Huus Is Dead? Dragon City-Drakkenberg!

"There is a god there!!!"

Huus's heart-wrenching cries awakened the priests who were terrified by the shocking news.

Lying on the operating table, the Witcher, who should have been weak from blood loss, suddenly unleashed astonishing power.

With all his might, he struggled and broke free from the priests' restraints in an instant, reaching out his scarred hands to grab Ailin, to stop him, to stop him...

"... Quick, quick... Quickly grab him... The wound is about to burst open..."

"... I can't hold him... this child is so strong..."

"... Be careful of the wound... it's bleeding again..."

The operating room was in complete chaos.

"Ailin!"

Nannick held down Huus's hand and shouted at Ailin.

Ailin snapped back to his senses, his body swayed, a gust of wind swept through the operating room, and he stood beside Huus, supporting him.

Huus stared with bloodshot Cat Eyes, veins bulging on his forehead, and the bandaged wound on his temple was soon soaked with scarlet blood.

"I'm not going! Huus! None of us are going! You lie down first!" Ailin shouted to reassure him.

After meeting Ailin's gaze, Huus suddenly stopped struggling.

"... Shila ...forceps! Bandages! Cotton swabs!... By Meritellie ...all that work was for nothing..."

Dr. Gisela shouted, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

At this moment.

As Huus quieted down, his gaze drifted unconsciously, his pupils dilating into circles before suddenly converging.

For a second or two.

Ailin noticed that Huus was staring at him, Huus seemed to have regained his senses.

"No, Ailin, you're lying to me, you'll definitely go..." Tears streamed down his face, as if he were mourning something, "You'll definitely go..."

Seeing this, Ailin gripped Huus's only intact left hand tightly, her eyes bloodshot. "Then tell me, Huus! What injured you like this? Was that god Leshen?"

"And Bont, Fred ...and Dan..."

His throat suddenly choked up.

Huus's emerald green Cat Eyes had somehow become blurred.

Huus... Huus...

In an instant, Ailin's heart stopped in terror, his chest felt as if it were filled with hot, viscous magma, burning and choking him.

"Mother Ianna! Priestess Nannick! Huus ... Huus ..." he shouted incoherently, flustered.

"Get out of the way!" Ianna's strong voice rang out from behind her.

Ailin immediately stepped to the side, staring at Ianna's face, which seemed to have aged even more.

"Listen carefully, there's still breathing..."

Vesemir approached without anyone noticing, and he gently helped Ailin up.

"Hiss—whoosh—"

After being reminded, Ailin also noticed the faint breathing in the air filled with the strong smell of rust.

Then.

Ianna straightened her hunched back and nodded to Ailin: "It's nothing, she just fainted."

This isn't just "passing out"... Hearing that Huus was still alive, Ailin breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Huus ' pupils were dilated, which was clearly a sign that he was about to die.

"That's how witchers are," Ianna explained, guessing what Ailin was thinking. "If you're interested, you can take a look at Vesemir's pupils when he's asleep; they'll also be dilated..."

Vesemir /My pupils when I'm asleep?

Ailin and Vesemir exchanged glances. Vesemir coughed uncomfortably twice, about to say something...

"Are you going to find those three witchers next?" Ianna patted Nannick's hand that was holding her arm, signaling her to let go.

Nannick nodded and left the operating table.

She has some medical skills, but surgery is still too difficult for her; she hasn't mastered it.

Ailin and Vesemir exchanged a glance and nodded. "We should prepare to leave now. The sooner we leave, the higher the chances of Bont, Fred, and Dante surviving."

Ianna looked at Ailin and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Don't try to persuade me, Mother Ianna," Ailin forced a smile. "Huus knew I would definitely go as soon as he woke up."

Ianna looked at Vesemir.

"Don't look at me, High Priest Ianna," Vesemir jokingly used the same phrasing as Ailin, "Huus knew I wasn't the one who gave the order when he woke up. The Greater Griffin belongs to Ailin, and I can only obey orders..."

Ianna rolled her eyes in annoyance, her gaze unconsciously shifting to Lyra, whose eyes were filled with worry.

Lyra was stunned by Ianna's gaze, blushed, tilted her head and pointed to herself with her index finger in confusion.

"Don't do that, Mother Ianna," Ailin said, swaying and blocking Ianna's view. "While Huus is said to be a god, he is most likely Leshen."

"With his strength, the Leshen is indeed as powerful as a god."

