Getting Serious

After deciding on the method of the duel, the two witchers casually picked out a practice sword from the sword rack next to them and stood at opposite ends of the training ground.

Looking at Aristo, who had a full beard and whose dark golden Cat Eyes burned with a fighting spirit that seemed to be felt even from one side, Ailin had a thought.

Name: Aristo

[Attributes: Strength 57, Agility 57, Constitution 69, Perception 71, Mysticism 39]

Aristo's attributes are not much different from Vesemir's. Except for Strength, which is four points higher and quite considerable, the other attributes are similar, and the Mystic attribute is even three points lower.

After Ailin underwent the transformation by the Path of the Beast Roar yesterday, his strength, agility, perception, and mysticism attributes actually surpassed Aristo's.

However, he did not think that he was guaranteed to win the duel because of this.

After all, Ailin had once appraised Chieftain Soyer.

The five-dimensional attributes of the grandmasters of the School of the Wolf are almost identical to theirs, except for mystery; the difference in each attribute is less than five points.

But in actual combat...

Even with his attributes having increased significantly, Ailin is no longer able to dismember several large monsters using magic shields with the same ease that Grandmaster Soyer did in Ban Ade.

Witchers are not monsters, so it's difficult to tell their true combat strength at a glance from their stats.

Aristo's attributes are actually the limit of a Witcher's natural growth.

Without external aids, such as the help of Essence Fluid and Purification Spirit, it is difficult to continue improving.

However, skills such as swordsmanship and magic seals do not stop improving due to stagnant attribute growth; on the contrary, they become more refined and powerful with age.

And these are things that cannot be seen from the outside.

"Let's give it a try!" Ailin thought. "We'll know once we have a real fight."

He was also very interested in where his strength ranked within the School of the Wolf Masters.

"Prepare!"

Vesemir's referee's voice rang out, interrupting Ailin's thoughts and silencing the chattering apprentices around him, who looked expectantly toward the training field.

Under the gloomy, dark clouds, the mountain wind howled.

The two witchers in the training ground looked as if they were cut from the same mold.

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

Quen Sign.

A pale golden light flashed across the leather armor of both witchers simultaneously.

However, the pale golden light emanating from Ailin was significantly more dazzling than that from Aristo.

Immediately afterwards, without Vesemir uttering another word.

As the light flashed, the two witchers charged towards each other.

For Aristo, a battle is a battle.

All concerns and compromises are things that need to be considered before and after the battle.

But during the battle, he only needs to think about one thing—winning!

Therefore, he does not intend to hold back.

Not only because it is disrespectful to both sides in the fight.

Furthermore, if Ailin couldn't even withstand the first sword strike, then it was only because he was too arrogant, blinded by past glories, and unable to see his own strength.

Using a crushing defeat to wake him up is actually for his own good.

Rushing in without understanding the enemy's strength is Major Taboo for any witcher.

Those unreasonable monsters aren't as easy to talk to as he is.

The price to pay then will be one's life.

"Call--"

Its swift speed seemed to be a struggle for control of the gale, causing the air to howl in despair.

The apprentices around them had their hair blown about by the sudden gust of wind, making it almost impossible for them to open their eyes.

He strained to squint and looked over eagerly.

The afterimages of the two Witcher Master had already intertwined.

"Clang!"

The intense clanging of metal resounded throughout Kaer Morhen, almost puncturing eardrums.

The moment the two steel swords clashed, Aristo sensed something was wrong.

The power transmitted through the steel bridge seems... it seems even stronger than him.

Something's not right...

Aristo frowned and used the momentum to step back.

The moment his right foot touched the hard ground, he exerted force quickly and stomped down.

The power flowed through the bones and muscles, instantly reaching the tip of the sword.

"Clang!"

Swords clashed once more.

But that's not all.

Using the force and momentum from the stomp, Aristo did not retreat but instead aggressively continued to approach Ailin's center line.

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

The attacks from the steel sword in his hand grew increasingly fierce with each approaching footstep, as harsh and relentless as a blizzard in Kaer Morhen during the dead of winter.

