When the Lone Wolf Dies, the Pack Lives

"Crackling and popping~"

The burning embers warmed the torch, and the dim fireplace was filled with the sweet scent of burning pine resin.

Upon hearing Vesemir's words, Ailin paused, feeling a sense of comfort, like having just woken up early and drunk a bowl of hot porridge.

The Cat Eyes shimmered with the glow of torches, and a sense of loss and concern emanated from the light.

Ailin almost couldn't help but blurt everything out.

But... it was only a little short.

Ailin subtly shifted his gaze, even as he heard Vesemir sigh softly.

Reality isn't a shonen manga; it's not something where all problems can be solved by hard work, passion, friendship, family, and finally, the protagonist's roar and a sudden burst of power.

The demise of their schools of thought was a crisis they needed to face together, and a man-made disaster that they could hope to resolve.

Therefore, Ailin also had to create a "Precognitive Dream" to warn Vesemir, the School Head, and everyone related to him...

We must be vigilant, spur ourselves on, and fully commit to resolving the crisis.

The Wild Hunt emerged largely due to the Planetary Alignment that occurred in Ben Ade, rooted in his actions, but essentially a side effect of finding a way out for the school.

So even if the Wild Hunt targets him, he won't be coy and face it alone, but will immediately inform Vesemir and the school to find a solution together.

This is only natural.

Besides, although the Wild Hunt seems powerful and invincible, with Ailin by his side, it's not like there's no way to defeat him.

Temporarily slow down the frequency of Conjunction of the Spheres, and let Ban Ad, who is undergoing Planetary Alignment, go and Wild Hunt Hounds first...

They unite with the mysterious Volta family to find the School of the Viper, specializing in the Wild Hunt, and Iva the Evil Eye, and also unite with human allies, such as the nobles led by Duke Mason of Arland and the largest sect on the Northern Continent, the Meritellie Cult...

Even after unlocking the Path of the Beast Roar, the skill "Beast's Roar: Anti-Air" made it possible to drag the Wild Hunt, who had the advantage of the sky and were almost impossible to deal with, to fight on the ground...

Ailin could even say that, barring any unforeseen circumstances and given enough time to develop, defeating the Wild Hunt is almost inevitable.

But the White Frost...

White Frost is different.

It is the celestial phenomenon that was difficult to resist in the original work, the Ice Age.

It is the source of the apocalypse that terrifies and leaves even the mighty gods helpless.

Even now, Ailin doesn't know what it is. The powerful Meritellie has endured centuries of torment without gaining much useful information.

The only clue is the Wild Hunt, which is currently unmatched.

After unleashing "Beast Roar: No-Fly", capturing a few arrogant Ain El might yield more information about White Frost.

But...

The Wild Hunt is nothing more than a stray dog under the White Frost, a slave of a fallen nation.

Even if we do defeat them, how much useful information can we really obtain?

If they had a way to deal with White Frost, they wouldn't be in this predicament now.

He already knew the limits of the Witcher's abilities.

Whatever the White Frost may be, it is an inescapable natural disaster for the School of the Wolf.

Sharing happy things with others doubles the joy.

When you tell others about your sorrows, your sorrow is halved.

But telling others about your panic will only exacerbate it.

The first two might be true, but Ailin, as a time traveler, knew that the last one was definitely not false.

so...

Hearing the disappointment in the sigh beside him, Ailin shook his head and said:

"I'm sorry, Master Vesemir, I... I can't say yet..."

He could easily make up a minor excuse to get away with it.

but...

Looking at Vesemir's downcast eyes, for some reason, a perfunctory lie swirled in his mind, but he just couldn't bring himself to utter it.

In the end, I told the truth.

Vesemir stared at Ailin in silence for a long time, as if observing and guessing...

What could be more despairing than the rejection of a sovereign, the Wild Hunt, the legendary embodiment of war and calamity, that makes him unwilling to even speak of it?

"When can we talk about it?" Vesemir finally sighed again and asked softly.

Ailin lowered his head, his right hand awkwardly tracing the grain of the oak table. "Let's deal with the nobles and wizards threatening Kaer Morhen first..."

Upon hearing this, Vesemir nodded helplessly, without pressing for details.

I've been spending half a year with Ailin.

I had long known that this seemingly young boy was actually terrifyingly mature, and more opinionated than his mentor who was several times his age.

therefore.

