White Widow

The weary Ailin was unaware of this at the time.

Because of Radek and Boddan, two Sorcerer Apprentice, he and Vesemir once again became targets of Ban Ard the sorcerer.

To avoid getting involved in the trouble of the king's death.

After leaving the Hundred Fruit Garden, they rode off at full speed.

Along the way.

Aside from avoiding the royal city of Ad Kalai, the two witchers abandoned their usual practice of traveling while accepting quests.

Not only did they not take on a single commission, but they also never entered large towns with their two Sorcerer Apprentice, only making brief stops in small rural villages.

After resting overnight and getting some dry rations for the horses, they set off day and night toward the southern border of Kedwen.

And along the way, they encountered a patrolling army, wary nobles and administrators in villages, and the ever-increasing price of dry rations...

All of this proves that Vesemir and Ailin's concerns were not unfounded.

In fact.

Just two days after they left the Hundred Fruit Garden, martial law was imposed on the checkpoints and cities around Ban Ade, and troops were stationed to patrol the areas around the city that were difficult to blockade.

If Ailin and Vesemir had left the Hundred Fruit Garden a day or two later, they would probably have been captured and taken back to Ban Ade.

that's all.

What would normally be a journey of at least a month was completed in less than ten days by Vesemir's squad, who reached the border between Kedwen and Upper Ard...

The Pontar River, the largest river in the North.

As the weather warms up, the ice and snow melt.

Originating from the majestic Blue Mountains, the Pontar River is currently in its spring flood season. The rushing water crashes against the rocks on both sides of the river, shattering them into white flowers.

Looking at it from a distance.

The entire river is like a white silk ribbon.

"Finally, we're out of Kedwen!"

Radek gazed at the rushing river below the cliff behind him, then used his free right hand to brush aside the strands of hair hanging down and wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Yes, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"

Bogdan glanced back as well, the towering cliffs making his legs weak.

Startled, he quickly moved to the inside.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"We have left Kedwen, but the power of nature is no less than that of a human army!"

"Don't let your guard down, watch the road, it's still a cliff here!"

"If you are even slightly careless, no one will be there to collect your bodies!"

Vesemir turned around, leading his horse, and cursed angrily.

Radek and Bogdan weren't angry at being scolded. They scratched their heads, chuckled, and then shut up, leading their horses and following behind the two witchers.

Ailin saw the two Sorcerer Apprentice making faces at Vesemir and shook his head slightly.

Vesemir's words were harsh, but he actually had no problem with the two Sorcerer Apprentice.

Radek and Bogdan, despite being born into noble and wealthy families, were pampered and spoiled.

The body, which had been out of exercise for a long time, was clearly not adapted to such a high-intensity journey.

Knowing the significance of the king's new death, they not only did not hinder the journey, but also did not utter a single complaint.

instead.

To speed up the team's progress, he thoughtfully helped Vesemir and Ailin a lot.

This allowed the four of them to gradually become acquainted.

It was just some funny faces and jokes, nothing serious.

Actually, it wasn't just two Sorcerer Apprentice.

After leaving Kedwen, Ailin felt much more at ease.

"Master Vesemir, where did you learn about this path?"

After walking for a while, the talkative Radek couldn't help but ask.

There is actually only one well-known route from Kedwen to Upper Ard.

That is to cross the Pontar River via the Ban Green Fortress in Kedwen.

But obviously.

They didn't take that path.

In fact.

Ben Green was quite far from where they were; they had come out of a very deep cave.

Why worry about so much?

Vesemir rolled his eyes impatiently.

However, a few seconds later, he still spoke up to explain:

"Decades ago, this was an almost open smuggling route."

"Dwarves, elves, and humans smuggle contraband through this path..."

"And then what happened?" Radek was clearly a good listener. "How was this path abandoned?"

Vesemir stroked his beard, thought for a few seconds, and then, after moving to a more open area, said:

"Because a Cyclops came into the cave we just passed through."

At this point, Vesemir paused and glanced at Ailin.

Just as Ailin was wondering, Vesemir withdrew his gaze and continued:

"That Cyclops's name is Old Spearhead."

"Old Spearhead? Does the Cyclops even have a name?" Radek scratched his head.

Vesemir did not answer the question.

"Certainly..."

