225. Want to Enter Stage Two? Have You Asked Me First?

[Name: Margarita Laux Antille]

[Attributes: Strength 11, Agility 9, Constitution 12, Perception 76, Mysticism 81]

[Skills: Magic Training LV7, Aetherial Water Shield LV5, Cat's Agility Spell LV4, Bear's Strength Spell LV4, Fox's Perception Spell LV4, Teleportation LV4, Ice Spear Curse LV4, Karis Hailstorm LV3, Water Control LV3, Feather Fall LV2...]

There's nothing much to say about her attributes—this is a standard fragile mage build. If it weren't for the essence liquid from the drowner's heart, her strength, agility, and constitution would probably not even reach ten.

As for the newly displayed skill panel...

Other than his squad members, this is the first time Allen has used appraisal to see someone else's skills. It seems to be a unique application of his witcher abilities.

While in his witcher state, as long as others don't have a negative attitude toward Allen—in other words, if the intimacy level is high enough—he can appraise their skills.

Not only that...

Just like how Allen was guiding Vesemir to dodge the griffin's attacks, he could also guide Mary in casting spells and dodging moves. Of course, this influence is not like an Axii Sign, controlling someone's mind, but is more akin to giving the person a sense of intuition.

A flash of insight, making them feel that doing a certain action at a specific moment would be the best choice. For example, Vesemir...

He first needed the intention to attack, defend, or dodge. Only then could Allen exert influence, helping him swing his sword, roll, or sidestep at the optimal time...

It couldn't go against his will.

Also, while in the witcher state, Allen couldn't read minds but could vaguely understand the thoughts of those he influenced, establishing a sort of tacit understanding. So it wouldn't lead to a reduction in combat effectiveness due to his intervention.

In battle, this level of influence is incredibly powerful.

Team hunting isn't like solo fighting, nor is it like in a game where there's no friendly fire. Most of the time, poor coordination could be life-threatening. For instance, Mary only cast enhancement spells on Vesemir before the battle began. But once the fight got intense...

She didn't dare cast a single offensive spell, nor even reapply the buffs that had already weakened by half. It was because they hadn't coordinated before.

A simple example:

If Vesemir had already calculated his dodge distance, and then Mary suddenly applied a Cat's Agility buff, it might cause him to fail in evading the griffin's claws. That would be disastrous. But with Allen, it was a different story.

In his Monster Hunt state...

He could serve as a communication bridge between the two, allowing spells to be cast at the right time. Just like now.

"Shriek—"

The griffin, enraged by Vesemir's perfectly timed agile move, spread its wings again, opening its beak, which was bigger than a human's head, and let out a loud screech aimed at the witcher master. The Wolf Medallion trembled, and the wind howled. Allen turned his head and shouted: "Mary!"

"Cat's Agility Spell!"

Allen didn't specify the target for the buff. But Mary, having a flash of insight, instinctively muttered a quick incantation in less than a second and cast the spell on Vesemir. Immediately after...

Just before Vesemir stomped his right foot to dodge, a purple magical glow briefly shimmered over his body. His speed visibly increased.

In that critical moment, Vesemir had no time to think. With perfect timing, he dodged the griffin's wind pressure.

"How did Mary manage to time her spell so well?"

It was as if he had cast it himself!

Vesemir glanced with the corner of his eye at the equally astonished Mary, puzzled. But there was no time for idle thoughts during battle.

After the wind pressure attack, the griffin's beak was clearly in a two-second state of rigidity. This was the perfect opportunity to strike.

Vesemir's eyes focused, pushing all distractions aside, and he quickly spun and gathered his strength.

"If only she could reapply that strength-enhancing spell now..."

Vesemir thought inexplicably.

In the next moment...

In disbelief, he saw a dim yellow magical glow flash. Then, an overwhelming surge of power coursed from his heart to his limbs, and for a moment, he felt like he could wrestle a bear.

"Slash!"

A piercing gleam flashed.

In that moment...

Vesemir felt as if time around him slowed down slightly. His sharp silver sword cleaved through the griffin's magically infused thick hide, slicing through thick, solid muscle, before exiting on the other side.

Blood spurted out.

[Monster Hunt] Progress: 8%

That single slash directly boosted the progress by threefold.

"Shriek—"

The griffin screeched in agony, its massive right claw swiping down, which Vesemir deftly dodged. Unfortunately...

