Chapter 400: A Night of Blood

Within a dark room of Kaer Seren, a witcher sat, his face illuminated by naught but the moonlight that shone through the window. His eyes were closed, and his legs were crossed. The witcher was in a state of meditation.

A little white dog lay beside him, night winds billowing its fur. The dog was sleeping with its belly revealed, a snore escaping its nose ever so occasionally. Its legs would twitch, perhaps because it was running in its dream.

A peaceful night this would be, if not for one fateful moment. Whispering winds turned into howling gales, blowing away the bluish-grey curtains up. Moonlight showered the room with no interference, a dark, circular silhouette appearing on the illuminated ground.

It poked through the ground like a ball of viscous mud, until eventually, a black, muscular, humanoid creature with two swords strapped to its back formed without a sound. It first knelt on one knee, but eventually the monster stood up, its hand on the hilt of its sword. Moonlight shone on it, but like a black hole, the monster absorbed it all.

The witcher's pendant vibrated all of a sudden, waking him up. Roy leapt into the air like a flash of a lightning bolt, while Gryphon barked and turned around to hide in a corner. He grasped the air, producing a hand crossbow that glimmered red, and he stared at the silhouette in silence.

Roy tugged at the trigger, pointing his weapon at the enemy, and he cast Observe.

'Kosti

Age: A hundred and twenty-four years old

Gender: Male

Status: Griffin School witcher, spiritual entity (a being that's between a soul and a living thing)

HP: 190

Mana: 260

Strength: 18

Dexterity: 16

Constitution: 19

Perception: 14

Will: 9

Charisma: 7

SpritiL 26

Skills:

Strengthened Witcher Signs Level 3, Alchemy Level 8, Meditation Level 8, Griffin School Swordplay Level 8, Witcher Senses Level 9

Griffin Arts Level 6

Teleportation Level 2, Magic Maneuver Level 1

Source (Passive)

***

The moment Roy was done going through the information, he pulled the trigger. At the same time, the silhouette made complicated gestures in the air. It looked like six pairs of hands were making circles at the same time, creating a gigantic, golden Sign at incredible speed.

Roy's enchanted bolt flew through the air, and a crackling net of electricity popped into existence. Magical lights shone, and the bolt hit its target. A blinding golden light exploded before it shattered into pieces, raining down on the room.

But that flash of light had completed its mission. The silhouette was unharmed, and the bolt was deflected, flying back at Roy at an even greater speed.

Shocked, Roy rolled away. A gust of wind flew by his cheek, cutting off a lock of his hair.

The silhouette froze for a split second from the bolt's enchantment, and the next moment, both fighters made a Sign at the same time. It was Axii versus Yrden, and yet Roy was still slower than his opponent. Even though the silhouette was making a Sign with both hands, it still managed to cast it at an incredible speed, finishing its Sign before Roy could.

It shoved Axii at Roy, and the hypnotic Sign made him freeze. As if fallen under a spell, his eyes glossed over, and his muscles tensed. His hand crossbow fell to the ground as his arms hung limply by his sides.

The silhouette muttered something under its breath as it slowly approached Roy. It kept Axii going on with its left hand, while it held its right hand up before its chest.

But before it could land an attack on Roy, a crimson light flashed in the room. Aerondight tore through the air, forming an arc from left to right.

The blade hit its target's neck and cut the curtains behind the silhouette in half. A wooden rod fell into the snow-covered ground, and moonlight shone on the young witcher.

Roy's eyes were clear. The Sign failed to affect him. His Will was great enough to shield him against any mind control. And now for the finishing blow.

The crimson tentacles of fear rooted that monster in place, and Roy went in for the second attack. He crouched and put his left leg forward while swinging his blade diagonally downward, cutting the silhouette's chest open.

If this were a body of flesh, it would have been cut in half, its innards spilling everywhere. But this was no body of flesh, and Roy's blade tasted no blood. In fact, Roy thought he was cutting at air, not a monster.

The monster's body rippled like water. Its body flashed bright like stars before the monster faded into the air. Another shadow hopped out of its left side, sticking closely to the wall beside the window. It made another Dual Sign and shoved it at the momentarily defenseless witcher.

A crimson primrose appeared in the air, blossoming in the night. And then a deafening, destructive roar screamed across the room until it disappeared into the far, far distance.

