Wizard: This witcher is neglecting his duties.

Chapter 283 Lani, who loves reading

After Wayne joined the fight, the situation quickly reversed.

Besides Kalkstan, about seven of his mercenaries also survived.

In fact, the dozens of mercenaries protecting Kalkstan were quite strong and well-equipped, which is why they suffered heavy losses under the siege of these fallen archers.

A large part of the reason is that Karkstan is a scholar-type warlock who focuses on theory and lacks practical experience. In actual combat, he did not exert the power that a warlock should have. Instead, he panicked and lost his composure after his own members were killed.

The reason those were hired as mercenaries was that ordinary horses were afraid of the dense fog and could not enter it.

In addition, their own supply problems and overly heavy armor and weapons left them without ranged attack methods, making them outpaced in speed.

That's why they were gradually eroded by those corrupt archers using a kite-like tactic, leaving them basically only able to passively take hits without any means of retaliation.

After all, the fallen archers in reality are not the low-intelligence monsters in the game. They are just corrupted by the power of hell, and their minds are affected, but their strength is greater than before they fell.

After the enemy withdrew, both Karkstan and the surviving mercenaries collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, as if they had survived a catastrophe.

Clearly, the battle had severely depleted their physical and mental strength, leaving them utterly exhausted.

Seeing this, Wayne ignored the mercenaries and walked to the middle-aged warlock's side, then extended his hand to him and said:

"I saved your life, Mr. Calxton, but it wasn't for free."

"Give me the chance in the future, and I'll make you pay."

Faced with Wayne's outstretched arm, Calxton hesitated for a moment, carefully examining his appearance, but still reached out and took the arm, letting Wayne pull him up.

After standing up, the middle-aged sorcerer first tidied his appearance to make himself look less disheveled before politely saying:

"Oh! Oh, of course, no problem."

"Have we met before? Sir, you are a skilled archer. Please tell me your name, and I will pay you the due reward after we leave this place."

Wayne stared at him for a few seconds after hearing this, then said in a calm tone:

"You can call me Mr. Wayne."

"I don't lack money, and I'm not interested in money!"

"I'm currently teaming up with Kayla, and sometimes we stay in Vizima City. If you want to meet Kayla, just follow behind me."

After saying that, he ignored Karkstan and turned to walk towards where Leto and the others were.

Since the two sides are basically strangers, it is not appropriate to be too intimate. Moreover, teleportation spells will be affected in this fog, so Karkstan and the others will have to find their own way to escape the fog, except to follow him.

After Wayne walked a dozen meters ahead, Karkstan followed. Even the few remaining mercenaries didn't dare to clean up their companions' corpses, and instead supported each other as they followed behind the middle-aged warlock.

Wayne glanced back at him, and Calxton, with a slightly embarrassed smile, said:

"Mr. Wayne, Ms. Kayla and I are friends. Since we've run into each other, it would be best if we went to say hello."

Of course, Wayne knew perfectly well that this was an excuse, but he didn't call them out on it. He simply led them to his resting place.

Kayla and the others were somewhat surprised to see Wayne bring back another group of people. However, when the two sorceresses saw that the leader was Karkstan, they exchanged a glance and said nothing more.

Both of them knew very well that, compared to other ambitious young warlocks, Karkstan was more like a pure researcher. He served as a professor at the Banad Academy for male warlocks and already held a very high position among warlocks.

Now that he's returned in such a sorry state with Wayne, it's highly likely he won't harbor any unrealistic ambitions regarding becoming a prospective member of the Supreme Council.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kalkstan recounted his previous experiences to Kayla and the others, the outcome of which was quite surprising.

It turns out that he joined this competition as an assistant to another male warlock, and the two of them recruited about one hundred mercenaries in Cordwin.

Moreover, they set off about three days earlier than Kayla and the others, and this was already their fifth day in the mist.

The situation had been going smoothly for a while. Although they encountered many zombies and Fallen on the way, the mercenaries managed to get through those battles safely and smoothly thanks to the cooperation of the two warlocks, despite some casualties.

Unexpectedly, this morning they were ambushed by a group of monsters. The monsters were not undead, but rather living people whose minds had been altered by the power of hell, just like the fallen archers who were chasing them.

