Sleep came easier than I expected that night, despite knowing what awaited me at dawn. Perhaps I was over confident or maybe just use to this worlds harshness. Or maybe just exhaustion finally claiming its due. Either way, I fell into darkness quickly, my mind quiet for once.
But even in sleep, my Witcher senses remained passively remained alert, a side effect of the mutations that had changed me on every level possible. So when I sensed a presence enter my room in the hours before dawn, my eyes snapped open immediately, golden cat irises cutting through the darkness.
My hand instinctively moved toward where a weapon would be, but I stopped when I recognized the figure in the doorway.
Geralt stood there, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed, his white hair catching what little moonlight filtered through the narrow window. His own cat-like eyes gleamed in the darkness, and for a moment, we simply regarded each other, two white wolves in the night.
"Good your senses are sharp," he said, his gravelly voice low enough not to carry down the corridor. "I came to grab you, it's time for your trial to begin, Cain."
I nodded, pushing myself up from the thin mattress. "Right."
The cold stone floor bit at my feet as I moved to gather my clothes. I pulled on my tunic, a simple worn linen that had seen me through countless training sessions, and laced up my boots. I knew how the trial worked. No armor armor weapons today, just me and whatever skills I'd managed to develop over the past years.
That and my system and it's hidden inventory with items, unopened equipment chest, and weapons just in case.
Geralt waited patiently, not speaking until I joined him in the corridor. The keep was silent at this hour. Our footsteps echoed softly as we walked, the sound swallowed by centuries of accumulated shadows.
"How did you sleep?" Geralt asked after a moment, his tone casual but his eyes watchful.
"Like a rock," I replied honestly. "Same as always."
He grunted, that same old characteristic sound that could mean anything from approval to skepticism. "And how do you feel?"
I considered the question as we descended a worn staircase, my hand trailing along the cold stone wall. "Like I'm ready to get this trial over with."
"Well," Geralt said, and I caught the faintest hint of something in his voice, concern, maybe, "just because you excelled in controlled environments doesn't mean it will be so smooth in action. The real world doesn't follow our training yard rules."
I knew what he was doing. This was Geralt showing he cared, in his own cold but not-too-distant way. It was the closest thing to fatherly concern I'd seen from him, delivered with all the emotional warmth of a winter morning but genuine nonetheless. Not like I couldn't relate, I''ve been the similar since the Trial of the Grasses.
I still have the emotional intelligence and mature of my past life, and I feel things. It just seems to be more distant to act on since I received my Cold Blooded trait. But that won't stop me from loving and appreciating the people around me.
"Thank you, Geralt, I'll remember my training and everything you and the others taught me. So just believe in me to come back home."
Geralt just grunted again and didn't say anything else, but I thought I saw the corner of his mouth smile slightly. For him, that was practically a smile.
We emerged from the keep's interior into the courtyard, where the pre-dawn air hit me like a smack in the face. My breath misted in front of my face, and I was suddenly grateful for the mutations that made me more resistant to temperature extremes. A normal human would be shivering already, but that doesn't mean this still doesn't suck.
I saw three figures waited near the outer gate: Vesemir, Coen, and Callum. The old Witcher that looked like Jeffrey Morgan stood straight despite his age, his face was impassive. Coen had his arms crossed, looking every bit the stern but fair instructor he was. And Callum... Callum looked about as nervous as I felt, though he was hiding it well.
"Good!" Vesemir's voice cut through the morning chill. "We're all here now. Let's go."
Without another word, the five of us set off into the darkness on horses. We left through the outer gate and followed a winding path down from Kaer Morhen's mountain perch. The trail was treacherous in the dim light, loose stones threatening to turn ankles with every step, but we all navigated it with the sure-footedness that came from enhanced senses and years of training.
The sky was just beginning to lighten at the edges when we reached the lake, a vast expanse of dark water that stretched out before us like a sheet of black glass. Mist clung to its surface, and I could smell the damp earth, the mineral tang of mountain water, and something else... something organic and faintly rotten that made my nose wrinkle.
Drowners, it had to be.
