Lord of Cinder in American Comics

Geralt's request troubled Clint. As an archer, the bow and arrow were his true strength, but if he put down his bow, his abilities would inevitably be diminished.

"If you still don't understand how hunters fight, this trial with Clint will be your final resting place..."

Dutch has now thrown all the animals he brought down into the tunnel, and he has also given up all equipment except for melee weapons, as Geralt had asked.

Clint looked at Geralt's cold face, placed his bow and arrows on the snow, and then stood by the passage.

Geralt stood behind Clint and said, "Your trial has another objective: to bring out one of the Xenomorph eggs inside. By the way, Xenomorphs can parasitize not only animals, but any creature they injure can potentially become infected, so don't make me deal with you..."

When Clint heard that there was an additional question, his mood worsened. He was about to turn around and ask Geralt when Geralt kicked him away.

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Chapter 395: How to Gain Ironblood's Favorability

Geralt believed that Clint and Dutch would survive their trials.

Clint received so much training at Farron Keep, and Dutch has a wealth of combat experience. If they still can't survive, then Geralt must have misjudged them.

Any power needs a soul to wield it, and Clint is still too weak.

His weakness lay in his soul; he did not face an invincible enemy alone in the jungle like Dutch, nor did he wield his sword alone against the enemy in a world where there was no hope, like Geralt.

The archer's fighting style also made him accustomed to keeping his distance from the enemy, and he rarely had the opportunity to actually engage the enemy in close combat.

Therefore, this trial is only for Clint. Dutch doesn't need these; he's here for revenge and to enjoy himself.

Dutch nodded to Geralt and jumped down into the tunnel.

The deed was done, and Hill stopped complaining. She asked, "Are you really that confident that Clint can complete this trial?"

In Hill's view, Geralt was all set and was only threatening Clint to keep him alert.

However, Geralt shook his head and said, "You think the enemy in this trial is the Predator?"

Hill pointed to the tunnel created by the starship and retorted, "Isn't that right? This is a race capable of interstellar travel..."

Geralt stared at a point in the sky and said, "The Xenomorphs have destroyed countless worlds. Even the three great empires of the universe, when they discover a planet where the Xenomorphs were born, would only block the passage and then blow that planet to pieces."

The terrifying thing about the Xenomorphs is that they can generate almost the same weight of body tissue with very little consumption. And the animals and raw meat just thrown in are enough for the Xenomorphs to create an army..."

"You're sending them to their deaths!"

"This is a trial, where life and death hang in the balance! You can't subdue the enemy with words; you have to pay the price with iron and blood. Don't you understand that?!"

Hill looked at Geralt, unsure what to say. Geralt, who was usually kind and easy to get along with, had become incredibly cold-blooded.

Geralt turned to Hill and said, "This trial is also for you, Hill!"

"What do you mean?"

As soon as she asked the question, Hill realized that Geralt had said she had lost the will to fight desperately.

There were only four of them on this Antarctic expedition, and Hill himself became part of it.

"Try to survive, or you can beg for mercy. Predators don't kill unarmed women..."

After saying that, Geralt suddenly crouched down and dodged to the side. Hill looked at the ripples in the air and realized that this must be an attack from the Predators.

Geralt crouched down, and as he turned to the side, he swiftly struck his elbow behind him, the elbow colliding with the enemy with a dull thud.

Geralt swiftly turned around, grabbed the air, and suddenly threw the invisible enemy in his hand toward Hill.

The fluctuations in the air were already close at hand, and Hill could only dodge.

Just then, Geralt's body began to gradually become transparent, like those Predators, and eventually disappeared into the air.

"Damn it! Geralt! I never want to see you again!"

Hill cursed angrily and stared intently at the spot where she had just been standing. She could clearly see the snowflakes in the air crashing into the tiny ripples, outlining the approximate shape of the enemy.

Hill drew his pair of Gothhild swords, gripped one of them with both hands, and aimed it at the unseen enemy.

Whether it's Hill, Clint, or Dutch in the ruins, they all have their own things to do.

Taking advantage of this moment, Geralt also arrived next to the Predator's starship.

Revealing himself, Geralt planted his longsword in front of him, waiting for the Predator to come to him.

This time, Geralt intends to obtain the star map and spaceship he desires from these Predators.

Although he is proficient in soul forging and can use teleportation across dimensions, interstellar operations and cosmic exploration are insurmountable hurdles in the Dark Souls world. Even Odin has the Bifrost as a means of troop deployment and a planet-destroying weapon.

This is an opportunity to face the Predators.

Based on previously known information, the Iron Warriors who underwent trials at the Antarctic whaling station adhered to tradition but were not rigid, and were able to acknowledge Earthlings as warriors. Furthermore, they were able to proactively clean up the mess after realizing their mistakes.

According to the Ironblood tradition, they both desire to defeat the strong and respect them, so obtaining some information from them should be possible.

Of course, Geralt had other preparations as well; refusing was another option.

The sound of an airlock came from not far away, and a spaceship door opened not far from Geralt.

Looking at the Predator that appeared before me, I noticed two distinct markings on his helmet, the hallmarks of an adult Predator.

This Ironblood didn't use any stealth equipment; instead, he came directly to Geralt's opposite side with his weapon in hand.

Geralt looked around but didn't see any other Predators. The Predator in question had already removed its mask, revealing its fangs and mandibles, and was saying something to Geralt.

Faced with the blatant challenge from the Ironblood before him, Geralt nodded and said, "Very good, you're keeping to tradition. It seems our exchange can continue! But now it's time to fight, after all, only the victor has the right to speak!"

