"No!" The sorceress suddenly stood up from beside the willow tree.
The chief of the Wolf School paused, asking, "What's wrong?"
"Can things get any worse?" The sorceress glanced at Sol sideways, then without another word, swiftly dashed towards the Killer Lake.
Though the chief wasn't clear on the situation, he couldn't allow Vira to disrupt the apprentices' Trial of the Mountain. In three or two steps, he caught up with the sorceress, blocking her way. Other Witcher Masters, seeing this, hurried over, surrounding the sorceress.
The Trial was sacred to the Witchers. For the Wolf School, a Witcher was born twice in his life: once in his mother's womb, and once during the Trial on the Mountain. Through the Trials of Choice, Grass, and Dreams, Witcher apprentices absorbed nutrients and grew rapidly. Finally, in the Trial on the High Mountain, they shed their past identities to become true Witchers.
As for death during the Trial? Even noblewomen face risks during childbirth, don't they? Moreover, many Witchers believe that this trial, akin to pregnancy and childbirth, is itself a magical ritual that bestows strength and fate upon them. Therefore, no one can disrupt this Trial before the Witchers.
Even if she was Vira, the sorceress who owed a favor to the Wolf School.
"Vira, stop!" Sol held back the sorceress with one hand, solemnly saying, "I thought we had reached an understanding."
Vira glanced around at the Witcher Masters surrounding her.
Out of respect, no one had their hands on their sword hilts yet. But the sorceress knew that if she took one more step forward, these seemingly kind Witchers would attack her with eyes as fierce as tigers and leopards, binding her. At this close range, she couldn't be sure she could leave without harming their lives.
Moreover...
Vira glanced at Sol, her face grim. In her heart, she reproached herself fiercely. Why hadn't she recorded the coordinates of the Cyclops Cave in advance?
She scolded herself harshly in her mind.
"Vira, I thought we had reached an agreement!" Sol repeated sternly.
This time his tone was very serious, as if he no longer cared about the relationship between him and the sorceress. After a moment of silence, Vira could only retreat two steps helplessly, asking, "Is there a problem with the Trial on the Mountain?"
"What problem?" The Witcher Masters asked in unison.
"If the Cyclops is hungry, its temperament becomes erratic and its aggression increases," Vira said, biting her lip with effort, her fair cheek slightly bulging with frustration and regret, "Half a month ago... I... dealt with all the drowners in Killer Lake..."
After reluctantly confessing the truth, Vira's speech became more hurried: "...The Cyclops never hibernates; on the contrary, this is its most violent time..."
"...Now that it's past, there's still a chance to save the apprentices, but it's almost too late..."
The Witcher Masters fell silent for a long time, and finally Sol raised his head: "After you save them this time, are you sure you can save them next time?"
"Fate is unavoidable, Vira! Fate is absolute. Have you forgotten the consequences of violating the Law of Surprises?"
At these words, Vira froze, her face instantly pale, her whole body as cold as if she had entered an ice cellar.
A few seconds later, she supported her forehead with her right hand, trembling, weakly swaying backward, and was held up by Sol who had been watching her all the time. The chief Witcher looked at the other Witcher Masters, shook his head, and signaled them to leave.
The Witcher Masters knew something was wrong, nodded slightly at Sol, and quietly walked away without making a sound.
Looking down at the sorceress who had lost all color in her face, the chief sighed. Such a powerful woman, once feared and trembling in the countries for the Blood Red Fox.
At this moment, she was as vulnerable and helpless as an ordinary peasant woman. He looked towards the direction of the Cyclops Cave, sighed again, and said, "Vira, think positively. Since fate cannot be escaped, what should happen will definitely happen, right?"
"First... Filius Miraculi—the Son of Miracles—was born in the cold land..."
At these words, Vira's complexion recovered some color, and she continued in a daze, imitating the chief's awkward pronunciation: "Death and rebirth, the non-human brings blood and fire..."
"Yes, the power of fate cannot be violated."
"It is destined that he will survive. He will definitely survive."
Seeing Vira recover somewhat, Sol sighed with relief, then immediately warned again: "Don't do anything unnecessary, Vira."
"This is his path; interference by others will only suffer from the backlash of fate."
Vira nodded, pushed away the chief, and stood up. After standing up, she glanced in the direction of Allen, and a fleeting worry flashed in her eyes. Then she turned to Sol, who had been pushed away as chief, snapped her fingers expressionlessly, and asked: "Do you men really not worry about your own children?"
Helpless, Sol shrugged his shoulders, his body stiffened for a moment, and said helplessly: "Just think that we Witchers have been transformed into cold-blooded people by grass medicine..."
Vira looked at him deeply, thinking of her repeated attempts to resist the arrangements of fate, only to get worse and worse results. There was nowhere to vent her frustration. Turning her gaze back to the trees and mountains, Vira sighed softly: "Fate... Is it really so... Unbreakable?"
----
The entrance to Old Speartip's cave.
"What kind of beast is the most dangerous?"
Thinking of Old Speartip's possible current state, Allen couldn't help but think of such a question. He didn't think that just a Cyclops could end his life, but he wasn't alone.
"Allen, is there something wrong?" Seeing Allen ask a question and his face began to change, Hughes couldn't help but ask. Fred and Bond saw that something was wrong and kept silent, looking at Allen.
"Old Speartip might be awake by now." Allen glanced at the apprentices and said seriously.
"What!" Several apprentices exclaimed.
Fortunately, they still remembered that this wasn't Kaer Morhen, deliberately lowered their voices, otherwise Old Speartip might be here now.
Allen nodded, his expression very serious: "The drowners in Killer Lake were extinct recently for some... special reasons."
"So..."
Several apprentices looked at each other, their faces not looking very good.
Fred indignantly said, "Who did this? This is too..."
"It was Lady Vira!" Allen quickly said.
"...That is okay!" Fred's tone suddenly changed dramatically, surprisingly rounded back dangerously.
After the incident with Letho, Vesemir had roughly mentioned the status and character of the sorceress to the apprentices. Although the specific experience was not discussed, the apprentices could naturally feel the indescribable weight from Letho's disappearance.
"Allen, what should we do now?" Bond hurriedly asked.
After Allen lowered his head and pondered for a moment, he was about to speak.
Suddenly.
"Hum~"
There was some vibration on the ground. The apprentices were stunned and didn't react.
"Dong~"
The heavy sound of something falling to the ground came from the deep darkness of the cave, causing them to look at each other. Allen's face instantly became very ugly,cause he knew.
Old Speartip was here!
...….
📢20 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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65. The Charge of the Cyclops.
66. Do You Think I'm Alone?
67. The Path to Destruction.
68. Wild Slaughter.
69. Death!