Vesemir stopped at the water's edge and turned to face us, his expression grave. "Listen up, boys. You're about to begin your final trial, the Trial of the Mountain. From here on out, you will traverse and navigate treacherous terrain around the fortress to reach the Circle of Elements."
He paused, letting his words sink in. The Circle of Elements, was the sacred place where Witchers completed their transformation. I'd faintly remember what the books said about it but my codex never updated itself. So I took it for what I knew.
"Without any weapons, potions, or any help," Vesemir continued, his eyes moving between Callum and me, "you two will cross this lake to the other side. But be warned, there is a nest of drowners in these waters, and possibly a water hag as well."
Callum's eyes widened. "We have to swim in this cold water, in their environment, with no weapons? What, we fight them bare-handed?"
"You have your Sign magic," Coen said. "Your fellow Wolf School Witcher's have done this as well. You're not the first." Coen said gesturing to Geralt and Vesemir.
I kept my expression neutral, but internally, I was thinking about all the boys who'd survived the Trial of the Grasses and Dreams only to die in this "final" test. How many had made it this far only to be dragged under by drowners? How many had their throats torn out by water hags in the shallows?
The least they could do was give us a weapon. Even a knife would be something. But I kept those thoughts to myself. Complaining wouldn't change anything.
"After you cross the lake," Vesemir continued, "you will ascend the Blue Mountains and find Old Speartip's Cave. A cyclops-like creature known as Old Speartip makes his home there." His expression grew even more serious. "I advise you to sneak past him, he is not something you two can take on as you are now. He's killed full Witchers before."
Well that was not encouraging, but not surprising either.
"But be careful," Vesemir added. "Once you make it past there and ascend higher, there will be the occasional rock troll. They aren't trustworthy, but you should be able to pass by without a fight if you're smart about it. Any questions?"
Callum and I exchanged a glance, then both said, "No, sir."
"Good." Vesemir nodded once. "You boys can begin when you're ready and good luck."
Before I could move, Geralt's hand landed on my shoulder, pulling me aside. I saw Coen doing the same with Callum, drawing him away for a private word.
Geralt's eyes locked onto mine, and for once, there was no attempt to hide the concern there. "Don't be a hero," he said quietly. "I know you're strong, but I want you alive, not seeking glory, understand?"
I"Yes, Geralt."
"And look out for Callum," he continued. "It's just the two of you out there. Watch each other's backs."
"Yes, Geralt."
He studied my face for a long moment, then nodded and released my shoulder. Without another word, he walked back to stand with Vesemir, his white hair catching the growing dawn light.
I took a deep breath and turned to find Callum approaching, his conversation with Coen apparently finished.
"You ready for this, Cain?" he asked, trying for confidence but not quite managing to hide the edge of nervousness in his voice.
"Yeah," I said. "I just need a minute."
He nodded and moved to the water's edge, staring out across the dark expanse. I took the opportunity to step back slightly, turning away from the others.
Time to check my status.
I summoned the System interface with a thought, and the familiar blue translucent window appeared before my eyes.
Status Window:
Name: Cain
Age: 15
Race: Half-Elf Half-Human (Mutant)
Bloodline Trait: Elder Blood (Legendary)
Class: None
Attributes:
Constitution: 8.9
Strength: 9.2
Dexterity: 9.0
Wisdom: 9.4
Intelligence: 9.5
Charisma: 9.7
Luck: Unknown
Mana: 7.5
Ability Points: 20
Attribute Points:10 (Reserve Points: 0.5)
Abilities & Skills:
Wolf Pack (Rare)
Swordsmanship (Level 9)
Meditation (Level 7)
Poison Resistance Level 9 (Common)
Mind's Eye Level 8 (Common)
Limit Break Level 2 (Common)
Charm Resistance Level 10 (Legendary) Max
Warp Level 2 (Common)
Chronomancy Level 2 (Common)
Sign Magic Level 3 (Common)
Traits:
Cold Blooded (Rare)
Elder Blood (Legendary)
I stared at the numbers, my mind racing. I'd been saving these points, waiting for the right moment. Well, if facing drowners and water hags in their own element while unarmed wasn't the right moment, I didn't know what was.