Although the griffin's cry was pitiful, due to its massive size, the wound Vesemir had just inflicted was nothing more than a scratch. It would take much more to bring down this giant beast.

"Did I really cast that spell?"

Seeing that, under her support, Vesemir had finally broken through the griffin's defenses, Mary was so shocked her mouth opened slightly. She couldn't believe that she had managed to cast those two perfectly timed spells. Casting the Cat's Agility Spell might have been thanks to Allen's reminder. But the Bear's Strength Spell that followed had been entirely her own decision, based on an instinct to seize the right moment.

"Could I be a genius in combat too?"

Mary instinctively looked down at her hands and raised her head, suddenly filled with confidence. From the corner of his eye, Allen noticed Mary's changing expression and couldn't help but smile.

This was good for him.

He had already seen through most of the griffin's attack patterns. The next step was to team up with Vesemir to take down the beast. In the heat of battle, there was no way to shout reminders.

If Mary kept being as "cautious" as before, Allen wouldn't be able to influence her to cast buffs at the right time for him and Vesemir.

"Too bad Mary doesn't know any high-level offensive spells. If we could both attack at the same time..."

"The witcher progress bar would definitely fill up much faster…"

Allen regretted it slightly. Mary's skill set was just as she said—mostly enhancement spells, not offensive ones. Her highest-level offensive spell was the Ice Spear Curse, which Allen had created...

A spell like that probably wouldn't even contribute 1% progress, so it was better for her to focus on support. With his mind made up, Allen quietly stood up from the bushes, channeling magic to refresh his Quen Sign: "Mary, I'm going to help Vesemir."

"You just keep casting enhancement spells for us like before, got it?"

Mary, hearing this, felt a weight as heavy as Blue Mountain land on her shoulders, and her immense confidence vanished instantly. Although she thought she might be a genius, those two successful casts had felt more like lucky coincidences.

"A-Allen, I might not be able to do it…"

"I believe you can!" Allen interrupted.

"Trust your instincts—the feeling you had when you successfully cast those two spells just now..."

Mary froze for a moment.

Seeing the firm expression on Allen's face, she was inexplicably filled with a strong sense of encouragement.

"Hmm," she nodded firmly and said, "I can do it!"

Allen smiled.

He then took a deep breath and gripped his silver sword tightly.

"Be careful, Allen!" Mary's worried voice came from behind.

He waved his left hand and quietly stepped toward the direction of the royal griffin.

Within just a few dozen meters, Allen's body was successively illuminated by the purple light of the Cat's Agility, the yellow light of the Bear's Strength, the red light of the Fox's Perception*, and the blue magical glow of Arthur's Water Shield.

With each step, Allen grew stronger. He mentally consumed an elixir made from a drowner's heart to replenish the third of his stamina that had been depleted after the hunt. When he circled around to the back of the royal griffin...

Monster Hunt!

In an instant.

Both sword and staff were at the ready. The blue cat-like pupils suddenly became cold and calm, like the surface of a tranquil lake, reflecting the griffin that was entirely focused on Vesemir. Then the young witcher stomped on the ground, his taut muscles borrowing tremendous strength from the boundless earth, launching himself toward the sky obscured by the monstrous creature.

Next.

A spin.

Slash!

The silver light in the air became a crescent moon.

"Shhh!"

The blade cut smoothly through the deep red skin, severing muscle and membrane, and then, with a burst of hot, crimson blood, it sliced through to the other side. In almost an instant, a half-meter deep gash was carved into the royal griffin's thigh.

A fountain of blood gushed out.

The sharp smell of iron was overwhelming.

[Monster Hunt] Progress: 10%...

"Shriek—"

The royal griffin threw its head back, retracting its wings to shield its right leg. Its piercing scream was far more agonizing than the previous two, stabbing at Allen and Vesemir's ears like needles.

"Allen, well done!"

Vesemir's eyes lit up. Seizing on the griffin's panic, he spun to its side and delivered a slashing blow. The strike landed on the joint of the griffin's left leg bone. Unfortunately, the silver sword he had borrowed from Houghton was far inferior to Allen's Elsa. Though it broke through the defense, it only left a small cut.

The griffin, distracted by the intense pain in its crotch, didn't even seem to notice the attack.

[Monster Hunt] Progress: 14%...

Vesemir also noticed the difference between them, and out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the beautiful silver sword in Allen's hand, sighing inwardly.

