Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 197 Mutation Experiments and Signs LV10

Perhaps Lambert had already learned his lesson a few times, because when faced with Wayne's somewhat provocative tone, Lambert first took the initiative to back down, and then provoked him by saying:

"We couldn't beat you last year, Wayne. Fighting me again won't showcase your strength."

His eyes darted to Geralt and Eskel, and he said with a grin:

"How about the three of us take on you one-on-one, without weapons or spells, just with our fists, until only one person is left? What do you say?"

Faced with Lambert's request, Wayne laughed and exchanged glances with Geralt and Eskel before agreeing without hesitation.

He removed his dragon-hide armor and membrane-covered shirt, as well as the adamantite arm guard on his left hand, leaving his upper body bare. He took a bandage from his belt, wrapped it around his hand several times, and then walked to a spacious open area in the hall. Smiling, he addressed his three companions:

"Come on, Geralt, Eskel, Lambert, actually I've never seriously boxed before, and I haven't learned any close-quarters hand-to-hand combat techniques."

"This is a perfect opportunity; you can teach me."

The others didn't refuse either. They followed Wayne's example, taking off their shirts to reveal their well-defined upper bodies. After finding some bandages and wrapping them around their hands, they attacked Wayne without even saying a word.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

The Witcher's movements were swift and powerful, and the three of them coordinated perfectly. While Wayne's attention was drawn to Lambert, Geralt and Eskel instantly struck at his stomach and chest, and the sound of fists landing echoed across the field.

Wayne was caught off guard and punched several times. Although it didn't hurt much, he was a little stunned. He had just exchanged glances with Geralt and Eskel and thought that the two of them were already on his side. He was even thinking about how to mess with Lambert later. He didn't expect to be attacked by the three of them right away.

After successfully landing a punch on Wayne's stomach, Lambert laughed heartily and said triumphantly:

"Hehe, didn't expect that, did you!"

"We've been planning this for a while now. You've never experienced a tough battle or truly felt the limits of combat since you started your training."

"This time, you'll experience firsthand what it feels like when your strength isn't enough to turn the tide."

"Teaching you about the darkness of society is also one of the responsibilities of us seniors."

After saying that, the three veteran witchers who had successfully launched a sneak attack all smiled and then attacked Wayne with all their might.

In the instant the fight began, Wayne realized he had miscalculated. He had overestimated his own strength. As the saying goes, even a novice can defeat a master with a flurry of punches, let alone three experienced witchers.

Wayne himself didn't have much experience in close combat. Although he was much stronger and faster than Geralt and the others individually, the three of them were experienced and coordinated very well, rarely showing any weaknesses.

Whenever he tried to retaliate and focused on attacking one person, that person would immediately adopt a defensive and evasive stance, dodging with all their might and not offering any direct resistance. Meanwhile, the other two would immediately intensify their attacks, their fists, as big as sandbags, mercilessly striking Wayne's body.

Geralt is the most agile. Having never broken a leg, he truly lives up to his title of White Wolf. Every attack he launches is a defensive man who always finds his weaknesses, leaving the enemy wincing in pain. Eskel, on the other hand, is a determined muscleman. Although his strength is no longer comparable to Wayne's, his endurance is extraordinary. Sometimes, even if he has to withstand Wayne's attacks, he will create opportunities for the other two. When Wayne strikes him hard, he will only grit his teeth and endure it without flinching.

The most shameless guy was Lambert. Everyone agreed that they would fight boxing, but he would use grappling techniques, chokeholds, throat locks, and even sweeping kicks from time to time. When he fought, he was like a rogue, insidious and effective.

The three of them working together really gave Wayne a hard time. They fought back and forth in the hall for half an hour. Wayne's body was covered in superficial wounds, and he was in excruciating pain. If it weren't for his strong will, strong physique, and thick skin, he definitely wouldn't have been able to last that long and would have collapsed long ago under the various tricks of these three old foxes.

Moreover, just as Lambert said, thanks to the system's support, Wayne has had it too easy these past few years. The injuries he's sustained over the years probably don't add up to as many as those he suffered during this hand-to-hand combat with them. He's even forgotten what it feels like to be injured.

While it's true that fewer injuries are a good thing, it's not really a good thing either. As a soldier, without enduring enough pain and suffering, one cannot develop a strong will.

Finally, Wayne held out for another ten minutes under the siege of the three men until he was completely exhausted before stopping his combat training.

In terms of results, although Wayne was the one who was injured the most and had the most serious superficial injuries, Geralt and the other two were also in bad shape.

Especially Aiskar, because he always tried to withstand Wayne's attacks, but Wayne's strength was several levels higher than his. As a result, as soon as Wayne collapsed from exhaustion, he couldn't hold on any longer and sat down on the ground with a thud, clutching his wounds, grimacing, and then bursting into laughter.

Geralt and Lambert weren't much better off. Although they weren't badly injured, Wayne wasn't going to let them off easy, so he focused his attacks on their faces. Lambert was beaten into a pig's head, his cheeks swollen high, and he spoke with a severe nasal tone. Geralt, on the other hand, was beaten into a black eye, which, combined with his somewhat expressionless face, made him look quite comical.

Only after all four men were exhausted and collapsed on the ground did Vesemir walk over with a somewhat annoyed expression. He first commented on each of their fighting styles, giving his opinion, before looking at Wayne and saying:

"Alright, kid, you've proven your strength and determination. Your physical abilities are indeed a cut above ours."

"Since you insist on having the transplant surgery, then get ready. I will perform the surgery for you in three days."

Having obtained Vesemir's consent, Wayne grinned at the old witcher, then winced from his injury and said with a pained expression:

"No problem, teacher, don't worry. The special medicine I brought back this time can save even people with fatal injuries. You can perform the surgery without worry."

