhance damage against specters]
[Note: You're probably curious what it feels like to hunt a wraith with Enhanced Specter Oil, aren't you?]
Not bad.
Another sword oil formula upgrade. Along with it, the crafting difficulty and cost per bottle increased. But it's just right. If he could find a way to use the Conjunction of the Spheres without being detected by the Wild Hunt...
The one-eyed wraith that had uttered those incomprehensible final words would be his next target. Then again...
The Witcher felt the weight on his back.
If Balmur could function as it did last night, who would need Specter Oil or Enhanced Specter Oil...
Sadly.
It's uncertain if this "prideful" sacred sword would cooperate again when he faces the one-eyed wraith next time. So, having a backup plan is essential.
Using Balmur was easy, but when he observed closely during combat, he noticed that the spectral body of the one-eyed wraith had a durability and resilience tens or even hundreds of times greater than that of a regular wraith.
Even with [Monster Hunt], defeating such a spirit with ordinary Specter Oil and a silver sword would be challenging. It might even require several more [Monster Hunt] upgrades to extend the active time.
"Why am I overthinking this…" The Witcher suddenly chuckled and shook his head. "I don't even have a clue how to block the spatial fluctuations of the Conjunction of the Spheres…"
Sighing, the Witcher opened his inventory again.
[Inventory: One-Eyed wraith Chest 18, wraith Purification Elixir 626...]
The spoils from last night's hunt, now down to the one-eyed wraith chests.
"Praise the Mother of All, the goddess of abundance, harvest, and birth, the eternal maiden, mother, and crone…"
The Witcher murmured a prayer.
The regular wraith chests didn't matter much; even low odds could serve as a warm-up.
However, the Witcher could sense that this one-eyed wraith was unique to the "Conjunction of the Spheres—wraith" realm, unlike how the Drowner King or Bog Nymph were to the "Conjunction of the Spheres—Drowner" realm.
It felt like, while the Drowner King and Bog Nymph were rulers, in the former world, even new hires from the corporate office were called "Managers" by rival companies. But the one-eyed wraith…
Allen had a hunch it was special. Perhaps he would never encounter another creature like it again.
"Give me gold... give me gold..." he muttered nervously.
Initially intending to open them all in one go, he hesitated and then decided to open only half. Being cautious doesn't hurt.
[Ding! One-Eyed wraith Chest 9 opened]
White, white, white.
Three consecutive white lights made Allen's heart clench.
Could his luck be that bad…
he wondered.
Then, two more white lights. The Witcher's expression darkened. Then, a purple light followed by two blue lights.
Allen felt a bit comforted: "Getting a purple one means these nine chests aren't a total loss."
The next moment.
A brilliant gold light shot from the chest, piercing through the one-eyed emblem on the chest's surface as if it cut through the statue room and pierced the clouds.
It hit the jackpot!!!
The Witcher jumped up from the ground in excitement.
Another series of white lights flowed, revealing the contents inside. Then a flash of purple. Allen's vision briefly darkened before he found himself in a vast rainforest. Perhaps because the item was of purple quality, it was silent, as if he was watching a silent color film.
Massive, broad leaves slid slowly past on either side.
The owner of this perspective seemed to be hunting something.
But…
Typically, treasure chests from creatures summoned by the Conjunction of the Spheres contain items related to those creatures.
But here…
The Witcher glanced around.
Although silent, the lush, broad leaves, the rich, dark soil glistening with a hint of oil, and the hidden insects and earthworms in the dirt and underbrush…
This vibrant, life-filled environment didn't seem like a place for spectral creatures to live…
Or…
Was this the world where the one-eyed wraith lived before its death?
Just as the Witcher pondered, the view suddenly shook violently and began to move forward. He could almost imagine the heavy breathing from the trembling perspective.
"This running speed is much faster than mine…" Allen estimated, rubbing his chin.
In the next second.
The sunlight broke through the canopy.
Broadleaf trees blurred past.
A massive creature, resembling a Cretaceous-era velociraptor, appeared in his sight, though only one.
The view quickened.
A thick, green rope was suddenly thrown from the perspective, perfectly ensnaring the dinosaur-like creature.
In one swift motion, the view shifted, and the Witcher found himself on the creature's back. Holding the rope tightly in hand. Amid the beast's wild bucking and struggling, he gradually tightened the noose.
Allen had never seen such a primal and rugged fight.
It felt like he had stepped into an ancient era, where humans first appeared, hunting and taming beasts with primitive tools. But the fight didn't last long. The owner of the viewpoint seemed to be a highly skilled hunter.
The beast fought desperately for freedom, yet the view's owner adjusted his position skillfully with each buck of its back. The noose tightened without resistance, snagging between the beast's darkly mottled scales.
Almost simultaneously, a white light glowed from the ancient green rope. The beast immediately halted, collapsing to the ground. The rich, dark soil splashed up into the sky. Then, with a swift movement, the world flipped upside down.
The owner of the perspective seemed to perform a nimble backflip, landing and slowly approaching the giant beast. The cutscene reached its conclusion at this moment, vanishing from view.
But before he could contemplate the meaning of the cutscene and why a lush rainforest world would be marked as "Celestial Convergence – wraith," such a name completely incongruent with the landscape of that world…
A brilliant golden light flashed by.
"Hiss—Roar—"
Just as the screen dimmed, a familiar furious roar echoed in the witcher's ears.
The next second.
A flash of light suddenly crossed his vision.
When Allen regained clarity from the blinding light, he stood there, stunned by the scene before him. The tropical rainforest was gone.
Broadleaf trees, black soil, insects, and earthworms had all disappeared.