Crimson flames. That was the only thing Roy saw. And yet he advanced with his blade pointing at the silhouette's eyes. He relinquished all defense and charged forward with his crimson blade, crashing into the silhouette like two lovers having a violent quarrel.

Roy's blade shattered his enemy, while he was engulfed by the monster's flames. A great pillar of flames, bloody light, and the gleam of a sword pierced through the room, rumbling the earth itself.

Sounds of explosions filled the air. There was also a grunt and a sigh of relief, but all only lasted for a mere moment.

The fierce battle came to an end in just a few moments.

'Kosti (spiritual entity) killed. EXP +300. Massacre Level (6 → 7)

Bloody Aura: Any attacking enemy within a 3 meter radius has a 20% chance (locked) to be Feared. If their Will is lower than yours, then they shall lose control of their body for 3 seconds at most.

You now permanently cause (25 → 30)% more damage to any creature you have hunted before.

Fear: You may cast Bloody Aura, Fearing single, multiple, or all targets in a 3 meter radius around you. If their Will is lower than yours, then they shall lose control of their body for 3 seconds at most. Cooldown: (3 → 2) minutes.

Note: This skill levels up whenever you cross a threshold of type and number of creatures killed.'

***

Gone was the silhouette, leaving nothing but a pile of smoking blue dust behind. Only Roy remained on the battlefield, but he was kneeling on one knee, and smoke billowed from his body. The battle burned him badly. He gasped in pain and let Aerondight go. The agony almost made him fall, but he held himself up with both hands.

Roy was in bad condition. His cheeks had turned into jowls covered in twisted blisters and burns. No longer was he the same handsome witcher he once was. Smoke was all that came out when he opened his mouth, and blood trickled down his mouth. The flesh on his scalp merged with his charred hair. His face, neck, shoulder, and chest were horrifyingly red. Most of his skin was cracked, revealing the crimson flesh underneath.

His shirt and pants were charred black and tinged with crimson.

Gryphon barked and came to lick Roy's hand, but the scalding heat made it stick its tongue out and howl in pain.

Even breathing was torture for Roy. An ungodly amount of heat resided in his body, sending waves of hot electricity coursing through his body. The heat of the flames within and without him were cooking him, and his brain was a mush. All he wanted to do now was level up.

And that was what he did.

'You gained 1 skill point and 1 stat point.

Will: 18 → 20

You now have twenty points in Will. Bloody Aura, Fear, and Suppression are now powered up. They can alter reality now.'

A cool sensation covered Roy. He felt like he just leapt into a pool of cool, clear water after getting scorched under the afternoon sun. Every pore was breathing in as much as it could, and every cell on his body was cheering in joy.

All the ugly scars and burn marks went away. Once again, Roy's skin regained its luster. It was smoother than silk. His almost-depleted HP and Mana were replenished to full bars.

He stood up and flicked his sword before sheathing it. Then the witcher quickly covered himself with the golden and black shields of Quen and Heliotrop. He touched his whole body, his hand freezing when it got to his head. Roy's hair did not grow back. Once again, he was bald. "This again?"

***

Once Roy confirmed that he was in no more danger, he hunkered down and checked for any suspicious clues. The silhouette might have turned into a pile of dust, but that pile was still brimming with magic.

"An assassination attempt? Here, in Kaer Seren? Did Keldar do this? Flames that fell from the sky, some mutated Dual Sign that's fused with Roar."

Roy's memories were dragged back to the moment when the silhouette let out a terrifying roar before he could finish it off. That powered-up Igni crashed down like a meteor, taking out almost all his HP. He'd been dying at that moment. That Igni was as powerful as a cyclops' attack.

Before he could figure anything out, someone opened the door, and moonlight shone on the Griffins. Both of them looked at Roy, surprised to see that his clothes were charred, but his skin was glimmering, while his head was bald.

"What happened to your hair? And what was that noise?" Coen stared at Roy's head, and his cheeks twitched. He wanted to laugh, but he had to hold it in and stay serious.

"And why is it so hot in here? Did you burn yourself while practicing how to dual cast Igni?"

Keldar looked around the room. He saw the cut curtains and the fence. He saw burn marks on the ground, as well as the blue powder that was brimming with magic. And he noticed how Roy was staring at them. There was interrogation in the young witcher's eyes.

They're in their jackets and unarmed. Didn't look weird when they came in. And even if they wanted to attack me, they would have gone with an honorable duel, not assassination.

