236. Set a Small Goal First!
After using the heart essence of the archgriffin. The icy liquid slid down his throat, and as it passed through the esophagus, it was instantly absorbed.
A cool sensation spread from his throat throughout his body in an instant. Then, the next second.
Allen flew up!
"No, this can't really be called flying…"
Allen closed his eyes, carefully sensing the changes within his body brought on by the heart essence.
"This... feels more like floating. Something is counteracting my body's gravity…"
But before he could continue to feel it, a heavy pressure began to build under his feet. Once the heart essence of the archgriffin was fully absorbed, he landed.
"If only I had a bit more time…"
Allen let out a soft sigh, feeling a sense of loss. He felt as if he had grasped something, but it still needed a little more to take shape.
"I need to find the archgriffin's whereabouts if I get the chance," Allen thought. Then, he began to sense the changes in his body. The moment he moved,
"Crack~ Crack~ Crack~"
His bones creaked with the movement of his limbs, and every single cell in his body felt unprecedentedly comfortable. Even his pores seemed to be breathing.
Not only that. The fatigue from a day of toil had vanished, and his mind was clearer than ever. Under the flickering candlelight, Dust danced in the air.
In the garden, spring insects were turning the soil, and squirrels were sleeping soundly, grinding their teeth. The heart essence of the archgriffin had definitely enhanced his primary attribute of perception!
Allen understood this in his heart. He opened the Witcher Jornal with his mind.
[Name: Allen]
[Age: 14]
[Title: Child of Miracles]
[Level: 45]
[Health: 100%, Stamina: 550/550, Mana: 570/570]
[Attributes: Strength 48 (+6), Agility 42 (+5), Constitution 55 (+8), Perception 47 (+12), Mysticism 57 (+4)]
[Affinity: Water 11 (Mana Source: Water 1%), Earth 5, Wind 5 (+5), Space 2]
Wow!
As expected!
Perception had increased by 12 points, making it the attribute with the highest boost. Total attributes had even increased by 35 points!
What delighted Allen even more was the affinity. The newly added wind attribute affinity immediately appeared on the list, surpassing the space attribute and tying with the earth affinity.
Now,
For the four basic elements of chaotic magic—earth, fire, wind, and water—he only lacked fire affinity. But to be honest, the fire attribute, being the most violent and difficult to control among chaotic elements, Made fire-affinity monsters the rarest in the world.
It might be quite challenging to increase his fire affinity...
However, a total of twenty-three points of affinity...
Closing his eyes, he linked with the wolf emblem.
Upon internal observation, Allen's bones now shone with colorful magical light.
Even faint blue light points occasionally swam through his muscles, blending with the wisps of red flesh.
"I'm really becoming more and more like a monster!"
Allen opened his eyes and exclaimed.
-----------
Morning.
Accompanied by the pleasant sound of birds chirping, Allen awakened from his meditation.
"Creak~"
As Allen opened the door to his room, Vesemir's door happened to open at the same time. This was no coincidence; it was the result of training. A witcher's meditation can be timed, and with daily practice, its precision would improve day by day.
Comparable to a clock.
Of course.
In this magical medieval world where one need not work, this little detail was actually of little significance to witchers. Vesemir quietly closed his door and, after glancing at Allen with satisfaction, suddenly froze. He furrowed his brow and approached, hesitatingly asking, "Allen... Have you... changed?"
"I feel like... you seem different from yesterday..."
A witcher's perception is keen. Whether in terms of scent, physique, or the vaguely indescribable aura, everything felt different.
Allen had grown stronger.
Vesemir trusted his intuition, but rationality told him that such drastic changes overnight were impossible. Allen smiled and said, "I had some insights after fighting the archgriffin…"
What kind of insight could lead to such strength?
Vesemir felt a bit skeptical.
But this was a good thing; seeing that Allen didn't want to elaborate, Vesemir chose to respect his privacy.
He glanced at the closed door by the window and changed the subject: "Has Mary not gotten up yet?"
"No," Allen said as he grabbed some fresh clothes, heading toward the bathroom. "She stayed up late preparing potions yesterday..."
Vesemir nodded upon hearing this: "Let her sleep a little longer; once she wakes up, we'll set off."