I wasn't going to play it safe anymore. Especially not today when not only my life is on the line, but Callum's as well.
With a mental command, I distributed my attribute points evenly across the board, watching as the numbers climbed. Two points to each attribute, it would push me past some important thresholds.
The moment I confirmed the allocation, a system notification appeared:
System Notification: Your body has undergone great change.
Attributes:
Constitution: 8.9 → 10.9
Strength: 9.2 → 10.2
Dexterity: 9.0 → 10.0
Wisdom: 9.4 → 10.4
Intelligence: 9.5 → 10.5
Charisma: 9.7 → 10.7
Luck: Unknown
Mana: 7.5 → 10.0
Ability Points: 20
Attribute Points: 0 (Reserve Points: 0)
The change hit me like a thunderbolt.
Power surged through my body, starting in my core and radiating outward through every limb, every muscle, every nerve. My vision sharpened even further, the pre-dawn darkness becoming almost as clear as day. I could hear the individual ripples on the lake's surface, smell the distinct scents of each person behind me even more, I could feel the subtle vibrations in the ground from their breathing and heartbeats.
My muscles felt denser and stronger, like coiled springs ready to release. My mind felt clearer than it ever had been before, my thoughts flowing so clearly. Even my mana, that internal reservoir of my magical energy, felt fuller and deeper, like a well that had suddenly doubled in depth.
Then the notifications started cascading one after the other:
System Notification: You have broken past the first limiter. +1 Ability is rewarded.
First limiter? What did that mean? But there was no time to ponder as more notifications appeared:
System Notification: Your mind has become more open thanks to your Wisdom and Mana attributes reaching 10.
Mind's Eye Level 8 (Common) → Mind's Eye Level 10 (Common)
Effect: Perceive the world with heightened clarity. Identify weak points in living and non-living targets. Grants a 22% increase in all attack efficiency.
System Notification: Your Mana and Intelligence attributes have affected your understanding of magic.
Sign Magic Level 3 (Common) → Sign Magic Level 5 (Common)
System Notification: Your physical limits have been increased.
Limit Break Level 2 (Common) → Limit Break Level 4 (Common)
Effect: For 90 seconds, all Attributes increase by 14.
Bonus Effect: The lower your health and the greater your debuff state is, the stronger the increase becomes. Maximum Increase: +15 to all Attributes.
System Notification: Your vitality & physical threshold has increased greatly.
Poison Resistance Level 9 (Common) → Poison Resistance Level 10 (Common)
Effect: High resistance to toxins, poisons, and Witcher potion strain. Improves tolerance and beneficial adaptation. Poison Threshold: 0/85
I had to brace myself against a nearby tree, my senses overwhelmed by the sudden influx of power and information. It felt like I'd been living my entire life with weights strapped to my limbs and a blindfold over my eyes, and someone had just removed them all at once.
This was what breaking past a limiter felt like? If this was just the first one, what would the others be like? And how many more were there?
But before I could fully process everything, another notification appeared:
System Notification: Your attributes have met the conditions to rank up certain abilities and traits. Would you like to see the list?
[Yes/No]
My eyes widened, its finally happening. For years, I'd been trying to increase my ability ranks. I had the ability points, but it always said "requirements not met." I'd just assumed I needed to grow stronger more or complete certain conditions. But this confirmed it, my attributes had to be high enough before I could rank up certain abilities.
And traits! I didn't even know those could be ranked up.
I mentally clicked Yes, and a new list appeared:
Available Rank Up:
Cold Blooded (Rare) → Epic
Ability Points Required: 10
[Yes/No]
Effect: Cold Blooded (Epic)
You remain calm in high-stress situations and have high resistance to mental, psychic, and corruptive influences. +5 to Physical damage resistance. +5 to magical attack resistance.
Wolf Pack (Rare) → Epic
Ability Points Required: 5
[Yes/No]
Effect: Wolf Pack (Epic)
When fighting or training with a member of the Witcher School of the Wolf, all attributes increase by 4. Learning proficiency improves by 10%. Sign Magic improves all around by 4 Levels. Physical attacks increase by 4%.
