The Divine Hunter

Tritog, the capital of Redania.

A huge city built on top of elven ruins. There is neither the bustling lights of Novigrad, nor the intellectual and elegant Academy Island-style buildings of Orsenfurt.

But the palace of King Vizmir II of Redania is located here.

The cold wind from the north blew across the golden crown and silver eagle flags that lined the avenues of the splendid palace, blew across the long marble street where the citizens were shoulder-to-shoulder, and swirled open the low door of the "Cat of the Dark Night" tavern.

Under the dim light, two witchers with double swords sat next to each other at the corner wine table. A few plates of greasy barbecued meat and dozens of glasses of various wines shone with an intoxicating haze: Vegima dark beer, mando Luo wine, cherry wine, acorn wine, dwarf spirits...

More have been drunk and empty.

"Duan—"

The two large transparent glasses collided fiercely, the pale wine foam splashed, and the air was filled with the rich aroma of hops and malt.

In the sound of "gulugulu" swallowing, two dusty and slovenly men drank a large glass in one breath.

At the same time hiccups.

"Dude... I haven't seen you for half a year, you are good at drinking, and you can actually compete with me... Honestly, did you have a targeted training in retreat, and you were ready to give me a slap?!" The man with the mountain-shaped hairline wiped it. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the corners of his mouth twitched, and his amber pupils swept across his friend's slightly flushed cheeks.

The man with a thin face, short black hair, a light brown leather armor, and reddish-brown pupils rubbed his aquiline nose and gave him a disdainful smile.

"Come on, Lambert, you have a fart drinker... Who was the last time someone got drunk in downtown Lynch, and then ran out of the city wall in the middle of the night and ran into the cattle pen of a farmer's house in the suburbs, making a scalper Moo moo... In the middle of the night, people thought that vampires came to the door."

"Crackling and pouring a lot of garlic water on you... The smell of smoked nose haunted you for a whole week. The reward for that commission was all paid off!" Aiden squinted and squinted at him, "Which poor animal are you going to reach out to after being drunk tonight?"

"Dude, you can't smear people's reputation." Lambert's face darkened immediately, "Old cow with a shovel, I just slept with it in my arms! Think of it as a bed for heating, in winter, It's survival instinct, understand?"

"Speaking of this, I'm just angry... You guy is clearly sober,

It's fine if you don't help me settle it, and the mother-in-law hides beside me to watch my jokes. Lambert's tone turned cold, and he looked at Aiden again and again, "You, Aiden, the cat demon hunter, are a beast!" Yes, specifically for backstabbing! "

Aiden raised his chin,

"Beasts are better than bullies, hopeless corner-pickers!"

Suddenly, two pairs of beasts glared at each other, sparks flashed in the air.

Under the light, the two men pointed at each other's noses, spit all over, exposing each other's shortcomings, and scolded me for a long time.

Eat meat when you are hungry, drink when you are thirsty.

Finally, when more than 20 glasses of various drinks were all wiped out.

The two arms slapped crisply in mid-air.

They laughed and sighed contentedly in unison, not a drop of the negative emotions that had been accumulated in their hearts for a long time.

"Okay, Lambert, enough scolding, one more swear word, and sew up your mouth." Aiden put his arms around his chest, wrinkles appeared on his forehead, his pupils contracted, and his cheeks flushed with alcohol made a serious expression. "Back to the point, what's the problem with you leaving Kaermohan early this time, running over to Tritog to wait for me, and delaying my commission as a ghoul?"

"Need brother help, just speak up."

"What you're waiting for is what you said, but man, it's not that I need help, it's you." Lambert stared at Aiden quietly, with an undisguised concern on his face.

Aiden shook his head in confusion, "Lambert, how do you learn how the bard pretends to be sophisticated, just click!"

"According to the advice of a colleague who is absolutely trustworthy... er... mutated and gained the ability to predict... You, Aiden of the cat school, will encounter a fatal crisis in the next few years." Lambert shrugged. "Who told you to have a good brother named Lambert, he couldn't bear to watch you die in vain. This time, I deliberately spent a lot of time, traveled thousands of miles to Tritog, and saved your life!"

