Clop! Clop! Clop!
Hooves struck the ground, splashing muddy water.
The three had ventured deep into the uninhabited reaches of Velen, ruled by miasma and swamp monsters.
"So which of us is going to negotiate with those old crones?" Fringilla could not help asking.
The deeper they went into the swamp, the more alarmed the sorceress became.
Dense threads of magic used the swamp's bald cypresses, alders, and other towering trees as anchor points, forming a tightly woven, web-like sensory network that operated over vast distances.
A closer look revealed grotesque human ears parasitizing the trunks.
They seemed able to draw nourishment from the trees to stay fresh. Every ear looked as though it had just been plucked from a human head.
Almost nothing that happened in the swamp could escape the old crones' notice.
At Chen Xu's suggestion, the wife-finding party had to block the ears' senses with a magical barrier before making any important decisions.
"I'll go," Geralt volunteered.
Pro was only an ordinary man, and he had broken into Orphans' Village before. Going back could easily arouse suspicion.
As for sending Fringilla... they might as well declare war outright.
Outside Orphans' Village in Crookback Bog, the sorceress raised a barrier, took out an exquisite brooch, and tucked it inside the White Wolf's leather armor.
A magical listening device.
"Sweetheart, if you're in danger, just shout, 'Fringilla is the most beautiful woman in the world,' and we'll rush in to save you!"
"Why? I don't want to lie." The White Wolf's innocence earned him a flirtatious roll of the eyes.
Seeing that the two were about to start getting lovey-dovey again, Chen Xu shoved Geralt out of the barrier.
"Just shout for help. Hurry back!"
Orphans' Village deep in a swamp sounded so much like the setting of a horror story.
Several children played in the bushes. They were out of sight, with only their laughter to be heard.
Add a sinister gust of wind right then, and wow.
"Who are you?"
Hearing the hoofbeats, a white-haired old woman immediately emerged from the thatched cottage at the village entrance.
"Good day. I'm looking for someone." The White Wolf recognized the woman before him as the baron's wife, Anna, at a glance.
"A young, white-haired swordswoman. Someone said she'd been seen here."
He followed Chen Xu's plan, which would keep their intention to rescue Anna hidden while also letting him obtain information about Ciri.
"I haven't seen her. Now please leave." The old woman was highly wary.
Seeing that the children had all run out of sight, she called out loudly, warning them not to approach the strange man.
"Please, she's my daughter!" the White Wolf pleaded, finally revealing his aim. "I'd like to meet the Ladies of the Wood. Perhaps you could help me."
The old woman gave him an expressionless look, then turned and went inside.
Ever since the old crones had drained her vitality, she had wanted to rest constantly. She had pitifully little energy.
She also knew the true nature of the Ladies of the Wood. The price of disturbing them without permission was more than she could bear.
Once the old woman had gone inside, the White Wolf sighed, took out the delicate pastries Chen Xu had given him, and began bribing the children.
How had that kid predicted everything?
Anna really was stubborn... poor baron.
Despite the tempting sweetness, these plump, fair-skinned children refused to talk. Perhaps they really had never seen Ciri.
Only one little chubby boy told the White Wolf that Johnny, the wild child who lived outside the village, liked to poke his nose into other people's business.
If anyone unusual had appeared in the swamp, he would definitely know.
After asking for directions, the White Wolf found a burrow a short distance outside the village.
He cut down the few Drowners guarding the entrance, and a small, shaggy head poked out.
The so-called wild child was not a child at all, but a rare Godling.
These woodland spirits liked to live in caves near human settlements and resembled human children in both temperament and appearance.
Only their skin was bluish-black, and their eyes had evolved to be extraordinarily large so they could see in the dark.
"Hey, hello." The White Wolf greeted him. The other nodded gratefully but said nothing.
"I'm looking for a young, white-haired swordswoman. Have you seen her?"
The Godling nodded, but then pointed to his mouth and shook his head.
"Did you leave your vocal cords at home? Or are you afraid to talk?" The White Wolf felt a headache coming on.
The Godling nodded again and pulled the White Wolf toward a cliff. Pointing at a flock of Harpies circling above it, he hopped up and down in agitation.
Back to the old trade again. The White Wolf sighed and returned to his companions.
"Things aren't looking good. Anna doesn't want contact with outsiders, but I think I've found a lead on Ciri.
"We have to do that Godling a favor first."
Chen Xu and the sorceress had already learned the whole story through the magical listening device.
The flock of Mortal Tier Middle Stage Harpies on the cliff did not even qualify as an appetizer, but the White Wolf's senses surpassed those of ordinary people. He distinctly sensed a presence stronger than himself.
Harpies, also known as bird-bodied hags, liked to steal shiny things.
Some special varieties even stole humans' strange dreams, turning them into crystals imbued with magic.
Creatures that lived alongside such monsters were usually Ekhidnas, sirens with beautiful female appearances who also liked shiny treasures.
Inland, it was most likely a greedy dragonkin fond of gold coins and gems.
The experienced Geralt began brewing draconid oil, and Chen Xu took the opportunity to ask questions and learn beside him.
[Geralt [Master Witcher] Lv.1 taught you Alchemy. Your [Alchemy] level +1!]
My treasure boy never disappoints!
Once both their blades were coated in oil, the wife-finding party set off toward the Harpies' nest.
Thirteen Harpies circled low overhead. The light reflected off Chen Xu's blade caught their attention!
They screeched piercingly and swooped down, flying straight into the surging wave of fire the sorceress had already prepared!
As expected of a professional magic user.
By comparison, a witcher's Igni Sign was like a tiny flame!
More than half the Harpies became roasted chickens, falling to the ground and flapping about. The rest charged even more fearlessly at the sorceress, whose skill had entered its cooldown!
A piercing dragon's cry rang out above the clouds!
A huge, ferocious head emerged, its cold, serpentine eyes fixed on the three intruders.
[Whirl]!
The diving Harpies flew straight into two human meat grinders. Flesh, blood, and feathers flew everywhere!
Even while attacking, the White Wolf's eyes widened. The kid had learned it just like that?
Only Chen Xu was secretly lamenting. Nothing else was wrong-the skill simply drained his bodily vitality at an outrageous rate!
Just like [Stealth Technique], in this brief span, it felt as though it had exhausted most of his stamina.
He was forced to stop and seize the time to finish off the Harpies flapping on the ground.
It would be best not to have anything else interfering when they fought that dragon.
The Harpies were soon slaughtered to the last, and the dragon-shaped monster in the sky swooped down, skimming the ground like an enormous glider.
It wanted to use its hard wings to slice the three ants before it in half at the waist!
It was incredibly fast, but too greedy, trying to take out all three in one pass.
That gave them an opening.
Chen Xu rolled out of the way at the very limit of his reach. Looking back, he saw the witcher respond in the same fashion.
The sorceress had prepared in advance, opening a portal and relocating to the foot of the cliff.
The glowing Atmospheric Portal radiated an unstoppable sense of danger, and the dragon-shaped monster hurriedly beat its wings to avoid it.
It was a Wyvern, perhaps a dragon-like creature with a thin trace of dragon blood.
A typical lizard-dragon, with broad, fleshy wings and enormous, twisted dragon horns.
It could neither breathe fire nor exert dragon might, but its physical prowess was no less than that of the Chort in White Orchard!
"Watch out for the venomous stinger on its tail!" Geralt downed a potion, and his eyes turned pure black.