The Wolves Break Free of Fate's Shadow

"Thud, thud, thud~"

Horse hooves struck the wooden bridge.

Amid shouts, rattling wheels, and hoofbeats, he woke once more.

The cacophony of sounds, mixed with the stench of horse dung, fodder, and dust, left the newly awakened witcher's mind foggy.

But that state did not last long.

"Clack~"

The vehicle beneath him was probably a carriage. Its wheel seemed to have rolled over a hard stone, and with a jolt, the agony throughout his body was like a basin of cold water poured over his head, instantly waking him fully.

He instinctively tried to open his eyes, but all he saw was blank whiteness.

Bandages.

Bandages covered his entire face, not leaving even the slightest gap for his eyes.

At least I'm still alive... he thought with self-mockery.

He cautiously activated his witcher senses. Through the noisy crowd, he vaguely heard Visenna and Colin's voices.

They were not far away, probably only a dozen steps or so, but clearly not close enough for his current self to call over.

A broad wooden bridge... a bustling crowd... yet without the reek of open sewers and fermented human and animal waste found in human cities. This was not a city, but a road like the highway between Arland and the royal capital, Vizima, in Temeria...

Such roads were the lifeblood of a kingdom. Unless the king was truly incompetent and the upper echelons of the court were a complete mess, bandits and monsters would not appear here.

For now, it was safe.

The witcher quietly let out a breath of relief.

What he feared most was waking up to complete silence in some deserted wilderness. Being awakened by screams and battle cries would have been even more terrifying.

If he was really going to die at the hands of bandits or monsters,