Many of them were former residents of the Kingdom of Cordwin, prisoners who were captured alive when the mist spread.

After being captured, these prisoners seemed to have undergone some kind of special ritual, and then they all defected to the enemy and became their henchmen.

Karkstan's companions became targets and got entangled with most of the enemy's monsters, which gave Karkstan and some of his mercenaries time to escape.

Otherwise, he might have been killed or captured, just like the other sorcerer.

Both Kayla and Margarita were very surprised to receive this answer.

Before entering the mist, they thought they would be dealing with mindless monsters, but they never expected to have to deal with corrupt humans as well. These two kinds of enemies are completely different.

The former only knows how to attack recklessly, and all it takes is to kill, kill, kill. The latter, on the other hand, will use all sorts of schemes, ambushes, deceptions, and other tricks. If you're not careful, you'll be ambushed, so you have to be on guard.

Seeing the solemn expressions on the faces of the warlocks present, who seemed deeply worried about the current situation, Wayne shrugged and said nonchalantly:

"What do we do next, Kayla?"

"Whether you choose to move forward or retreat, I support you."

Before Wayne could finish speaking, and before Kayla could even reply, Calxton, with a worried expression, advised:

"I think we should retreat, Ms. Kayla."

"My companions and I numbered over a hundred, but we were all defeated by those depraved humans."

"Although their numbers are fewer than ours, after being transformed by the magic of another world, their combat power has surpassed that of ordinary people. They are not afraid of death and are not afraid."

"Now we only have less than twenty people here, I don't think we have much of a chance of winning."

"Of course, Mr. Wayne, it's not that I lack confidence in your abilities, I just think we don't need to take this risk."

At this point, Calxton gave Wayne, Leto, and the others a fawning smile.

After the pleasantries, he already knew that these four seemingly elite warriors were demon hunters. Although there were only four of them, their strength was far greater than that of the hundred-plus ragtag mercenaries they had recruited.

After hearing what Calxtan said, Kayla frowned, her small face contorted with worry. She first glanced at Margarita.

The female principal seemed rather absent-minded, her gaze constantly drifting between Wayne's strong muscles and handsome face.

Kayla didn't even need to guess; she immediately knew what the woman was thinking.

Having known Margarita for so many years, Kayla was well aware of the headmistress's style.

This woman possesses a figure and strength that all women envy, but she has a strange hobby: she is obsessed with dating and having relationships with handsome and strong men.

Over the past century, she has had more than a dozen boyfriends, and she would cry her heart out every time they broke up, just like a young girl.

She broke up with her last boyfriend three years ago, and now that Margarita is single again, she's probably already feeling incredibly lonely.

After a wild night at her house a few days ago, Margarita has been frequently lost in her own fantasies and has difficulty concentrating. She is clearly captivated by the strong and handsome Wayne.

However, Kayla didn't mind. A chaotic private life was normal for sorceresses. Their long lives and abundant desires and energy made these women, who were generally in high positions, always want to seek excitement.

She didn't mind sharing Wayne's strong body with Triss, and she certainly didn't mind sharing it with Margarita either; in Kayla's view, this was still a sign of intimacy.

The thought only flashed through Kayla's mind briefly before she quickly dismissed it.

However, since Margarita didn't seem to have any ideas, and Wayne expressed his support, after struggling with her thoughts for a moment, Kayla bit her lower lip and said to Wayne:

"Wayne, since I've participated in this bounty competition, I'm already prepared for the danger."

"If I choose to give up, then I will lose such a rare opportunity."

"I don't want to give up so easily."

Wayne nodded upon hearing this and said calmly:

"Then let's keep going. They're just a bunch of degenerate humans."

"They're not much stronger than ordinary soldiers, and as long as we're careful, they won't pose much of a threat to us."

"Perhaps we can capture a few prisoners and learn some inside information about the enemy from them."

With Wayne making the decision, Letor and the others had no objections. They arranged their night watch duties and then went to rest.

As for Karkstan and his mercenaries, after failing to persuade them, they saw that Wayne and the others had made up their minds and wanted to continue.

There was no other way; they dared not leave on their own and had no choice but to travel with Kayla and her group.

However, for safety's sake, Kayla still signed a mutual aid contract with them, stipulating their respective responsibilities and the division of the spoils afterward.