"Precognition? Colleague... Witcher..." Aiden's cheek muscles twitched, and he glanced at his friend with a weird expression, as if he was looking at a lunatic.

"Let me give you some pointers." Lambert immediately told him what Roy had predicted and told him all about it - the duke, the daughter, the ogre commissioned, the political conspiracy, the aristocrat who hated the cat demon hunter...

Aiden was casual at first, thinking that his friend was arrogant and joking with him, but as he listened, his expression changed and his face became more serious. After listening, he pressed his chin with his hands and remained silent for a long time.

"It's well described," Aiden said. "With your straight brain, you can't make up such a roundabout story."

"I said it was the truth!"

"Okay, I'll assume you're telling the truth... I can assure you that I won't take any commissions involving ogres in the future." Aiden took a deep breath, and he and Lambert quarreled when they met. , in fact, they are brothers and sisters and trust each other, "Can you tell the prophet's name? Escal, Geralt, Vesemir?"

"Man, he is an honorary member of the new wolf faction," Lambert flashed a ray of regret, and then the light of admiration flowed, "Roy, another young genius of the Snake faction, the hope of the revival of the Snake faction! No, rather, the hope for the revival of the whole witcher!"

"Under his guidance, we united the wolf faction and the cat faction, settled in the Novigradian family, and established the Witcher Brotherhood!" Lambert noticed the horror in the other party's eyes, his face was even more triumphant, and he pushed the tall feet away. stool, strutting around the empty tavern hall,

And Aiden's brain seemed to have lost the ability to command, and he stuck in place with a stiff expression.

He didn't believe at all that witchers of different schools could get together without incident.

It's like forcing a lion and a tiger into a cage.

"You heard that right, the Witcher Brotherhood has established an orphanage in Nuocheng and started to train apprentices! But at present, there are only nine professional Witchers including me, and we still need a lot of manpower... "Lambert looked at his friend with deep eyes.

"And you are a good choice... We help you defuse future crises, do you think about it..."

"Wait, slow down, Snake Pie, Cat Pie... Who are they?"

"Lesso, Oaks, Serrit, Roy from the Snake Party, Kayane, Phleus from the Cat Party... How about you, have you heard of it?"

Aiden wiggled his ass restlessly.

Snake Witchers had been haunting the South, and he had no idea.

But the cat faction...these two guys are seniors who belonged to the rational faction decades ago.

Kayane has been missing for many years and unexpectedly joins the Brotherhood.

Owls have always been very active.

"Lambert, let me ask you officially, three different schools have established the so-called Witcher Brotherhood in No City? How is this possible, different ideas, even opposite temperaments!" Aiden began to twist Move your neck.

Lambert knew very well that when he did this, he was going for real.

Absolutely no joke.

"But we have a common goal!" Lambert said firmly. "I swear by our friendship...if there is a lie. I will automatically get out of my way and never bother you again!"

He exaggerated more and more,

"In the beginning, I was as suspicious as you, that the witcher union is absolutely nonsense!"

"But when I saw that kid, Roy of the Snake faction, he was a miracle worker... The mouth was like gold-plated, and the pupils seemed to have solidified persuasion."

"He changed my mind... As for why he didn't come to see you in person?"

"Every member of the Witcher Brotherhood lives on an equal footing and performs their duties... He is currently recruiting a warlock to find a resident mage for the Brotherhood!"

"Besides, the sorceress has a leg with him, and it's basically a done deal!"

Aiden rubbed his face, and took the two glasses from the wine table, trying to moisten his dry tongue, but it was empty.

His chest was hot.

...

"You're older than me, Aiden, you've heard of the tragedy that happened at the Demon Hunter Tournament." Lamber continued, almost indignantly, "Those high-ranking people see the Demon Hunter as a threat...to sow discord, in vain Completely wipe out the so-called 'mutants'!"

"A long time ago, warlocks with ulterior motives coveted mutation formulas and magic tome, and also destroyed Kyle Morhan and Kyle Siren."

"In the future, those old school witchers who wander alone and stubbornly will be extinct—"

"Because we are weak and weak, we can't stand alone! But after the wolf faction, snake faction, and cat faction united, we have received the respect we deserve in Nuocheng, and no one dares to give us scorn and contempt at will!"

