Cat and Wolf's First Clash

"An old wolf and four cubs. I saw them walk into that inn with my own eyes," the man reported as he approached.

"Um."

The man in black nodded, then turned to look at the other men in black behind him, who were all crooked and disorganized.

Is everything ready?

"Hmph~" The man in black, leaning against a tree with his legs crossed, sneered, "What's there to prepare? He's just an apprentice."

"By then, they'll probably all be asleep... tsk tsk... dying in their dreams isn't necessarily a bad thing, so they won't be so scared that they wet their pants and call for their mothers."

"Hahaha~" The four men in black around him burst into laughter upon hearing this.

They also harbored many grievances.

They sent these veteran witchers, the youngest of whom had been witchers for four or five years and had killed at least twenty or thirty people, to kill a few wolf cubs that had just come out of their swaddling clothes.

Who are they looking down on?

"The worst part is killing a few apprentices while having to wear this suffocating night clothes. Is it really necessary? It's just a matter of one or two sword strikes."

The man in black, who had his arms crossed, tugged at the thick black fabric covering his body and complained.

"Yes, how about we switch, Guksat?"

A mocking voice came from the tree. A man in black, sitting steadily on a large branch, looked down at the leader of the group of men in black.

"I'll deal with the old wolf, and you deal with the wolf cubs... Hehehe... I've wanted to test the skills of those old fogies for a long time."

"Give me a chance, Guksat."

"Fredika! Brett!" the leader of the men in black shouted, "Have you forgotten what Treyis said before we came here?"

Upon hearing the names of the leaders of the School of the Cat, the School of the Cat witchers named Fredika and Brett all showed a hint of fear deep in their eyes.

"Snort!"

They snorted and didn't say anything more to cause trouble.

The other two men in black shrugged and stopped talking.

"The night clothes are just an excuse. It doesn't matter whether those School of the Wolf witchers have discovered our identities. After the mission is completed, someone will naturally help us cover up."

"As for whether the commission is simple or not? Killing a wolf cub will earn you 200 Oren. Where else can you find such a good business?"

"Aren't you willing to do it?"

The lead witcher reassured them loudly.

Upon hearing 200 Oren, the School of the Cat witchers, including Fredika and Brett, relaxed slightly.

"Don't worry, Guksat. As long as you and your little henchman can hold off that old wolf, the cubs will be a piece of cake," Fredika said.

Guksat nodded, not taking offense at the tone of the others.

The Witcher of the School of the Cat is known for being carefree and neurotic.

Apart from the school's grandmaster, Treyis, they were hostile to everyone, even those who were "fellow students" of the same school.

Or rather, they were actually hostile towards Treyis, but they dared not show it because they had been beaten up so many times.

"You can cut off its arms and legs, but you must leave one live wolf cub to participate in the competition, understand?"

"Even with only one wolf cub, will the Glutton contest still continue?" Brett asked curiously.

"That's none of your business. Anyway, the bounty for killing the wolf cub will be split equally," Guksat said casually.

The fewer people who know about the deal with the king, the better.

Up to this point, only Harkso and Grandmaster Treyis know about Haxor's plan to deal with the School of the Wolf.

certainly.

I doubt other Witchers from the School of the Cat would care about this either.

All they need is money, women, and hallucinogens to alleviate the pain of mutation.

really.

Brett scoffed and didn't ask any further questions.

Guksat glanced at the few witchers, looked up and, forgetting the time of day, said:

"Alright, you guys decide who will do the water, then find a place to meditate."

"The hunt begins as soon as night falls!"

The moon has already set in the west.

On the dimly lit street, the only sounds of peace and quiet were the faint snores of the villagers as they slept.

"Rustle, rustle~"

A faint, almost inaudible noise came from outside the tightly closed window.

The young witcher, who was in meditation, suddenly opened his blue Cat Eyes.

What was that sound?

In the middle of the night... what kind of stray cats and dogs are running around like that?

Reason tells the Witcher that this town near Ban Ad is safe, unlike remote villages where Ghoul and water ghosts visit from time to time.

Even with the presence of the King's Guard, there were very few thieves.

But a strange unease welled up in his heart, making the young demon hunter particularly irritable.

With his heart pounding, the Witcher didn't think twice before quietly rising in the darkness and gripping his silver sword.

Just then.

"Who goes there!"

A loud, angry shout came from the next room.

