The Witcher: Grinding Proficiency Starting with the Witcher

Hound gait?

Just by looking at the name, you can guess that this is a technique for practicing footwork.

A voice urged him from behind, and Li Wei quickly put the dirty parchment into his pocket and returned to the two of them.

The three men rode on horseback, escorting Colin and the group of dejected bandits, making their way to High Mountain Town.

High Mountain Town, a small town in the northern part of the Kingdom of Flac, is nestled at the foot of the majestic Black Dragon Mountains.

Upon arriving in town, Li Wei discovered that he had not encountered a single pedestrian on the road, nor could he see a single serf in the fields on either side of the road.

As soon as they reached the wooden fence at the entrance to town, several baron guards on patrol spotted them.

"Halt! Who are you?!"

Two infantrymen in leather armor stepped forward quickly, spears in hand, watching the strange group warily.

Colin quickly jogged over, opened his arms, and enthusiastically called out, "Hey, Harvey, long time no see! It's me, Colin!"

The lead guard, upon seeing Colin, paused for a moment before breaking into a smile: "Colin? My brother, what's going on?"

Colin quickly recounted his encounter with the robbers.

After listening, Harvey immediately turned to Li Wei and the other two and bowed slightly in greeting.

"Thank you for your help, three witchers. Please come in. I will report your merits to the Baron immediately."

Li Wei nodded in response.

Harvey had the remaining guards take over the bandits.

Colin returned to Levi's side and said in a low voice, "This is my brother-in-law, Harvey, a squad leader in the Baron's guards. He's really lucky this time."

Harvey picked up his whip and lashed the robbers' bodies several times, shouting, "You swine, get out of here! Hey, isn't this Kuken, the one who stole the Baron's horse? Haha, the Baron will surely be very pleased to see you!"

"No, spare me!"

"Snapped!"

Harvey lashed out with his long whip without mercy, striking Kuken hard across the body. "Get out of here! If you don't leave, it won't just be a whip next!"

Seeing the remaining guards lead the bandits away, Harvey looked respectfully at Li Wei and the other two.

"Gentlemen, it's getting late. The Baron has issued a curfew, prohibiting people from loitering on the streets at night. To avoid unnecessary trouble, you should head to the Ice Flower Inn as soon as possible."

"A curfew? When did that start?"

Colin's voice was full of surprise when he heard this.

"It was a month ago."

Harvey urged, "Let's go quickly, I still have patrol duties to perform, so it's inconvenient for me to entertain you all."

Seeing that Harvey was being very polite, Levi and the others naturally wouldn't do anything to make things difficult for them.

With Colin leading the way, the group headed toward the Ice Flower Hotel.

During this time, Li Wei's gaze swept around.

He knew something about the curfew, but it was only dusk, yet the streets were already deserted, and every household had their doors and windows tightly shut, as if facing a formidable enemy.

He then whispered, "I feel like something's not right here."

Aite and Mavis clearly noticed this strangeness as well, and both nodded in agreement.

Collins Drive, leading the way.

"You're right. The last time I visited Gaoshan Town was two months ago. It's famous for its malt liquor, and the nights are always very lively."

"By the way, I just heard from those bandits that a monster has appeared in High Mountain Town, and even the Baron is so scared that he's hiding in the castle and doesn't dare to come out. I didn't expect that what they said was actually true."

"Hey, what a coincidence! Aren't you three gentlemen the Witcher? You're sure to be the great heroes who can save High Mountain Town!"

"Monster..." Li Wei frowned slightly.

Gaoshan Town is not large; in Li Wei's opinion, it is even smaller than a slightly larger village in his previous life.

Moreover, the environment was quite poor, with the streets filled with the stench of excrement, urine, and livestock.

Soon, a two-story wooden building came into view, with a sign carved with ice flowers hanging on the door.

Several people filed in.

Li Wei looked around. The first floor was a restaurant with neatly arranged wooden furniture, but there were no customers, making it seem empty.

"Zana!"

Colin shouted and dusted off his clothes.

Hearing the commotion, hurried footsteps came from the kitchen, and a plump woman with freckles on her face strode out.

"Oh, dear Colin, what brings you here?"

"Ha ha!"

The two quickly hugged.

Zanna's brown pupils then looked at Levi and the other two, and when she saw Levi and Aite fully armed, she subconsciously shrank back.

"Who are these people...?"

Colin quickly explained what had happened, and Zanna's face immediately lit up with gratitude.

"Quickly, gentlemen, please sit down. You must be hungry. I'll serve you the best food in our restaurant right away!"

"Zanna, the adults still have horses," Colin reminded them.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zanna hurriedly called into the inner room, "Sean! Where have you been hiding again, you little rascal? Go and lead the adults' horses to the stables and give them the best fodder!"

A boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old emerged from a room on one side. He wiped the mud and grime off his face, smiled, bowed to the group, and then walked toward the door.

Colin invited the three of them, including Li Wei, to sit down. Soon after, steaming stew, fresh white bread, and four glasses of ale with thick foam were served.

After traveling for four consecutive days, the group hadn't had any proper food. Looking at the steaming food on the table, their stomachs were rumbling with hunger.

Thank you.

Mavis said thank you in a cool voice.

Aite had already picked up his knife and fork and was eagerly starting to eat.

Li Wei called out to Zanna, who was about to leave: "Boss lady, could you tell me what's been happening in town lately?"

Zanna swallowed hard and sat down opposite Levi.

"This brave young man, you have no idea. Not long after the Baron returned to his territory a little over a month ago, monsters started appearing in the town. At first, it was just some sheep and dogs that were lost at night."

"But lately, almost every night someone disappears, and the next day their body is found in the woods, the manner of their death... sigh... everyone in town is afraid now, no one dares to go out after dark."

"The Baron is also very worried about this matter. He has arranged for a large number of guards to patrol the territory every night in order to capture this monster."

"Poor Harvey... May the goddess Marina bless him so that he may survive the night."

Li Wei raised an eyebrow. "You mean, these strange things only started happening after the Baron returned?"

Zanna nodded vigorously.

Colin, who was standing next to him, drank half of the ale in one gulp and exhaled a refreshing breath of alcohol.

"Baron Olsen? He's a fair lord. I'm able to do fur trading around here thanks to his help. It's just that the northern orcs have been restless these past few years, and the Baron is often sent by the Earl of Black Mountain to guard the pass. Usually, the town's affairs are managed by the Baroness."

"That's true, the Baroness is a kind person too," Zanna agreed.

After chatting for a few more minutes and not getting any more useful information, Zanna arranged the best room upstairs for the three of them.

Li Wei took off his gear, neatly placed it in the corner, washed up briefly, and then silently walked to the window.

As night fell, the entire mountain town was plunged into darkness, with only a few torches occasionally casting their dim light on the streets – the guards on night patrol.

In the utter silence, only the faint howls of wolves could be heard in the distance.