The Monster That Brought Doom

Afternoon.

An unnamed rural area of Ard.

Two men and one woman rode side by side on a wide road.

Many farmers and caravans were coming and going on both sides, making the avenue very lively.

"Master Vesemir, isn't our destination Arland?" Mary looked up at the direction of the sun. "Why are we heading south?"

Arland was a vassal state of Temeria, and was naturally located to the west of Ard.

Leaving the Lomaco Mountains where Fugen is located, there were no problems heading south along the mountain roads.

But this place is all plains now, so why continue heading south?

"In order to get to Arland faster and more conveniently."

Knowing that she had been following Lady Vesemir and hadn't come out, Vesemir continued to explain:

"Unlike you wizards who can use portals and other magic..."

"For ordinary people, they can only walk where there is a road."

"Don't you think this place is flat and easy to ride, as if you can just keep riding towards Arland?"

"Isn't that right?" Mary pulled on the reins, looking at Vesemir with her big, bright eyes.

"Hahaha, of course not." Vesemir laughed heartily.

"Ard is so big, if you just wander around randomly without any signs, how will you know where you are?"

"Even if you have a way to find out, what about the road conditions along the way? What about bandits and monsters?"

"Although it's no longer an era where monsters roam freely, who knows how many demons and monsters might be lurking in the deserted mountains and forests?"

Upon hearing this, Mary suddenly felt that the once boundless and peaceful green meadow to her right was now rippling with danger.

It seems that a giant dragon and Cyclops are hiding behind that gentle slope not far away.

She subconsciously looked away, shrank her neck, and changed the subject:

"Where are we going?"

Seeing Mary's timid appearance, Vesemir's lips curled into a smile:

"We'll go to Vengerberg, the capital of Ard, first, then find a caravan whose destination is Temeria and go with them."

"Not only can I make some money, but I can also have more comfortable food and lodging along the way."

Actually, the detour was a little bit roundabout.

But there's nothing we can do about it.

If Vesemir had known that Radek and Bogdan would leave the team midway, he wouldn't have chosen the path of Fljuk.

They could cross the Pontar River from Ben Green, pass through Haji Fortress, and finally reach Arland after passing the Gors Velen.

As for Ailin's Witcher Master Set, they didn't need to come in person anyway.

Before descending the mountain, Ailin had already measured the dimensions in Kaer Morhen. Other materials could be delivered there by other witchers along the way.

However, since they had already passed through Fujian, and he happened to be going back to see Tomas Morra and Macaque off, he simply took the materials and deposit with him.

Of course.

After leaving Fujian, they could actually head directly towards Arland.

Although the journey was through desolate wilderness, it wasn't as terrible as he described.

Besides, even if it were true, if it were just the two of them, they could pass through safely with their abilities.

but.

Besides him and Ailin, Mary was also with them.

The two men could endure traveling day and night through the wilderness, but how could they let the young woman suffer along with them?

Moreover, there's no need to rush.

As long as you don't enter the portal, there's no problem with Ailin's curse, and it won't affect your daily life.

The dangers facing the school of thought changed with the death of the king, and a few more days were not a difference.

He shouldn't ruin any potential relationship; that would be a huge mistake.

Vesemir glanced at the bewildered Mary, then at the apprentice who was holding the reins and seemed lost in thought.

"I'm really worried sick about Ailin's future."

Vesemir's lips curled up slightly.

Sorceress are great!

Especially the Sorceress who was his childhood sweetheart.

Just look at Lady Vesemir and the Chief Executive Officer.

Although they've had their ups and downs, when the School of the Wolf was in trouble, didn't they come to the rescue immediately?

She even took on a witcher as an alchemy apprentice.

Who would believe that she has absolutely no romantic relationship with the CEO anymore?

As for Mary ...

She was already a qualified Sorceress at such a young age.

Such talent is almost on par with Ailin from The Witcher among wizards.

Given time, she will become another "Bloody Red Fox," and more importantly, Mary is quite obedient and seems to listen to Ailin...

It seems that Ailin also has a strong liking for her...

Thinking back to a few days ago, after coming out of the teleportation portal, Mary leaned on Ailin's shoulder.

Vesemir's eyes narrowed with laughter.

Just as Vesemir was imagining how Ailin and Mary would argue and reconcile after they finally understood each other...