Their momentum grew increasingly overwhelming, forcing Ailin to retreat step by step.

Something's not right!

Aristo did not rejoice at the continued advantage; instead, he frowned.

He watched in disbelief as Ailin struggled against his sword strikes, yet steadily parried each blow.

This School of the Wolf... no... the youngest Witcher Master among the Witchers, is actually stronger than him in terms of strength.

Don't be fooled by Ailin's retreating swords as he attacks; it's because his swordsmanship is insufficient to unleash all his power under the relentless onslaught.

But Aristo, a master swordsman who was familiar with every move, every stance, and even the slightest exertion of force in the School of the Wolf Two-Handed Sword, could not possibly fail to discern the limits of Ailin's strength from the reaction force transmitted from the steel sword.

And it's not just about strength.

From the trembling of her wrists, her steady gait, her sharp reflexes, even the intensity of the Quen Sign from the very beginning...

Ailin has reached the limit of every physical ability of a Witcher.

"How did you do that?" Aristo, puzzled.

Alchemy can produce geniuses, swordsmanship can produce geniuses, and even spells and hand seals can produce geniuses, quickly surpassing their peers and even their predecessors.

Every Witcher Master is the best example of this point.

But how could a Witcher's physical abilities improve so rapidly within six months, directly approaching the Witcher's limits?

This was beyond Aristo's comprehension.

Although Ailin possessed exceptional talent in potions, he did not believe that it was due to the potions.

He had drunk the Drowner Heart Essence Fluid, a full twenty doses, and it only barely enhanced him by a tiny bit.

For these witchers, whose bodies are already extremely strong, it takes almost careful perception to feel it.

No potion could have increased a Witcher's strength from just meeting the standards of a mature Witcher six months ago to what it is now.

Absolutely impossible.

After all, the stronger a demon hunter's physical abilities, the slower their natural growth will be.

At their level Witcher Master, it's already quite an achievement to not regress.

but...

Aristo looked at Ailin with a puzzled expression.

Real-world examples are battling him right in front of him...

Unbelievable!

That's absolutely unbelievable!

"Clang!"

After unleashing another sword strike, Aristo used the recoil to quickly retreat a few steps, creating some distance between himself and the enemy.

Although Ailin was under pressure during the previous offensive and defensive exchange, the defense was surprisingly tight.

Not only has her physical fitness improved, but Ailin's swordsmanship has also greatly improved in the past six months.

It's just not as exaggerated as his physical abilities.

Such an intense battle.

The physical exertion on Aristo is far greater than on Ailin, and continuing like this will definitely not be good for him.

and.

This crude attack was merely a test of Ailin's strength; once the result was obtained, there was naturally no need to waste so much energy.

At this moment.

"Hiss—whoosh—hiss—whoosh—"

The first wave of attack and defense has temporarily come to an end, leaving the Witcher apprentices around the training ground gasping for breath, as if they were about to suffocate.

"Master Aristo is so strong, even Captain Ailin was basically being suppressed..." an apprentice whispered.

"You saw it clearly?!" The apprentice beside him was extremely surprised.

He only saw two shadows rapidly approach each other, and then they separated shortly afterward.

I had originally planned to learn the powerful swordsmanship of my predecessors, but I didn't expect that I would not even be able to see how Captain Ailin and Master Aristo swung their swords before it was temporarily over.

His classmates from the same cohort were able to clearly distinguish who was in the upper hand and who was in the lower hand.

This made him start to doubt himself.

"No!" the apprentice replied matter-of-factly.

"Then why..."

"Because Commander Ailin's position is quite far back now, he must have been knocked over by Master Aristo..."

"Shh!" Ernie, who was standing in front of the apprentices, turned around and glanced at them.

Not only did the two whispering apprentices immediately fall silent, but the other apprentices around them also stopped their discussion.

Ernie appears to be highly respected within this small group.

"To be able to fight like this, Commander Ailin is already very strong," Ernie explained with a frown after the surroundings quieted down. "You should know that Commander Ailin is only fourteen years old, while Master Aristo is hundreds of years old."

