Dream Shattered

"This... this..."

Mago opened his mouth incoherently, then suddenly remembered the human corpse he had seen at first glance and looked at the back of the Rock Troll.

"So it was Ghoul..." He was completely relieved.

A headless Ghoul does look very human from a distance, but upon closer inspection, the difference is quite obvious.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The sound of hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation.

Ailin turned around at the sound of footsteps and found the chief standing behind him.

After the chief arrived, the Witcher Master and other Witchers from the vicinity also arrived one after another.

When Broken Stone and Little Stone saw so many witchers carrying small metal clubs, they couldn't help but shrink back behind Big Stone in fear.

"... Witcher friend... moving things... stone house... home..."

Big Stone seemed a little scared. After throwing the corpses on his back onto the ground, he prepared to say goodbye to Ailin.

Seeing this, Ailin knew that it was inappropriate to keep them around to try and win their favor under these circumstances.

So, after glancing apologetically at the chief and the other demon hunters, he addressed the Rock Troll:

"Okay, Big Stone, thank you for today."

"... Witcher... friends... friends... help each other..."

Big Stone scratched its head sheepishly, then turned and left with Broken Stone and Little Stone.

"Thump~ thump~ thump~"

The heavy footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

"Ailin, what's wrong with you...?"

Seeing the Rock Troll leave, a demon hunter suddenly questioned them in a rather impolite tone.

The chief glanced at the man and interrupted him in a calm tone, saying:

"Master Ailin!"

"What's going on? How did the Rock Troll from the Trial of the Mountains end up here?"

Ailin was about to explain.

Mago, who was standing to the side, spoke up:

"I'm sorry, Chief, I didn't see the situation clearly before I rushed to ring the alarm. As for those few..."

After a pause, he continued, somewhat incredulously:

"Those Rock Troll were helping Master Ailin carry his spoils."

Silence fell over the entrance to the castle gate. The witchers, swords in hand, exchanged glances and then looked at Ailin.

Ailin nodded and said:

"I befriended these trolls during the Trial of the Mountains the day before yesterday."

"We hunted quite a few monsters today, so please ask them to help carry them back..."

Before he finished speaking, chaos erupted at the city gate.

"First he killed the Old Spearhead, then he subdued the Rock Troll. Ailin has practically taken down the Trial of the Mountains in one fell swoop."

"No need! Have you forgotten how he got the title of 'Ailin Drowner Killer'? He wiped out all the water ghosts in Killer Lake!"

"Yes, when I came back a few days ago, I was wondering why I hadn't encountered a single water ghost along the riverbank..."

The crowd surrounded Ailin, chattering amongst themselves. Some wanted to know how he had subdued the Rock Troll, others wanted to know how he hunted monsters...

Ailin was speechless for a moment, not knowing which question to answer.

"Alright!"

"Since there's nothing else, everyone can leave now."

A deep, resonant voice rang out, rescuing Ailin from her predicament.

The group was still somewhat reluctant to leave after hearing the leader's order.

However, thinking that there was still plenty of time and that Ailin would eventually appear in the castle hall, they obediently left.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Witcher Master Aristo was about to help Ailin deal with the spoils with the Chief, he suddenly noticed something and frowned.

The other goalkeeper isn't here.

"By the way, Mago, where's Sali?"

Upon hearing this, Mago was taken aback. After a moment of silence, he awkwardly recounted what had just happened.

The Witcher Master present were stunned.

It's already quite bizarre that the second-floor passageway controlling the city gates was locked.

When he heard that the other gatekeeper Sali, had even forgotten the Alde Sign, even the usually dignified and aloof chief couldn't help but slightly open his mouth.

No wonder Kaer Morhen was destroyed by a single sneak attack.

This is still during the day; if it were nighttime...

Ailin shivered involuntarily, suddenly feeling extremely insecure.

"Damn Sali, that coward must have deserted his post..."

Witcher Master Aristo flew into a rage, spewing out profanities.

A minute later, after his anger subsided slightly, he remembered that the chief was still there, and he felt embarrassed and awkward again.

After all, Sali was an apprentice he had trained, and his actions had brought shame upon him.

"I'm sorry, Chief."

"It's my fault for not teaching well."

The chief patted him on the shoulder, shook his head, and said:

"This has little to do with you. Sali is an independent witcher now. Find some time to talk to him about it!"

"Yes, Aristo, Sali has been independent for several years now, this has nothing to do with you!" Vesemir said.

The other Witcher Master also offered their words of comfort.

Aristo shook his head helplessly.

He glanced at Ailin, then looked at Vesemir with envy for a moment, and sighed.

He then left to look for Sali.

Watching the Witcher Master's departing figure, Ailin stood in the shadows, pondering for a moment before lowering his head to continue processing the materials.

Swamp Hag and Ghoul are common monsters.

With the help of several Witcher Master, the matter was quickly resolved.

"Call!"

Ailin breathed a sigh of relief, thanked the several Witcher Master, and was about to leave with his materials.

The chief stopped him and said:

"Ailin, come with me for a moment, let's discuss the potion and the Ice Lance Spell."

The sun is setting.

The sky gradually darkened.

Two figures, one tall and one short, carrying two swords on their backs, walked silently along the main road of the Ancient Sea Fortress.

The two walked and talked.

"I heard from Vesemir that you've created two more potion recipes?" the chief asked casually.

"Yes, the Drowner Heart Essence Fluid can enhance strength and physique, Cat's Eye..."

Before Ailin could finish speaking, the chief suddenly stopped and looked at him in surprise:

"Are you sure about increasing strength and physical fitness? Are there any side effects?"

No wonder the chief was so surprised.

There are indeed many potions that can improve a witcher's physical abilities, but even the weakest ones are extremely expensive.

But when the chief went to see the Sorceress this morning, Sorceress said that the ingredients that Ailin used to make potions were all very common.

Ailin wasn't surprised to see this, after all, each Essence Fluid in the Witcher's Handbook was indeed very magical.

"Huus, Bont and Fred all started using it yesterday, and their strength and physical fitness have indeed improved a lot."

"As for the side effects..."

Ailin paused, glanced at the shock on the chief's face, and said:

"The more you use it, the less effective it becomes. It seems that being too physically fit can also affect the effectiveness, but I haven't tried it yet."

"This isn't really a side effect..." The chief took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and asked, "Do you have this kind of potion on you?"

"It's in my inventory..." Ailin thought to himself, then, seeing the chief's impatient expression, said:

"I don't have any on me, but I can make some right away, it'll be quick."

The chief nodded slightly and quietly changed direction, heading towards the path closest to the south tower.

Then.

The two witchers suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of footsteps accompanying them.

until...

The chief gazed at the distant crimson sunset and suddenly asked:

Do you really think Kaer Morhen will be destroyed like in your dream?

Ailin paused for a moment, thought for a second, and then said seriously:

"Isn't everything we're doing now to prevent that dream from happening?"

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