"No one dares to underestimate us, and no one can hurt us!"

"Aiden, my brother, follow me to Nuocheng, I won't force you to join the Brotherhood." Lamber Amber's eyes flashed with sincerity, and he reached out to his best friend, "You can treat it as a wonderful event. visits and trips to our orphanages, pharmacies, laboratories.”

"Communicate friendly with eight of the same kind."

"Witness and witness the miracle in my mouth, and then make the final decision!"

Aiden's expression changed, and he was quiet for a while,

"Damn, who called you a brother!"

Suddenly, two hands clasped in mid-air!

...

at the same time.

South of Tritog, in a field around Ossenfurt.

Under the shade of lush willows and raised boulders stands the remains of an ancient palace.

The tall pillars are surrounded by a circle, and the mottled rock walls baptized by the vicissitudes of life are covered with green geraniums and southern snake vines.

In the palace, the uneven gravel forms a downward staircase, leading to a deep and dark corridor - the main body of the palace that has long been buried underground.

Intense rumbles shattered the silence.

Three figures fought in the passage.

Scarlet vertical pupils and amber cat pupils flickered in the darkness.

Geralt and Kayane, holding silver swords, frantically circled around a humanoid creature in the center of the clearing.

The surrounded creature had an ugly bat-like head, a flat and disgusting face, a mouth full of jagged fangs, blood-red eyes full of violence and madness, and a pair of backward-curved pocket horns growing on both sides of the head.

The bald and wart-covered body is covered with gray-black hard horny, as if wearing a sturdy cowhide armor. The dark nails on the limbs are not long, but the hardness is comparable to steel, and it can easily tear the flesh and blood into pieces!

"boom!"

The witcher who was circling frantically stopped abruptly, standing opposite the monster in the middle.

Geralt outlines the blue triangle charm with the five fingers of his left hand, and launches an Alder towards the chest of the bat-wing demon!

The monster was accumulating power with its recurve feet, jumping in mid-air, and rushing towards him from five meters away, but unexpectedly, the strong airflow propelled by magic power burst in front of his chest.

The whole body was thrown back suddenly.

It stumbled to the ground, the broken floor was dusty, and the soil was pulled out by its claws in a white line.

Red light swims in the darkness.

Kayan, with dark veins on his face, appeared ghostly behind it.

"Shh-"

The snowy silver sword drew a straight line like lightning, and stabbed the back of the bat-wing demon's neck with precision.

"Pfft..."

Blood splattered on the witcher, bounced off by the pale yellow Quinn's shield.

Kaiyan drew his sword without any hesitation and retreated, leaning against the pitch-black wall.

"Roar!"

The bat-winged demon howled furiously, the bloody mouth grinned almost to the base of the ear, and the purplish red tongue beat in the mouth.

It abandoned Geralt, turned quickly, and jumped with its two recurved thighs clasped to the ground.

The ferocious black shadow swept across the air, bringing out a strange whistling sound of wind, wrapped in a fishy smell, and grinned at Kaiyan.

The cat demon hunter who retreated to the cave wall was already ready to meet him, and rolled on the ground with unparalleled speed.

It fluttered in the air, its sturdy body slammed into the wall, and it was still out of control and kept venting, crackling and scratching.

The strong impact combined with the sharp arm claws cut a large hole in the wall, and the shattered stones rolled to the ground.

"boom!"

Alder mercilessly punched the batwing demon's curved back.

It is built into the wall.

Exposing the weakness behind him, he struggled to support Shi Zi'er, trying to get out.

"Shuh—" Geralt's sword light quickly drew a semicircle in the air.

With force through his fingertips, half of the silver sword pierced into the back of the bat wing demon's head.

The owl followed closely, and the cold blade was sent into the same position.

"Pfft..."

The black blood turned a corner in the air like a fountain, staining the ground with a heavy plop.

The bat-winged demon fell back to the ground with the two "long horns" on his head, his scarlet pupils dilated, and his mouth full of dense broken teeth opened and closed nervously.

"Crack, click..."

"Hoo... buddy, you're good at it!"

"You're not bad either!"

Geralt breathed a sigh of relief, gave Kayane a high-five, crouched down and began to dissect his body skillfully.

