180. As You Wish.
"Whew~"
After sending everyone else away, Allen let out a long breath.
"Now, only the final battle remains!"
The witcher glanced towards the direction of the city gate. The illusions of the guards had long since vanished, leaving behind only an empty gateway.
Hmm?
The witcher noticed something seemed off.
"Sadia has already left, so why hasn't the illusion disappeared?"
Allen was puzzled. But before he could dwell on the question, something happened.
Buzz~
Allen's chest suddenly trembled.
At the same time, a strange sensation surged in his mind.
Hmm?
It was the Mirage Pearl!
The Mirage Pearl had suddenly initiated a connection request on its own. Once connected, an anxious, urgent emotion immediately flowed into him, guiding him toward the fountain illusion.
"What's going on?"
Allen was confused.
He had already passed by this fountain twice before, and nothing unusual had happened. So why was the Mirage Pearl reacting only now, after everyone had left?
What exactly was the Pearl so desperate for?
With curiosity growing, the witcher continued to approach.
Whoosh whoosh~
The sound of the fountain's flowing water grew louder, and the excited emotions transmitted by the Pearl intensified, like a thirsty traveler who had just spotted an oasis in the desert.
When Allen reached the fountain.
Buzz~
The Mirage Pearl in his chest began vibrating and floated up into the air. Allen was surprised. This was the first time he had seen the Pearl levitate on its own.
The next second...
Whoosh!
A shadow flashed before the witcher's eyes.
The Mirage Pearl, moving at a speed even the witcher couldn't track, darted to the top of the fountain, where it stuck itself firmly to a seemingly ordinary marble sphere. Simultaneously, the connection in Allen's mind weakened, until it was reduced to a mere thread, barely holding together.
Had the Pearl not been so eager earlier, Allen might have panicked by now.
"What is this?"
Feeling a bit uneasy, the witcher cast an identification spell on the marble sphere.
[Name: Dead Mirage Pearl]
[Type: Consumable]
[Function: Creates illusions.]
[Note: Even Mirage Pearls differ from one another, but the biggest difference lies in the owner!]
A dead Mirage Pearl?
So, this was why the illusion remained after Sadia left?
"That's... incredibly powerful."
The witcher marveled at the vivid, lifelike scenery around him.
Wait...
If this dead Mirage Pearl provided the illusion's power, then what about Sadia...?
Allen recalled that Sadia had only demonstrated illusion creation, telepathy, and mind-reading in front of him.
Could it be...
Sadia hadn't just lost her ability to create portals; perhaps she had lost all of her magical abilities. Everything she had shown might have been performed using magical tools instead.
But still...
Allen looked around.
This lifelike castle illusion had stood here for nearly a decade, right?
Could such a magical tool still be considered a consumable?
It seemed absurd to him. Yet it also filled him with a sense of anticipation.
After absorbing this dead Mirage Pearl, how much stronger would his own Mirage Pearl become?
Would it eventually grow powerful enough to simulate a lifelike human city, or perhaps even an entire country?
As Allen pondered the possibilities, he glanced at the Pearl's note and let out a light snort, making no comment. About half an hour later, the thin connection to the Mirage Pearl gradually strengthened. Then...
The Pearl wobbled, like a drunk person, floating back from the fountain. The witcher caught it and hung it around his neck. Before he could explore the changes in the Pearl, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and the Pearl fell into a deep sleep.
Huh?
It's taking a break already?
Good thing Francesca had given him the magical item "Nightshade" that could make him invisible. Otherwise, without the Mirage Pearl's illusions to conceal him, he would have been at a loss for how to escape this place. Allen patted his chest lightly, relieved.
But why hasn't the illusion disappeared yet?
The witcher looked up.
Just then, the fountain flickered for a moment.
"Huh!"
Allen exclaimed softly.
A small image of the town of White Orchard appeared in his mind. A thin white trail extended from the town, linking into the Mirage Pearl's connection. A stream of information flowed in. Allen realized he had gained control over the illusion for an entire day. After one day, the illusion would naturally dissipate.
