Alder Folk and the Knight

The Witcher of the School of the Wolf isn't that petty.

I won't get angry over a privately arranged gambling game.

On the contrary, Radek and Bogdan's open-mindedness and their egalitarian attitude towards witchers allowed them to quickly integrate into the group of young witchers.

After they became more familiar with each other, Fred asked a question that everyone was curious about:

"Radek, Bogdan, aren't you Ban Ade's Sorcerer Apprentice?"

"Going back now is for..."

"Escape!" Radek grinned and answered without hesitation.

"With the king dead, Ban Ade will undoubtedly become the center of the political struggle in Kedwen, and we don't want to get involved in this mess."

Bogdan nodded in agreement.

However, whether intentionally or unintentionally, he seemed to look at Ailin far more often than at other witchers.

"And what about your studies?" Huus leaned out from beside Fred on his horse. "What will you do about your classes when you get back?"

"And your mentors?"

"You're just leaving like this, and he doesn't care about you at all?"

Ben Ade Wizarding Academy was Huus's childhood dream.

Before arriving at Ban Ade.

He had always harbored a great curiosity about the male wizarding academy.

Although he has now unveiled the mystery of this place, he is still very interested in things related to the Wizard Academy.

Vesemir rode ahead of the group, and upon hearing Huus ' question, he couldn't help but slow down his mount.

He was also very curious about this question.

Based on his understanding over the years.

In Ben Ade, the wizard maintains a tight grip on his apprentices.

Most of the apprentices in the academy were practically slaves to the wizards.

Just like Mary was to Lady Vesemir.

So the fact that two apprentices escaped from Ban Ade was truly unheard of and unseen.

Hehehe~

Radek chuckled awkwardly, scratched his head, and said somewhat embarrassedly:

"My skills are too weak; I'm not qualified to have a mentor."

"Although Bogdan is more talented than me, he hasn't reached the point where he can choose his own research direction yet, and he has always taken general education courses."

"So..."

Got it!

It turns out he was an unnoticed academic underachiever.

The School of the Wolf demon hunters understood and tacitly refrained from pressing the matter further, continuing to gallop towards their destination.

but.

He hadn't gone far when Ailin felt a gaze watching him from the side.

After several attempts, he couldn't hold back any longer and turned to meet Bogdan's gaze.

He frowned and asked:

Why do you keep staring at me?

After being discovered, Bogdan didn't flinch. He chuckled, scratched his head, and asked:

"Ailin ...uh... Master..."

"Do you think I... have a chance to become a Witcher?"

The atmosphere immediately cooled down.

Several witchers instinctively pulled on the reins, bringing their mounts to a stop.

Becoming a Witcher is like having one foot in the grave.

This is a consensus across the entire Northern Continent.

None of the witchers on horseback became witchers voluntarily, so...

"Is this some new joke from Ban Ade?"

After all, he's a friend of one of Vesemir's major clients.

Although Bogdan's language was slightly offensive, Ailin didn't intend to delve into it.

Just laugh it off, smooth things over, and get through it.

However, Bogdan was not joking.

His face was tense and taut, ignoring Radek's subtle tugging at his clothes, he stared into Ailin's blue Cat Eyes and said:

"Master Ailin, I'm serious."

"I truly want to become a witcher like you..."

Do you think I have a chance?

I could feel Bogdan's serious attitude and see his admiring gaze.

Ailin and Vesemir looked at each other, feeling rather strange.

Several seconds passed.

Ailin then organized his thoughts and said:

"Sorry, at your age, trying to become a Witcher is a death sentence!"

That's a lie.

With the Drowner Heart Essence Fluid, the survival rate of the over-aged Witcher has also greatly increased.

but.

Even though Bogdan looked like a little fanboy and they got along very well just now, without any of the arrogance of a typical male wizard.

Having never met him before, it was impossible for Ailin to reveal the school's greatest secret.

Bogdan remained silent upon hearing this.

He didn't speak for a long time.

then.

The group continued on their way.

Anyone could tell that this was a Sorcerer Apprentice with a story to tell.

However, it seems he is not yet willing to tell his story.

But Ailin and the others didn't care.

Who in this world doesn't have a story to tell?

Along the way.

The Witcher has encountered blue corpses that have been smashed flat on the road multiple times.

The water ghosts, screeching and snarling, charged madly toward them.

Then, with remarkable ease, several witchers, who hadn't even dismounted, each with a sword, severed his head.