I stared at the options, my mind racing through the calculations. At first, I thought the System was being stingy with showing only two options, and at those prices? But as I read the effects more carefully, I realized they were actually worth it.
Cold Blooded at Epic would give me significant damage resistance across the board. Combined with my other abilities and my increased Constitution, I'd be much harder to kill. And the mental resistance would be invaluable against creatures that used fear or charm effects. Mainly those sorceresses.
Wolf Pack is interesting. The cost was lower, but the effect is conditional, I have to be with a fellow Wolf School Witcher. Still, the bonuses were substantial. A four-level increase to Sign Magic alone is huge, and the attribute boost would stack with everything else. I guess it's just like the saying a wolf pack is stronger when hunting together.
And right now, I was about to go into combat with Callum, another Wolf School Witcher-in-training. So the decision was obvious.
I mentally clicked yes for both.
System Notification:
Ability Points: 20 → 5
Cold Blooded (Rare) → Cold Blooded (Epic)
Wolf Pack (Rare) → Wolf Pack (Epic)
The changes were immediate and profound. I felt my mind settle into an even deeper calm, like a lake surface becoming perfectly still. The slight nervousness I'd been suppressing vanished entirely, replaced by a cool analytical focus. At the same time, I became aware of Callum's presence in a new way, not just physically, but as a bond through the ability.
My Sign Magic proficiency expanded exponentially, I felt the itch to test it on the tip of my fingers. I took a deep breath, feeling the power settle into my bones. Now I had no more attribute points, and barely any ability points to spare, but I felt more then ready for the trial.
"You okay, Cain?" Callum's voice pulled me back to the present. He was looking at me with concern. "You zoned out and stumbled there for a second."
"Yeah," I said, pulling my long white hair back and tying it into a ponytail to keep it out of my face. "Just... mentally preparing myself. You ready?"
He grinned, some of his nervousness fading. "Whenever you are."
We shared a look and then we both smirked. "Let's do this," I said.
We turned toward the lake, and without another word, we ran forward and dove into the dark water.
The cold hit me like a slap, driving the air from my lungs for a short moment before my body adjusted. The water was absolutely frigid, fed by mountain snowmelt, and even with my enhanced Constitution, it was a shock to the system. I surfaced quickly, gasping, and saw Callum do the same a few feet away.
"Fuck, that's cold!" he hissed, his teeth already chattering slightly.
"Keep moving," I said, already starting to swim. "Our bodies heat will help."
We swam out toward the far shore, our strokes strong and steady despite the temperature.
Geralt and Coen were talking quietly as the watched the two boys swim off
"There they go," I thought I heard Coen say. "Our little apprentices."
"Yeah," Geralt's gravelly voice replied. "Let's hope they're ready for what's ahead."
The far shore was perhaps two hundred yards away, not an impossible distance, but in water this cold, with monsters lurking below, it might as well have been miles.
We were about halfway across when I saw them.
Four shapes moving through the water ahead of us, their movements too purposeful to be fish. They were staying just below the surface, dark silhouettes against the slightly lighter water. And behind them, something larger, something that moved with a different rhythm, more predatory.
Drowners, and a water hag.
I stopped swimming and treaded water, and Callum immediately noticed, stopping beside me.
"You see them?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah," he breathed. "Four drowners, at least, and something bigger."
"Water hag, just like Vesemir said."
The creatures hadn't noticed us yet, or if they had, they were waiting, letting us come to them. Drowners weren't particularly intelligent, but they had enough cunning to set ambushes.
Callum swam closer, his voice low. "What's the plan?"
I thought quickly, remembering a old military I learned in the Corp. "We attack them from opposite sides. Cast Quen first for protection, then blast them with Igni from both directions. The fire will disorient them, and the heat might even burn them alive from both sides."
"But we still have no weapons," Callum pointed out. "If the Signs don't finish them..."
"Then we use our strength," I said. "Grab them, crush their skulls. We're Witchers, Callum. We're strong enough. Your as strong as a bear with the way you eat and look."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Why do you all say that stuff? I'm as skinny as you."
