Evening.
Blue Mountains.
"Gwaah~ Gwaah~"
The cries of drowners drifted faintly from deep within the forest.
As Ailin used his Witcher Senses to search for tracks, he heard the sounds and shut off the Mutated Organs beside his nostrils.
The red mist projected by his sense of smell abruptly vanished from his vision.
The Witcher Apprentice glanced back at Vesemir. The Witcher Master nodded, signaling that he could act freely.
Ailin nodded and slowly advanced toward the drowner cries.
Even though the tracks and sounds had already confirmed that the enemy was drowners, the Witcher Apprentice did not let down his guard.
Caution kept witchers alive longer.
Those were the Witcher Master's exact words.
A single sense could not completely confirm an enemy's type or numbers.
Smell, hearing, sight, and magical perception—none of them could be absent during a hunt.
And because witchers' magical perception was weak, it was even safer to wear a School Emblem while hunting.
He crossed a dirt pit and stepped across the soft grass one step at a time.
The drowners' shrill cries drew nearer.
Two bare maple trees could not obstruct the Witcher Apprentice's view.
Seven drowners appeared before Ailin beside the small river.
He alternated among his four senses to confirm that no monsters were hiding nearby.
The Witcher Apprentice skillfully kept himself at the edge of the drowners' perception range.
He drew his sword as magic suddenly surged inside the body.
His left thumb and index finger bent slightly, sketching a triangle in the air before him.
"Quen Shield."
A faint yellow glow flickered across Ailin's brand-new dark leather armor.
With every preparation complete, the Witcher Apprentice hesitated no longer.
His right foot slammed into the ground, and he shot forward like an arrow released from a drawn bow. In a flash, he tore through the air and swung his sword at the necks of two drowners.
"Splat!"
"Splat!"
Thick blood sprayed from the severed wounds as the two drowners died instantly.
Immediately afterward,
Ailin held his sword in his left hand to guard his front, bent the index finger of his right hand, and thrust it forward.
Igni Fire Sign.
Heat rose from near his heart, flowed through his right hand, and erupted outward.
The shockwave, mixed with scorching heat, not only knocked the two alert drowners charging at him off balance.
Several tongues of flame even ignited the mucus coating the lead drowner.
Though drowners represented water-element substrates in alchemy, the mucus secreted from their bodies was highly flammable.
Before the burning drowner could be burned to death, Ailin swung his sword and ended its life.
Then, while the other drowner trembled in fear at the flames, the Witcher Apprentice spun halfway around it as if dancing.
Silver light flashed, and its head slid from its neck.
One drowner had thus overcome its fear of fire.
Three drowners remained.
These monsters were still panicking over the flames that had suddenly ignited on their companions.
The Witcher Apprentice seized the opportunity.
His feet switched rapidly as he took a few quick steps into the center of the three drowners.
His blue Cat Eyes widened slightly. Within moments, Ailin calculated the angles and swung his sword.
After the silver arc traced a smooth curve through the air,
"Clang!"
The sound of the silver sword returning to its sheath rang out, and only then did the three monster heads seem to realize what had happened as they slid from their necks.
Blackish-red, filthy blood spurted from the severed surfaces.
The clear riverbank was suddenly filled with a nauseating, fetid stench.
Less than five minutes had passed from start to finish before the battle was over.
Skilled and efficient.
Ding! Monster Group "Drowners" LV6 Subjugated! Reward Calculation: Overcame the enemy, base rating D; defeated many with few +1—D+; beheading intimidation +3—C+ Final Rating: C+ Loot Obtained: Drowner Heart Essence Fluid*7, Lesser Experience Orbs*7, Drowner's Chest*2 Hunting Quest: Drowners I (Drowners killed 189/200) Quest Reward: Unknown
"Clap, clap, clap."
Ailin looked toward the sound. Vesemir was clapping as he walked toward the riverbank.
"When it comes to hunting drowners, even I can't do it faster than you. You truly deserve the name Drowner Killer..."
"Master Vesemir!" Ailin called helplessly.
Ever since the Witcher Master had heard someone call Ailin by that title in person, he had teased him about it from time to time.
Was Drowner Killer even an elegant title?
It did not even count as a decent nickname.
"Alright, alright, I won't mention it." Vesemir shook his head, looked up at the sky, and said, "It's getting late. Clean up, and we'll head back."
That afternoon, Vesemir had not participated in the hunt.
The Witcher Master had merely used his Tracking skill, at least LV4, to point Ailin in a direction. The subsequent tracking, exploration, hunting, and processing had all been done by Ailin.
In truth, with Ailin's stacked Tracking abilities, he did not even need Vesemir to point him in the right direction.
The Witcher Apprentice already possessed the ability to hunt drowners alone.
So, as Ailin processed the materials, he casually said as if it were an idle remark,
"Master Vesemir, do you think I'm capable of hunting drowners on my own?"
Vesemir nodded. "I don't think any witcher could say you aren't capable. At least when it comes to hunting drowners, even I couldn't do better than you."
There's a chance... Ailin's heart leaped with joy. "Then starting tomorrow, you won't need to accompany me anymore. I can go alone..."
"No!" Vesemir's tone did not waver as he decisively rejected Ailin's request.
"Why?" Ailin asked.
"I am your mentor. I need to take responsibility for your life."
The setting sun cast slanting golden rays over the black wide-brimmed hat.
On that handsome, sharply defined face, his eyes concealed in shadow were firm and stubborn.
Ailin, who knew the Witcher Master well, understood that those were eyes that could not be persuaded.
So, after sighing inwardly, Ailin lowered his head and continued processing the drowner materials.
Without Vesemir, even though Ailin was familiar with the guards at the gate, he could not leave Kaer Morhen.
Or rather, even if he managed to sneak out once, what then?
Unless he never returned to the School of the Wolf again, once Vesemir found out, he would lose even the hunting opportunities he had now.
As for leaving the School of the Wolf and fleeing far away...
Ailin wanted to leave the castle, not to avoid the Trial of the Mountains.
He had a cheat system. Was he supposed to run away? Was he supposed to fail the trial and be unable to become a proper witcher?
He was the Child of Miracle, a man destined to save the world!
"Slice."
The last Drowner Tongue was cut free and placed into the Material Bag.
Ailin pulled up the hunting quest and took another look.
Only eleven drowners remained before the quest was complete. It would be finished after one more day.
If the hunting quest had not occupied one of Ailin's quest slots, his Lesser Experience Orbs quota would have been at least one-fifth higher.
Unfortunately, only one quest could be triggered at a time.
Until this quest ended, Ailin had no way to find an opportunity to trigger other quests.
The Witcher Apprentice looked at the word "Unknown" after the quest reward and sighed, thinking,
Perhaps tomorrow, the Witcher's Handbook will give me a surprise?
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