"Hercules~"

A series of neighing horses around him interrupted Vesemir.

"What's wrong?"

Mary hurriedly pulled on the reins.

The horse beneath her, which originally belonged to Bogdan, had suddenly become startled for some reason and was restlessly shaking its neck.

The four hooves pawed at the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

Mary hadn't ridden in a long time and whose riding skills were rusty, never expected this to happen. Before she knew it, she was jolted off the saddle.

"Ah!"

She instinctively screamed, then closed her eyes tightly in fright.

Just as her heart sank, she suddenly felt her collar being pulled up, and she floated up as if she were riding on clouds.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw the young witcher's broad and reliable back.

"Didn't Lady Vesemir teach you that?"

"The more dangerous the situation, the more you need to keep your eyes wide open!"

While giving a slightly stern reprimand, Ailin channeled his magic, using the Axii Mind Sign to calm the restless horse.

With Mary's abilities, there are many ways to solve the problem of horses going out of control.

But she chose the worst one.

Do nothing!

"Sorry!"

Mary felt a little wronged.

Lady Vesemir never actually mentioned these things to her, or rather, Lady Vesemir never really taught her much knowledge on her own initiative...

I just let her read the book by herself.

However, this is ultimately his own problem, and Ailin's words were out of concern.

So she didn't refute it, but instead apologized.

Ailin then realized that his words might have carried too much weight, but for now he could only nod and say:

"Uh... it's okay, just be more careful next time!"

He then turned his attention to the out-of-control horses around him.

Amidst the clamor and panic of people and horses, Ailin tugged at Mary's horse, preventing it from being affected by the surroundings, then turned his head and asked loudly:

"Master Vesemir, what's happening?"

"There's a monster!" Vesemir placed his right hand on his silver sword, warily scanning the bushes on both sides of the road.

"And it's a rather large monster!"

"Be careful, Ailin, you must protect Mary!"

"Rest assured."

Erin's blue pupils contracted slightly, and Ailin gripped Elsa's hand, searching the surroundings for the source of the danger.

"Phew~"

A fierce wind suddenly arose, pressing down the waist-high grass on both sides of the road.

A powerful magical aura instantly pressed down.

Without needing to sense it closely, Ailin knew that the monster lurking in the shadows was definitely a large demon.

Moreover, it is much more powerful than the Drowners King and the Giant Drowner.

With such a strong aura, he must be quite large. How come we haven't seen him yet?

Ailin became increasingly wary.

The magic flowed within his body, and with a slight bend in his left thumb and forefinger, he drew a triangle in the air in front of him.

Quen Sign.

A semi-transparent, golden spherical protective shield instantly enveloped Ailin and Mary.

Just then.

"Look at the sky!"

What's that flying in the sky?

"Ah, a monster! A monster!"

Merchants, pedestrians, and farmers on the road all shouted in panic.

Ailin, who was searching for traces of the monster, looked up abruptly upon hearing the sound.

In the azure sky, a dark cloud, backlit by the sun, drifted swiftly in from afar.

No.

Something that's moving so fast definitely can't be a dark cloud.

Ailin gazed into the distance, his blue pupils instantly contracting.

He saw it clearly!

The eagle's curved beak, the lion's sharp claws.

And those enormous wings that blot out the sky...

It's a griffin!

And look at those sparse feathers and the almost fiery red flesh.

This is definitely not an ordinary griffin!

"Watch out for Ailin, it's Greater Griffin!"

Vesemir shouted a reminder.

"Li—"

Amidst the violent neighing, there were only three horses soothed by the Axii Sign.

All the other horses and livestock on the road panicked and went out of control.

Screams, cries, hisses...

The whole road seemed to have suddenly entered the apocalypse.

fortunately.

The Greater Griffin, with its wings that blotted out the sky, did not land to attack, but instead flew directly over the witcher's head.

The intense pressure whipped up a fierce wind, making it hard for people to breathe.

Much later.

The oppressive aura gradually dissipated only after the Greater Griffin flew far away.

The sky was a clear, blue expanse, as if nothing had happened.

However, the entire avenue was littered with scattered fragments of bicycle frames, and crowds of people wailing in agony...

All of these signs indicated that a top-tier, large monster, second only to a dragon, had flown through this area.