………………

After nightfall, most people went to sleep. The day's battle had left everyone exhausted. Even the two sorceresses were no longer in the mood for any more "movement" with Wayne and went to bed early.

As the strongest among them, Wayne took the initiative to take the night watch, allowing the other three members, who were also witchers, to go back and rest, conserve their energy, and prepare for the upcoming battle.

When the night was deep and quiet, the witch Lani, who had been urging him since daytime to talk to him, finally had the chance to appear. She sat opposite Wayne on a railing opposite his campfire, quietly watching him.

Those sapphire-like, dazzling eyes are still so captivating.

"What's wrong, Lani? Why are you looking at me like that? Just say what's on your mind."

Before him sat an exquisitely crafted doll, remaining silent. Wayne smiled gently and spoke.

Although this demigod from another world has definitely weakened a lot, and may even be just an empty shell, no matter what, his status is still there. He might become his right-hand man or even his wife in the future, so he must serve him well.

The witch Lani's doll blinked and said in a flat tone:

"I've finished reading the book you gave me."

"I need new books, preferably ones about you spellcasters."

Wayne was taken aback when he heard this, and then he was quite impressed. Lani really read books very quickly. She had finished reading more than sixty books, which weighed almost twenty or thirty pounds, in less than three days.

Given Lani's personality, she certainly wouldn't read things hastily or superficially. It's safe to say that she truly deserves to be called the child of God. Besides her extraordinary talent, she also possesses far greater patience and temperament than ordinary people.

However, her request now put Wayne in a bit of a predicament. In the Middle Ages, books were extremely expensive, let alone books that recorded magical knowledge.

He spent tens of thousands of gold coins and sacrificed his looks to buy thousands of books from the Aretusa Academy, and those books are now stored in Kaer Morhen. Even if he wanted to find them for Lani to read, it wouldn't be something that could be done in a day or two.

Seeing Lani's doll, she remained seated on the railing, her expression calm and serene, her jewel-like eyes simply watching him quietly without uttering a word.

After considering for a few seconds, Wayne took out Kael'thas's spellbook from his storage bag.

This book has been with him for almost a year, but Wayne isn't exactly a diligent person. He spends most of his time enjoying life, indulging in beautiful women and all sorts of fine wine and food. During his nine months in Middle-earth, he spent most of his time traveling, and even his riding skills improved several levels.

It was indeed a waste to have such an extremely precious magic book by his side.

Although Wayne felt a little reluctant, he still handed the book to Lani and said:

"This is an extremely precious treasure, a magic book bestowed upon me by that great being."

"It can collect all the books in the world without limit, not just my world, but also the various books from the worlds I have visited."

After hearing Wayne's introduction, Lani's eyes seemed to light up slightly. She turned the doll's head to look at the magnificent spellbook Wayne had taken out, inlaid with gems and various magical runes. Her expression remained calm, and she spoke in a flat voice:

"Are you going to dedicate this book to me, Wayne?"

Offering this to you? Dream on!

Wayne inwardly scoffed, but maintained a gentle smile on his face as he said:

"Of course not. The knowledge contained here is the result of my years of collecting, and it is an extremely precious treasure."

"However, I can lend you this book so you can learn from its contents."

"But you have to agree to one condition first."

Hearing Wayne make another condition, Lani frowned slightly, but still nodded and said:

"Tell me your conditions first. If I can agree to them, I can grant your request."

It seems that Lani really wants this book and is eager to learn the knowledge contained within it.

Wayne chuckled inwardly, then said:

"Actually, my condition is very simple: after you learn the magic of various worlds from books, you must pass it all on to me so that I can also master this kind of magic."

"I possess the talent to manipulate various exotic magical powers from different worlds."

"It can gradually adapt to the energy of all worlds, as long as it can understand the magical knowledge of the world of correspondence."

"I will be able to cast magic from all worlds."

After hearing Wayne's words, Lani's face showed a hint of surprise. She calmly looked into Wayne's eyes, meeting the Witcher's gaze for more than ten seconds before saying:

"You want me to become your magic teacher, Wayne?"

Upon hearing this, Wayne thought for a moment and then said:

"No, not as a teacher. You can think of me as a friend on your future path."

"My talent has destined me to go far in the future, and you need a friend like that, don't you?"

(End of this chapter)