White Frost Blinked

A flash.

Ailin arrived at that "window"... no... it can no longer be considered a window...

As he got closer, he looked up at the huge "window" that reflected the blue sky, the bright sun, and the ruins, and felt as small as an ant.

Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!

Ailin was dumbfounded.

His gaze lingered on the "window" that resembled a mural.

Just then.

Nearly a hundred skeleton riders, pulling on ancient reins, leaped out one after another from the spiral, over the waist-high window frames.

That window... or rather, that door, really did act like a real door, allowing them to pass through freely.

Then.

Skeleton Knight gallop through the sky within the gate.

Honestly.

Even though Ailin had imagined the Wild Hunt using the Spiral to travel between worlds, the original work also described Ciri using the power of the Elder Blood to travel between worlds.

But when this scene actually happened before my eyes, I was still deeply shocked.

A three-dimensional creature suddenly appeared in the fantastical world of the oil painting.

Ailin stood there stunned for a while, forgetting to avoid his gaze, staring blankly at the doorway.

His gaze swept over the many Wild Hunt, finally inevitably landing on Regis.

With keen senses, Regis whirled around, his gaze meeting that of the menacing crimson will-o'-the -Ailin wisp within his pale, bony eye sockets.

"Who!"

"Who's spying on us?!"

A chilling, murderous aura seemed to emanate from the void.

In a daze, Ailin felt as if he were surrounded by mountains of corpses and seas of blood, or as if a sharp blade was pressed against his throat.

However, after the initial shock, he continued to stare straight ahead without paying any attention.

What is there to fear about an elf who cannot kill him and is helpless against him, no matter how terrifying and high his killing intent is or how powerful he is?

If you're so capable, jump out of the "door" and kill him!

"Buzz~"

The door trembled more and more violently.

Ailin guessed that this might be a sign that the door was about to close, so he looked away and quickly peered down at the ruins.

He felt that the desolate ruins looked somewhat familiar.

Where have I seen this before?

Ailin asked himself.

A forest, charred ruins, and tiny black dots moving within the ruins...

[etc...]

Ailin's gaze suddenly fell upon the center of the vast ruins, where several spire-like structures appeared to stand...

[Spire?]

[The Spire!]

That ruin is Ban Adler!!!

He suddenly remembered that the feeling of familiarity stemmed from having once looked down from the sky aboard the "Good Girl".

At that time, the fire in Ban Ade had not yet been extinguished, and thick black smoke and blood-red flames still rose above the ruins.

What is the Wild Hunt doing in Ban Ad...?

The question had barely formed in his mind when the answer came instantly; he instinctively looked towards the lush forest beside the ruins...

Just as he shifted his gaze, Regis spoke a few words in Elder Speech, seemingly in response to someone, then glanced at him before leading his Wild Hunt men at breakneck speed toward the ruins.

Those Wild Hunt... are after the fragments of the Ad Gais Gate and the Guiding Stone of the Ad Gais Gate!

"Boom!"

In an instant, the door in front of them trembled and made a loud crash.

This place can't be left here!

The loud noise made Ailin instinctively flinch backward.

After the flash, when the gaze returned to the location of the interdimensional gate, it was now completely empty.

Spiral, back to darkness.

The empty walls failed to quell the burgeoning thoughts.

The spiral was silent, like a stagnant pool.

Ailin gazed silently at the dark, hard, and flawless black wall, countless thoughts rising in his mind.

He was considering, estimating, and guessing...

What will the Wild Hunt do when it can no longer find the fragments of the Ard Gais Gate buried in the soil, nor can it find the Guiding Stone hidden on the body of the now-vanished Sera?

Will he leave now, or head straight for Ben Ade's wizarding academy to find the missing fragments and the Guiding Stone?

[That's hard to say!] he thought to himself.

The Wild Hunt, with its hundred-strong force, is strong enough to potentially slay Ban Ad, and considering Regis's strength, the underdog is almost certainly the one at a disadvantage.

On the other hand, just two weeks ago, a group of Wild Hunt members, numbering well over a hundred, were wiped out in Ban Ad.