"With such a large age difference, even Master Aristo couldn't break through Commander Ailin's defense when he took the initiative to attack."

"Isn't that amazing?"

The two apprentices looked at each other in bewilderment upon hearing this.

Now that you mention it, it does seem to be true.

In just six months, Commander Ailin has already been able to hold off Master Aristo. If he were given another year or two, wouldn't he be able to defeat Ares in one move?

No!

He might just defeat Chieftain Soyer, who can slay dragons, in one move!

Thinking this, the apprentices around them nodded with pride and looked admiringly at the figure in the training field who was slightly panting.

Just then.

"Is it possible," another voice suddenly came from among the apprentices, "that Master Aristo wasn't unable to break through Commander Ailin's defenses, but rather that he wasn't using his full strength and was simply letting Commander Ailin have his way..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Ernie frowned, turning around with a fierce look to see who was causing trouble and tarnishing Commander Ailin's reputation.

But before he could find that person...

The voice continued, "After all, look at Master Vesemir; his expression has never been good."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked in the direction where Vesemir was.

really.

Vesemir looked distressed, and despite the apprentices making a great commotion, he remained undisturbed.

His eyes were fixed on Ailin in the training field.

There seemed to be... a hint of resentment in her eyes?

After exchanging glances, the apprentices secretly looked at Ernie, Klar, and the other five witchers from the Monster Hunting Legion, without saying a word.

Everything seemed to be just as the apprentice had said.

Otherwise, why would Vesemir's expression be so bad?

They don't know.

The reason why the Witcher Master looked so grim was not because Ailin's strength was not as good as expected, and certainly not because of those five bottles of the old rules.

It's not that he doesn't understand.

Why did Ailin abandon a sure-win strategy and insist on making things look so ugly now?

In this way.

Wasn't all his painstaking efforts to trick Aristo completely wasted?

No!

It might not just be a waste of time; it could also cause negative effects with unclear consequences.

"Why? Has Ailin become arrogant because of the victories and glory along the way?" Vesemir frowned.

This was even more heartbreaking for him than losing five expensive bottles of East of the East.

"But this isn't like Ailin at all!"

The Witcher Master squinted, gazing intently at the figure in the training field.

"Ailin, you're quite good!" Aristo suddenly spoke, interrupting the random thoughts of those around him.

He looked at Ailin, who was standing guard not far away, and felt more and more admiration for him, but also more and more envy for Vesemir, that lucky bastard.

Despite being suppressed for a long time with almost no chance of turning the tide, his expression and demeanor remained as calm as a mountain...

Even from a short distance away, apprentices began to doubt his abilities, question his status, and challenge his authority...

He remained vigilant as always, not letting himself be blinded by success or rushing to prove himself...

This is difficult.

Especially for a Witcher like Ailin's age.

Saving face is more important than anything else.

At least Aristo felt he couldn't be that calm, not even at thirty, forty, or fifty, and perhaps even now.

Therefore, he admired Ailin very much, and his admiration for Ailin grew stronger until his blood boiled and his heart pounded like thunder.

Therefore, Aristo decided to go all out, even if the next strike would decide the outcome.

As for whether this would diminish Ailin's prestige within the Witcher Company, he didn't care.

With his support within the army, the lost prestige can be easily restored and even surpassed.

"I need to get serious!" he reminded him.

Then, after taking a deep breath and adjusting his muscles and bones to the most suitable position for exerting force, he looked at Ailin and waited for him to fully recover.

"Just as I thought!" The apprentices by the training ground whispered loudly upon hearing this, "Master Aristo was just letting Ailin..."

Ernie, Klar, and the others were at a loss for words. They could only clench their fists and stare intently at the figure they revered.

Vesemir's face remained expressionless, but the veins on his hands, gripping the wooden railing of the training field, bulged with force.

But no one expected this...

When Ailin heard Aristo's warning, he paused for a moment, but instead of remaining alert and holding his breath, he...

He laughed.

"Since that's the case, I'll have to get serious."