The Wild Table

By the time they returned to Kaer Morhen, snow had begun to fall in wide, lazy flakes. Cain's arms ached from the weight of the meat pack, but he didn't complain. Geralt had shown them how to walk with purpose through the wild, and Cain would carry that lesson longer than the deer.

Inside, the fortress was cold, but not dead. Coën nodded as they passed. Eskel lifted a brow at the sight of their catch. Lambert offered a grunt that might have been approval—or indigestion.

Cain set the meat down near the hearth in the main hall. The others gathered slowly as word spread: the boys had brought back real food.

Geralt crossed his arms, standing at the edge of the firelight. "Your turn. Show us what you've got."

Cain pulled his sleeves back and crouched beside the fire pit. He'd already cleaned and sectioned the meat during their trek. Now came the craft.

He started with a bone broth—dense and rich from the marrow. Into it, he stirred sliced wild mushrooms, mugwort for body, and just enough verbena to soothe muscle fatigue. Burdock root added subtle bitterness to balance the sweetness of the meat.

As the smell lifted, heads turned.

Callum leaned closer. "What in the hells are you doing?"

Cain didn't look up. "Cooking."

Callum sniffed the air. "No. You're summoning something."

Eskel knelt nearby, intrigued. "Smells like… something I didn't know I missed."

Cain added a pinch of salt—hoarded from the keep's winter stores—and finally dropped in slices of slow-roasted venison.

The stew simmered, thickened, darkened.

Cain tasted it once. Nodded.

"Ready."

He ladled the stew into wooden bowls. One by one, the veterans tasted.

Geralt blinked.

Lambert stopped chewing halfway through a snarky comment.

Coën leaned back, eyes closed. "That's… gods above. That's real food."

Even Vesemir, who had watched silently until now, stepped forward. He tasted. Then turned to Cain.

"You've been holding back."

Cain shrugged, feigning modesty. "Didn't want to raise expectations."

Callum burst out laughing. "You just raised the bar so high I can't see it."

[Quest Complete: "The Wild Table"]

Objective Complete: Prepare a full meal for Kaer Morhen. Optional Objective Complete: Impress the Witchers of Kaer Morhen

Reward:

+1 Stat Point

Skill Unlocked: Cooking (Basic)

Trait Gained: Campfire Chef (Passive)

+Rare Ingredient Pouch

Your meals restore 10% more stamina and morale when eaten after training or combat.

Unlocks rare recipe interactions with regional ingredients.

Cain sat down at last, sharing a bowl with Callum beside the hearth.

"I think they like it," Callum said, grinning.

Cain leaned back, satisfied. "Let them. This won't be the last time."

He looked at the fire, eyes reflecting the flames.

This was just another kind of trial. And he'd passed it.

Kaer Morhen's ancient halls had grown colder, and not just from the snow piling along its roofs. The silence between stone walls was thicker now. Training became harsher. Each blow struck with more weight. Each exercise stretched longer into dusk.

But it was after dinner—once the fires were banked and Callum had passed out in a heap of post-sparring soreness—that Cain sat alone near a high window, pulling up his Status Window for the first time since their return from the hunt.

He focused inward, letting the quiet hum of the System wash over him.

[Status Window – Updated]

Name: Cain Race: Half-Elf (Mutated) Class: Witcher – School of the Wolf Bloodline: Elder Blood – Stage One Activated

Age: 10 Titles: The White Flame's Ember, Twin Blade, Campfire Chef Reputation: Kaer Morhen – Trusted System Sync: 36%

🔹 Attributes Stat Value Notes

Strength-8:(Muscle density enhanced from physical training)

Dexterity-11:(Reflexes fine-tuned through swordplay)

Constitution-10:(High endurance + pain resistance)

Intelligence-10:(Tactical awareness + monster theory)

Wisdom-10:(Meditation bonus + Sign efficiency)

Charisma-6:(Calm presence, growing leadership)

Luck (Divine)?Variable – Divine Trait Active

Unspent Stat Points: 3

🔹 Abilities and Traits

Reflex Trigger (Passive): Auto-dodge +5% chance from unseen attacks.

Cold-Blooded (Passive – Intermediate): Stay calm under pressure. Immune to panic or fear effects.

Brothers on the Path (Advanced): Bond with Callum boosts joint training and synergy in battle.

Twin Tempo (Passive): Gain counterattack bonuses when sparring or fighting near Callum.

Sign Mastery – Intermediate: Faster cast speed and stronger effect duration.

Dreamwalker (Passive – Locked): Ancestral memories may unlock in sleep or trauma.

Divine Luck (Passive – ???): Luck-based outcomes tilt in Cain's favor at strange times.

Campfire Chef (Passive): Meals grant +10% stamina/morale regen. Unlocks rare food crafting.

🔹 Inventory

Weapons & Tools:

Witcher Training Sword (Steel)

Crossbow (Basic)

Hunter's Edge (Rare Dagger – Returns when thrown)

Alchemy & Herbs:

Potion of Minor Vitality (x2)

Raw Burdock, Mugwort, Verbena, Wolf's Parsley

White Myrtle (dried)

Rotfiend Mutagen (Unbound)

Special Items:

Rare Ingredient Pouch (Geralt's Approval)

Alchemical Core: Toxic – Stable

Quest Materials:

Codex: Regional Flora (Kaedwen Foothills – Partial)

Monster Biology (Intermediate)

Cain closed the window with a deep breath. His fingers flexed unconsciously—faint embers still dancing from his meditation.

Something was stirring again.

Not hunger, not fear.

Power.

And deep within, that faint voice from the Trial of the Dreams echoed…

"Soon, you will remember what we buried. Soon, Cain of the Frost."

He would train. He would sharpen. He would prepare.

Because something old was watching.

And Cain intended to meet it stronger than ever.