"Live well, witcher!"
Sadia's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Allen froze for a moment.
So, as expected...
The dead Mirage Pearl was something Sadia had left for him. No wonder it had only reacted after she had gone.
A dead Mirage Pearl, Francesca's mother, Lady Vera's... enemy?
What kind of person was Sadia, really?
Allen sighed deeply.
Pushing aside the unsolved mysteries of Sadia, the witcher remained silent for a moment, then began experimenting with different controls over the illusion, taking almost half an hour to familiarize himself with it.
Using the vision of White Orchard, he could make certain adjustments within the illusion's boundaries. He could locate foreign objects within the illusion. He could subtly influence the emotions of living creatures within the illusion.
"With this dead Mirage Pearl, I have so many more options..."
"Perhaps..."
The witcher raised his head, as if peering through the layers of rock and the illusion, toward the heavily guarded military camp above.
"Perhaps there's more I can do than just escape..."
------------------
Abandoned Mine Camp.
Elite guards, armed with long spears, tightly surrounded a lavish tent.
The King of Kaedwen, Henselt, had just arrived at the camp and was secretly meeting with the leader of the Cat School, Treyse.
"You're here, Treyse."
"I've got heaps of silver coins ready, just waiting for you to take them."
Henselt boisterously slapped the table, signaling for Treyse to sit.
"Tell me, how many wolf pups have you killed? Once we settle this account, we'll discuss the next big deal."
Henselt, knowing that the Cat School witchers only cared about money, gave a nod to the servant nearby.
Jingle~
A finely decorated pouch filled with coins was gently placed on the table. Treyse sat down but kept his gaze fixed on the king's expression rather than the pouch of money. Noticing that Henselt truly seemed unaware of the strength of the Wolf School Witchers who participated in the apprentice combat tournament, Treyse finally spoke: "The mission failed."
"Failed?" Henselt's face twitched, his thick eyebrows curling like caterpillars.
"What do you mean by failed?"
Henselt repeated in a low voice.
"The intel you provided was incorrect. There wasn't just one Witcher Master from the Wolf School. I sent five elite Cat School Witchers, and only three returned alive."
Treyse stared intently at Henselt. The palpable killing intent in his eyes was almost tangible. The cloudy, dark-yellow cat eyes made the King of Kaedwen shift uncomfortably in his obese body. But then, seemingly realizing that his discomfort made him appear afraid of the freak in front of him, he—
Slap!
Henselt slammed his right hand onto the oak table.
"What do you mean! You think I deliberately gave you wrong information, so you'd walk into a death trap?"
Shing!
Instantly, the guards inside the tent drew their gleaming swords, staring down Treyse. The atmosphere in the tent became heavy. Faced with the intimidating blades, the seated Witcher remained as steady as a mountain, not moving an inch. After a few moments of silence, Treyse spoke: "Fredeca, Brett, Brehen, Bendo..."
"Fredeca and Brett are dead. Brehen and Bendo made it back, but they're seriously injured..."
Made it back, but seriously injured...
Treyse's words seemed contradictory and confusing. However, Henselt was stunned for a moment when he heard this. He looked at Treyse's expressionless face and seemed to realize something.
"Brehen, Bendo, Fredeca..."
He muttered the names a few times as if trying to recall.
A servant stepped forward and whispered in the king's ear: "Your Majesty, Brehen and Bendo are the Witchers who killed many guards in the royal city a few days ago."
"And Fredeca... He's the most infamous madman from the Cat School, known for his love of torture and murder. We've handled many issues for him to support the Cat School in their rivalry with the Wolf School..."
Henselt waved his hand, and the servant respectfully withdrew.
Shing!
The guards simultaneously sheathed their swords. Henselt squinted, carefully observing the leader of the Cat School seated before him. After a few seconds, he suddenly asked: "Are you sure Brehen and Bendo won't survive?"
Treyse nodded expressionlessly.
Seeing this, Henselt grew serious.
"Is it worth it, Treyse?"
