Ban Ard Is So Miserable-What Does That Have to Do with Me, a Witcher?
Ailin almost died.
It was really just a hair's breadth away.
The shockwave from the explosion blew him away. When he regained his senses, he saw the jagged, sharp rocks of the cliff to the north rapidly approaching.
He possesses magical powers comparable to those of a water ghost, but blunt force injuries can still be fatal.
The most common way to deal with water ghosts in folk customs is to bind them with fishing nets and then smash them into a pulp with sticks and hammers.
So all he could do was adjust his posture in mid-air to avoid hitting his face, and try to die in a way that would make him look human, so as not to cause any more harm to his acquaintances like Vesemir and Ianna who later found his body.
certainly.
He might not die, since he's still wearing the Conqueror's Armor of the Wild Hunt. Who knows, if he meets the armor's requirements at the last second, he might be teleported to the Wild Hunt's lair—Tir Na'lia.
But to be honest, Ailin didn't think that as a Witcher, in his extremely weakened state after using "Beast Roar: Frenzy," he would be able to teleport to Ain El's territory like in the novels of his previous life...
He encounters a kind and beautiful elf girl, heals his wounds, wreaks havoc in Tyr Na'lia, obtains a supreme treasure, and then the God of War returns.
A more likely scenario is...
He was ordained by the elven sages of Ain El, just as Ciri and Yennefer had encountered in Stygga Castle in Vilgefortz, to be imprisoned in some dungeon or laboratory.
In the experiment where he was torn between life and death, the experiment stripped the Gate of Ard Guise and even the Witcher's Handbook from his body, and he finally died in extreme humiliation and pain.
therefore.
In the blink of an eye before he was about to crash into the cliff face, he was even pondering a very serious question.
Should we take back the Conqueror's Armor of the Wild Hunt?
Or, to put it another way, is it a gamble on the chances of surviving in Tyr Na Lia, or a quick and painless death?
Strangely...
When the question popped into Ailin's mind, he found the latter to be... more appealing.
The next second.
"Phew~"
A sudden gust of wind blew from the ground, and he was swept along the cliff face, being lifted into the sky by the wind.
"Greater Griffin?"
Ailin spun in mid-air, stunned for a moment.
He hadn't forgotten to send a message to the Greater Griffin, but after [Demon Hunter], he had just realized the problem when the violent explosion left him dazed.
After regaining my senses, the cliff face was right in front of me.
There are only three or four seconds, not even enough time to think of a last word.
Moreover, to make the Greater Griffin at the valley entrance notice where its master was, take off from the ground, and accurately catch him while dodging the aftershocks of the explosion.
I never expected the Greater Griffin to be so skilled.
The Greater Griffin seemed to sense Ailin's thoughts, and a feeling of pride welled up in its mind, as if it were asking for praise.
Then, as Ailin was spinning, he felt the back of his breastplate being lifted up by the collar, and his vision blurred.
The unique, fishy smell of the Greater Griffin washed over him like a tide, burying him in its stiff, black mane.
"What Good Girl!"
He praised it in his mind, and with the last of his strength, he gripped the mane tightly in his hand.
The Greater Griffin let out a satisfied cry, flapped its wings, and soared into the sky.
"They survived..."
A cool summer night breeze blew, and Ailin let out a long breath, feeling completely relaxed.
A drowsy feeling and muscle tension throughout the body also crept in at this moment, and the muscles ached and felt weak with the slightest movement.
However, he did not let sleepiness urge him to close his eyes. Instead, he bit his tongue and perked up again.
after all...
It's not over yet.
With difficulty, I took out the White Honey from the reagent bag, drank it, and tried to expel the toxins.
The dark veins bulging around his eyes gradually faded as the toxins from the potion in his blood were metabolized with his sweat, making Ailin's complexion look much better.
But with a thought, he Conqueror's Armor of the Wild Hunt from his Witcher's Handbook...
The "Shin Guardian - Magic Amplification" spell, which enhanced spell power, disappeared, causing the Mutated Organ next to the heart to dry up like a mountain spring in winter.
The enhanced "Gauntlets - Iron Grip" caused his face to suddenly turn deathly pale.
With both of these combined, Ailin's hands went limp, and he was almost blown off by the strong winds high in the sky.
The Greater Griffin cried out in worry, its wings tilting.
"Good Girl, I'm alright." Ailin gasped for breath, her hands trembling as she gripped the Greater Griffin's mane tightly once more.