"Clay and Yennefer are still asleep too..."
After a pause, Vesemir curiously asked, "Allen, do you really think Yennefer has the talent of a sorceress?"
As Allen opened the bathroom door, he turned his head and said, "She should have it, and I have a feeling her talent might not be bad."
"That's quite a big gain..."
After expressing his amazement, Vesemir noticed that Allen was still at the bathroom door, and waved his hand: "Alright, go take a shower."
Allen nodded slightly, and just as he was about to close the door, he suddenly thought of something.
With a mental command, he assessed Vesemir.
[Name: Vesemir]
[Attributes: Strength 53 (+7), Agility 57, Constitution 69 (+4), Perception 70, Mysticism 42 (+1)]
No wonder Vesemir was impressive.
Compared to when Allen had just crossed over.
Aside from the seven-point increase in strength and the four-point increase in constitution due to the heart essences of the drowner and ghoul, his mysticism had actually grown by a point in just under half a year.
However.
Although he was still somewhat inferior to Vesemir in strength, agility, constitution, and perception, the gap was no longer as large as it had been at the beginning. Especially in terms of strength; if it weren't for the heart essences of the drowner and ghoul, Allen's strength attribute would have surpassed Vesemir's as well.
"First, set a small goal: surpass Vesemir in attributes!"
A smile curled at the corners of Allen's mouth as he glanced at Vesemir's back before shutting the bathroom door.
Three hours later.
At the entrance of the inn.
"Master Vesemir, Master Allen, are you... leaving already?"
The innkeeper, Jacob, looked at the three who were leading their horses out, astonished, and asked with some concern: "Is there something wrong with my establishment?"
"We are very satisfied here," Vesemir smiled and shook his head, "I haven't stayed in such a comfortable inn in a long time, but we have important matters to attend to, so we can't stay here and continue to enjoy."
Jacob's expression changed slightly, just as he was about to speak.
At that moment,
"Clip-clop~"
Terek rode over from a distance.
"Master Allen, Master Vesemir, and Miss Margarita, are you preparing to leave?" Terek dismounted and smiled at Allen.
His expression was clearly much more relaxed than yesterday, probably thanks to the effects of the Verdant Sigh. Because Terek was looking at Allen, Vesemir didn't rush to respond. Allen nodded and said, "Yes, we're preparing to leave Vengerburg now!"
"Then let me see you off!" Terek said.
Without waiting for Allen and the others to refuse, he led the way toward the city gate.
After exchanging glances with Vesemir, they could only nod to Jacob and then follow behind. Jacob smiled warmly and graciously saw them off. However, as the figures of the few gradually faded away, he frowned slightly, murmuring, "They didn't seem to have anything urgent to do yesterday… Why are they in such a hurry today?"
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When they first entered Vengerburg yesterday, they hadn't paid much attention. Now, riding along the street, Allen could distinctly feel a lot more vigilant gazes coming from all directions. The focus of these gazes was mostly on the twin swords at his back. Additionally, there seemed to be a lot more patrolling guards on the streets than yesterday.
Occasionally, they would catch some mercenaries carrying weapons, many of whom were confusedly taken away. Several city guards even attempted to question Allen and Vesemir when they saw them…
But these soldiers, dressed in simple leather armor and wielding long spears, hurriedly saluted when they saw Terek, who was clad in majestic golden armor. Then they ignored them.
Seeing Allen and Vesemir's solemn expressions, Terek quietly explained, "Last night, the king ordered the entire city to go on lockdown."
"He also secretly instructed the city guards to find excuses to lock up all the mercenary warriors wandering around with weapons…"
"Of course, those without backgrounds…"
"When the war starts, they will fight on the front lines for Aedirn!"
"So…" Vesemir joked, "Are we those mercenaries with backgrounds?"
"No!" Terek chuckled and looked gratefully at Allen, saying, "You are my friends, the most cherished friends of the Quenn family."
Terek's tone was sincere, so serious that even Vesemir, who had just made a joke, felt a bit awkward.
"How is your father's health?" Allen helped Vesemir change the topic.
Terek nodded vigorously and smiled, "The blood-red fox is indeed deserving of its name. Old Quenn, after drinking the Verdant Sigh, immediately turned rosy after coughing up a pool of blood."