It's unclear whether the Predator on the other side can understand Geralt's words without his mask, but for a warrior, a single glance is enough for the other to understand his meaning!

For a warrior, straightforward punches, kicks, and blades are enough! It's time for battle!

Now, Clint and Dutch are playing hide-and-seek with the aliens and Predators in the ruins, while Hill struggles desperately to survive the Predator's attacks.

Only Geralt, dropping his longsword, shouted at the cloaked ship that only revealed a single airlock hatch: "Next!"

The battle between the Predators and Geralt became a series of attrition warfare. After defeating countless Predators, Geralt sensed another spaceship breaking through the atmosphere and heading towards him.

At this moment, Geralt was surrounded by Predators. The defeated Predators made way for the newcomers, giving them the chance to defeat Geralt.

A Predator with many small braids on its body appeared opposite Geralt, and as soon as it appeared, the surrounding Predators all bowed to it.

The Predator hissed at Geralt, and his mask translated those sounds into the language of Earth.

"Strong one, may the fight continue?"

Judging from this, the Predator was treating Geralt as a boss and was looking for someone to kill him, but he didn't expect that this was exactly what Geralt wanted.

"Keep going! If I don't get this star map and equipment, all that effort I put into building up my favorability will have been for nothing!"

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Chapter 396: Stabbing Each Other in the back

Hill knew perfectly well that he only had one enemy by his side, but the enemy was invisible and he couldn't find him no matter what he did.

In the snow, Hill could also temporarily determine the enemy's location by looking at footprints and swirling snowflakes, which allowed him to avoid several fatal attacks.

However, the enemy also knew this weakness. He gradually forced Hill into the building. The broken shadows and environmental cover provided by the remaining buildings of the whaling station provided the Predator with a perfect hiding environment.

Hill had no idea how long she had been hiding. With every breath she took, she was met with a fatal attack. Exhausted from running for her life, she didn't even have time to think carefully.

Furthermore, in the battle with the Predator just now, Hill was completely unprepared, and the Predator's powerful strength knocked the Gothhild sword out of her hand.

Out of his agent's combat habits, Hill distanced himself from the enemy, looking for a possible opportunity.

Grabbing a handful of snow, Hill stuffed it into the cracks in the house that let in drafts. According to Dutch's combat instructions, this enemy relied on thermal imaging to hunt its prey, and the house's obstruction would give her a chance to catch her breath.

But no matter how much she gasped for breath, the Predator wouldn't give her time, and was also getting closer and closer to Hill, preparing to take her life.

Hill pulled a bunch of odds and ends out of his pocket: the earring was a detonator, the shoe heel contained shaped charge explosives, and the zipper pull on his body was a detonator that matched the detonator.

After assembling the pile of pieces, Hill slowly buried himself in the snow, waiting for the Predator to walk into the trap.

Without any winter clothing, and burying himself in the snow, Hill felt as if his entire body had turned into a block of ice. His limbs stiffened, and his consciousness began to fade.

'Don't sleep! Don't sleep! It'll be soon, it'll be soon!'

Hill murmured to herself, trying to awaken her body and will with the voice of her mind. Her gaze was fixed on the distance, where a small battery she had shorted with a wire emitted heat that was the most obvious signal in the icy snow.

Just as Hill was about to fall asleep, a visible fluctuation came from the air in the distance, with lightning flashing and crackling, and the Predator emerged from its cloak.

They were just one step away from entering Hill's attack range, while the thermal signal from the short-circuited battery was even further away from the Predator.

Hill silently chanted to himself, staring intently at the Predator in the distance, hoping that he would take that crucial step.

However, the Predator did not approach at all. Instead, he took a round metal object from his body, shook it in his hand, and spikes appeared from the ring.

The weapon resembles a frisbee, with six claw-shaped darts irregularly arranged on a disc. There are finger holes in the center of the disc, like those in a boxing glove, suggesting it is designed for close-quarters combat.

The Predator bent his arm, raised the frisbee over his shoulder, and, to Hill's astonishment, threw it directly at her.

"Damn it! I was discovered a long time ago!"

Hill sprang from the snowdrift, struggling to dodge to the side with her stiff body. The frisbee grazed her body, leaving a trail of blood droplets.

Before she could check her injuries, Hill moved to a different spot. In the instant she dodged, the frisbee that had just attacked her arced through the distant sky and hurtled back towards her original location.

Exclaiming that he had escaped with his life, Hill pressed the detonator in his hand without turning his head.

The snow kicked up by the explosion turned everything around into a white haze, inadvertently providing Hill with an opportunity to retreat.

At the bottom of the stairs in a house, Hill examined his injuries by the light shining through the cracks in the stairs.

Just as the frisbee grazed past her, the claw-shaped darts on it slashed her right arm and injured her lower right abdomen.

Even more worryingly, the dripping blood, as she fled, pointed the Predator in the right direction to track her.

Hill quickly treated the injury on his arm, and before he could even deal with the other injuries, he hurriedly moved to another location.

This game of cat and mouse didn't last long; the scraps she had just collected were her last line of defense.

Just as she turned the corner of a house, frozen snowflakes clung to Hill's face.

With a sudden backward lean, Hill dodged the enemy's attack. The air currents created by the wielding melee weapon made her feel the same biting cold wind she felt on the day she was born.

As mentioned before, Hill was born in a blizzard, as if that blizzard foreshadowed her personality and life.

Now, amidst the Antarctic blizzard, the death winds brought by the enemy reminded her of how she should have died, but was born at the cost of her mother's life.

Hill rolled over and got up from the ground; this time, he had no intention of running away again.