"But we all know that if they really encountered a god, Huus would not be able to escape at all."

Three witchers who had just come down from the mountain, along with a Witcher Master from the School of the Wolf, encountered the overwhelming swarms of carnivorous creatures in Mahakam Valley and couldn't even make a splash.

Not to mention that when the Great-Eyed Evil God descends, without the amulet bestowed by Meritellie, even a single glance would be imprisoned.

escape?

How do we escape?

"Of course I know, otherwise I would have shown you how powerful the priests of the Temple of Melitele are."

Ianna swung her fist menacingly at Ailin, then waved her hand helplessly.

The priests, who were partially obstructing the window and doorway, exchanged a few glances and silently stepped aside.

The priestess blocking the exit was no match for the witcher, but Ailin and Vesemir would not dare to lay a hand on the well-intentioned priests unless absolutely necessary.

"Wait, take this with you!"

As soon as Ailin and Vesemir opened the door, something suddenly flew from behind them and was caught by Ailin with a wave of his hand.

The open palm reveals a wooden amulet carved with the Three Saints of Meritellie.

The amulet was warm, and a flash of golden Divine Power light disappeared.

It was the amulet that Ianna had tied around Huus's neck before that mysterious ceremony, Ianna's own amulet.

"What a troublesome child," Ianna sighed irritably. "Be careful, don't let me be old and about to die, and then I'll have let Vesemir down..."

"You will live to be a hundred years old," Ailin sincerely wished, waved the amulet in his hand, and pushed open the door to leave.

"Bang!"

The wooden door was closed.

After a while.

"Stop looking, they're already gone." Ianna suddenly spoke up, startling a girl who was still staring blankly at the door, which also caused a burst of good-natured laughter.

"Mother Ianna ..." the girl complained, blushing.

"Now you know to call Mother Ianna," Ianna frowned as she changed the blood-soaked bandage on Huus's forehead. "Why didn't you help me stop him just now..."

"I... I couldn't stop it either..." The girl smoothed her hair, her expression wistful. "And I didn't want to stop it either..."

"Oh? Why?" Ianna looked up in surprise.

The girl remained silent for a long time, her voice so soft it seemed weightless.

"Mother Ianna, having no wounds is more painful than the regret of doing nothing at all..."

The operating room was even quieter now.

In the flickering candlelight, Gisela's bone scalpel seemed to freeze for a moment.

"You're a pitiful child too."

Ianna sighed and, under the questioning gazes of the other priests who were unaware of the girl's background, changed the subject.

"Did Gedymar agree?"

The girl nodded gently. "The king agreed, he said..."

It will be cloudy tonight.

The sky and the earth were completely black.

Unless one possesses exceptional talent, flying in such weather would easily lead to disorientation and turning one's world upside down.

Fortunately, the Greater Griffin is one of the more gifted monsters.

Good Girl fly very smoothly.

But the Good Girl doesn't recognize the scents of Bont, Frey, and Dante, nor does she know the location of Dragon City, so the task of giving directions falls to Ailin and Vesemir, who are on the Good Girl's back.

To be precise.

Vesemir, who had traveled far and wide for hundreds of years, was responsible for determining the direction, Ailin relayed the corrected instructions to the Greater Griffin.

Fortunately, the sun had just set.

In the Northern Continent, whether in cities or villages, every household is enjoying their dinner.

The lights flickered on the ground, just as constellations guided sailors at sea for Ailin and Vesemir.

Later still, those busy making a living blow out the lights.

Ailin and Vesemir were truly at a loss.

"Splash splash~"

Suddenly, a loud splashing sound came from the air.

"We've reached the Pontar River. Below should be La Valedi, the place where Huus was rescued." Vesemir put one hand to his forehead to shield his eyes from the wind and squinted as he looked down.

Dense clouds obscured the stars and moon, making it difficult to distinguish between land and river in the sky.

Following his gaze, Ailin found it difficult to comprehend the description of the land as "calm and still" and the river as "deep and smooth" in Vesemir's words.

For him, darkness was simply darkness.

certainly.

If you look closely, you can see the differences.

for example.

On land, the lights are still, but on the Pontar River, the lights fluctuate wildly due to the tides brought about by the changes of day and night.

Those were fishermen still fishing at night.

"Do you think Ernie and the others are ready to participate in such battles?" After instructing Ailin to correct their flight direction, Vesemir stared at the ground and suddenly asked.

Yes.