"It's Vesemir! That strange noise was definitely suspicious!"

Ailin quickly channeled his magic, his right hand slightly bent as he drew a triangle.

Quen Sign!

A pale golden light swirled around him as the young witcher took out a bottle of Cat Eye Potion from the reagent bag beside the bed and drank it.

The moment the potion takes effect.

"Buzz~"

The Wolf Emblem on his chest trembled suddenly, and Ailin abruptly drew Elsa.

"Bang!"

The hotel's wooden windows were suddenly shattered by a shockwave.

The masked man in black nimbly and swiftly rushed in through the broken wooden window.

This familiar fluctuation and effect... is it the Alde Sign?

Ailin felt a chill run down his spine.

Moreover, this power is not something an ordinary witcher can unleash.

"Who goes there!" he shouted, raising his sword to slash at the man in black.

Since the visitor is an uninvited guest, there's no need to be polite.

He had to deal with the enemy as soon as possible and get to Huus and his men.

Hopefully, Bont and Fred had a successful meditation tonight.

Otherwise, such a sudden attack would be dangerous even with Vesemir's warning.

"Clang!"

The clang of metal on metal rang out, and countless sparks flew from the point where the two swords clashed, faintly illuminating two similar pairs of Cat Eyes, one blue and one yellow, in the darkness.

Both pairs of eyes looked at each other in surprise.

It seems unexpected that this exchange would be evenly matched in terms of power, timing, and technique.

"So you really are a Witcher! Who exactly are you?"

Ailin then took a step back due to the reaction force and immediately threw an identification shot.

Name: Brett

[Attributes: Strength 36, Agility 39, Constitution 16, Perception 34, Mysticism 26]

He is stronger, more agile, and has better senses than him!

Even after the Trial of Grasses, his physique is still so low!

That's right, this Witcher is definitely a squishy character from the School of the Cat.

Only these half-baked demon hunters who haven't obtained the complete mutation formula would have such low physical condition due to the incomplete mutation during the trial.

Moreover, the Apprentice Combat Tournament between the School of the Wolf and the School of the Cat was just around the corner, and the motivation was there.

This was a premeditated attack, and they were the target!

On the other side.

Contrary to what Ailin had imagined, Vesemir roared a warning to the young witcher.

No fierce battle took place in the Witcher Master's room.

They were simply facing off in silence.

"What does the School of the Cat mean by this? Are they trying to start a war that will never end between the two schools of thought?"

What Ailin could see, Vesemir could naturally see as well.

Bright, Cat Eyes, and a strong, nauseating stench of death emanating from its body.

Vesemir could tell with his eyes closed that these two people were from the shame of the Witcher...

The School of the Cat, a breed of robbers, killers, and cowards, is only good at hunting its own kind and despicably stealing money from the dead.

The two School of the Cat Witchers were not surprised to hear that their identities had been exposed.

They stood by the window like two black statues, swords in hand, simply looking at Vesemir without saying a word.

Guksat certainly wanted to get rid of the person in front of him, but he was different from those arrogant young people of the School of the Cat who were so intoxicated by strong hallucinogens that they didn't know who they were.

He knew that the one who could lead his apprentices to participate in the tournament hosted by King Kedwen must be Witcher Master recognized by many witcher schools.

In fact.

Before they even got close to the inn, the oil lamp in the School of the Wolf witcher's room was lit.

Just as I reached the hotel entrance, I heard a loud shout coming from the room.

Therefore, at least in terms of perception, he is no match for this School of the Wolf witcher.

Perception and agility are what a School of the Cat witcher is most proud of.

Moreover...

The target of the mission was those few School of the Wolf apprentices; they only needed to stall this School of the Wolf Witcher Master for a while.

Clang!

Exclamations mingled with the clanging of clashing swords came from outside the window.

After a moment's thought, Vesemir's eyes widened in anger.

He finally understood why these two were blocking his way.

"You scum of the School of the Cat actually did such a despicable thing for the sake of winning a mere apprentice competition."

Don't you feel ashamed?

As soon as he finished speaking, Vesemir gripped his steel sword tightly, stomped the ground, and charged towards the two men in black, creating a gust of wind.

Hehehe~

"It seems Guksat was unlucky and came to the wrong place. I didn't expect Old Wolf to be here!"

A burning fighting spirit blazed in Brett's eyes. He deftly twirled his longsword and charged forward again without warning.