"This morning, he was even able to join me for morning exercises…"
"That's great!" Allen nodded.
He was very willing to assist in such matters. Moreover, he still had two bottles of Verdant Sigh, and Terek not only purchased them at a high price but also owed Allen a big favor.
Although he hadn't inquired about Terek's family background, one could infer that sitting as the vice-captain of the Royal Knights meant his family was at least a count, and he had a close relationship with the king, enabling him to know a lot of inside information.
Just look, it's coming in handy now, isn't it?
Of course, given Allen and Vesemir's status as master witchers, even if they were caught by the city guards, they wouldn't end up like those mercenary warriors without backgrounds, forced onto the battlefield.
Even ordinary witchers wouldn't be treated that way.
Unless the king of Aedirn had gone mad and didn't care about the royal family's and his own reputation. However, even so, with Terek leading the way, Allen and his party could avoid quite a bit of trouble. Moreover, Aedirn might not forcibly send them to war, but given the current situation, they probably wouldn't let them leave Vengerburg easily either.
At that moment, they passed by a tavern. Once again, a drunken mercenary was caught.
"However, do you really dare to use soldiers caught like that?" Mary curiously asked.
Terek fell silent for a few seconds and sighed, "This is unavoidable."
"The current king has been in power for five years, fighting against the Gluttonous King of Kaedwen for five years…"
"Although the intensity has not been high, Aedirn is small and cannot match Kaedwen in terms of population…"
"So…"
"Even though we know this carries risks, we have no choice but to do it…"
"Have you ever thought of not going to war?" Vesemir interjected casually.
"Impossible!" Terek's eyes surged with anger, "The former king died on the battlefield from an arrow."
"My father has suffered from hidden injuries from Kaedwen; if it weren't for Master Allen, he would be unable to seek life or death."
"My two biological brothers didn't fare any better than my father…"
"They both died on the battlefield."
"And not only the king and our family…"
"Because of Henselt, countless noble heirs of Aedirn have died…"
"This kind of hatred can only be washed away with the enemy's blood!"
Vesemir sensed the anger in Terek's words. It felt as if he could hear the horn of the entire Vengerburg city sounding…
So he didn't say anything more.
He knew…
This war was unavoidable.
--------------
Riding to the city gate, they found a long line already formed there, with sharp-nosed merchants, farmers selling crops between cities, and even some beautifully decorated carriages emblazoned with family crests…
The soldiers at the city gate were inspecting particularly rigorously, with nobles of lower ranks unable to pass through. However, with Terek negotiating, Allen and the others didn't have to wait long and were released among the envious gazes of the crowd.
Afterward, despite Allen's refusal, Terek accompanied them all the way to the outskirts, stopping only when they could barely see the towering Vengerburg.
"I'll stop here, Master Allen!" Terek glanced at the sparsely populated road, nodding to Allen, Vesemir, and Mary.
"Thank you very much. If it weren't for you, we might not have even reached the city gate before being thrown into prison!" Allen said politely.
Terek smiled and pointed to the shield-shaped family crest on his chest, wrapped with irises, and said earnestly, "Loyalty is the family motto of the Quenn family, whether to our lord or to friends…"
"May Cleve guide your path."
Having said that, Terek pulled the reins and prepared to ride back to Vengerburg.
"Wait!"
Terek turned back, curious, and asked, "What's wrong, Master Allen? Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"Ding ding ding~"
Amidst the sound of clinking bottles, Allen took out five bottles of the Essence of Drowner from his saddlebag and handed them to Terek.
"This is for you. Drinking it can enhance your physique and strength…"
"And finally…"
"Stay alive, Terek!"
Terek was momentarily taken aback but instinctively took the blue potion. After two seconds, he nodded vigorously, "The war won't kill me, Master Allen!"
"When we meet next time, I'll definitely bring you some wine from our family's vineyard…"
"It's not any worse than the wine from toussaint!"
....…
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)
237. The Iron Knight Flying in the Sky and the Ominous Skeleton Soldiers.
238. The Wild Hunt and the Ants.
239. Is There Really Nothing We Can Do?
240. The Wild Hunt's Idea.
241. Family and Heroes?