After saying that, Wayne unfastened the magic flask from his waist, switched to the intermediate healing potion slot, and took a big gulp.

Once his superficial wounds began to heal at a visible rate, he shook the jug at Geralt and the others, then tossed it over, saying:

"Lambert, brothers!"

"We had so much fun today! From now on, we'll play a game every day after dinner as our after-dinner training, hahaha."

Geralt took the water bottle and saw Wayne, who, despite being covered in wounds, seemed to be enjoying himself. He then imitated Wayne and took a big gulp of water himself. After exchanging a few glances with Lambert and Eskel, Geralt had a bad feeling.

In the days that followed, Wayne kept his word and after each dinner, he would drag several old witchers along to train in hand-to-hand combat with him.

Then, dragging his wounded body, he and Geralt and the others drank a potion full of bitter herbs.

It wasn't that Wayne had masochistic tendencies or enjoyed being beaten up; rather, he genuinely felt that the sense of urgency and crisis he experienced when facing three witchers attacking him was extremely beneficial to improving his strength.

Aside from Kaermohan and the Wolf School brothers, there are very few places where one can find such a few trustworthy masters to train with him in this way.

It's not that they lack the ability, but rather that they lack the trust.

Wayne felt that once he got used to the rhythm of being surrounded by Geralt and his two companions, he wouldn't be caught off guard when facing several skilled opponents in the future, and might even be able to turn the tables and kill them.

Therefore, he put a lot of effort into this training and quickly developed other ways to play. The group gradually progressed from hand-to-hand combat to using wooden swords, employing tactics, changing venues, and even using some non-lethal spells.

Not only did Wayne improve his skills through actual combat, but the others also saw their strength increase under Wayne's strong pressure.

At the very least, they now know how to deal with an enemy who completely overwhelms them in strength and speed, how to coordinate with their teammates, and how to use other advantages to close the gap between them.

During this training, Vesemir quickly prepared everything needed for the mutation experiment. Wayne trusted the old Witcher very much. When he lay on the experimental table, was injected with anesthesia, and woke up again, the large blue mutation inducer had been successfully transplanted into his body.

A strange feeling slowly spread from the transplant site to his entire body. It seemed that, in places he couldn't see, his blood, cells, muscles, and even genes were undergoing earth-shattering changes.

What surprised Wayne was that after being implanted with a large blue mutation-inducing substance, when he felt some kind of deep genetic change occurring in his body, his sign level and mutation level in the Witcher's exclusive skills given by the system also began to increase at an unusually rapid pace.

In less than a month, his seal level increased from 9.1% proficiency to 10, and is about to reach 11, which is almost two levels higher.

His mutation level also received a huge boost, rising directly from about 80-90% of level 7 to 90% of level 9. He was only 10% away from breaking through to level 10 and unlocking a new skill specialization.

In addition to these changes in system data, Wayne could also clearly feel that his spellcasting ability had been further enhanced. The amount of chaotic magic power stored in his body had increased by about a quarter, and although he could not display an accurate number in terms of spell strength, it was at least a one-fifth increase.

This made Wayne realize that large mutation triggers were a perfect match for the Witcher's mutations, and according to Vesemir, a Witcher could generally receive enhancements from three different mutation triggers.

Take Geralt for example; he has already completed enhancements to both the green and blue mutation inducers, and both are large-scale.

So don't be fooled by Geralt's usual carefree attitude; when he truly unleashes his full power, he is incredibly strong. As of now, aside from the unpredictable Wayne, Geralt is probably one of the strongest of all the Witchers.

Besides the boost that the blue mutation inducer gave Wayne, the skill feats granted by the system after his sign level reached level ten also appeared before him.

It's still a choice between two options, but the two new specializations have put Wayne in a somewhat difficult position.

Master of Signs: As an experienced demon hunter, you have fully mastered the power of the signs. You are no longer bound by rigid forms in using these signs, and can employ more flexible and varied methods to utilize their power. Effect: You can use the signs flexibly through different means; the deeper your understanding, the more ways you can apply them.

Magic Conversion: Prolonged use of Signs has given you a profound understanding of magic. Your use of Signs will no longer be limited to converting chaotic magic; you can also absorb and utilize magic from other worlds. Effect: Sensing magic from other worlds increases the conversion rate of other types of magic. The deeper your understanding of other magic, the higher the conversion efficiency.

The two skill feats that appear at level 10 of the Signs do not have specific data. Rather than being an enhancement of skills, they directly provide two paths related to the Signs.

The former deepens the application of signs. According to Wayne's understanding, after choosing this skill feat, the application scope of each sign will definitely become wider.

The Igni sign is no longer just about breathing fire; it may also be able to create fire traps and even enchant weapons with fire.

The Yardang sign is no longer just for slowing down enemies; it might even immobilize them or perform other amazing maneuvers.

However, the second skill specialty is also very important, and can even be said to trace back to its origins.

The prerequisite for using a sign is chaotic magic power; only chaotic magic power can activate the use of a sign.

Take, for example, the worlds he has visited so far, Azeroth and Middle-earth. In the former, he can barely recover his chaotic magic by converting arcane magic, but in Middle-earth, Wayne can only recover his magic by eating and drinking medicine.

If it were a world with low-concentration battles, it would be fine, but in a world with high-concentration battles, such a slow magic recovery rate would greatly reduce his strength, leaving him only an ordinary swordsman.

It is highly likely that they will lose their lives during the battle due to weakened strength.

Of course, for now, if he were to encounter a world with a high concentration of combat, Wayne would certainly not stay in that world for long, nor would he put himself in a dangerous situation.

But choices are choices. If Wayne could sense the magic of other worlds, or even use it, he might be able to learn spells from those worlds.

(End of this chapter)