Roy eased up and calmed down a little, though a smile of irony tugged at his lips. "This might sound preposterous, but someone ambushed me."

"What?"

"That's right." Roy took a deep breath and raised his voice. "To be precise, a Griffin ambushed me."

Five minutes later, Coen stared at the pile of ash in disbelief. "In my forty years of living in this fortress, I have never seen another witcher." He noticed the look in Roy's eyes, and he said, "On the honor of my school, I swear this has nothing to do with us. We have no idea this happened. If a word of what I said was a lie, let my name be spat on and insulted forever."

Coen looked at Keldar.

"For the past forty years, there have only been two witchers in Kaer Seren: me, and Coen. And perhaps we're the only remaining Griffins in this land." Keldar was staring at the pile of powder as well, and he frowned. "The would-be assassin was shrouded in black, and you couldn't discern its face. It must have been a spiritual entity."

He extended his fingers and waved them across the air, feeling for some lingering trails of the battle. "It used a Dual Sign and imbibed it with a Roar."

Roy rubbed his shiny head and tried his best to imitate that weird sound. "I think it went like this…"

Keldar shook his head, displeasure glinting in his eyes. He looked at Roy like he just gained the worst grades in an exam. "That's incorrect. You're missing a key skill in producing the sound, but it resembles one of the four Roars."

"It was using Igni," Roy said. "But not from its palm, no. From the skies above, and I couldn't evade it. It's how I ended up like this."

"Your testimonial points to a mutated Igni we call Skyfire." Keldar pinched his beard. "From what I know, there were two Griffins who possessed this power. They were called Kosti, and Modan." He sighed. "But they perished in that avalanche. I buried them behind Kaer Seren, where they rest forever with more than sixty brothers. But if what you said is true, then one of them has turned into a spiritual entity and started this fight."

Roy crossed his arms and cocked his eyebrow. Things were getting more shrouded in mystery now.

***

"So the spirit was attacking Roy?" Coen was shocked. "But why did it show up tonight of all nights and come after Roy? Why not me or Keldar or Igsena?"

"Perhaps it sees me as an intruder," Roy proposed. But I did nothing. Didn't disrespect the school either.

Coen was still suspicious of one thing. "A mutated Igni is powerful beyond measure, and yet you only lost your hair? Your clothes are charred, but there's not a single burn mark on your skin. That is odd."

I can't tell him that I almost died and used a revive chance on myself. And so, Roy gave all the credit of his healing to the Trial. "I gained some powerful regenerative abilities from my Trial. I'm not like most witchers. My wounds heal incredibly fast, and they leave no scars behind."

***

"You do not have to tell us about your secrets. These battle marks tell me of another story entirely," Keldar interjected. "We know not of what the entities want, but you should stay the night in Coen and Igsena's room. Just in case the entities were to come again. Don't come out until dawn breaks. I'll look into this and see if I can get any answers."

"Take me with you." Anger flared in Roy's eyes. I got ambushed and was forced to use a Full Recovery. No way I'm letting this slide.

"No. There's no guarantee that was the only entity." Keldar shook his head. "If you were to come with us, it might anger them further and cause unnecessary problems. Some of the dead were as powerful as I am. Worry not. I will come back with an answer."

Roy stayed silent for a moment, and he nodded.

***

And then peace ensued, though for how long, nobody knew.

Roy was in Coen's room, holding Gryphon in his arms as he fell into his thoughts.

Coen was holding the sleeping Igsena in his arms. The village lady knew nothing of the commotion that took place.

"Sorry you had to go through that, mate."

"It's not your fault." Roy patted Gryphon's head. He was not at all sleepy after that ordeal. "But if you have any information, please tell me." He paused for a moment. "Do you receive many guests in this fortress?"

Coen shook his head. "This is a remote place, and Keldar doesn't like being disturbed. We've only received a dozen or so guests. Most were lost travelers, some were witchers. That includes Vesemir."

"Did anything of the sort happen to them while they were here?"

Adamantly, Coen answered, "No. You're the first."

***

Keldar held up a candelabra as he slowly descended down the spiral staircase, heading deep into the dark underground. On and on he went, until he finally reached the base of the fortress. To one particular tome on a bookshelf he approached. Beautiful and complex were the patterns embroidered on its cover, but its beauty was tainted by a black cloud surrounding it.

***

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