"That's not the main reason, because the Cyclops was quickly dealt with by a group of witchers..."

"Deal with? Shouldn't we just kill him?" Bogdan seized on the key point and interrupted Vesemir.

"No, those witchers took Old Spearhead back to Kaer Morhen..."

Vesemir shook his head, glancing with a complicated expression at Ailin, who was focused solely on leading the horse:

"Of course, in the end, this Cyclops still died!"

"Did Master Vesemir kill him?" Radek asked curiously.

"Uh...it wasn't me," Vesemir shook his head, "But you all know that person..."

We know each other?

Radek and Bogdan looked at each other in bewilderment.

Vesemir didn't keep them guessing for long:

"It's Ailin!"

"He killed Old Spearhead during the trial!"

Um?

Radek and Bogdan looked at each other again.

The monster that roamed this smuggling route decades ago was killed by a witcher who was clearly only a teenager.

Could it be a Witcher with the same name?

This was the first thought in their minds.

But then he remembered that Vesemir had said before that it was a witcher they knew.

Ben Ade's brain, a well-known academic underachiever, is somewhat overloaded.

"Ailin, that Cyclops with the Old Spearhead, did you really kill him?"

Bogdan asked in a low voice, somewhat incredulously.

Ailin nodded slightly.

"I killed him, but I used a bit of a trick!"

Oh my god!

It really was Ailin who killed him!

Although they had all witnessed Ailin kill two large monsters.

However, unfamiliar monsters are different from familiar demons.

The monsters in the arena looked powerful, but after Ailin toyed with them and killed them, it only made Radek and Bogdan think that those large monsters weren't so strong after all.

But the Cyclops is different.

They'd heard about Cyclops since they were little; they were the most common monsters in knightly novels, second only to dragons.

Furthermore, Ban Ade Academy also offers courses related to Monster Economics, which specifically explain this type of monster.

Now.

The "hero" who killed the Cyclops in the books they read as children suddenly appeared before their eyes, leaving them somewhat incredulous.

and...

Kill during the trial?

Ailin wasn't even a formal Witcher back then!

While feeling a secret thrill at being stared at by Radek and Bogdan, Ailin was mostly embarrassed, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

So he changed the subject and asked:

"And then, Master Vesemir?"

"Since Old Spearhead was sent to Kaer Morhen by the Witcher School, why is this place abandoned?"

Vesemir, leading his horse, watched with a smile as Ailin looked embarrassed.

After several seconds, he said:

"Because Haxor came to power."

"He began targeting dwarves, elves, gnomes, and all other non-human races."

"Using prophecies about inhuman beings bringing blood and fire to incite hatred among the Kedwen towards these outcasts..."

"At that time, the dwarves were the most frequent users of this smuggling route, followed by elves, and they were basically all objects of Kedwen's hatred."

"After they were attacked by mobs several times in Kedwen, fewer people naturally took this route."

"Then, relations between Kedwen and Ard improved through marriage alliances, and human merchants could travel to Kedwen normally via Ben Green for a small fee..."

"Then it seems that some infighting occurred among those alien smugglers..."

"Over time, there were hardly any people left here."

Vesemir sighed, as if recalling something from the past, and shook his head.

"With fewer people, there will be more monsters, and the roads are narrow and dangerous, so naturally no one will travel here."

Vesemir finished speaking.

Ailin and several Sorcerer Apprentice fell silent in unison.

The only sounds in the air were the clatter of horses' hooves and the faint roar of the Patal River.

In the world of Witcher, there is no concept of death being the greatest tragedy.

Although Haxor is portrayed as a villain in Vesemir's words.

However, Radek and Bogdan are both human, so they naturally wouldn't empathize with the non-human races that are hated.

However, Vesemir's story is told in a gentle manner.

But his words, whether it was "hatred for non-human races" or "infighting among smugglers," were filled with a strong sense of bloodshed.

It leaves one momentarily at a loss for how to proceed.

And so we walked for another three or four hours until the sun was setting.

After passing through a narrow mountain pass, Vesemir's squad led their horses to a three-way intersection.

"We're almost there!"

Vesemir wiped the sweat from his face, took off his Black Wide-brimmed Hat and fanned himself, then pointed to the widest road in the three-way intersection.

"Follow this road, and you'll be on the main road before dark. Then, it won't take long to reach Fujian on horseback."