"My dear Elsa..."

"I need to save up quickly to buy it back."

Allen's strike had truly hurt the royal griffin. The massive creature ignored Vesemir and, like a streak of black and red lightning, charged at Allen.

"Careful!"

Vesemir's heart clenched instantly. He no longer cared about appearances in front of Allen and Mary. He thrust a silver flash, stabbing into the griffin's backside. In a series of thrusts and pulls.

Suddenly.

Blood gushed like a flood!

[Monster Hunt] Progress: 31%

"Shriek—"

The griffin let out another scream. Overcome with pain, its frenzied pecking faltered, giving Allen the chance to dodge.

Huh?

Seventeen percent in one go?

Even in his hunting state, with his emotions suppressed to the extreme, Allen couldn't help but be surprised. Vesemir's strike had opened a new door for Allen.

The Wolf School's two-handed sword style focused on spinning slashes, rarely using thrusts. Because of the magical reinforcement on most monsters, their tough outer skin made it difficult to break through. Beneath the skin were muscle and bone.

Silver swords, being less hard than steel swords, could easily break if used to thrust.

Even though certain parts of monsters, like the rear, were easier to pierce, they weren't vital areas. At best, they would anger the creature, and the wound would soon heal. Thus, the Wolf School, which primarily hunted monsters, had removed most thrusting techniques from their sword style.

This made sense.

But who would have thought that attacking a monster's rear could advance the hunt progress?

"Master Vesemir, aim for that spot!" Allen shouted a reminder.

Vesemir paused for a moment, then nodded.

Although he didn't understand why they were targeting a spot that would only anger the beast, he trusted Allen. Moreover, as a professional witcher, he had dealt with all sorts of creatures, even going into city sewers to kill foul necrophages, so he had no physical or mental aversions.

"Got it!" Vesemir responded.

After all, it was just a beast.

Once Vesemir attacked it again, the griffin's attention shifted back to him. It sent two wind attacks his way, but Vesemir dodged them both. Meanwhile, Allen sneaked in another strike from behind, causing the hunt progress to surge by 20%.

The progress bar was now halfway filled.

To be honest.

Two witcher masters dealing with one large monster significantly reduced the danger. Especially as time passed, they became more familiar with the griffin's attack patterns and frequency.

And with Mary on the side, taking opportunities to restore their buffs, Vesemir and Allen only had their Arthur's Water Shield shattered once by a sweeping claw from the griffin. Other than that, even though things looked dangerous, the griffin never managed to land a hit.

Of course.

Though the griffin's body was covered in numerous wounds, and the ground was stained dark red with blood, it was far from exhausted. In fact, due to the excessive blood loss, it started to calm down from its pain-fueled rage.

"Shriek—"

With another screech, the griffin suddenly reared its head and spread its wings. It began gathering magical power as if preparing to unleash a powerful wind attack, startling both Allen and Vesemir into dodging.

But to their surprise, in the next second—

"Whoosh!"

The griffin flapped its massive wings, whipping up a strong wind that sent dust swirling toward the two witchers.

"Damn!"

"This beast is about to fly!"

Vesemir's face changed drastically.

"Allen, Aard!!"

Vesemir shouted, quickly channeling magic and bending his right middle finger to push a powerful blast toward the griffin.

The Aard sign.

On the other side, Allen also unleashed a strong telekinetic blast. However, since the two shockwaves came from either side, they weakened each other as they reached the griffin. It wobbled a bit in mid-air, two meters above the ground, but remained airborne.

"Damn it!"

"The griffin is taking off!"

Vesemir slapped his forehead, frustrated. He had been fooled by the cunning beast.

Once the griffin took to the sky, things would get much more difficult for them.

"Shriek—"

The griffin's screech even seemed to carry a hint of smugness. But before it could enjoy its victory, a sharp pain suddenly shot through its injured right claw.

The griffin looked down.

A small human with cold blue eyes was staring back at it.

"Want to enter phase two? Did you ask me?"

[Monster Hunt] Progress: 87%...

....…

📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢

For advance chapters: p@treon.com/Uchiha_Itachi007 (replace @ with a)

226. Vesemir Doesn't Understand, but He's Greatly Shocked.

227. What is a Killer Whale?

228. The Scent of Conspiracy and Love.

229. Big Explosion and the Law of Surprise.

230. The Unexpected Child.