What lay before him was a vast expanse of yellow sand stretching endlessly.
This sight overturned all his previous guesses. The treasure chest opened by the one-eyed wraith might not be as closely linked to the world where the one-eyed wraith existed.
Or there was another possibility.
The loot pool of this treasure chest might include items, knowledge, and skills related to all one-eyed wraiths from various worlds.
"Roar—"
A roaring sound came from beneath him. The witcher turned to the source of the sound.
"Huh~"
The enormous form, dark scales, the hardened, crowned head...
Wasn't this the very "raptor" that was tied down in the last treasure chest cutscene?
The witcher was taken aback.
Before him was a desolate desert, with yellow sands and the sounds of beasts roaring amidst the whistling winds blowing across the dunes.
Allen's mind was spinning.
As he gazed down at the beast beneath him, an even more astonishing realization dawned on him. This beast wasn't just the same type as the one in the previous treasure chest cutscene. It was the exact same beast from the last cutscene.
Allen remembered it vividly.
Due to the immense pressure exerted when the perspective's owner stepped on its back to capture it, a row of scales on its neck had been bent to one side.
While this beast seemed to have grown significantly, with additional hardened keratin patches on its body, the position and curvature of the bent scales hadn't changed much.
It was identical to the last one.
"Hiss—Roar—"
Another roar interrupted the witcher's surprise.
He looked around.
Gathered around the owner of the perspective were beings that resembled the one-eyed wraith in appearance. They had the same single eye and towering physique as the one-eyed giants. But Allen, having dissected "Old Spearhead," could tell these were likely different species.
Besides the difference in eyes—one type had regular round pupils like humans, while the other had slit pupils like a snake—the witcher's keen senses could discern that their bone structure and composition were distinct. Moreover, the corpses of these one-eyed wraiths had a layer of fine snake-like scales covering them.
If Allen had to name them, he would prefer to call them one-eyed serpent giants. Beneath each one-eyed serpent giant rode a beast, some similar to the one Allen sat on, others even more peculiar and strange. They were scattered on either side of the witcher.
There seemed to be nearly a few thousand of them.
They appeared to be preparing for battle.
"But who is the enemy?"
The witcher temporarily set aside his question about why the two treasure chest scenes had such vastly different landscapes and looked into the distance. But in the distance, everything was shrouded.
It looked like a sandstorm was brewing, obscuring everything from view.
So...
"Could the enemy of these one-eyed serpent giants be a natural disaster?"
The witcher shook his head, not buying into that guess.
Not long after.
"Whoosh~whish~"
The fierce wind howled, and the sandstorm approached closer.
"Click-clack~click-clack~"
Sand grains began to strike the bodies of the one-eyed serpent giants and the beasts they rode. But the witcher still couldn't make out what lay ahead.
Just then.
"Hiss—Roar!"
"Allen" suddenly stared into the increasingly dim world ahead and let out an ear-splitting roar.
With that roar.
A bright white light burst from "his" body, rapidly spreading in both directions.
The next second.
Both the one-eyed serpent giants and the beasts they rode swelled in size by at least a fifth. In their cold snake eyes, blood-red lines expanded wildly, turning them into violent crimson.
"Roar—"
Another roar from "Allen."
"Boom boom boom~"
The ground began to quake violently, with sand and dust filling the sky. The massive one-eyed serpent giants, riding their beasts, began to charge forward.
Charging toward the overwhelming "calamity" ahead.
Just watching this scene, the sheer invincibility of it could be felt…
At least the witcher, after a quick assessment, came to a humble conclusion: if he didn't use [Monster Hunt], he wouldn't stand a chance against even one of these one-eyed serpent giants.
And even with [Monster Hunt], victory was uncertain.
Especially after "he" let out that roar.
Yet now.
Although the witcher couldn't understand their roars, he could sense the tragic resolve in them, a spirit ready to fight to the death. It was as if they were charging toward an enemy that could never be defeated. But were compelled to make a desperate attempt for a slim chance of success.
So...
"Who exactly is their enemy?" The witcher clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Then he strained his eyes, refusing to blink even for a second. The bright blue cat-like pupils dilated, gathering the distant light in an attempt to see the end of the dust storm.
The next second.
A bolt of lightning lit up the sandstorm, illuminating a large swarm of towering silhouettes. But before the witcher could clearly see them…
"Crack—"
Thunder rumbled.
Everything in front of him returned to brightness.
Sunlight, holy icons, verdant trees, birdsong, and the scent of flowers…
It was as if he'd just awakened from a fierce dream. The witcher found himself back in the peaceful and serene shrine room.
"Damn it!"
Allen unclenched his fists, only to clench them again and slam them on the ground.
"What… was that?"
The Monster Hunt Chronicle was maddening. How could it interrupt a cutscene like that, right in the middle of opening a treasure chest?
The witcher now felt an itch all over, wanting nothing more than to open the remaining nine one-eyed wraith treasure chests and see what came next.
He had a strong feeling.
That massive shadow hidden within the sandy haze was bound to be of great importance to him. But after a few deep breaths to calm himself, he held back.
After all.
He hadn't even looked at the items the nine treasure chests contained.
"Phew~"
With a long exhale, Allen focused his thoughts and opened the Monster Hunt Chronicle.
"Let's see what kind of stuff you interrupted the cutscene for…"
....
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
285. The Behemoth Snare and Battle Roar of the Cyclopean Clan.
286. Would the Wolf School Like to Move?
287. To Whom Should the White Iris Lance Charge!!!
288. Knight Allen.
289. "How Should I Kill Them?"