Vesemir put his hat back on.

Looking back at Radek and Bogdan, whose hair was plastered to their scalps, their faces were pale, and their faces were covered in sweat, he asked:

"Are you planning to rest for a while, or continue walking?"

He's not some kind of demon.

We had been rushing to get out of Kedwen as quickly as possible, and the mountain road we had been on was too narrow and dangerous to rest on.

It's safe now.

He didn't mind taking care of the young client's health and stopping here for a while.

Vesemir didn't ask Ailin's opinion either.

Although he looked a little worse than me, he must have basically recovered in the time it took to stop and say those few words.

Radek and Bogdan exchanged a glance, and after seeing each other's disheveled appearance, they couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Radek looked at Vesemir:

"Let's keep going. I want to rest on a soft bed once we get to Fuzhen!"

Bogdan nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Vesemir nodded, "But in Fergen only has inns run by dwarves, and the beds there aren't soft."

Phetchabun is an ancient city with a long history, originally one of the mining colonies established in Mahakam.

therefore.

The main inhabitants here are dwarves, although other non-human races and humans also live here, but in much smaller numbers.

Dwarves love minerals and prefer to sleep on hard beds.

It is said that it can feel the breath of Mother Earth, and it is very stubborn.

Therefore, dwarven inns are indeed not very habitable for other races, especially humans.

"It doesn't matter, as long as we can find a place to rest quickly!"

Rarely mustering the last of his remaining strength, Radek impatiently led his horse to the front of the Witcher.

Vesemir paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile and followed.

However, they hadn't walked far...

"Buzz~"

"Buzz~"

The badges in front of Ailin and Vesemir suddenly began to hum.

"Clang~"

The silver sword was drawn.

"Careful!"

Vesemir shouted, loosened the reins, and ran ahead of Radek in a few strides, sword in hand.

Ailin's eyes hardened, and he loosened the reins, standing in front of Bogdan.

The two hunters extended their right hands almost simultaneously.

Slightly bend your thumb and forefinger and draw a triangle in front of you.

Two golden protective shields appeared, enveloping the witcher and the Sorcerer Apprentice respectively.

Radek and Bogdan didn't hesitate to cooperate with the Witcher and retreat.

The Witcher didn't accept any commissions along the way.

But they'd encountered monsters more than once or twice, and both Sorcerer Apprentice knew how to cooperate with the witcher.

"Rumble~"

The ground began to tremble as the badge hummed.

It looked like some enormous creature was rushing towards them from afar.

But Ailin and Vesemir stared wide-eyed, intently looking around, but no monsters appeared.

The horses neighed, and the four mares, startled by the sudden tremor, fled in panic.

However, the witchers and wizard apprentices had no energy left to pull them back.

Is it invisibility?

Amidst the confusion, Ailin had a sudden thought.

Mirage beads are suitable for breaking through illusions and forms of invisibility, but since absorbing the Dead Merman Pearl, Ailin's mirage beads have never recovered.

It cannot be used yet.

but,

Ailin has more than just the Mirage Pearl as a means.

After communicating with the Wolf Emblem through thought, Ailin saw something and quickly lowered his gaze.

Four dim yellow halos suddenly appeared beneath the soil, but by the time he noticed them, the halos were already almost at their feet.

"Watch out! Monsters are underground! Four of them!"

Ailin only had time to shout a warning before withdrawing his shield and rushing towards Bogdan.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion.

Four monsters, each taller than a person, suddenly emerged from the ground.

It was like a bomb had been detonated; sand, gravel, and soil were scattered everywhere, and dust filled the air.

"Chirp—"

Amidst strange, sharp screams.

With a black back and white sheath, the multi-legged monster, resembling a centipede, stood straight in the ground like a sharp sword.

A pair of forelegs, resembling those of a praying mantis, gleamed with a chilling light and slashed wildly like sharp blades.

"It looks familiar!"

With a thought, Ailin immediately performed an appraisal.

Name: The White Widow

[Level: 47]

[Attributes: Strength 51, Agility 24, Constitution 96, Perception 41, Mysticism 32]

White Widow?

Ailin was shocked.

Isn't this the monster from the secret laboratory in Toussaint's Valley of Nine in the game, the one that grants the Witcher Second Mutation?