The seven-man squad of the Monster Hunting Legion followed them.

Now it hangs on the Greater Griffin's claws, occasionally letting out a loud cry to assert its presence.

"Yes, I think they're qualified," Ailin nodded. "Besides the corrosion, Huus also suffers from the bites of many wolves. Ernie and the others can help us share some of the burden, not to mention..."

He smiled helplessly:

"Just as you didn't stop me, I can't stop others' enthusiasm for saving their companions."

Compared to their relationship with him, Ernie, Klar, and Kray were actually closer to Huus, Bont, and Fred.

After Ernie and his group finished their Trial of the Mountains, Ailin was busy with alchemy, Ban Ade, ritual studies, and other matters.

Aside from going out to hunt water ghosts, it was always Huus, Bont, and Fred who helped Vesemir and Aristo train them in swordsmanship and signs.

As soon as Ailin and Vesemir stepped out of the operating room, they were surrounded by seven young witchers who had been eavesdropping and were filled with righteous indignation.

He looked as if he would "run away from home" to rescue people if they weren't allowed to follow him.

"That's true..."

Vesemir found the image of himself being stopped by a group of tiny children somewhat amusing and comforting.

The two remained silent for a while.

Ailin suddenly remembered Huus's words and asked, "Vesemir, when Huus mentioned Drakkenberg, why did you mention Dragon City?"

Where is Dragon City?

"Dragon City is Drakkenberg," Vesemir said. "Just as the Ancient Sea Fortress is Kaer Morhen, Drakkenberg is the transliteration of Dragon City in the Elder Speech."

"Then why is it surprising that Master Dante would take Huus, Bont, and Fred to Drakkenberg?" Ailin pressed. "Is there anything special about that place? Are there any dangerous monsters? Or is it just as its name suggests..."

"There, are there dragons?"

Vesemir paused for a few seconds, as if organizing his thoughts.

"Drakkenberg is near the Kaer Trolde Mountains. It may have been the dwelling place of dragons during the time of the Elven Royal Court, but the dragons have been gone from the Northern Continent for a long time now."

Vesemir said:

"Furthermore, a few years ago, the Northern Continent was swept up in a dragon-slaying craze due to the ingenious ideas of several kings. Dragon City, because of its name and some dubious rumors, was thoroughly searched for a long time, and there are definitely no dragons there..."

"Then why?"

"Because Drakkenberg was no ordinary fortress," Vesemir sighed. "It was once the largest fortress prison in Riedania, known for its cruel punishments and imprisonment of non-human races."

"I don't know why Dante would bring his apprentices, who just came down from the mountain, to a place like this..."

"Drakkenberg is not only outside the unspoken rules, but has also been involved in many unforeseen incidents because of them in the past, so he should be avoided..."

"What accident?" Ailin asked curiously.

"A very old-fashioned hero rescuing a damsel in distress, but it unexpectedly offended the local nobles," Vesemir casually remarked. "Drakkenberg is a prison for non-human races—especially elves—and several elves who escaped from the prison or were rescued by their own kind encountered the School of the Wolf of witchers..."

Ailin understood.

Lust is an inherent trait of the School of the Wolf Witchers.

School of the Wolf witcher, who has never experienced the harsh realities of life, encounters an elven beauty on his way down the mountain and is being chased by vicious human jailers.

Um...

The pursuit of glory and the allure of beauty can easily become intoxicating.

Drakkenberg should not be on the Witcher's travel route.

Vesemir continued, "Moreover, Drakkenberg is essentially a prison. Either there are no jobs that the School of the Wolf can do here, or the jobs are so difficult that they are beyond the capabilities of ordinary witchers."

"It's highly unlikely that Dante will choose this route..."

But he still chose it...

Ailin stroked the Greater Griffin's rough mane.

Why?

The Greater Griffin let out a clear cry, interrupting the two witchers' discussion.

They have already flown across the wide Pontar River.

Vesemir refocused intently on identifying the landmarks.

For a moment, silence fell once again on the back of the Greater Griffin.

Only the night wind howled in from all directions, icy and biting, devoid of the heat and brightness of a summer night.

The cold temperature reminded Ailin, who was clutching the mane of Greater Griffin, of Huus lying on the operating table.

Huus's skin was just as cold.

The more the biting night wind blew, the hotter and more intense the flames in Ailin's heart became, as if he wanted to burn his enemies to death or incinerate himself.

Then...

"Drakkenberg has arrived..." Vesemir said softly.