Maybe Asa also has magic talent, it's just that it hasn't been discovered for many years.
Thinking of this, Yennefer felt a surge of joy; perhaps there was a new way to handle the relationship between them.
At least setting foot on the path of a Wizard was much better than being a Herbalist.
Riding the black horse, the two crossed a vast expanse of wilderness.
Until a faint stench appeared in the air, the smell of rotting corpses.
Asa frowned slightly; the super senses brought by the virus allowed him to easily perceive that this stench came from the village not far ahead, faintly mixed with the scent of blood.
As a Virus-modified human, Asa olfactory system was even more developed than a Witcher's.
Of course, he might pale in comparison when dealing with traces left by supernatural abilities or supernatural creatures.
Without looking back, Asa knew that Yennefer behind him hadn't noticed a thing.
While Sorcerers were certainly more powerful than ordinary humans, it only manifested in their control over magic; their physical fitness was sometimes inferior to that of some strong ordinary people.
A certain Witch with a very white chest had died upon a human pyre.
After a moment's thought, Asa decided to speak up and warn her. Their relationship was currently unequal; although Asa was happy to play the submissive role in their flirtatious games, the favorability rewards couldn't always keep him in a lower position.
Besides, one of Yennefer's personality traits was that she admires the strong.
"Miss, don't you smell that? The village ahead seems far too quiet."
"Oh?" Yennefer was taken aback. Her violet gaze, which was just like Lisa's, looked past Asa shoulder into the distance, seeing that the village down the slope was indeed terrifyingly silent.
It was currently morning, and the sun wasn't that intense yet. There should have been many villagers at their doorsteps farming or chatting, but now, the village before them was deathly still.
Yennefer sensed something:
"It is indeed too quiet."
Helping a village kill monsters was originally a Witcher's job. Noble Wizards usually never participated in assisting villagers with defense, but this time Yennefer had received an invitation from the King of Aedirn to serve as a Court Mage. Since this place was not far from the capital and was within the territory of the Kingdom of Aedirn, Yennefer naturally had to help the King perform the benevolent act of expelling monsters.
On her first day of work, she needed to leave a good impression.
"Stay here and don't move around."
The two dismounted, and Yennefer told Asa to stay put and wait for her.
"That won't do,"
How could he demonstrate his value if he stayed behind?
Asa rolled up his sleeves and said,
"I can also lend a hand."
"You?"
Under the sunlight, Yennefer looked at the lines of Asa exposed muscles. A brief thought crossed her cold and elegant face before she finally nodded.
"Fine, you come too."
Seeing that Asa had no weapon, Yennefer handed him the shortsword from her waist.
Asa drew the shortsword; the silver blade reflected a cold, sharp light. It was just an ordinary shortsword, not heavy in his hand, weighing about three pounds.
He gave it a quick swing; it was too light.
The two gradually approached the village. The stench of rot and blood in the air grew stronger, to the point where even Yennefer could smell it.
After a moment's hesitation, Yennefer gave her judgment: "It should be Ghouls."
Asa recalled that Ghouls were common monsters in the game, corpse-like creatures that resembled rotting bodies. They fed on carrion and human corpses and usually appeared in packs.
It seemed this village had an untreated corpse, which had attracted the Ghouls.
"Be careful, they are very fast."
On the way, Yennefer explained the weaknesses and characteristics of Ghouls to Asa.
"They look like skinless, rotting corpses, and their running speed is comparable to a galloping horse. Since they appear in groups, they are very dangerous for someone traveling alone. Furthermore, the area around a Ghoul's corpse and its body is filled with toxic gas; any spark will cause an explosion."
"Don't get hurt."
Although Wizards mainly studied magic, they were still quite knowledgeable about the common monsters on the continent.
Ghouls, Drowners, and Ghouls were among the monsters born from the chaos of war.
Asa nodded. This trait meant that ordinary people could only use ranged attacks or blades to kill them, making these monsters even more dangerous in ordinary close combat.
Ghoul
Reaching the village entrance, before even entering, Yennefer cast a spell first.
The Sorceress waved her hand gently. Something diffused into the air, and as Yennefer cast her spell, a thin, transparent, dome-like shield immediately appeared over both of them.
"What is this?"
Asa tried to touch it with his hand, but it clearly passed right through.
"A type of magic."
Yennefer said, seemingly indifferent.
"You're a Wizard?"
Asa eyes widened, his face showing the appropriate amount of shock and admiration. This instantly made Yennefer feel good, and the corners of her mouth curled up.
Wizards were the most dazzling people wherever they went.
In her childhood, who would have looked at her with such eyes?
More often, it was with disdain and loathing.
Feeling a bit proud, Yennefer then said:
"Hide behind me in a moment."
"How could I do that?"
A smile played on Asa lips.
"Being a wretch who hides behind a lady is not my style. Now, please, witness this."
Yennefer looked up. Over a decade ago, the Herbalist before her was a gentle and kind person, but he lacked his current confidence.
But now, the sunny, cheerful, and confident aura about the man was simply dizzying. Yennefer took a deep breath and then took the lead into the village.
There were three or four wooden houses in sight. The village didn't have a large population, which was why they had suffered an attack by Ghouls, resulting in a tragedy.
In the very center of the village lay a corpse, gnawed beyond recognition.
Both were experienced individuals and only frowned slightly.
"They should be inside the rooms."
Asa said. The scent trail was very clear, but the stench was too unbearable, so he simply shut off his sense of smell.
"I'll go first!"
Without another word, Asa took the lead.
The door was ajar. Asa gave it a gentle push, and a tall figure immediately rushed out from inside.
This was a crimson monster with no skin. Its red muscle tissue was exposed, and its head was unusually large, looking like a bloated corpse that had been soaking for three days.
Even more unbearable was that this monster was surrounded by a layer of brownish-yellow mist.
The grandfather who stirs the thick soup would probably like it.