Since Ailin didn't want to talk about it, Vesemir naturally didn't want to force him.

only...

"Perhaps it's because my strength isn't enough?"

Thinking about the battle that had just taken place in the training ground, Vesemir couldn't help but have such a thought in his mind.

Even Aristo couldn't beat Ailin, so he must be in the same boat.

"Just a week or two ago, he was a defeated opponent of Aries, but now even Aristo is no match for him," Vesemir thought to himself. "Ailin's strength has improved so quickly!"

After a brief exchange, both witchers fell silent again.

One gazed at the wood grain of the oak table under the flickering firelight, while the other stared wistfully at the dark fireplace that had never been lit.

I don't know what he's thinking.

that's all.

As darkness fell, the castle's heavy iron gates were pushed open again.

"Da da da~"

Heavy footsteps came from the doorway.

"So eager, Vesemir?" The one-eyed Rumon walked in and, upon seeing Vesemir, exclaimed in surprise, "You're going to take those five bottles of wine right now?"

Upon hearing the sound, Vesemir's body trembled suddenly, as if he had just come to his senses.

For some reason, Vesemir, who should have been very excited after winning five more bottles of adult East of the East from Aristo, had no interest in savoring the victory wine.

Upon hearing Rumon's teasing voice, he wiped his face with his right hand, glanced at Ailin, and gave a dry laugh:

"No need, you can keep it for now..."

Rumon, who was lighting the fireplace with the Igni Sign, didn't notice that the atmosphere between Vesemir and Ailin was rather unusual.

Hearing Vesemir's words, he nodded and looked at Ailin with admiration:

"I heard about it from Aristo, it's amazing..."

Ailin looked up.

"There aren't many people who can make that stubborn Aristo admit defeat wholeheartedly," Rumon clicked his tongue in admiration. "When I met him just now, he kept saying that Vesemir really got a great deal..."

In response to Rumon's praise, Ailin shifted uncomfortably and offered a few words of modesty:

"Master Aristo just wasn't taking it seriously and let me win. Otherwise, I think I would have lost before the second round."

That's true.

Aristo's Spinning Slash ultimate move in the second round is not only cool but also powerful. If hit, Quen Shield will be broken 100%.

Even if Aristo didn't hold back, he could easily kill Ailin with a single sword strike.

The thick fog enveloping the sword originated from the speed at which the sword was swung, exceeding the speed of sound...

The red light at the sword's tip wasn't solely due to speed; it likely also contained techniques from the Igni Sign...

Of course.

That's why he kept replaying that move in his mind on his way to the castle hall.

Naturally, Aristo's Whirlwind Slash is actually from the same source as the Spinning Slash that Ailin obtained when the School of the Wolf Two-Handed Sword was upgraded to LV5, only it is more difficult.

Ailin had some ideas about this, but for the time being, it was placed after "Beast Roar: Berserk".

"That stubborn old man doesn't believe in 'giving way' or 'holding back'..." Rumon chuckled a few times, then gently shook his head.

Then, with a relieved and cheerful pat on the shoulder, she went into the inner room to prepare the ingredients for dinner.

Inside the castle hall, only two witchers remained.

Ailin and Vesemir exchanged glances, the atmosphere becoming somewhat awkward due to their deliberate concealment.

Just as Ailin was about to say something to change the subject, Vesemir suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"As a mentor, I can't even solve my apprentice's problems. I'm such a failure as a mentor."

"Master Vesemir..."

Vesemir waved his hand, interrupting Ailin's hurried explanation, and smiled gently:

"But I believe you. If ' Blue Death ' has decided to do this, there must be a reason."

Upon hearing the widely known title he had received, Ailin was so embarrassed that he got goosebumps all over. "Master Vesemir!"

But at the same time, I felt relieved.

Vesemir was aware of his feelings about the nickname.

Since he's still willing to joke around, it means that Ailin's "distrust" and "avoidance" shouldn't have had a significant impact on Vesemir.

"But you must remember..." Vesemir smiled briefly, then became serious as he looked at Ailin, "Whether you're lucky or not, you are my Vesemir, a member of the School of the Wolf ..."

"No matter what happens in the future, don't face it alone. No matter how big or difficult things are, there's always something I and the school can do..."

"I remember you yourself said it..."

"A lone wolf dies but a pack of wolves lives..."