I almost laughed. Callum stood at six-foot-four to my six-foot-two, and while we both had lean, muscular physiques, his muscles were actually bigger than mine by at least an inch and a half all over his body. We had similar muscle definition, but he had more mass.
"You're the strongest and most muscular half-elf I know, Callum," I said. "Even if you look like a regular human."
"First of all I'm the only half elf you know. And you're the most exotic-looking half-elf I know," he shot back with a slight grin. "Rich brown skin, snow-white hair, and golden eyes. You'd be a shoe-in with the girls in my village."
Despite the situation, I felt myself smile. "Let's go. It's cold in this water, and I'd like to get out before my balls freeze off."
Callum snorted, then nodded. "Alright. On your signal."
We separated, swimming in opposite directions to flank the group of monsters. The water was dark enough that they shouldn't be able to track us easily, and drowners relied more on sensing vibrations than sight anyway. If we were careful...
I dove under the surface, my enhanced vision allowing me to see through the murky water better than any human could. The drowners were clearer now, humanoid shapes with fish-like features, their bodies covered in scales and algae. They had long, webbed fingers tipped with claws, and their mouths were full of needle-sharp teeth.
The water hag was behind them, larger and more grotesque. Her body was bloated and pale, her hair floating around her head like a nest of water snakes. Long, black nails extended from her fingers, each one easily six inches long and sharp as knives.
I surfaced silently on the far side of the group, positioning myself so the drowners were between Callum and me. I caught his eye across the water and nodded.
Time to move.
I raised my hand, fingers forming the Sign of Quen. The magical energy flowed through me more easily than ever before, responding to my will like an extension of my own body. The Sign took shape in the air, a complex pattern of golden light that wrapped around me like a second skin before fading from view.
I felt the protective barrier settle over me, a slight tingling sensation that meant I was shielded. Across the water, I saw the telltale shimmer that meant Callum had done the same.
The drowners noticed the magical discharge. Their heads snapped toward us, milky eyes widening. The water hag let out a gurgling hiss.
"Now!" I shouted.
I thrust both hands forward, fingers splayed, and channeled Igni. Fire erupted from my palm in a roaring torrent of heat and light. The increased Sign Magic from my attribute boost and the Wolf Pack ability made the difference immediately apparent.
The fire hit two drowners closest to me were engulfed immediately, their scales blackening and cracking. They thrashed and screamed horribly in gurgling choking sounds, before going still and dropping to the ground.
On the other side, Callum's Igni was nearly as impressive, though not quite as hot as mine. His flames washed over another drowner, and while it didn't die immediately, it was clearly badly burned, its movements sluggish and pained.
The fourth drowner, seeing its companions fall, let out a shriek and launched itself at Callum with desperate fury.
"Callum!" I shouted, already running toward them.
But Callum didn't need my help, as the drowner burst from the water, claws extended, Callum moved with the great speed, precision and with his Witcher reflexes. He caught the creature's arm mid-swipe, twisted his body, and used the drowner's own momentum against it.
Then he grabbed its skull with both hands.
What happened next was both impressive and horrifying. Callum's fingers dug into the drowner's head, finding purchase in the eye sockets and the soft tissue around the gills. Then he squeezed.
The sound was like a melon being crushed, a wet crunching pop. The drowner's skull literally collapsed under the pressure, bone fragments and brain matter squeezing out between Callum's fingers. The creature went instantly limp, and Callum let it drop into the water with a look of shock on his face.
"Oh, fuck," he said, staring at his hands. "I didn't think... I mean, I knew we were strong, but..."
"See?" I called out walking closer. "I told you. Even if I didn't think it would be that easy."
"Yeah your right, but where's the hag?"
My eyes narrowed as I sensed it. "Callum, move!" I shouted.
He looked up, saw my expression, and immediately ducked and rolled toward me. Behind him, the water hag burst from the dense fog, her long nails slashing through the space where his head had been a second before. If he'd been any slower, she would have opened his throat.
The hag showed itself fully, her bloated body rising from the water like some nightmare from the deep. Her mouth opened, revealing rows of rotting teeth, and she let out a shriek that made my ears ring even with my enhanced hearing.