The lingering effects of this Planetary Alignment clearly extend beyond the City of Male Witches.

Looking at the summoned water ghosts, Ailin was somewhat confused.

He was forced to consider a problem that he had previously ignored, intentionally or unintentionally.

What is the purpose of the Witcher's Handbook?

On the one hand, it constantly uses tasks and rewards to urge the host to hunt monsters, seemingly wishing it could kill all the monsters in the world.

on the other hand.

He also unlocked the Conjunction of the Spheres, which will obviously allow the monsters in this world to have more and more functions.

This morning's Planetary Alignment was no longer even a performance.

Three large monsters and a large number of water ghosts were summoned directly.

"Hunting Mission: Water Ghost II" already summoned monsters of this size.

It's hard to imagine what kind of spectacle will be brought about after the "Water Ghost III" hunting mission is completed, and how many monsters will be summoned?

"Could it be that all the monsters from the other world are being transported to the Witcher world?"

Ailin pondered to himself.

To be honest...

He had a strong premonition.

Everything will really happen just as he imagined.

But...

"Why..."

"Why are the intentions revealed in the Witcher's Handbook so contradictory?"

What are the underlying reasons for this?

Various problems appeared and disappeared in his mind like bubbles.

Compared to these problems, there's the inexplicable idea of a wizard apprentice wanting to become a witcher.

It's not worth mentioning.

Back to the Hundred Fruit Garden.

After helping the villagers deal with the roaming water ghosts and several Ghoul attracted by the smell of blood, Ailin excused himself by saying he was feeling unwell and went straight back to his room.

The questions churning in his mind were problems he couldn't solve right now.

but.

Ailin's understanding of the Witcher's Handbook was not always stagnant.

At least...

[Ding! The fragment of the Gate of Ad-Gates is being absorbed...]

The mind opens the Witcher's Handbook.

Seeing the system notification that more than ten days had passed and the fragments still hadn't been fully absorbed, he consoled himself with a thought.

"At least I now know that the Gate of Ad Guise is an important part of the Witcher's Handbook."

Ailin lowered his head and pondered.

Perhaps we can trace the origins of the Witcher's Handbook from this perspective?

"The Gate of Ade Gas... The Gate of Ade Gas..."

He muttered a few words to himself, then suddenly realized that he had forgotten something very important.

However, after racking his brains without finding a result...

Ailin sighed and mentally switched the Witcher's Handbook to his inventory, deciding to stop wasting his time.

[Inventory: 287 Drowner Heart Essence Fluid, 2 Drowner Heart Essence Fluid, 2 Giant Drowner Heart Essence Fluid, 12 Experience Orbs, 5 Drowner King's Chest, 5 Giant Drowner's Chest, 5 Drowner's Chest]

A huge windfall!

Even when feeling down, it's hard to contain your excitement when you see the dazzling array of loot in your inventory.

Take a deep breath and calm yourself down.

[Ding! Use Drowner Heart Essence Fluid *2?]

The icy liquid slid down my throat and exploded in my stomach.

The Drowner Heart Essence Fluid, which initially severely injured Ailin, no longer poses a threat to Ailin.

A cool, rapid, and explosive sensation exploded in my stomach.

Ailin suddenly felt the same pleasure he had after a high-intensity workout in his previous life, drinking an ice-cold soda.

"Phew~"

Thick white mist billowed from Ailin's mouth.

A layer of frost had formed directly on the floor of the room.

[Attributes: Strength 38 (+2), Agility 33 (+2), Constitution 33 (+2), Perception 33 (+1), Mysticism 45 (+4)]

[Affinity: Water 9 (+2), Earth 3, Spatial Affinity 2]

The effects of the Drowners King's Heart Essence Fluid have weakened again.

The previous usage record was retrieved. Although it had five fewer attribute points than the last time it was used, it still increased Ailin's attributes by eleven points.

If we only estimate based on the rate of this decline...

It's possible that the Drowner Heart Essence Fluid would be the limit.

After a brief adjustment, Ailin turned his attention to the Giant Drowner Heart Essence Fluid.

[Ding! Do you wish to use Giant Drowner Heart Essence Fluid *2?]

The cold liquid went down my throat.

A vigorous chill mixed with a sense of heaviness, a feeling of water and earth merging together, spread the moment it entered the stomach.

It violently washed over Ailin's internal organs and limbs.

Every cell and every bone is filled with power.

A powerful surge of energy coursed through his limbs and bones, and the Mutated Organ next to his heart were growing.