Guksat?

Old Wolf?

This witcher must have mistaken me for Vesemir!

Yes, even though the School of the Cat often accepts commissions to assassinate humans, they are able to adapt to the dark and engage in fierce battles using the Witcher's keen senses.

That doesn't mean you can see his face clearly in this environment.

With the help of various Essence Fluid over the past few months, his height has reached about 1.7 meters, which is no longer like that of a normal fourteen-year-old child.

Ailin's thoughts raced.

With a sudden swing, Elsa parried to the right, naturally deflecting the thrusting sword aside.

Then, instinctively, it wanted to spin around, just like when it hunted monsters, to gather the power of the spin and deliver a fatal blow.

But before he could react, the Cat Hunter's blade flashed with a chilling light and rapidly enlarged before his eyes.

Oops!

Forgot that in the eyes of the School of the Cat Witchers, the School of the Wolf Two-Handed Sword technique—spinning—is a huge weakness.

However, this wasn't the first time Ailin had faced a dangerous situation.

He quickly raised his right elbow and placed it in front of him.

"Bang!"

A loud explosion.

The moment the blade struck Ailin's right elbow, a golden light flashed.

The Quen Shield shattered suddenly.

The sudden shockwave, mixed with pale golden fragments of magic, threw the cat-faction witcher off balance, causing him to fall backward.

As Ailin cast another Quen Shield on himself, he alternated between his left and right feet, preparing to press his advantage.

Unexpectedly, the School of the Cat Witcher suddenly performed an acrobatic act, leaning back and bending over from the center of the imbalance, then gently flicking his hands to the ground.

After a smooth backflip, she landed lightly on the windowsill, instantly widening the distance between the two.

What's even more impressive is that his feet landed on the narrow windowsill without making a sound or even swaying his body.

"Since its founder was a Half-elf, the School of the Cat's fighting style is inherited from elves, characterized by nimble and swift swordplay."

"To cultivate such dexterity and stability, School of the Cat Witchers begin practicing walking a tightrope with their eyes closed from their apprenticeship..."

Watching Brett's wildcat-like, fluid, even somewhat pleasing movements, Ailin suddenly recalled Vesemir's description of the School of the Cat style.

Haha~

A slightly out-of-control laugh broke out, interrupting Ailin's random thoughts.

Brett, a witcher from the School of the Cat, stared with his cloudy yellow Cat Eyes, casually twirled his longsword, and said excitedly:

"As expected of the School of the Wolf, the orthodox order with its orderly lineage is just different from us unrecognized stray cats on the roadside."

"We only know the signs Quen, Ald and Igni, but you can already change the form and nature of the signs."

"Hehehe... This is really enviable!"

"Only..."

Before he could finish speaking, Brad leaned forward under the force of gravity, then bent his knees and slammed his foot on the narrow windowsill.

Click!

The already broken and fractured wooden window was kicked away by the sudden, enormous force, even the wooden frame was sent flying.

"But your swords are not fast enough, nor accurate enough!"

With a furious roar, the black figure, gripping a gleaming longsword, charged forward like a black hurricane.

"Call!"

Ailin let out a long breath, looking at the Witcher sharpened and magnified rapidly from the perspective of the Cat Eye Potion, and no longer hesitated.

Demon Hunter!

He knew that using this skill would inevitably result in a life-or-death situation.

But he had no other choice.

At the beginning of the battle, and even before the battle, he had imagined the scene of fighting against the School of the Cat in the fighting tournament.

He hesitated and considered whether to recruit the notorious School of the Cat Witchers.

After all, both the School of the Wolf and the School of the Cat are Witchers.

In the original work, after the School of the Wolf was destroyed, other schools, including the School of the Cat, also could not escape the same fate.

All schools of Witcher should be natural allies.

Therefore, fundamentally speaking, the School of the Cat and they share a common enemy, and can be absorbed into it.

But now, he has changed his mind.

A swordsman's sword is an extension of his philosophy.

The gleaming, cold light ahead was aimed at all the vital points on Ailin's body that could be hit.

"This School of the Cat witcher wants to kill me!"

Brett, the Witcher of the School of the Cat, spoke his mind through his sword.

Ailin, who was also a Witcher, received it, so...

"Clang!"

The clang of metal rang out.

[Demon Hunter] Progress 3%