I didn't give her time to attack again.
I thrust my hand forward and channeled Aard, a telekinetic blast of pure force erupted from my palm, hitting the water hag square in the chest. She flew backward, lifted several inches into the air by the impact, and crashed back on the ground ten feet away.
"Good one, Cain!" Callum shouted, standing up beside me.
"Let's take care of this ugly bitch," I said, already forming the next Sign.
The water hag was getting up, her movements slower now but no less dangerous. She fixed her dead, fish-like eyes on us and began running forward, her long nails cutting through the fog.
I placed my hand down on the ground and cast Yrden.
The magical trap materialized in the wet dirt by the water as it surrounded the hag with a circle of purple glowing runes that appeared both on the surface creating cage of magical energy. The moment the hag entered the circle, her movements slowed dramatically, as if she were suddenly swimming through honey.
"Callum!" I called out. "Cast Igni from the other side!"
He understood immediately. While I kept the Yrden active, he ran around to flank the trapped hag. We positioned ourselves on opposite sides of the creature, our hands already forming the Sign of Igni.
"Now!" I shouted.
We both released our fire at the same moment.
Two streams of flame converged on the water hag from opposite directions, meeting in the middle with explosive force. The creature was caught in the center of an inferno, unable to escape due to the Yrden trap which was also weakening as well as slowing her movements. The ground around her literally burned and hardened.
The hag's screams were terrible, a sound like metal scraping on metal mixed with a human shriek of agony. Her pale flesh blackened and cracked, her hair burning away in seconds. She thrashed desperately, but the Yrden held her in place, and our combined fire was relentless.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only ten seconds, the hag's movements stopped. Her body, now little more than a charred husk, dropped to the ground.
I released the Signs, feeling the difference when I use my signs now then before. The increased Mana attribute and my improved Sign Magic efficiency, along with Wolf Pack, made such a huge difference. I wonder what will happen when I get this to 10 or race the rank of the skill. Will my spells change or evolve?
"Fuck, Cain," Callum said, walking over to me. His face was flushed from exertion and the heat of the flames. "That stinks, but that was also amazing. Did you see how fast she burned?"
"Yeah," I said, trying to sound modest.
"Good work on your everything," he replied with a grin. "When did you get so good with Signs? That Igni was way hotter than anything I've seen you do in training."
I shrugged. "Adrenaline, maybe since that's technically are first monster that we ever face. Or just maybe... everything finally clicking into place."
He nodded and accepted that explanation, and we resumed heading toward the mountains valley. he adrenaline was fading, and I was acutely aware of how much energy we'd just expended.
But we'd done it. We'd faced two different monsters in their own element, with no weapons, and we'd won.
This is night and day compared to how I was all those years ago, when I first got to this world. I knew now that I could do this. The Quest, the Trial, all of it. Especially with Callum here. We made a good team, complementing each other's strengths and covering each other's weaknesses.
I shouldn't even need to pull out items from my inventory or equipment chest. Not for this trial, at least.
"You okay, Cain?" Callum's voice broke through my thoughts. "You've got that look again. The one where you're thinking too hard."
"Yeah," I said, shaking off the introspection. "Just... processing everything. That was intense."
"Tell me about it. My hands are still shaking." He held them up, and sure enough, there was a slight tremor. "I can't believe I crushed that thing's skull like that. It was like... like squeezing an overripe fruit."
"Try not to think about it too much," I advised. "We did what we had to do, and we're still alive."
"True." He paused, then added quietly, "Just didn't think I was that strong. Thanks for having my back with the hag. If you hadn't warned me..."
"That's what we do," I said simply. "Watch each other's backs. Like Geralt said."
I turned my head to look at him. His red hair was plastered to his skull, and his lips had a slight blue tinge from the cold, but his eyes were bright with confidence and determination.
"Yeah, we've got this."
we both looked toward the mountains rising before us. The Blue Mountains loomed in the distance, their peaks still shrouded in morning mist. Somewhere up there was Old Speartip's Cave, and beyond that, the Circle of Elements.
"Ready?" I asked.
Callum took my hand and pulled himself to his feet. "Ready."