The influence of Henry Gedimidis must still be present, and considering this, it seems that Regis and his group are only there to retrieve their belongings and may not necessarily want to cause conflict or create trouble.

As Ailin pondered this, she found herself worrying about Ben Ade...

"I can't help but worry..." he said with a wry smile. "If the warlock gets scared away, breaks down, or develops psychological trauma right now, who will take the blame for me... the Northern Continent? Who will stand guard and serve as cannon fodder?"

However, there's no need to worry so much...

Ailin thought about it again.

The disturbance caused by Henry Gedimidis was indeed quite significant, especially since the King of the Wild Hunt Eredin, had already issued a challenge and set a date for the attack.

Would a few low-level henchmen cause their superior to break their promise?

It's not impossible, after all, he doesn't know if there are any factions within Wild Hunt's small team of one hundred.

For example, the Eredin lineage is unlikely to break the challenge, but the Avallac lineage might prioritize the fragments of the Ade Gais Gate...

However, even if the navigator, who holds a significant position in the Wild Hunt, is from the Avallac faction, the probability of him deliberately going against Eredin is probably not very high.

I can't worry about that anymore.

[Ban Ade is thousands of miles away; there's no use in thinking about this. I can't exactly ride Greater Griffin to remind them.]

Although Ben Ade is currently weak and harmless to the School of the Wolf, yet extremely useful, he's not important enough for me to intervene.

If any traces are discovered, whether by the Wild Hunt or by Ben Ade, the consequences will be far-reaching...

"There's no need, there's no need." Ailin shook his head.

However, we need to pay close attention to the progress of Senne's request for help and the negotiations in the next few days.

As for Ban Ad...

All I can do is pray for them! Ailin felt a faint smile creep onto his lips.

Having figured out how to deal with the variables brought about by the arrival of the Wild Hunt and Ban Ad, Ailin refocused his attention on the Spiral.

After the Wild Hunt left, the dark space returned to its lifeless stillness.

Last time, after he was channeled into this dark space, he didn't realize that this was the legendary "place where all realms converge" or "shortcut to the world," and only glanced at it briefly.

Now, when he realized he had arrived in the legendary land, even the desolate staircase seemed grand and magnificent.

He first teleported to the closed door leading to Ban Ade, and after finding nothing that distinguished it from the other Blackwalls,

Ailin shimmered as he ascended the steps, hoping to see another "door".

If we could find the pattern in the distribution of these "doors" and the directions they lead to...

In the future, once the "Spiral" skill is upgraded, even if the portals cannot transport a large number of people, he will still be able to use these portals in the Spiral to teleport large numbers of Witcher and even friendly forces' armies.

It will be of great use in dealing with major disasters such as the descent of Evil God, the attacks of the Wild Hunt, and even the future arrival of the "White Frost".

Even if we don't go that far.

There must also be a door hidden within the spiral leading to Tyr Na Lia.

The "resurrection" that Conquest Armor has too many side effects, and there is no turning back once you go.

Who would use this method to infiltrate the enemy's lair and gather intelligence?

Knowing the location and opening method of this door is practically equivalent to holding the lifeline of Ain El.

but...

One hour, two hours, three hours...

Far more time had passed since the Wild Hunt began searching for the door, and he hadn't found a single "door" leading to Tyr Na Lia, let alone a "door" leading away from the spiral.

Ailin stopped her endless flashing.

My gaze lingered on the black wall.

If one had not just seen it for themselves, who would believe that this smooth, seamless black wall, as if carved out of a massive mountain range, actually conceals a door leading to Ban Ade, thousands of miles away?

[Navigator...]

Could it be that the navigator used some kind of magic or ability to open the door?

Ailin speculated in his mind, but the next second he dismissed his guess.

[That's not right either. If the navigator could really control the spiral at will, those Wild Hunt wouldn't have been running around in this boring place for three or four hours...]

[so...]

What is the answer?

Ailin recalled the navigator's actions, but there were no special movements or spells from beginning to end.

Only the word "arrived" evoked a strong Mental Fluctuation.

What did he do?

Thinking about it won't give you an answer, so Ailin can only make a note of it for now and wait until he learns [Beast Roar: No Air] to see if he can find an opportunity to capture a navigator to solve his problem.