Such a powerful monster, even if it merely passes by, can cause immense harm to humanity.

"Aren't Greater Griffin usually found deep in the mountains? How come they're in a place like this?"

Perhaps it was the Sorceress's constitution that was at play.

The psychological damage caused by the Greater Griffin's passing intimidating presence was even less than the two swaying motions her horse had just made.

As soon as the monster left, she asked a question out of curiosity.

Vesemir looked solemnly in the direction the Greater Griffin had gone and shook his head.

Mary is right.

They were very close to Vengerberg from here, and would be able to reach the capital of Ard before dark.

This is not like decades ago.

Ordinary griffins rarely appear near human cities.

The Greater Griffin is even more difficult to find; one must venture deep into the mountains to search for any trace of it, and it is unlikely to appear in this place unless there is an unexpected reason.

"I... I don't know either, maybe it's because my partner was killed?"

"Griffins only have one mate in their lifetime. I've encountered griffins that have attacked cities and humans, and this is basically why they come out of the deep mountains..."

Vesemir gave Mary a forced smile.

His duty as a witcher made him want to charge forward on horseback immediately, but the presence of Ailin and Mary beside him made him hesitate, wondering whether he should take the risk.

Ailin didn't have the same high level of professional ethics as Vesemir.

However, he also wanted to catch up.

It's been half a month since I've killed any large monsters of sufficient size, and to be honest, Ailin is getting a little itchy.

Moreover, large monsters like the Greater Griffin are usually hard to find even with lanterns and by traversing mountains and valleys.

If you miss this opportunity, you might not have another chance to meet it again.

How much can the Greater Griffin Heart Essence Fluid improve attributes?

What kind of treasures and blueprints can be found in the Greater Griffin's Chest?

These two questions were like a kitten tickling his heart.

but...

Ailin turned her head to look at Mary.

He had never killed Greater Griffin, so he wasn't sure if two Witcher Master could protect Mary.

and...

Francesca taught him a lesson that was far too profound!

"Why... why are you all looking at me like that?"

Mary's keen Sorceress intuition alerted Mary to the gazes of the two witchers.

"Nothing."

Vesemir and Ailin replied in unison, then looked at each other in silence.

Mary frowned slightly, sensing that something was wrong.

She rarely left Vesemir's side, but since leaving Aretuza, she has truly gone to great lengths to understand human thoughts.

After a little thought, she understood.

"Don't worry about me, I'm a qualified Sorceress now, I can protect myself!"

As she spoke, as if to prove herself, Mary's lips moved slightly.

Two seconds later, a blue magical shield appeared around her.

With a little observation, Vesemir and Ailin realized that the shield was very strong and could withstand at least three attacks from the Greater Griffin.

This kind of shield shouldn't be something Sorceress of Mary's level could cast.

Sensing the surprised looks of the two witchers, Mary pulled a sapphire necklace from her bosom and said proudly:

"I'm Lady Vesemir's apprentice. Instead of worrying about my safety, you should rush over there and prevent that Greater Griffin from harming others..."

"And..."

Mary's lips moved again, and the sapphire necklace flashed twice.

The same shield also appeared on Vesemir and Ailin.

This isn't over yet.

As mysterious incantations continued to flow from Mary's mouth, different lights flashed across the two witchers.

Power surged through my muscles, my legs felt light, and my mind instantly cleared...

Even the slightest rustling or movement around them was highly noticeable to them...

When Mary stopped chanting, her face flushed, Ailin felt that she had become at least twice as strong.

He looked at Mary in surprise.

Despite unleashing so much magic, her Divine Power seemed completely undiminished.

"Besides, I'm not the kind of Sorceress who's weak and only holds others back!"

Is this the legendary sorceress Margarita Laux Antillie, the future head of the Aretusa Academy and one of the founders of the Sorcerer's Gathering?

I love it!

A fighting spirit was ignited in Ailin's mind.

The same goes for Vesemir.

Under Mary's smug gaze, they looked at each other, finding no reason to reject Mary inclusion.

Ah~

Mary suddenly felt light, let out a cry, and returned to her pack of chestnut mares once more.

Ailin urgently raised the reins:

"Then let's not waste any more time..."

"Let's rush over there and kill that beast!"