A warm feeling touched Ailin's heart as he was solemnly gazed at by the dark gold Cat Eyes, and he nodded vigorously.

At this moment.

Rumon emerged from the inner room carrying bread and other ingredients, and the two witchers fell silent.

Not long after.

After finishing their dinner, the two witchers left the castle and prepared to return to their respective lodgings.

"After the crisis at Kaer Morhen is resolved, I'll wait for you to say it yourself..."

Vesemir watched the scattered returnees in the distance. Even though they looked exhausted, they were still laughing and joking around, like carefree apprentices.

He glanced again at the young demon hunter beside him, who was equally young but looked as if his shoulders were weighed down by the towering, heavy Blue Mountain, and paused before saying:

"Besides..."

"Remember what I said..."

"When the lone wolf dies, the pack thrives." Ailin interrupted Vesemir with a smile. "I know."

South tower.

"Ta-da~"

As Ailin walked along the enclosed stone stairwell of the tower, Vesemir's words kept echoing in his mind.

"A lone wolf dies but a pack of wolves lives..."

This was a slogan I came up with at the beginning of the year when naming the Witcher Company.

Unexpectedly, six months later, this phrase reappeared, only this time used by Vesemir to persuade its creator.

"Eh~"

Thinking of the worried expression on the Witcher Master's face when they parted, Ailin felt a tightness in his chest and sighed.

When faced with two evils, choose the lesser one.

This result is already the best it can be.

Even as he pondered and worried, Vesemir still wondered what this unspeakable monster or calamity, more powerful than the legendary Wild Hunt and commanded by Meritellie, truly was.

But even the most powerful monsters and calamities he could think of were not on the same level as White Frost.

after all.

Who would have thought that Meritellie would entrust a mortal with something that even the gods themselves could not do?

Who can resist the end of a world?

As he pondered this, Ailin suddenly felt a sense of destiny.

Only the Conjunction of the Spheres, drawing in the magic of other worlds, can save the world, but only he, possessing the Witcher's Handbook, can accomplish this.

Could it be...?

His destiny after being transported here is to resist the White Frost and save the world.

"Fate..."

Ailin couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

to be honest.

Even though he was an orphan, having received education from his previous life, he hated this word.

I loathe a certain thread that weaves through life, a river to which no matter how much we struggle, we will eventually flow back, and a future that no amount of time travel can change...

But now.

He genuinely hoped that his arrival was orchestrated by some divine hand.

"Know that the Time of Sword and Axe is approaching, and it will be the Era of the Cold Wolf and Blizzard."

The world will Die in Frost and Reborn Under the New Sun.

Ess'tuath esse! This is inevitable! Pay attention to the signs!

To know what the signs are...

First, Filius Miraculi— the Child of Miracle —was born in a bitterly cold land.

Death and rebirth, non-human beings bring blood and fire...

After reciting the long-standing prophecy, Ailin opened the Witcher's Handbook, looked at a certain line on the panel, and murmured softly:

"The Child of Miracle... The Child of Miracle..."

"If I am truly destined to be like a hero in an epic, enduring all kinds of hardships and setbacks, but ultimately fulfilling the mission I was born to complete..."

"If only it were like this... If only it were like this..."

When I was a child, I watched cartoons, comics, and movies provided by the orphanage, and I always hoped that some monster that would destroy peace and destroy the world would suddenly appear in our peaceful reality.

Then, as a cursed lone star, he will definitely be chosen and given superpowers.

Then, after a difficult battle, they defeat the monsters and save the world.

But at this moment, they truly faced the end of the world.

Ailin, who is actually thirty years old, suddenly hopes that someone can replace him as the "Child of Miracle".

Unfortunately, no.

It seems that only he can save this world...

But...

"Why did my thoughts change?" Ailin asked herself softly.

for a long time.

Realizing she was feeling a bit down, Ailin slapped her face hard to cheer herself up:

"Don't think too much about it now. Let's go back and try out the passive effect of 'Beast Roar: Berserk' first, then develop the Monster Hunting Legion, accumulate Experience Orbs, and unlock the Path of the Beast Roar..."

"If we proceed step by step, things will eventually get done..."

"Squeak~"

Just as Ailin was encouraging himself, a door not far away suddenly opened, interrupting him.

"Um... Ailin!!!"

A figure rushed over excitedly.