So now, only one question remains.

Ailin shifted his perspective, looking towards the center of the spiral, at the unfathomable void.

Below and above are endless corridors, both leading to the deepest and densest darkness.

The last time, which was also the first time, when he was channeled to the Spiral, he seemed to see something at the bottom of the void, but he was disturbed by the commotion of the Wild Hunt and couldn't see it clearly.

He had just noticed that when the Skeleton Knight rode their horses and galloped along the spiral, they all pressed themselves tightly against the wall.

It was as if anyone who got close to that hole would be sucked into by some monster.

and...

He also remembered the last scene of the Conqueror's Armor of the Wild Hunt unboxing animation, which he found very memorable.

Unlike the deathly silence here, the spiral in the unboxing animation, with countless "windows" hanging on one side of the dark wall, is like a series of exquisite paintings.

White Frost fluttered in through the windows, carrying a white light.

But after just one glance, in the blink of an eye, his thoughts seemed to freeze, his consciousness rapidly stagnating and becoming ice-cold, while at the same time, the pain in his body became even clearer.

More importantly, this influence actually followed him back into reality.

After waking up, the breath I exhaled froze the marble floor of the iconostasis.

[Wrong!]

It wasn't those windows leading to different worlds that froze my consciousness, but rather one of those "windows" that emitted a blinding white light and blinked...

What exactly is that?

Curiosity, like a kitten, scratched at his heart, and Ailin hesitated for a moment.

Several flashes later, they arrived at the edge of the corridor steps.

An endless, empty corridor lay beside him.

This behavior is certainly dangerous, but within acceptable limits.

Last time, he peeked down and looked around, but nothing happened.

However, the necessary preparations should still be made.

Ailin took a deep breath to calm himself, then mentally opened the Witcher's Handbook. The icon for the Special Skill "Spiral" was flashing with a dark purple light.

He could, of course, exit the spiral with a thought, just as he could use [Demon Hunter] at any time during battle.

However, since this was the first time he had voluntarily exited the spiral, the semi-transparent panel in front of him would allow him to react faster in an emergency.

Everything is ready...

Ailin turned his head and first cautiously glanced at the sky.

Countless rotating corridors form concentric circles, or like a double helix of DNA, leading from infinity to infinity, solemn and mysterious, making one dizzy.

However, there was nothing in the center; it was pitch black.

[Very good!]

He said to himself.

Now for the main event.

Ailin controlled his nervous emotions and carefully manipulated the camera angle downwards.

The same concentric circles, the same double helix, and even the same dizzying solemnity and mystery.

There's only one difference...

The core of the concentric circles glows with a white light, a hazy white that seems to be shrouded in mist in the darkness.

Pure, but devoid of any life.

perhaps...

The purpose of this white light is to rob all life.

A sublime yet cold chill arose in Ailin's heart the moment he saw the hazy white light, as if in an instant he had been placed on the snow-capped peak of Blue Mountain.

When he subconsciously looked away, he vanished instantly, leaving no trace.

There's no mistake,"Ailin thought with a chill. "This feeling of being frozen to the touch is exactly the same as what I experienced in the Goddess's Kingdom."

The White Frost was indeed hidden at the very bottom of the spiral.

But this still didn't solve another problem...

What exactly is White Frost?

[Natural disaster? A deity? Or perhaps the monstrous force from mythology that devours the heavens and earth...]

Just as he was pondering, the white mist at the center of the concentric circles suddenly flickered in his peripheral vision, interrupting his thoughts.

He froze for a moment, then instinctively looked down.

White mist, white light, concentric circles, a structure so stunning it's dizzying...

Nothing has changed.

It seemed that the fleeting flash of white light in the corner of his vision just now was merely his illusion.

But with the keen senses of a Witcher, a Witcher Master, even if Ailin is not in his prime, how could he be wrong?

Witchers are a profession that dances between the claws and fangs of monsters, and the Rift life and death.

Ailin became more alert, his mind subtly "touching" the "spiral" on the translucent panel...

It was in that very instant.

The white mist at the center of the concentric circles winked at him.