"If I recall correctly, there are only about a dozen Witchers left in the Cat School, and now you've lost four more at once..."
Treyse interrupted: "What are a few bad apples who only tarnish the reputation of the school compared to its survival? Besides..."
He paused for a moment and sighed: "If things continue like this, once the Wolf School is dealt with, won't we be next?"
"That's not going to happen..." Henselt was startled, about to explain.
Treyse stared into his eyes: "Your Majesty, unlike the other lofty Witcher Schools..."
"Our Cat School was born in the streets, doing the dirty work for nobles and officials. Some information inevitably reaches our wildcats' ears."
Henselt remained silent for a long time before finally meeting the unsettling gaze of those cat-like eyes. "What do you want?"
"The survival of my school, nothing more," Treyse replied.
"Alright, but just those four Witchers alone... That's not enough. After the combat tournament, only three Cat School Witchers can remain..."
"And I want all of your mutation formulas and training methods."
Treyse was silent for a moment before shaking his head: "Your Majesty, you know I can't agree to that."
"I can give you the training methods, but the mutation formulas... No."
Henselt frowned at him for a few seconds before bursting into a hearty laugh: "Alright, but both you and your school must swear fealty to me and serve the kingdom."
"Of course." Treyse nodded.
Smack!
Henselt tossed a large money bag onto the table, which Treyse caught.
"This is compensation for the fallen Witchers. As long as you serve me well, I might even grant you a baron's title in the future."
Treyse looked at the money bag in his hand, his face devoid of emotion.
In his cloudy, dark-yellow cat eyes, a flicker of something unreadable passed.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." He bowed low, offering a gesture of loyalty he had long since mastered.
"Hahaha, very good." Henselt laughed heartily, "Treyse, now listen carefully to your first task..."
"Tonight, kill the Wolf School's Grandmaster—Sol Henrietta!"
------------------
Before Treyse could respond, a commotion suddenly came from outside the tent.
"What's going on?" Henselt frowned.
Immediately, one of the royal guards left the tent to investigate. Moments later, the guard returned, looking troubled as he whispered something into the king's ear.
"What!"
"Another three squads of soldiers dead!"
Henselt slammed the table in anger, cursing: "What the hell is Jaquel doing? Didn't he tell me those monsters were almost depleted? What's going on now?"
The guard was at a loss for words.
Caught between his direct superior and the superior of his superior, he could only tremble as he tried to explain: "Your Majesty, I just asked. Those rock trolls have indeed been worn down for the past four days."
"But in this last attack, the monsters seemed almost enchanted, suddenly becoming incredibly fierce. The soldiers holding the Unbreakable Shields in the front couldn't hold them off, and the line was breached..."
Henselt's expression darkened.
"So... they even lost the Unbreakable Shields?"
The guard faltered.
"Wait..." Henselt's eyes shifted. "You said the rock trolls suddenly became fiercer?"
The guard didn't know why the king repeated the question. After a two-second pause, he nodded: "That's what Vice-Captain Jaquel said after returning from the front."
Henselt nodded, suddenly calming down: "Alright, that's the end of it. Go summon Grandmaster Sol to deal with those monsters."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The guard was about to leave the tent.
"Wait..." Henselt called back the knight who had one foot outside the tent.
The guard turned around.
"Keep an eye on whether that female sorceress follows the Grandmaster. Report back to me."
Once the guard left, Henselt turned to Treyse again: "Your first task is to kill the Grandmaster while they're dealing with those monsters."
After a brief pause, he added: "If the female sorceress goes along, and you manage to kill her too..."
"I'll allow the Cat School to keep three more Witchers, and in a month, I'll knight you as a baron..."
Treyse listened, his murky cat eyes inscrutable. After a long pause, a raspy voice finally emerged: "As you wish."
"My king."
....…
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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181. The Unbreakable Shield.
182. Vera is Here.
183. The Strange Male Sorcerer.
184. Kreve or Melitele?
185. Conjunction of the Spheres—Earth?