NOVEL SIMPLE 126. The Corps, The Corps.
"Shhh~ shhh~ shhh~ shhh~"
The wind howled through the cloudy sky, bending the shrubs as four agile figures sprinted against it, as if fleeing from some monstrous pursuer. One of them suddenly halted as they passed by a thick spruce tree.
"Thud!"
A foot stomped firmly on the ground where the snow had just started to melt, leaving patches of white frost. The dirty remnants of snow mixed with dark soil splattered as the person pressed themselves tightly against the thick trunk, their eyes sharp and alert. A silver-glinting sword was gripped tightly in their hand.
"Caw~ caw~"
The person's ears twitched slightly, catching the sound of approaching footsteps. The chaotic noise of the monsters quickly drew closer as several blue-skinned creatures ignored the person hiding behind the tree and sped towards the three ahead. As one of the creatures passed the spruce tree, the person suddenly spun around and swung their sword.
"Ha!"
A youthful shout accompanied the flash of silver.
Slash!
A head with blood-red, lifeless eyes dropped to the ground, confusion still frozen on its face. The body, still unaware of its fate, continued running for a few more meters before collapsing with a thud.
The three people running ahead heard the shout and instantly stopped, turning around and pushing their right hands forward.
Igni Sign.
Brilliant sparks shot from their palms, igniting the leading drowner. In an instant, they regrouped with the fourth person, swiftly killing the remaining four drowners, who were now panicked by the fire and the death of their companion. If someone were observant, they would notice that all the drowners were killed by decapitation.
"Thud~ thud~ thud~"
Six more figures, all carrying dual swords on their backs, jumped down from the spruce tree.
"You did well. Your swordsmanship is sharp, your footwork is skillful, and most commendable is your ability to exploit the monsters' weaknesses..."
Although these were words of praise, the speaker was surprisingly close in age to the ones being praised. Even more curious was that those receiving the praise genuinely looked satisfied to be acknowledged.
"All thanks to your guidance, Captain Allen."
"Indeed, indeed. No wonder you're known as the drowner slayer. You've taught us so many things that even Master Vesemir never mentioned, and they're truly useful."
Listening to the apprentices' compliments, Allen smiled contentedly. He then turned his head to look at the witcher who had been hiding behind the tree and delivered the first strike.
"Hughes, you did well. You've made significant progress!"
Hughes scratched his head and grinned, saying, "I've felt a lot of improvement recently too. My movements are much smoother when spinning and swinging the sword..."
Allen nodded with a smile and offered a few more words of encouragement before glancing at the sky. "It's getting late. Process the materials, and let's head back."
"Yes, Captain!"
The group responded in unison. Hughes and the other three swiftly and skillfully began processing the drowners they had slain. As the others busied themselves, Allen mentally opened the Witcher's Manual.
[Monster Group "Drowner" Lv8 Slain!]
[Reward Calculation: …]
[Final Rating: D]
[Loot Obtained: Drowner Heart Essence 6, Small Experience Orb 3, Drowner's Treasure Chest *2]
The Corps only received the reward if Allen was present during the hunt. However, regardless of whether he fought or not, the reward was calculated based on his level. Hence, when slaying these lower-level monsters, the rating was always "D."
"Perhaps as I level up, the reward could be calculated based on the other Corps members' levels," Allen speculated as he switched to the Corps interface.
[Corps Name: Wolfpack]
[Rank: Tier 2]
[Battle Points: 610/1000]
[Merit Points: 137]
[Members: 10/10]
[Loyalty: Hughes 100, Bond 96, Fred 92, Ernie 86, Claral 84…]
[Skills: Loot Lock LV1, Instruction LV1]
[Hunt Mission: Monster Hunt II]
Five days ago, as the weather warmed and the snow mostly melted, Allen had started taking his Corps out for real combat. With the Killer Lake off-limits due to the upcoming Trial of Grasses, Allen used the drowner whistle to locate and hunt low-level monsters like drowners in the mountains near Kaer Morhen.
On the first day of hunting, they raised the Corps's rank by one tier, then added the remaining seven apprentices to the Corps, continuing their battle against the drowners.
In total, they had killed 61 drowners over these past few days, with each drowner worth 10 battle points. Using the Corps skill Instruction, Allen used their merit points to raise the Wolf School's dual swordsmanship for five members, including Hughes, Bond, and Fred, to LV2. After all, this skill was the most practical and fundamental for witchers.
[Ding! 100 Merit Points Used to Raise Claral's Wolf School Dual Swordsmanship from LV1 to LV2]
After reaching LV2, the swordsmanship of these Corps members was equivalent to that of witchers with five years of experience. The strength of the Wolf School had grown significantly!
Noticing that the drowners had all been processed, Allen mentally closed the Witcher's Manual and said, "Let's go. We're heading back to Kaer Morhen!"
------------
By the time they returned to Kaer Morhen, the sun was already low in the sky. Allen urged the Corps members to practice their swordsmanship further at the apprentice training ground, then went alone to the alchemy lab.
"Hmm?"
"What brings you here?" Mary asked in surprise as she opened the door.
Due to the busy apprentice training and the many future plans for the Corps that needed consideration, Allen had gradually reduced his visits to the alchemy lab, coming here only to help the school prepare heart essence liquids. Once Mary learned how to prepare the essence liquids herself, Allen stopped coming altogether, despite the lab being just one floor below his room.
Busy with training apprentices, organizing the Corps, and contemplating the school's future, Allen sometimes felt as though he was the head of the Wolf School.
"Is Lady Vera here?"
Mary gave Allen a strange look, unused to the formality in his tone, and was about to reply when...
"Come in."
The cool voice of the sorceress echoed from inside, and Mary stepped aside to let Allen through. The alchemy lab smelled of its usual blend of oranges and cardamom, and, as usual, there was a large basin of drowner hearts on Mary's alchemy table.
Noticing Allen's gaze, Mary shot him a look of uncharacteristic reproach, sighed, and returned to her work on the essence liquids.
The sorceress leaned against the windowsill, as calm as ever, watching Allen enter with an expression identical to those times when he came to study alchemy, ritual magic, or potion-making. It was as if his ten-day absence had been just a fleeting moment. For a second, it felt as if this place would always be open to him, no matter when he came.
"Lady Vera, I have a request," Allen said, pushing aside the distracting thoughts and looking at the sorceress earnestly.
The sorceress raised her slender, fair neck slightly, signaling him to continue.
Taking a deep breath, Allen looked at the sorceress with sincere eyes and said, "Lady Vera, I would like to invite you to become the sorceress of the Wolfpack."
...…
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127. Mary Is Not Mary.
128. Destiny Favors the True Witcher.
129. Resonance.
130. What Are You Doing?
131. The Child of Destiny and the Child of Miracles.