"While the 'Beast Roar: Berserk' under [Demon Hunter] is several times more powerful than before, its side effects have also increased exponentially," he felt an intense weakness coursing through his limbs. "My current strength is no greater than that of a five- or six-year-old child..."
"It will take at least two days to fully recover," Ailin sighed.
Two days...
In the past, this number has never exceeded two hours, and the shortest is only half an hour if "Beast Roar: Frenzy" ends quickly enough.
And it won't be like it is now, where, let alone Spiked Fiend and Giant Ghoul, even a farmer's pitchfork could kill him.
"However, after banishing the Evil God, two days isn't really a big deal..."
Before Ailin could finish speaking, his ears suddenly twitched.
After the explosions faded away, it seemed like... voices could be heard from the ground...
No, it was more accurate to say cheers.
Loud, joyful cheers rose from the ground and soared into the sky.
That joyful and happy mood, even hundreds of meters in the air, was infectious, causing Ailin to smile involuntarily.
That's not all.
Someone... no... everyone was calling out to him.
He heard his name, he heard all his embarrassing nicknames, he heard...
The traces he left in this world...
"Feeling pretty good!" Ailin smiled, the fatigue surging from the depths of his body seemed to lessen considerably. "But it's still the knights of Arland, the May King, and the Specter Bane, the Blue Death..."
How can so many people stand on the shoulders of a "Good Girl"?
"Don't you think so?" Ailin smiled and gently patted the Greater Griffin's neck.
"Huh?"
The Greater Griffin tilted its head to look at its back, but its thick mane covered it.
The wings tilted, almost throwing Ailin off, before stopping.
Haha~
Ailin burst into laughter at the Greater Griffin's antics. "It's not a real person, don't bother looking for it."
"Huh??"
After exchanging a few jokes, the feeling of weakness in my body lessened slightly.
Although he was only five or six years old, he could already stand up normally by holding onto the mane of the Greater Griffin.
"It's time to let them know we're safe," Ailin said, supporting the Greater Griffin. She glanced down and saw that the dust and mist below were gradually dissipating. She took a deep breath and telepathically told them, "Go down, Good Girl."
"Bah!"
As if sensing its master's condition, the Greater Griffin slowly flapped its wings and flew towards the ground.
"Good Girl are becoming more and more understanding," Ailin thought to herself.
As he got closer to the ground, his gaze couldn't help but focus on the center of the valley.
certainly.
He was now looking at the rising dust in the center of the valley, not to see if the Summoning Ritual and the Evil God were completely dead.
[Demon Hunter] Never holds back, very reliable.
Moreover, the tone of the Evil God's final Mental Fluctuation clearly indicated that the [Demon Hunter] had caused him a significant "loss," although...
Ailin didn't know what this "loss" was, and he was even more curious about the [Demon Hunter], or rather the Witcher's Handbook that gave him the [Demon Hunter], and what its status was, and how it could even fleece Evil God.
His attention was focused on the valley because he remembered that before the Evil God was driven away, the Conjunction of the Spheres had sent three visitors from another world.
The large monster sent by the Ghoul's Conjunction of the Spheres was thrown out by the Summoning Ritual's tentacles and its fate was unknown; it could be ignored.
The Rotfiend is also a small monster. In theory, it might be stronger than a monster like the Drowners King when summoned, but there are limits.
But the Giant Ghoul is not a small creature; although it is a bit weak, it is still a proper large monster.
What level of monster will be teleported Conjunction of the Spheres?
Ailin thought for a moment and then urged the Greater Griffin to speed up.
While the Summoning Ritual was still in effect, whatever was summoned by the Conjunction of the Spheres would be of assistance to him.
But once he destroyed the Summoning Ritual, it became a threat, especially while the human alliance was still basking in the joy of expelling the Evil God...
Of course, even if he rushed there now, he wouldn't have the ability to fight.
But the Greater Griffin and its sharp claws can make the gravity of this world teach them a lesson.
This is on the premise that these monsters have not yet recovered their strength from the effects of the Conjunction of the Spheres and the explosion of the Evil God.
To be honest, even if they wake up, it's not a big deal. There are so many carnivorous creatures in the valley, so two more won't make a difference.
But those two "Otherworldly Visitor" were different from the Giant Ghoul and Spiked Fiend, whom they knew well. After all, they were likely unfamiliar large monsters, and it was impossible to say what strange abilities they might have.
If it can be solved in a simpler way, then it should be solved in a simpler way.