"Huh?"

A soft gasp.

The effects of the Giant Drowner Heart Essence Fluid have just worn off.

The biting cold was piercing to the bone.

It seemed to originate from his bone marrow, permeating every bone in his body.

"What's going on?"

Surprised, Ailin opened the Witcher's Handbook with his mind.

[Attributes: Strength 42 (+4), Agility 37 (+4), Constitution 35 (+2), Perception 35 (+2), Mysticism 53 (+8)]

[Affinity: Water 11 (Magic Source - Water 1%), Earth 5 (+2), Spatial Affinity 2]

Magic Source: Water?

Ailin knew about the source of the magic.

This is the strongest talent a warlock can possess.

It grants its owner psychic powers, allowing them to escape into daydreams. From fleeting glimpses of light, they unknowingly utter prophecies.

It allows the owner to gain the power to transform magic through contact. It can convert water, earth, wind, and fire into Primal Magic, store this Primal Magic within the body, and unleash "primordial" magic with power far exceeding that of ordinary magic.

Of course, the Primal Magic can also be divided into four elements: water, earth, wind, and fire.

The possessor of the magic source can unleash powerful spells without using formulaic incantations and gestures, relying solely on intense emotional changes.

Of course, this ability, or "loss of control," often occurs when the Demon Source first awakens.

In the original work.

Pavetta, the mother of the protagonist Ciri, has an emotional outburst due to the farce at the marriage selection banquet.

When the demonic energy went out of control, it released extremely terrifying energy, almost leveling the castle of Cintra.

The source of magic has many unknown abilities; at least when Ailin was reading books and playing games in her previous life, she did not see a complete definition.

but.

This does not diminish the power of the Demon Source.

More recent examples.

Henry Gedimidis is a source of magic.

When he suddenly appeared in the arena without making any move, Ailin felt a strong sense of crisis.

It's like standing under a volcano about to erupt.

He didn't even dare to casually apply an assessment to Henry Gedimidis; a strong premonition told Ailin that if he did, it would be too late.

That subtly active volcano could erupt Molten Lava in an instant, killing him.

Recalling that scene, Ailin still trembles slightly.

And now.

Is he also a source of demonic energy?

The sky is red, and the ground is red.

Large groups of cavalry galloped across this desolate land of red stones and yellow sand.

The lead cavalryman was a black-haired elf.

He was riding a dark brown stallion that looked like a dragon.

The stallion wore a helmet shaped like a bull's head, and its cloak was embroidered with golden scales.

The other elves also had black hair and wore red jackets under their armor, which was made of incredibly small steel rings that clung to their bodies like wool fabric.

Amid whistles and shouts, the riders sped away.

It was as if they were chasing an enemy, or searching for rare treasures.

But this desolate world clearly doesn't even have a single withered blade of grass.

"Tap~ Tap~ Tap~"

The sound of horses' hooves echoed in this world on the verge of destruction.

And then it was swallowed up by this red world.

Sudden.

The leading black elf suddenly pulled on the reins woven from black jade with his right hand.

Raise your left arm and make a fist.

"Yu Yu!"

Amidst the neighing of horses.

The nearly one thousand heavily armored cavalrymen stopped instantly, as if they were one person.

Instantly.

The desolate red earth was now silent, even the sound of horses' hooves had vanished.

Dead silence.

moment.

The black-haired elf removed his skull-shaped helmet, frowned, and looked up at the sky.

The next second.

"Buzz~"

Red, translucent ripples, accompanied by a low, mournful sound, vibrated back and forth in the sky from the far distance.

The fierce, black-haired elf knights watched without blinking as thin, red clouds wove a net across the sky.

It's as if I'm watching fate weave its tapestry.

for a long time.

The buzzing that had echoed through the red world had dissipated, but the leading black-haired elf still gazed at the net in the sky.

Then.

His brows relaxed.

"Hahaha!"

The black-haired elf laughed, revealing small, white, and terrifyingly fine teeth.

"The Grand Gate has appeared!"

"Noble knights of the Alder Folk!"

"Let us find Him and reclaim the glory of the Ion Wooddord family!!!"

The knights were greatly encouraged by this strange sight and the encouraging voices of the black-haired elves.

They raised their weapons high, revealing beautiful, exquisite, yet cruelly cruel smiles, and loudly echoed:

"Aye! Aye! Aye!"

"King of Alder! King of Alder! King of Alder!"

"Reclaim our glory!!!"