NOVEL SIMPLE 60. The Gap Between Witcher Apprentices.
Clang—
A strange sound rang out. The witchers turned towards the source. An orange portal appeared beside a larch tree. As the portal stabilized, a figure in a red hood darted out. Ignoring the nearby witchers when they couldn't find who they were looking for, the figure started heading towards the Killer Lake.
"Vera!"
"This is the 'Witcher's' mountain trial," the chief stepped forward, blocking the red-clad figure, gently but firmly reminding them.
The hooded figure halted and removed their hood upon hearing this. A scent of oranges mixed with cardamom filled the air. The chaotic red hair partially covered the eyes, and a frown marred the otherwise flawless white face. It was indeed the sorceress Vera.
She expressionlessly glanced at the chief, who shook his head slightly. She reluctantly stepped back and took several deep breaths to calm herself. With a snap of her fingers, a breeze blew, swiftly tidying her hair. In the blink of an eye, the sorceress resumed her usual exquisite appearance.
"Good morning, Lady Vera," the white-haired witcher bowed slightly, followed by the other witcher masters.
The sorceress nodded in return but was clearly not interested in these unremarkable witchers. She looked towards the direction of Killer Lake and then turned to the chief.
"You are a bit late. The apprentices should already be halfway across the Killer Lake," the chief reported on the trial's progress and then paused to offer comfort. "Don't worry, they'll be back before dinner."
The sorceress nodded expressionlessly and gazed towards the Killer Lake, her eyes filled with concern.
....
Splash, splash—
Gloved hands pushed aside the lake water, and the muscles around the waist provided enough propulsion forward. The four witcher apprentices undergoing the trial, led by Allen, swam in a staggered formation. Despite having Killer Whale potions, Allen remained vigilant, directing their focus to avoid any surprises.
Fortunately, everything was going as Allen had anticipated. With the aid of Killer Whale, they avoided the drowners before the creatures even noticed them. Not a single one spotted them, let alone got close. Without the need to constantly look out for hidden monsters, Allen and his group moved faster than any previous apprentices had during the trial. In just half an hour, they had covered half the distance, a journey that typically took an hour and a half.
The only drawback was the rapid consumption of Killer Whale potions. In just half an hour, everyone except Allen had used up two bottles.
"Just getting through is what matters," thought Allen. His indifference to the cost was primarily because the potion ingredients were sponsored by the sorceress. "I wonder where Lady Vera is now?"
Thinking of the sorceress, Allen felt a pang of regret. He particularly wanted Vera to witness him completing the mountain trial.
"Help... help me..."
The sudden cries from the shore instantly put Allen on alert.
"Allen, what's that sound?" Bond surfaced, asking in confusion.
"Shh!" Allen commanded the apprentices to stop and listen carefully.
They were in a narrow part of Killer Lake, not far from either shore. A layer of mist had drifted onto the lake.
"Help... save me... help..."
It was the cry of a child. Through the thick white mist, they saw a small child trapped in the bushes on the right shore.
"Allen, someone's calling for help!" Bond exclaimed and started swimming over, followed by Hughes and Fred, only to be stopped by Allen.
"That's not a human! It's a monster's trap!" Allen warned them.
The sound was too realistic, filled with rich emotions, possibly even containing a seductive magic. If Allen didn't know the game's final trial storyline, he would have been fooled too. The lake, the mist, the secluded valley—everything pointed to a foglet.
"Help... help me..."
The cries grew louder as the "child" noticed Allen and his group observing, urgently pleading for help.
"This sound must be a type of charming magic," thought Allen, even knowing the truth, he couldn't help but feel compelled to rescue. The other apprentices, with lower attributes, were even more affected, swimming towards the shore with dazed expressions.
Damn it, didn't anyone check the surroundings before the trial? Allen cursed silently, seeing his companions being bewitched. This was definitely not part of the mountain trial. Foglets were deadly, with their invisibility, speed, rapid claw attacks, and now this distracting charm.
Faced with a foglet, only he had a chance. The other apprentices had no hope. Within moments of thinking, the three apprentices had swum three or four meters. Allen quickly caught up.
Slap, slap, slap!
Three slaps to the back of their heads woke them up. He told them to monitor each other and watch for drowners while swimming to the opposite shore.
"What about you?" Hughes asked, rubbing his head.
"I'm going to kill this foglet," Allen said through gritted teeth.
He could ignore the foglet and swim to the old speartip's cave, but it was safer to deal with the foglet now than to worry about his bewitched companions and hidden drowners later.
While Allen spoke to Hughes, Bond and Fred had already started swimming towards the "child" again.
Slap, slap!
Allen quickly woke them up and sternly instructed them to talk constantly, slapping anyone who stopped. They reluctantly agreed, remembering their agreement to follow Allen's lead during the trial. Satisfied, Allen swam through the mist towards the "child."
"We're no help at all," Fred felt disheartened watching Allen swim away. Always competitive, he had tried to kill a drowner after seeing Allen do it, only to end up with broken bones.
Seeing Allen unaffected and quickly swimming away, Fred sighed inwardly. Was the gap between witcher apprentices really that vast?
.......
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61. The Foglet.
62. Will You Surrender?
63. Are You Full?
64. Old Speartip Arrives!
65. The Charge of the Cyclops.