"The crusade hasn't ended yet, that's the downside," Ailin frowned, looking at the valley still filled with thick smoke. "Right now, we can't even figure out which monsters are dead and which are still alive."
The rewards for the raid have not yet been distributed.
The Witcher's Handbook has a very strict method for determining when a character can disengage from combat, the principle of which Ailin doesn't know. Moreover, as his Personal Panel level and the evaluation in the notes increase, the method for determining when a character can disengage from combat becomes more and more stringent.
When he first arrived in Kaer Morhen, he was able to use the safe disengagement event to rack up Lesser Experience Orbs.
But ever since his reputation changed from "newcomer to Witcher" to "witch hunter," his attempts at cleverness have been completely eliminated.
It seems that only when both the absolute safety of the environment and his belief in absolute disengagement from combat are met will the settlement take place.
It was all gray and dusty, except for the section of ground at the valley entrance that shimmered with golden light, which was getting closer and closer.
The Witcher's keen senses allowed him to see the crowd cheering "Godslayer," and the carnivorous creatures on the ground as the smoke and dust gradually dissipated.
He didn't care about his new title, though he was a little ashamed, since he had only banished the Evil God, not actually killed him.
However, titles are not something one can bestow upon oneself. Once they are recognized by the public, they cannot be removed even if one wants to, so they have nothing to do with the current Ailin.
But the ghouls screaming and howling on the ground suddenly reminded him of something very important.
He immediately opened the Witcher's Handbook.
I first checked the system notifications and history, then, still feeling uneasy, I opened the task list.
Carnivorous creatures:
Hunting Quest: Ghoul II (Kill 213/250 Water Ghosts)
Hunting Quest: Rotfiend II (Kill 73/100 Rotfiend)
[Hunting Quest: Giant Ghoul II (Kill 13/20 Giant Ghoul)]
[Hunting Quest: Spiked Fiend I (Slay 7/10 Spiked Fiend)]
"...37 Ghoul...27 Rotfiend...7 Giant Ghoul...3 Spiked Fiend..."
A cold sweat broke out on Ailin's forehead instantly.
These numbers would have seemed like a lot in the past.
Even with just over thirty of the most common Ghoul, Ghoul typically appear in small groups of four or five, it would take a long time to find them.
Not to mention the even rarer Rotfiend, as well as the large Giant Ghoul and Spiked Fiend.
Ordinary witchers might only encounter one such encounter once a year.
but...
But!
This time was different; the entire valley was teeming with ghouls.
If one is not careful, the Summoning Ritual is affected by him. With a few swings of his tentacles, the ghouls that are usually hard to find are trampled to death like ants on the roadside.
If his final [Demon Hunter] attack had been delayed by a few seconds, all thirty-seven Ghoul would have been wiped out in an instant, as would the Rotfiend, Giant Ghoul, and Spiked Fiend.
The Spiked Fiend is alright; it's just a first-stage hunting quest.
But what if the hunting quests for the second-stage Ghoul, Rotfiend, and Giant Ghoul are accidentally completed...?
The mere thought of this possibility sent a shiver down Ailin's spine.
Following the Apprentice Combat Tournament, the grand spectacle of the Water Ghost's Planetary Alignment has left everyone, including the Sorceress, exhausted and unable to withstand any further Planetary Alignment.
"But then again, these hunting missions that are about to reach their breaking point need to find a place to be released..."
He stroked the stubble on his chin, pondering:
"First of all, this place definitely can't be Arland, and it needs to be strong enough, with high enough walls... well... the height of the walls isn't necessary, what's more important is that we can react in time..."
"Thinking about it this way..."
Ailin looked up thoughtfully towards the northeast, where the night sky was filled with twinkling stars.
"... The strength there is indeed formidable; even though they've suffered heavy losses, they're still among the top in the entire Northern Continent..."
"And timely response... tsk tsk..."
"Is there anywhere in the entire Northern Continent more vigilant than there?"
"There are no civilians yet, not to mention that in the foreseeable future, resources from the northern kingdoms will converge on that place to provide support due to the threat of the Wild Hunt..."
"That's not all. It's not surprising that anything can happen there. As long as we stay out of the way, no one will be able to connect it to me."
The more he pondered, the brighter his azure Cat Eyes shone. "It's simply a chosen place where Conjunction of the Spheres and Planetary Alignment!"
"But wouldn't this be too cruel and too targeted..."
Ailin thought for a moment, and a smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.
"But..."
"Ban Ade is so pitiful, what does that have to do with me, a witcher?"