Also Needs Face

Back home, Kraun methodically lit the fire and set the rice to cook.

After feeding a few thick logs into the stove, he began to form the Moonlight Seal, visualizing the Bright Moon Silent Illumination.

He timed it perfectly; the Hour of the Rooster had just arrived.

Accumulated effort would eventually reveal the immense power of this divine incantation.

Therefore, he never wasted a moment during the Hour of the Rabbit and the Hour of the Rooster.

Recently, his schedule had been packed; there were simply too many things to do.

Breathing techniques, talisman crafting, potion brewing, and studying the fundamentals of the supernatural world—he wished he could split himself in two.

The two priests were mysteriously setting something up, giving him a vague sense of unease, and he wanted to make greater progress in less time.

As the Hour of the Rooster passed, Kraun ceased his visualization. His consciousness sank into his sea of consciousness, where he discovered that the Moon Dew in the crystal ball had increased once more, the silvery solution nearing the brim.

Tonight, he would craft all the remaining Heart-Clearing Talisman paper he had in stock.

Summoning the Gold Wall, he looked at the top line of blue text.

[Golden Light Incantation: 5069/50000; First Rank]

Checking the progress of the Golden Light Incantation after each Hour of the Rooster visualization had become a habit.

Even the smallest progress made him beam with joy; seeing the proficiency slowly increase made his mood feel much more refreshed.

He walked to the backyard, took the rice pot off the stove, and replaced it with a stew pot.

Inside was a large pot full of marinated chicken.

He added enoki mushrooms and potatoes, followed by seasonings like pepper and chili. After stewing for half an hour, the fragrant yellow-braised chicken was ready.

Finally, he sprinkled some chopped onions on top, making the dish look absolutely exquisite.

A knock on the door rang out right on time; the Witcher and his apprentice had arrived, guided by the scent.

Kraun often wondered if these two possessed some ability like the Time Hourglass, as they always arrived right at mealtime.

He walked quickly to the door and pulled it open.

"Oh, the scent of yellow-braised chicken! My mouth is already watering," Alan shouted before he had even stepped inside.

"Haha, I stewed eight large roosters; there's plenty for us to eat," Kraun stepped aside and invited them in.

"Even though I've had this dish several times, I can't help but drool whenever I smell this aroma," the Witcher said with a laugh as he walked into the house and headed straight for the backyard.

Soon, the dining table was full.

In front of each person sat a large bowl filled with rice and a platter heaped with chicken.

Kraun shook his head inwardly. Both Knights and Witchers relied primarily on food to replenish their energy, which led to the phenomenon of three "bottomless pits" sitting at one table.

Except for Alan, the other two ate with a degree of elegance, but their speed was by no means slow.

The rice and stewed chicken visibly vanished, and in less than ten minutes, every scrap of food had been wiped clean.

"So delicious, I never get tired of it," Alan patted his belly in satisfaction. "Burp," he let out a happy sound after a full meal.

"I told you to eat slower, but you never listen," the Witcher poured a glass of water for the boy and patted his head.

"Hehe," the little boy stuck out his tongue mischievously, took the glass, and said, "Thank you, Teacher."

"Mr. Geralt," Kraun began, "after today's sparring session, I would like to pause your employment."

"Cough, cough," Alan nearly choked on his water. "Big Brother, what's wrong? Don't you want to hone your swordsmanship anymore? Does this... does this mean we can't come here for dinner at night?"

Clearly, the boy's concern had a different motive.

Kraun couldn't help but offer a knowing smile as he explained, "My swordsmanship has improved quite a bit recently, and maintaining the original rate of progress is nearly impossible, so I want to pause this employment. This way, I can dedicate more time to brewing potions and improving my own abilities, which will give me the confidence to successfully brew the Grasses Potion."

This reason was high-sounding, and it was also the truth.

In reality, he didn't need to explain anything; whether to hire him or not was his own business, but after spending this time together, they had become quite good friends.

Geralt smoothed his white hair and nodded gently. "As for the employment, your wishes come first, of course. However, I remain skeptical about your claim that your swordsmanship has improved significantly."

In yesterday's sparring, Kraun's swordsmanship was indeed much sharper than when they started, but in his eyes, there were still some flaws.

In this world where evil grew stronger by the day, the Crusader Order warriors of the Church of the Lord of Flame were also in a high-risk profession, only slightly better off than a Witcher who often fought alone.

As a friend, he felt obligated to give him a reminder, to help him have a clearer understanding of his own strength and avoid unnecessary injuries caused by arrogance.

Kraun's eyes lit up. "I was just about to test how much of your strength I can force you to use now."

"As you wish," the Witcher gestured for him to proceed, and the two walked one after the other toward the backyard.

The moonlight was like water, stroking the children like a mother's gentle hands.

Kraun stood his ground, drew his sword, and held it level.

The Witcher let out a laugh, stepped forward, and moved like a butterfly teasing the flowers, circling his opponent with a fierce assault.

He unleashed eighty percent of his strength, intending to give the other man a proper lesson.

As a Witcher who had undergone a second mutation, his stamina, strength, and speed were significantly higher than those of an ordinary Witcher.

His stamina, in particular, was something that would make any supernatural being marvel, so he had no fear of exhausting his energy.

In his mind, the battle would be over within twenty minutes; such was the arrogance of a high-level Witcher.

As it turned out, the Witcher had overestimated his own strength, or more accurately, he had underestimated the speed of his opponent's growth—it truly was changing day by day.

Kraun was fully focused, his concentration at an unprecedented peak. The Witcher's combat techniques were a cut above those of Marshall and Savas.

With his current strength, he could steadily suppress the other two, but when facing Geralt, he was the one being firmly suppressed.

Most of the time, he wasn't thinking about how to win, but rather how to minimize his injuries.

By now, there were multiple wounds on his arms, back, and waist.

Fortunately, the wounds were not deep; he presumed the Witcher had already been holding back.

He felt as though the Witcher's attacks were like continuous, towering waves in the ocean, while he was a reef on the shore being relentlessly battered.

Many times, he, the reef, was completely swallowed by the spray, yet when the tide receded, his figure remained standing.

Half an hour passed, and he was still fighting.

At this moment, he had grown accustomed to the Witcher's combat rhythm; the frequency of his injuries decreased, and he was even able to occasionally launch a counterattack.

His stamina had dropped significantly, but his movements remained sharp.

Ten minutes later, the gravity in Geralt's eyes grew heavier; he could not believe he had been unable to take down a Knight who had just advanced to the extraordinary level for so long.

If this continued, the boast he had just made would come back to bite him.

He was a man, too, and he cared about his reputation!

Taking a deep breath, he unleashed his full strength, suddenly stepping forward to deliver a powerful downward slash.

The veins on his right hand bulged, his muscles knotted, and the blade reflected the moonlight, casting a chilling, lethal gleam.