"The mutant of the bat-winged demon, maybe that kid Karl can use it!"

"Don't let go of the internal organs and skin. It's time to make some pro-drugs and prepare them for those children in advance." Kayahn untied the short blade on his belt and cut open the bat-wing demon's tough belly.

After the sound of "rustling" cutting.

After a while, half of the mutilated corpse was left behind. The two cleaned up the blood, lit the torches, and continued to go deep into the tunnel.

After walking straight for less than a minute, they found a bone outside a broken portal. They found the blueprint of the cat pie silver sword, the target item of the trip, and a gift "Professor Higsmond Gloger's Notes". ".

Kaiyan held the mottled notebook, and on his scarred face, his expression suddenly became frustrated and remorseful.

He handed the notebook to Geralt, as if awaiting reproach.

"Man, what's wrong with you?" Geralt asked. After spending more than a month together, he seldom saw the gentle and amiable red eyes in the children's eyes of this determined brother who had survived 30 years of "prison life". Teacher, showing this weak posture.

Kaiyan shook his head and glanced at the notebook, "You will know after reading it, I once made a big mistake with my lust for profit."

White Wolf stopped talking, and after a while, he finally read the entire diary and figured out the ins and outs.

The owner of this corpse is a member of the Ossenfurt archaeological team. Decades ago, under the sponsorship of Prince Adrian, the last heir of the Seacat Dynasty, they came to the ruins of Etaiye to investigate and look for Magog The legendary treasure of King Rolle.

And the cat sent demon hunter Kayane is the bodyguard hired by the prince for them, but he actually bears the secret mission explained by the prince - to collect and bring back the equipment blueprints.

During the archaeological process, the scholars of Olsenfurt made a major discovery. They found the blueprint of the cat school in the elf arsenal. Kayan asked them to hand over the blueprint according to the prince's instructions.

The entire team rejected the request, insisting that all results should be shared with Ossenfurt University.

Then, in order to fulfill Prince Adrian's entrustment, Kaiyan ruthlessly killed most of the members of the archaeological team and took away the blueprints.

Strictly abide by the consistent style of the vast majority of cat faction members - kill, complete the commission, just right.

In the darkened secret room, the man muttered to himself in a hoarse voice.

"There is no doubt that I made a huge mistake," Kayane squatted down, looking at the yellowed bones, his face stunned, "I was locked in the laboratory under the temple island and suffered cruel torture, which is the punishment of God. .I reflected for a long, long time in the dark... Then the enemy died, and I thought I had let it go."

"Seeing this innocent person who died because of me...I realized I owe them a debt."

Geralt, the car model for a long time, suddenly pushed him on the shoulder and interrupted, "Brother, regret is normal, especially for us witchers. But there is an old saying that debt is not enough."

"Everyone makes mistakes and owes debts ... but some mistakes are simply irreparable, and some debts cannot be paid."

The white wolf's pupils flickered with memories.

"Since fate keeps us alive, let's live well and look forward!"

"In the past, you were covered in blood, and you killed innocent people by mistake. You feel guilty."

"Then save more innocents now, such as the vagabonds in Gawain's House, raise them well, teach them, if doing so will make you feel better."

"Then just focus on it and forget about other guilt!"

Kaiyan closed his eyes and was silent for a moment, then suddenly heaved a sigh of relief, holding the skeleton in his arms.

"You're right, look ahead..."

"The unsolved guilt is left to fate!"

"I'm sorry for the dead, but I shouldn't let down the living, otherwise, I will only regret it!" Kaiyan shook his head, his scarlet pupils flashed a hint of determination,

"Come on, Geralt, it's time to go to the next stop. Find the last blueprint of the steel sword in the deserted Drahi Castle. By the way, see if Prince Adrian is still there."

...

Another place, outside the city gate of Ossenfurt, wearing a black high hat, riding on a gray gelding horse, and an old man with two swords on his back, moved towards a woman wearing a long black silk dress and veil, still charming. Drop a blow kiss.

Under her reluctant gaze, the old man rode his horse away from the academic city where he had stayed for a month. The wind blew away the cloth of the saddlebag, revealing a corner of his armor and weapons.

He was radiant and rode towards Novigrad!

...